Madison Village distributes promo video, packet
Madison Village officials have their sights set on luring more industrial and commercial businesses into the village and hope to use a new promotional video and economic development packet as tools in their campaign.
The video and packet are slated to come out on disc and hard copy this week or next week with a combined cost of $4,000, village Fiscal Officer Tony Long said.
The property targeted for economic development mostly is vacant land along Edwards Street and the Interstate 90 interchange.
"The whole gist of this whole thing is for business to work with government," said Councilman Mark Vest, who co-chairs the village's Economic Development Advisory Group.
"As a business owner myself, I know it can be intimating to understand government regulations."
This latest effort comes a little more than a year after council approved a series of property and payroll tax incentives for new businesses to start up shop.
The organized effort also comes amid a $1.5 million utility project extending gas lines and water lines with higher service capacity south of I-90.
This also comes while village officials try to figure out how to fund their police department. Council members are in the middle of considering a resolution to place a 3.8-mill police levy on the May 6 ballot, a year after the same ballot measure failed by 12 votes.
Vest said the goal of attracting business investment isn't necessarily about increasing the village's revenue as it is to diversify and take the tax burden off residents.
Although the village's new incentives include property tax exemptions, Vest stressed that exemptions target only the property value added after the improvements are made on the property.
"We're not impacting the schools, which is usually the complaint," Vest said.
Information on the incentives are available online under the economic development tab on the village's website.
Village officials said once the packet and video is finished, it will be distributed to property owners, chamber of commerce officials, banks and developers.
The packet includes a break down of tax incentives, descriptions of properties for rent and sale and a letter from Mayor Sam Britton.
"We're putting all of these small pieces together so when something occurs we can say yes we have that, yes it's there and yes it is ready," Vest said.
The video features soundbites from local business and educational leaders as well as aerial and tight shots of attractions and features in the village and township.
The newest version of the video, produced by Chad Ely of Ely Multimedia Group, was posted on YouTube in December. Village officials said the newest version of the video will include lower-third text slides and new clips highlighting the recently built Madison Fire Station 3.
A copy of the finished video and packet will be available at Madison Village Hall.
Vest said the packet and video are subject for edits and additions as the village's business environment changes.
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