850 Jobs For Dakota City?

[siouxperland]

First the South Sioux City announcement of 1000 new jobs possible in a year and now Dakota City appears close to announce a new 850 job employer with $25M payroll on a 230 acre site southwest of the Roth Industrial Park.

From KPTH Fox 44 News

Documents obtained by KPTH show a business prepared to move to Dakota City and provide 850 jobs. Land has recently been annexed, and this could be a major shot in the arm for the regions economy.

It's a story we've been researching for sometime and it provides at least some answers to rumors that have been swirling about a potential major employer moving to
Dakota City.

Now KPTH have confirmed some details about this potential, and we stress potential only, new company.

According to Dakota City Manager Bob Peters the land annexed by Dakota City is about 220--to--230 acres. It's been annexed from two local families. Peters says they have signed a confidentiality agreement with at least one company forbidding them to say anything about a potential company relocating there.

Peters confirmed they've had discussions with a number of different companies.

However, minutes from the Dakota City Planning and Zoning Commission meeting held June 17th do reveal some information that, if it comes to pass, would provide a major employment boost to our hometowns. According to the minutes, the land is being purchased by Dakota City and given to the business as an enticement to locate here.

Now according to those minute: an interested business is ready to proceed with a potential $90 million dollar investment to employ 850 people with annual salary and wages of $25 million dollars by September of 2011.
Bonds will be sold by Americas financial to finance the venture.
The business would reimburse the city for the land through taxes.

Peters was not at liberty to discuss anything about the company or companies they have signed confidentiality agreements. But to recap, the land has been annexed and according to documents, up to 850 new jobs could be on the way to Dakota City within the next year or so.

[econboy]

Equals annual salary of about $29,412 per year. Better than 15-20k per year but not quite the top of the line.

[SiouxCity KCMO Man]

For Sioux City, a $30,000 average wage is extremely good. All these job announcements are very interesting. Its going to be a I'll believe it when I see it. Again, sadly however the jobs are all in Nebraska. Good for the metro, but Sioux City once again sits on the sidelines and watches our neighbors to the west do their thing to get the jobs here. Sioux City sees the ancillary effects because all the restaurants and retail are there...so we get some sales tax...but the business taxes would also help the city out. John Morrell's loss hit the tax rolls hard.

[JMsioux]

For Sioux City, a $30,000 average wage is extremely good. All these job announcements are very interesting. Its going to be a I'll believe it when I see it. Again, sadly however the jobs are all in Nebraska. Good for the metro, but Sioux City once again sits on the sidelines and watches our neighbors to the west do their thing to get the jobs here. Sioux City sees the ancillary effects because all the restaurants and retail are there...so we get some sales tax...but the business taxes would also help the city out. John Morrell's loss hit the tax rolls hard.

The average wage may be 30K but what will the wages of management versus the general employees be? The wage of the average Joe will be diluted when management's wages are included. "Payroll" can also mean wages + benefits which really reduces the paycheck. My bet: packing plant

[Mastermind]

I would say meat packing plant too. Iowa isn't too receptive about offering incentives for these operations.
In comparison, wind turbine blade and tower manufacturers have an average wage of $30-$50k.

[siouxperland]

I think what we'll see in the new few years is Dakota City & South Sioux City in merger and/or annexation talks. It would make sense for Dakota City being part of a larger city for services and would benefit South Sioux City not having to worry about zoning large projects and butting heads with DC. South Sioux is in the process of putting several of the parcels of land east of Dakota Ave, north of Dakota City, south of I-129 and west of the Missouri River into play with their upcoming 4 industrial projects West of Dakota Ave, the Roth Park is almost 400 acres and this new DC project adds another 230 acres to that. This will pretty much make development continuous.

[JMsioux]

I think what we'll see in the new few years is Dakota City & South Sioux City in merger and/or annexation talks. It would make sense for Dakota City being part of a larger city for services and would benefit South Sioux City not having to worry about zoning large projects and butting heads with DC. South Sioux is in the process of putting several of the parcels of land east of Dakota Ave, north of Dakota City, south of I-129 and west of the Missouri River into play with their upcoming 4 industrial projects West of Dakota Ave, the Roth Park is almost 400 acres and this new DC project adds another 230 acres to that. This will pretty much make development continuous.

Does S. Sioux fall under the same annexation law as Omaha where a larger city, once it abuts a smaller city under 10,000 within the same county, can annex it? Or is that Omaha-specific?

[siouxperland]

Good question about the Omaha annexation law. That's sort of hostile though in a way. It would probably be better to try the mutual agreement method first. DC has it's own elementary school but other than that, it uses SSC's school district. South Sioux would reap the tax benefits of the massive Tyson complex, a win for them. The only real thing standing in the way would be the lower property taxes that DC residents pay, although not a huge difference.

On the annexation law that Omaha seems to enjoy so much... it appears that it can be used statewide, much to the consternation of these folks. Dakota City seriously needs to consider it, they'll be swallowed up anyway.

http://www.freenebraska.net/statewideimplications.html

[JMsioux]

It is a bit hostile and the freeneabraska site was a good read. I don't know when the law was enacted but I imagine that a St. Louis landlocked scenario was what they had in mind when the law was written.

[siouxperland]

Imagine the fireworks if Sioux City ever went after Sergeant Bluff! In a few years, the only direction SB will be able to go is east with SC to the north, the airport to the west and Southbridge in the future to the south.

[JMsioux]

I don't particularly like the law and I'm glad Iowa doesn't have something like it on the books but I would love to sit on the sidelines and watch SC try to annex Sgt Bluff.

[Mastermind]

Conversely, it would be nice if Des Moines swallowed Windsor Heights, and it Iowa City swallowed University Heights. What's with the "Heights" anyway?

[JMsioux]

Conversely, it would be nice if Des Moines swallowed Windsor Heights, and it Iowa City swallowed University Heights. What's with the "Heights" anyway?

If only to get rid of the University Heights police department.

[BenRoethig]

Speeding on melrose are we?

[Mastermind]

same situation with Windsor Heights in DSM metro.

[siouxperland]

Postage stamp sized towns need some kind of revenue! Speeders are only too obliging.

[trailer]

DC + SSC combining forces only makes sense. It could easily be sold to residents if there was a significant amount of savings to taxpayers.

[JMsioux]

Although we lived in Sioux City, our family got our haircuts at a place in Dakota City that did phenomenal job for very reasonable prices. It also helped that my wife was a high school class mate. Anyway, I always got the feeling that although the SSC and DC were mere yards apart, the cities were as dis-similar as they could get. It seemed that DC wanted to remain the small, slightly red-neckish, typical small town while SSC was striving to be something more and bigger. I don't think the residents of SSC care either way, other than having the large industrial tax base added to their budget, but I think the citizenry of DC would fight tooth and nail to near death if the subject ever came up. SSC would also probably like to inherit the Dakota County seat away from DC if they could. My $.02

[siouxperland]

South of the railroad bridge from Sioux City, South Sioux City is developing a new riverfront park, which will continue their park system that starts east of the Marina Inn. This park will be known as "Freedom Park" and some of it's features include a laser show amphitheater, ice rink, dog parks, memorial gardens and a half scale recreation of the Vietnam Wall. It also provides a critical link in the extension of the River View Drive which will open development along the river.






Current South Sioux City - Dakota City


Future South Sioux City? If SSC merged/annexed Dakota City (Includes South Sioux City's projected annexation for industrial & residential over the next decade as well as roads & new interstate interchange on I-129)

[siouxperland]

850 potential new jobs in Dakota City Nebraska
Monday night the Dakota City Council votes to take the next step forward

It was a quick and painless meeting Monday night, less than a half hour total, but it was a major step forward for the project.

Here's what we know, an interested business is ready to proceed with a potential 90 million dollar investment to employ about 850 people with annual salary and wages of $25 million dollars.

Officials in Dakota City tonight held a public hearing about what they're calling Dakota City Redevelopment Phase One.


They took a number of votes laying the groundwork for a major new industry to move there.
The big question, is do they have a company in mind, Mayor Jim Roberts told me they've signed confidentiality agreements with a number of companies.


When asked how confident he is that they'll have one? "Actually very confident. I think it's a nice place to come to and help out Siouxland," he said.

Just under 200 acres were annexed by Dakota City in April as part of the project.
About fifteen residents attended Monday night's meeting where councilors voted to declare the land blighted and substandard: A requirement in order to make it eligible for tax increment financing. That means a potential industry would pay the city back for the costs of the project.

"It helps us bring business to the community that supplies taxes, jobs, residents you know for the whole Siouxland area. So, by getting that started, getting companies here, we need good companies that since we've lost other companies in the past year," the Mayor said.

The costs include land acquisition and building demolition at about 5.1 million dollars. Other costs include lighting, paving streets, fiber and electric with a total cost of 6 and a half million dollars.

[Mastermind]

About fifteen residents attended Monday night's meeting where councilors voted to declare the land blighted and substandard: A requirement in order to make it eligible for tax increment financing. That means a potential industry would pay the city back for the costs of the project.

Whose TIF laws are these? Daktoa City's or the State of Nebraska? I'm not too familar with TIF laws, but it seems odd that you could annex land and call it blighted and substandard in order to create a TIF.

[DMRyan]

It happened with Jordan Creek Town Center.

[Mastermind]

So what law applies? City, county, state?

[siouxperland]

So what law applies? City, county, state?

Nebraska TIF Laws
http://www.neded.org/content/view/100/232/

My take on this possible company is that it's not a meat packer in the classic sense but possibly a manufacturer of a finished or end product which will use Tyson as a direct supplier. Tyson has many retail lines of meat products using chicken, pork & beef. In fact, Tyson started and owned "Jose Ole" Frozen Mexican Food Products. Parts of that division were run from the Tyson Dunes office. The new BPI plant of 300 employees which is under construction north of Tyson will be making 94% lean burgers for the restaurant industry and Tyson is it's next door direct supplier with enclosed freezer conveyor belts so I'd hazard a guess this new plant would be doing something similar. It would be low waste, no odor and clean compared to a conventional packing plant.

For all we know, this plant could be a Tyson owned plant.

[Mastermind]

Much better than a meat packer, but doesn't the Hormel plant in Dubuque pay much higher wages?

[siouxperland]

Much better than a meat packer, but doesn't the Hormel plant in Dubuque pay much higher wages?

??? You lost me.

The processing of meat into a usable form is much more labor intensive and demanding than taking some ready to use meat and make it into a nugget or burrito or patty.

850 jobs of any kind outside the minimum wage world are welcomed in this economy. With S. Sioux City adding a 1000 jobs in the next year or two, plus the 400 at BPI already committed, they may end up paying more just to maintain a full force of 850 and may not ever get to full employment.

[Mastermind]

I thought the Hormel plant in Dubuque pays more, but after re-reading the thread i don't think that is the case.

[trailer]

South of the railroad bridge from Sioux City, South Sioux City is developing a new riverfront park, which will continue their park system that starts east of the Marina Inn. This park will be known as "Freedom Park" and some of it's features include a laser show amphitheater, ice rink, dog parks, memorial gardens and a half scale recreation of the Vietnam Wall. It also provides a critical link in the extension of the River View Drive which will open development along the river.






Current South Sioux City - Dakota City


Future South Sioux City? If SSC merged/annexed Dakota City (Includes South Sioux City's projected annexation for industrial & residential over the next decade as well as roads & new interstate interchange on I-129)

design chosen on Siouxland Freedom Park: http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13808729

looks like it'll be a really nice amenity for the area.

[siouxperland]

Looks like South Sioux City could finally get a long awaited (requested 2002) new interchange on I-129 east of Dakota Ave (possibly lining up with "G" Street" but more likely with an extended "Riverview Parkway"). This would open up a large residential area north of I-129 to development and a large industrial area south of the interstate to development. Whatever it takes to spread out the semi trucks at the Dakota Ave. interchange I'm all for. It would be part of the "35 Expressway" project which would create a full four lane highway from Norfolk, NE to I-29 in Sioux City. An outer loop around the university town of Wayne is already in the funding & pre-construction phase. Would be a nice economic boost for the Iowa side of things with all of it's retail offerings luring northeast Nebraskans in that direction for the shopping/entertainment options of Sioux City.