Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Council commits money to call center 'We made a step in the right direction'

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 11:27:59 -0500

Council commits money to call center 'We made a step in the right direction'

By Robert Palmer and Russ Corey
Staff Writers
December 24. 2002 12:00AM

The Tuscumbia City Council stepped up Monday night to become the first local government to
commit money to a $2 million incentive to bring a call center to the Shoals.

The council voted unanimously to contribute $125,000 to help bring a Nextel in-bound call
center to Muscle Shoals. Councilmen Jim Couch and Dennis Box made the motion.

The Lauderdale County Commission, meeting Monday morning, also indicated it would
contribute to the project.

"I think we just made a step in the right direction to help our unemployed people," Mayor
Wade Gann said. "It shows we do want to show unity. We can do anything as long as we keep
working together."

The Shoals Economic Development Authority asked the governments of Florence, Muscle
Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia, along with the county commissions in Colbert and
Lauderdale counties, to collectively pay the incentive asked by Nextel. The money will be
used to buy computer and telecommunications equipment for the call center, which will be
located in the old Wal-Mart building at Southgate Mall.

The Shoals is competing against Shreveport, La., for the 500 jobs, which would pay $8-$12
per hour. Local officials say Nextel has told

them that about 85 percent of the jobs will be full-time.

The Florence and Muscle Shoals city councils have also indicated they will contribute to
the incentive.

Lauderdale Commissioners are in favor of providing the incentive money. They just want
some assurance that the company will remain in the Shoals.

Warren Johnson, a SEDA board member from Tuscumbia, said the local governments would
retain – ownership of the equipment for 48 months. Nextel must also maintain a minimum
employment level during that time.

Three county commissioners agreed Monday to support a unified effort to raise the $2
million in incentive money to help purchase equipment for the cellular telephone service
provider.

While Muscle Shoals will be providing half of the incentive money, Lauderdale County has
been asked to contribute $250,000, as have the city of Florence and Colbert County.

The cities of Tuscumbia and Sheffield have been asked to contribute $125,000 each.

Lauderdale County Commission Chairman Dewey Mitchell said the company anticipates bringing
500 new jobs to the area, 425 of which would be full-time.

Mitchell said 100 of those positions would be managerial or supervisory and would have
starting pay of about $25,000 a year. The remaining 325 full-time positions would start at
about $18,500.

Nextel has indicated it would like an answer from the local governments by Jan. 3

Commissioners wasted little time in pledging their support for the project.

"I'm ready to go and get this going," Commissioner Ronnie Brown said. "We need to get some
people to work."

Mitchell said the county and the other governments are looking at securing an economic
development loan from the Tennessee Valley Authority as one way of raising the money.
Tusucmbia is also exploring a low-interest TVA loan.

If that were not successful, the county would take the money from the general fund.

"I'm willing to commit to it," Commissioner Mike Curtis said. "We've got to have some jobs
in this area."

Commissioner Larry Irons said the company must be doing something right to have had $7
billion in revenue in 2001 and 10 million digital telephone subscribers.

The company has approximately 13,000 employees in the United States. Nextel provides
digital telephone service, digital walkie-talkie service, mobile messaging and wireless
Web service.

The fact that the county would be providing money to a company locating in Muscle Shoals
did not appear to be an issue.

"It's a Shoals project," Mitchell said. "The only way we can compete is as the Shoals."

Mitchell said that none of the Shoals communities could compete on their own with
Shreveport.

Commissioner D.C. Thornton said he felt good about the company's plan, but he wants to
review the information and the county's obligation before pledging his support.

While the majority of the commission was willing to support the project, they did not know
if a verbal agreement would be enough to satisfy Nextel.

The county will have to act quickly if the company requires a resolution approving the
agreement. To pass a resolution, a special meeting would have to be called. Alabama law
requires that the county post a notice five days prior to the meeting. The county's next
regularly scheduled meeting is not until Jan. 13.

Robert Palmer can be reached at 740-5734 or [email-masked].

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---

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 11:28:18 -0500

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Site=FT&Date=20021224&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=212240324&Ref=AR&Profile=1011

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