As Columbus developer MTB Corp. continues to sell portions of the West Jefferson Commerce Park, the Village of West Jefferson is making sure it receives necessary payments.
Council members passed an ordinance on Aug. 4 to allow the Madison County auditor to assess the property most recently sold by MTB Corp. as a way to protect the village.
“It’s an assessment of all the real estate so that we could foreclose on the property if MTB failed to make payments,” said the village’s law director, Ron Parsons.
“We’ll be doing this every time there’s a new owner to a portion. It’s kind of a bookkeeping ordinance.”
MTB Corp. launched the park south of the state Route 29 and I-70 interchange several years ago with over a million-square-foot distribution center for Target Corp.
To accommodate for the developments, MTB Corp. partnered with M-E Cos., a management and engineering firm, to in-stall storm sewers, sanitary sewers, water mains, and build a 250,000-gallon water tower, according to the M-E Cos. Web site.
The water tower was financed by a loan from the Ohio Water Development Author-ity, toward which the village makes a yearly payment.
In essence, the village fronts the cost of the loan for the developments and, in turn, receives reimbursement for the payment in the form of taxes on the properties.
“We’ve collected more than we’ve paid to the Ohio Water Development Authority,” said Parsons.
“We’re a little bit ahead of the game on this one.”
Parsons also introduced Joshua Beasley as the new assistant prosecutor for West Jefferson. Beasley will work almost exclu-sively to prosecute misdemeanor cases in the village.
Beasley received his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University and went on to graduate from the Indiana University School of Law.
In other news, the village will annex another property from Jefferson Township at the request of Duke Realty Limited Partnership.
The developers filed a petition with the Madison County commissioners on July 22 to annex to the village 3.7 acres located on state Route 29.
Council members remain uncertain as to whether Duke will maintain the house still standing on the property or demolish it. According to Mayor Scott Hockenbery, the structure is home to offices.
Also, council members commended the planning committee for the village’s Inde-pendence Day celebration with a cer-tificate of appreciation.
“These are just regular, everyday people, and they put on one heck of a show,” said council President Darlene Steele. “That always amazes me.”
Council member Sheila Nelson also commented in regard to the celebra-tion: “I’ve received nothing but good reports.”
