Council gives prospective medical firm more time

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

It was one of those ?in and out? meetings for the Mt. Pleasant City Council Wednesday as the council swept the slate clean in less than a half hour.

The saga with Biomedical Synergies, Inc. will continue for another three years. Council members approved a three-year extension with the Minnesota firm to give the firm time to promote its health software equipment company.

Biomedical first approached the city in 2012, indicating it wanted to start a plant in Mt. Pleasant. The company said the plant would employ a minimum of 30 people. Biomedical has developed a software program to trace human tissue.

When Biomedical committed to locating in Mt. Pleasant, the city gave them a $36,000 economic development grant to facilitate the proposed development project. One of the requirements of the grant was that the company would employ 30 people in Mt. Pleasant.

However, it never has happened.

During the interim, Biomedical has received two extensions but complications, according to Paul Kozloski, Biomedical chairman and CEO, have impeded the firm?s progress in establishing a Mt. Pleasant plant.

Biomedical at one time did attempt to fill two positions in Mt. Pleasant but could not find any candidates that met the criteria of the job description.

Kozloski also said in a letter to the city that the economy, the slowdown in health-care spending driven by the recession and slow recovery, hospitals struggling financially, budgets being slashed and purchasing decisions being delayed have contributed to the firm?s inability to locate in Mt. Pleasant.

?It behooves us to continue (working with Biomedical) and maybe it will work eventually,? Mayor Steve Brimhall told the council.

In other business, residents will need to keep their dogs tied up or on a leash or else they?ll pay. Council members passed the first reading of a proposed ordinance to increase the amount of fines for offenders having dogs at large.

Currently, the fine is $10, but the proposed ordinance increases the fine to $50 for first-time offenses and $75 for a second offense.

The third reading was passed and an ordinance adopted reducing the front-yard requirement for an agricultural residential reserve-zoning district. The requirement was erroneously amended through a clerical error in the latest city comprehensive plan from 75 feet to 175 feet. The requirement had always been 75 feet and the ordinance restores the distance to 75 feet.

Current Mt. Pleasant Community Service Officer Robert Szewczyk was promoted to a patrol officer at the recommendation of police Chief Ron Archer.

Szewczyk fills the vacancy created by the departure of Richard Martin. Szewczyk will be paid an initial salary of $40,913.60, with a step increase following satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

Archer said Szewczyk, who has been with the department since January 2016 ?has good people skills and is self-motivated. I have no doubt that Robert will make an excellent police officer.?

Jim Warner, of Warner Engineering Associates Inc., of Mt. Pleasant, the firm handling the Mapleleaf Drive reconstruction project, told the council that the construction company is constructing curbs and repairs between Lincoln and Palm Street. On the other end of the project, excavation work is near Lorimor Manufacturing.

?They will be preparing it (Mapleleaf) for paving next week (between Harvey Drive and Iris Street) and paving could begin the end of next week,? Warner said.

Council members will meet again in regular session Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 5:30 p.m., at City Hall.