ISLE OF WIGHT
The Isle of Wight County supervisors voted unanimously during Thursday’s meeting to execute their part of an economic development incentive package with the City of Franklin to entice ST Tissue to expand its current operations in the county in 2017.

The deal, valued at approximately $272,500 over five years, stipulates that ST Tissue will receive 25 percent off its total machinery and tools tax owed to the county, provided the company spends $15 million in new machinery and equipment, and creates 50 new full-time jobs with an overall average wage of $53,000 per year.

The agreement will take effect Jan. 1, 2018 and end Dec. 31, 2022. As a result of the incentive, ST Tissue received an additional $167,500 from the Commonwealth Opportunity Fund.

Other business discussed during the meeting included the board accepting and appropriating $9,548 from a Virginia Litter Prevention and Recycling Grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’ a $7,500 Emergency Management Performance Grant; an $8,360 Supplemental Local Emergency Management Performance Grant; a $27,975 Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Grant; and a $30,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management representing pass-through funding from Dominion Power to risk jurisdictions. Isle of Wight is considered a risk jurisdiction because the Surry Nuclear Power Station is located within 10 miles of the county.

The Litter Prevention and Recycling Grant will be used to fund Isle of Wight’s “Isle Be Green” litter prevention and recycling program. The county is not required to match the funds awarded.

The Emergency Management Performance Grant will be used to fund public outreach, training and equipment, and requires the county to match the funds awarded.

The Supplemental Local Emergency Management Performance Grant will be used to enhance the county’s ability to serve individuals with functional and access needs in the county’s emergency shelters, and also requires a 1:1 match.

The DMV grant will be used for training, equipment and salaries related to selected traffic enforcement. The county will be required to match a portion of the funding.

The Dominion Power Pass Through Grant will use $5,000 to offset the cost of the county’s emergency alert system, IWAlert, and the remaining $25,000 for additional training, equipment and supplies to increase the county’s emergency preparedness and response efforts. There is no grant match requirement for the county.

The board also voted unanimously to adopt a new policy to facilitate the enforcement of illegal sign and advertisement removal from VDOT right-of-ways.

During a public hearing on a proposed Aberdeen Farms event center in Smithfield, numerous citizens spoke out against approval, and the board ultimately voted to 7-1 to table until their next meeting. Board chairman Rex Aphin was the dissenting vote.

During staff reports, the county’s stormwater division updated the board on its activities following the termination of the county’s MS4 permit. The county administrator’s report included an update on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a new natural gas pipeline Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced in September 2014, construction of which is scheduled to begin in 2017 provided all applications and permits are granted. The pipeline is expected to provide service as early as late 2018.

The next board of supervisors meeting will be on Thursday, Dec. 15, at 5 p.m., in the Robert C. Claud Sr. Boardroom at the Isle of Wight County Courthouse complex.