EDC learns about casino expansion

Board welcomes new members

By Rose Hooper

Charlie Myers, a member of the Cherokee Community Development, was invited to Monday night's meeting to assess if, and how, Cherokee might become involved in the EDC. With growth in all directions resulting from Harrah's Cherokee Casino, Myers told EDC members the tribe realizes orderly planning for that growth, including economic development, is essential.

With the tribe's newly-signed 30-year contract with the state, Myers said the next growth spurt will include increasing casino gaming space by one-third. That expansion will cause a drain on the local labor force, said Myers, who explained how the casino has been successful in securing work permits for groups of foreign students, including 55 Costa Ricans.

"As long as they are in non-gaming relation positions, such as beverage servers and valets, we can get work permits for them," said Myers, who added that an entire motel has been leased to house the students.

The EDC welcomed two new members: Linda Rogers of Centura Banks, who replaced Eddie Madden as the Cashiers representative; and Gene Couch, vice president of academic affairs at Southwestern Community College, who will replace Delos Monteith as SCC's representative. A nominating committee was named to secure a replacement for Boyd Sossamon, an original board member who has served the three terms allowed by the by laws.

The EDC approved a local incentive grant program policy presented by Mark Leonard of the EDC's Existing Industry Committee. New and existing industrial employers may request funding assistance through this program. The awarding and size of the grants will depend on the availability of funds in the EDC budget and on an evaluation of the requests.

The requesting agency's business plan will be evaluated for its proposed use of funds, job preservation, job creation, long-term improvement in economic development, diversifying the rural economy, estimated per capita personal income, change in population, impact for improving the marketable skills of Jackson County residents and the probability of success.

The business must have a 50 percent match, which can be in-kind or from state funds, Leonard said. Businesses may also request a hardship waiver.

Julie Spiro, executive director of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, reported that in 2000 the chamber had 20,407 walk-in visitors and Dillsboro had more than 6,000. Sue Bumgarner, executive director of the Cashiers Chamber, said she and one office worker responded to some 26,000 inquiries last year.

The Cashiers Chamber will be moving, Bumgarner said, since it purchased the log cabin across from Bond Builders Supply on Highway 64 West. She indicated the log cabin may be dismantled and moved to a permanent location, but no decision has been reached yet.

Spiro gave an update on the Hooper House and requested $7,000 from the EDC.

"There is strong support for (approving the request)," said EDC Chairman Tom McClure, "we just have to figure out how." After a review of the budget, EDC members said they would have an answer for Spiro at the Feb. 26 meeting.

Eric Brinke, western representative for the Department of Commerce, reported that Secretary Rick Carlisle has just released the county tier designations, and Jackson County remains in tier three. These designations determine the availability of funding opportunities, he said.

Companies locating or expanding in tier three counties are eligible for a tax credit of $3,000 per new job created and a 7 percent tax credit for machinery and equipment investments of more than $200,000.

Each year the commerce department evaluates North Carolina's 100 counties and assigns a tier designation ranking from one to five, with one as the most economically distressed and five as the least, Brinke said.

Back to Archive: 01/25/01.