At 9:03 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, the City of Greensboro added the name Boom Technology Inc. to the agenda for the 10 a.m. meeting, ending any speculation about what company was coming to the Piedmont Triad International Airport megasite.
It perhaps wasn’t the worst kept secret in recent economic development announcements, but it’s right up there with Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina in December.
Promptly at 10:03 a.m., Mayor Nancy Vaughan called the three-minute meeting to order with one item on the agenda – awarding $1,500 per job in economic incentives to Boom Technology Inc.
The motion was made by Vaughan, seconded by (according to Vaughan) the rest of the City Council, and the vote was 8-0 to award what will be a total of $2.6 million in economic incentives to Boom. Councilmember Justin Outling was absent.
Due to a glitch, no video of the meeting was broadcast on the City of Greensboro City Council meeting website. However, because this was an in-person meeting and not a virtual meeting or a “hybrid” meeting, there is no requirement that the meeting be broadcast.
Vaughan opened the meeting saying, “This is the time and place for a public hearing. I would like to move item B.1 resolution authorizing an economic development incentive to Boom Technology Inc. in the amount not to exceed $1,500 per job.”
After the meeting, Vaughan said that no one had signed up to speak at the public hearing and there was no one in the audience who had asked to speak, which was why the public hearing was not called into session and then closed as is the procedure when there are speakers.
Interim City Manager Chris Wilson noted that the city had been working on “Project Thunderbird,” which would result in an investment of $500 million and create 1,761 jobs, since April of last year.
Wilson thanked Greensboro Chamber of Commerce President Brent Christensen and Piedmont Triad International Airport Executive Director Kevin Baker for the work they had done on the project.
Vaughan noted that it was a good last meeting for Wilson, who will step down as interim city manager at the end of the month and return to his position as assistant city manager.
After the meeting Vaughan noted that this economic development announcement, “Has been a long time coming.” She noted that a lot of infrastructure improvements had to be in place to make it possible like the new Federal Aviation Administration tower, water and sewer improvements and the taxi-way bridge.
Vaughan said, “Toyota and this announcement go back to the RFPs that were done for the Toyota Mazda plant and the one for Boeing. We looked at the weaknesses and where we needed to make improvements.”
Putting aside all the other issues here, it’s encouraging to see America finally embrace mid-20th Century British aerospace technology… (!)
Sounds positive. Hope it works out.
$1500 per job is chicken feed for the economic infusions these well paid jobs will provide and the rising real estate values it will support. Now to fill those jobs with LOCAL tech school and college grads instead of employers having to recruit from Atlanta (Emory-Riddle), Cornell and MIT. THAT is why you want to vote yes on school bonds and pay teachers a living wage. Institutional ignorance, neglect and tax aversion are NOT civic values that make potential employers want to move here.
fishbreath two words. F$$K OFF
NC schoolteachers average salary is over $50,000 for working 9 months of the year ($67,000/yr equivalent).
Government Schools’ incompetence is only matched by their greed.
Since Austin isn’t one for facts…..teachers work a 10 month schedule.
Well Chris you’re one to talk you apparently don’t know that there’s 12 months in a year but I’m sure one day when you and comrade tuna are having a very liberal, socialist political discussion he will show you how to take off your shoes then you can use your toes to help you count that high
And even if that were true (which it isn’t), how would that refute my argument?
Changes the numbers in your little math equation. My wife is a school treasurer which includes payroll processing and yes, they work on a 10 month schedule as they begin working well before the kids actually start school in the Spring.
So you suggest paying them unemployment during the summer? Or just make teaching even less worth the investment in a college education?
You complain a lot but like most modern republicans lack any real ideas for solutions to issues facing society.
I didn’t win the SpaceX rocket flight, so I volunteer for the first supersonic flight out.