2005

Council holds hearing on incubation application

Slugline Publication Date Section(s) Page Byline City Council The Wilson Daily Times May 06, 2005 Local News A3

By Margaret J. Stair Daily Times Staff Writer Wilson City Council held its first public hearing Thursday night on an application for Community Development Block Grant that could create jobs. It unanimously authorized Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments to apply for a $355,000 entrepreneurial incubation grant. If the grant is received, the money will be used to nurture small businesses by providing management guidance, Internet access and training to people starting businesses in the community. The business incubator, where start-up businesses could locate until they were on their feet, would be in the former Belk building downtown. Wilson Technical Community College has already committed to move its Small Business Center there. The business incubator would have a full-time staff of three. It also would partner with regional universities and other agencies to deliver workshops. If received, the grant would be administered by the COG unit, which projects that it could create more than 30 businesses and 100 jobs. Rocky Mount is also in the running as a site if the COG gets the grant. Its board will tour both sites next week. Council will hold a second public hearing on the application at its May 19 meeting. The application deadline is May 31. Council also approved a resolution to support an effort to provide marketing support to local

farmers who want to produce and sell organic and natural food. Judy Southard plans to create the N.C. Alternative, Natural and Organic Farming and Foods Marketing Institute in Wilson at 905 Herring Ave. Currently, 80 percent of the organic food sold in the United States is imported, and 90 percent of domestic organic food grown is grown in California. It takes three to four days to truck the produce to the East Coast. Southard believes Wilson's location is ideal to serve the market for organic food because it is within a one-day drive of most of the eastern United States and has agribusiness infrastructure in place. In other business, council: * Approved a labor and equipment contract for $721,081.90 to E & amp;R Inc. to install a 115kV electricity transmission line from Elm City to Substation No. 1. * Approved a municipal agreement with N.C. Department of Transportation committing the city to move any city utilities that are in the way of the project to widen Airport Boulevard. * Heard a request from the 301 Advisory Committee for $40,000-$50,000 to fund projects such a new, lighted electric signs on corridors into the city welcoming people to Wilson. margaret@wilsondaily.com | 265-7878