County supports Polaris deal

By MaryHelen Swanson
Residents of Chisago County, especially those with engineering backgrounds, who are fed up with the commute to the cities, might have the opportunity to work within minutes of home if the Polaris company chooses this county over Osceola, Wisc. for a new plant.
Last week, the Chisago County Board gave thumbs up to a resolution approving the application for designation of 620 acres east of the city of Wyoming as a tax free zone to offer an incentive to the Polaris company to come, build, provide jobs and boost the economy of the area.
A lot of people, including the officials of Wyoming and the countyís economic development authority, have been working for months to get a package ready for Polaris to entice them to choose Chisago County over Osceola.
Briefly, Wyoming had a need for a new sewer plant, Polaris had a need for a large plot of land to build a plant and testing facility and people in Chisago County and surrounding areas have a need for jobs. If the deal works out, Wyoming will have the money to pay for its connection to the southern Chisago County sewage system, Polaris will have a big incentive to locate a plant here and many local citizens and potentially businesses.
The land is the current site of the Wyoming wastewater facility. It borders the Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area on the west.
According to HRA-EDA director Chris Eng, the residents around the other borders are very supportive of this endeavor.
The resolution adopted last week will allow for an application for a JOBZ program.
JOBZ, originally created by Gov. Tim Pawlenty when he was a representative, was meant to assist communities in greater Minnesota who are dying out and becoming ghost towns.
Technically, Eng said, Chisago County doesnít fit the criteria, but the state wants Polaris here as much as the local people and has put this project on the JOBZ list.
Besides the numerous well-paying jobs, Polaris is expecting to have an annual payroll of $22.5 million.
The plant will be a research facility, not a snowmobile testing site, Eng said, more for ATVs and personal watercraft testing.
The actual plant would be located on the northern section of the land, the testing fields to the south.
The state has provided a $1 million grant to realign CR 84 around the proposed Polaris site.
Under the JOBZ program, the state waives all sales taxes, corporate franchise taxes, corporate income taxes, unemployment taxes, job credits, and the stateís portion of the property tax. By default, the state also waives all city and county taxes, and all this for a period of 12 years.
The countyís tax abatement program, which had been determined to be $3 million, would begin after the JOBZ program is up. But Eng said this week that that might not be necessary.
Right now, no one is paying taxes on the proposed Polaris site.
A concern among many is that if the Polaris deal is not completed, the land could be sold off to developers for high-density housing and apparently, not many are keen on this idea.
Folks in Chisago County are sitting on pins and needles right now- a decision was to be made by this Friday, but Polaris has pushed that ahead to Oct. 15.
If Polaris says ìyesî groundbreaking is expected in May of 2004 and they plan to be in the building in December 2004.
ìItíll be a good thing for everybody,î Eng said. And the JOBZ program, he said, might convince Polaris to double or triple the size of the operation.
All of the commissioners voted in favor of the Polaris deal. Commissioner Bob Gustafson said all stops must be pulled out to get Polaris here, the county canít afford to lose it.
County Administrator John Moosey said it should be considered an investment as it will benefit the entire county.
Moms and dads who could work here would have more time for their children and the social aspects of living in the county, he said.
Eng reminded everyone at the board meeting that Polaris has to create the promised jobs or they donít get the rebate (tax abatement).
All totalled, with grants and abatements, the incentive package is at $10.5 million right now.
ìWe think we have the advantage,î Eng said, ìweíre very confident.îcould benefit greatly from the new endeavor.

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