Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Florence plans to support Nextel deal

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 21:34:59 -0500

Florence plans to support Nextel deal

By Russ Corey
Staff Writer
December 28. 2002 12:00AM

FLORENCE – City council members Friday unanimously approved a resolution that would ensure
a $250,000 appropriation to help lure a Nextel call center to Muscle Shoals.

The communications company has expressed interest in opening a call center that would
employ 500 people if local governments can provide it with $2 million for equipment.

Muscle Shoals has orally committed to provide half the money needed, while Florence,
Lauderdale County and Colbert County have been asked to provide $250,000 each.

Tuscumbia and Sheffield would each appropriate $125,000.

Friday's resolution stated that the city will appropriate the money if and when Nextel
agrees to locate the call center in a vacant building at Southgate Mall in Muscle Shoals.

Council President Sam Pendleton said the money will be taken from the city's capital
improvements fund.

The resolution is also contingent upon members of other local governments appropriating
their shares of the money.

"I think it's good for Lauderdale and Colbert County," Mayor Dick Jordan said. "This will
bring 500 good jobs to our area."

Jordan said 100 of the jobs will be managerial or supervisory positions that will start at
$25,000 per year. The remaining customer support jobs will start at $18,500 per year.

"It's a good investment for Florence," Jordan said. "What will help Muscle Shoals will
help Lauderdale County, too."

Jordan said the jobs should provide employment for many local residents who were laid off
from local textile manufacturers who closed down in the past year.

"This is certainly a red-letter day in the Shoals," Councilman Tyndal Davis said.

Davis said he was especially pleased with the continued cooperation between the four
municipal

and two county governments on this and other projects.

Lauderdale County Commission Chairman Dewey Mitchell commented earlier in the week that
local governments have to approach economic development as a united group to be able to
compete with larger areas.

Nextel is also considering Shreveport, La., for its new call center.

"The river keeps getting smaller, doesn't it?" Councilman Tommy Pirkle said in reference
to the cooperation between the six governments.

Pendleton said there were council members who would be out of town around the first of the
year and they wanted their support of the project on the record.

A majority of Lauderdale County commission has already agreed to provide its share of the
$2 million.

The Tuscumbia City Council voted Monday to appropriate $125,000 for the project.

The Colbert County Commission will meet Monday in a special meeting to discuss the Nextel
proposal.

Sheffield officials have yet to announce their intentions.

Nextel officials have told local government officials that they would like an answer by
Jan. 3.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or [email-masked].
 http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?j55588948
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