The Mississippi County Quorum Court Planning and Development Committee met with Economic Developer Clif Chitwood on Thursday regarding Calstrip coming to the county, as well as the changing of the name of a project that came before the committee previously. The Great River Economic Development Council [GREDC] also spoke about trying to revisit the resolution that has currently stopped the city of Osceola from regaining a grocery store.
Chitwood explained the Calstrip will be located next to Nucor Hickman and will be using Hickman’s product to make rebar.
Calstrip will pay an average of $18.75 an hour and will employ 45 people. Chitwood has offered Calstrip an incentive of $450,000 if they hire from the county, which would be $10,000 per employee and $5,000 per person if they live in the Bootheel of Missouri.
Justice Michael White motion to send it in front of the full quorum court and Justice Sylvester Belcher seconded.
Meanwhile, a project mentioned previously involving a company that will potentially be moving into the old Snyder building was brought back up, and Chitwood told the committee that nothing has changed with the project wording except the name. The new name will be called Project Olympus. Chitwood explained that it is his understanding that Project Olympus was the county’s to lose.
Project Olympus has been approved to be sent to the full quorum court on Tuesday.
During last month’s Quorum Court meeting, Justice Rick Ash showed a resolution that said the QC couldn’t agree to give the city of Osceola a new grocery store where Food Giant was with the rules that are currently in place.
GREDC board members present were President Randy Scott, Brad Harrison, and Osceola Mayor Dickie Kennemore.
Each member explained that they would like for the QC and GREDC to someday have a meeting with each other.
White asked Chitwood when could they have a meeting before he found answers to the questions that the QC has.
Chitwood responded that either way they need to meet because there are other things to talk about besides the current matter they are dealing with.
Belcher said that they definitely need a grocery store in Osceola and Judge Terri Brassfield agreed.
Mayor Kennemore said he hasn’t heard anyone interested in the grocery store besides the company that had been discussed in the previous meeting.
In other news, the Mississippi County Quorum Court Insurance Committee met with representatives from Stephens, Incorporated of Little Rock on Tuesday to discuss the mid-year county group health plan.
Senior Vice President Tom Kane and Assistant Vice President Jo Anne Edmondson explained that the current plan is looking better than it was at the end of last year.
“[The County group health plan] is looking better today, than what it was looking at the end of the year last year,” Kane said. “The group of the size of the county, two or three large claims can have a pretty negative impact… if you remembered last year, we had several very, large claims and those are no longer in the group. So, that has helped turn it around.”
That could help change the price of the insurance from Blue Cross and Blue Shield [BCBS] when Stephens meet with them.
Insurance chair Ken Kennemore explained that the budget starts getting worked on near the end of September, beginning of October.
Edmondson mentioned that some insurances will be up for renewals in January of 2019.
“We have renewals coming up Jan. 1 for the medical, dental, and basic life will all be renewed in Jan. of 2019. The vision will not renew until 2020,” Edmondson explained.
When asked if there were any more questions about the current plan or about BCBS, Kane said, “I guess there is some relief knowing that we turned the corner… last year was a rough year.”
Edmondson added that the two past renewals have been tough.
Kane also pointed out that Stephens has been working with the county since 2006-2007.