The Marion County Board of Supervisors discussed potentially using the American Rescue Plan Funds (ARPA) the board received on infrastructure upgrades to attract new businesses during its meeting Tuesday. The state will be receiving a total of $1.8 billion from the federal government.
Marion County Development Partnership President Lori Watts addressed the board about the issue. She said economic development agencies are seeing that industries are scouting for locations to be able to use the property promptly, and having established infrastructure to the site is a big deal for companies.
"Marketing undeveloped land for industrial projects is increasingly difficult," she told the board.
More communities are investing in buildings and infrastructures than before, making it a very competitive market, Watts said.
On behalf of the Economic District, Watts approached the board about a proposal to use some of the ARPA funds to extend and upgrade the water and sewer infrastructure out to the Air Plex and airport. If the infrastructure can be upgraded now, it would speed up the time it would take for a company to build in the area.
"The challenge is to improve the infrastructure to make the industrial property more marketable," Watts said.
She said it was a long-term view, but it would be a significant advantage in the future. As the BusinessPlex, the Industry Plex and the Air Plex become more developed, it will make Marion County more desirable for development.
A few weeks ago, Watts said Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann was at a meeting with an economic counsel when he said he hoped that the state would use some of its ARPA money to assist counties to do large transformation types of infrastructures and provide matching grant money to the counties.
Dungan said Hosemann sent a letter about six months ago to all of the water associations and municipalities requesting the organizations to submit requests to him for matching ARPA funds projects. Dungan said Hosemann is wanting to do matching grants so the money can be stretched as far as possible.
"I think one thing we (Marion County) need to think about doing is write Delbert Hosemann and tell him what we are doing and ask him for some money," Dungan said.
Dungan said he believes it is a good opportunity for the county to be able to get some extra funds needed to expand on the infrastructure.
He said the federal government has been discussing using a percentage of the ARPA funds for roads and bridges. While the measure has passed the House, it still needs to get Senate approval and be signed off by President Joe Biden. Dungan said it is something to watch.
He did recommend not to spend any of the ARPA funds yet until all the rules and regulations of the use of the money have been determined.
Watts said the council hopes the board would take on updating the costs to upgrade the infrastructure and not only consider using ARPA money to do the upgrade but also reach out to Hosemann for any matching money.
She said communities that are successful today have been investing in their business and industrial parks for years.
A discussion was held about the remainder of the land that the state owns near the Marion County BusinessPlex. Dungan said both Rep. Ken Morgan, R-Morgantown and Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picyaune are both actively working to transfer the ownership of the land back to the county. If that happens, the county will have 3,000 acres in that area available for industries near the Columbia Airport.
"It helps to have land, and it helps to have infrastructure because when these companies roll in, they do not want to wait," Dungan said.
Dungan said it would likely take a year to install the upgraded infrastructure.
The board made no decision on the matter.
