Zach I'm rolling everybody.
All right. Well, give us an
update on where we are with the CHS
crush plant because, you know,
Evansville has been the potential
location for one of these facilities
for since 2000, early 2000s
really, right?
Yeah, so there was an initial soy
processing plant proposal probably
more than a decade or so ago
that did not happen the
last last recession 2008-2009.
The current plant that's
looking to locate here, started
talking to us a couple years ago and
they worked out a contract with us.
So they've been reimbursing us for
some of our costs that we encourage
to do engineering analysis, stuff
like that. So that's been ongoing
and in that contract there's some
kind of key dates that have been set
up. And one of the first ones
coming up is summer of next year
to start that construction process.
So they are, we're kind of all
marching towards that date.
They did recently get their air
permit, so they have that in hand
right now and they've been updating
our council quarterly on their
progress on things.
So as far as you know, is it
more of a federal thing that they're
waiting to say yes?
Yeah, that's a great question.
We have those dates in our contract
and they're just obligated
to kind of tell us when they've got
to that next mile post.
They have their own internal review
process that they're doing to
evaluate the project, you know,
from year to year timing or
whatever.
We're not privy to all their
internal metrics right, but you
know there's probably a lot of
factors that they are trying to
weigh right now.
So what would it mean to have
this facility here?
Because there's a connection with
Evansville and soybeans, right?
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We are somehow named the Soybean
Capital of Wisconsin.
We have a sign up as you come in the
town from the south.
And you know, we, there's a lot
of soy grown in this region,
southern Wisconsin, northern
Illinois. There's a lot of soybeans
farms that are out there planting
beans.
So there's, and those folks have
nowhere to go with their beans.
They need to go elsewhere out of
state, migrate away from
the Rock County area, Evansville
area.
And you know, so this, this
plant would give them a
place to take their beans, right?
Some place local, not a two hour
drive, but a closer drive.
And the investment in Evansville is
of course huge. One of the biggest
commercial industrial projects that
we've ever had.
So we've got an $800 million
construction budget to get the
plant built.
There's about a 25 acre out lot
that's on the property
as well that could be used for other
development, commercial restaurants,
things, something like that.
It has drawn a lot of interest
to the city.
So other surrounding
development ideas have kind of come
to our doorstep inquiring
about what would go good
with a CHS or a soy type
facility.
So it would mean a lot to us
learning though, from the past
and our first
soy plant looked at a
decade or so ago.
We've been very careful as we've
gone along in the process to make
sure that there's no city funds
outlaid that would
be coming out of the taxpayer's
pocket.
Making sure that the review process
is done with consultants and
CHS's reimbursement.
And then they have asked for some,
some tip incentives when
they build.
And again, those tips would be given
out on an annual basis,
making sure we don't get ahead of
ourselves financially.
I'm sure you're aware of the
international crisis over American
soybeans with China, saying they're
not going to buy them anymore.
Right now, their farmers are
harvesting and bring them to the bin
and they don't know if any of them
are going to be sold or whether
they're going to lose money on all
of them.
How much of this is kind of holding
your breath is like the potential
answer to a lot of these.
You know, it won't
be there.
Yeah, you know, I am
not a soy farmer, right?
I'm not a soy processor.
So I don't know, you know, how all
those things affect their line of
business. I guess what I can say is
probably since COVID, we've had a
number of businesses that have been
either looking at building or
building here.
And I think kind of post COVID,
post some of the economy questions,
you know, a few years ago have made
a lot of businesses kind of,
you know, take a different route
or reevaluate.
So what factors
are leading into their particular
timeline for development?
I don't know.
But is this kind of a, I mean, you
talk about the significance for
Evansville, it's kind of a hold your
breath moment to like, to
wait and see what happens.
Well,
Well, you know, I guess a
little bit, I will say,
as we entered this process,
we were very careful that we
wouldn't be in a position where we
have to hold our breath for it to
come here, right?
It would be incredible if it came
here, it'd be a great addition to
the city. It would do a lot for the
city economically from a tax base
and other, you know,
ancillary industries that might
come, that might come and locate
around it, all tremendous things.
But we've carefully paced the
project in our participation, so
if it doesn't happen,
we're not any worse off than we're,
you know, that day before.
I can give some examples of that.
The land that they have purchased
used to be under four or five
different landowners.
Since before I came on staff for the
city, there's been a lot of attempt
to get the land assembled under
one landowner without any success,
and this project made that happen.
There's been a lot talk about
getting a tax increment district
out there, and this project made
that happen.
In fact, that district got a special
exemption signed by the governor
about a year or so ago that
makes it so that district doesn't
have a negative impact on the rest
of the city's taxing districts.
So we've done a lot of things along
the way that leave that land in
a much more developable place than
it was perhaps the year or month
before, but
leading up to, you know,
the But if not, I think
there'd be some disappointment.
But I think we are prepared
either direction this may go to
make sure the city comes out of the
situation financially strong.
If it does happen, do you think
people are prepared for the amount
of trucks that will be coming in
around harvest time?
There was a lot of public hearing, a
lot of there was a public
presentation done, I want to say a
year, a year and a half ago now.
That was one of the primary topics
in really trying to get our head
around what does that look like.
There was traffic study done that
gave traffic numbers and amounts
that really kind of helped
illustrate to the public where
traffic would be coming from, what
it would be coming for,
and then peak times, things like
that. What I can say is
a couple of decades ago when that
initial soy plant was proposed,
County M and Highway 14, that
whole intersection there was
actually upgraded to handle the
capacity that we may see with this
new plant.
So the intersection is ready to take
the traffic. It's just a matter of,
I think, adjusting to
no longer a quick green light
there, maybe a couple more seconds
that we have to wait to make a left
or right turn.
Obviously the title of
Soybean Capital came before this
facility, but could this just cement
that in there?
I think it would.
It arguably would definitely cement
that title, yeah.
All right, anything else that you
want to add along these lines?
No, just, again,
city's excited about this.
We've gone into this, making sure
that we are financially looking
towards the future and not the
past on it.
And then also, we've
worked with a lot of partners that
have located businesses here, done
things here.
And CHS has just been very, very
great. They come every quarter to
communicate to council the current
status of the project, where things
are.
And they've had monthly calls with
staff kind of going over some
things. So it's been really great
to have somebody who can pick up
that phone, answer our questions,
and as we kind of wait and see what
happens next, so.
Can I get you to say and spell your
name and give your title?
Jason Sargent, J-A-S-O-N
S-E-R-G-E A-N-T.
And my title is city administrator.
All right, that's all we need from
you. All right. Thank you very much.
Before I cut, I just wanna get 15
seconds of room time.
Okay, so we're just gonna be quiet
and let the camera record the
ambience.