Paris, Tenn.–At a short but busy meeting of the Henry County Commission Monday evening, County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway announced a joint meeting of the commission and the Henry County Medical Center board of trustees will be held in December.
The meeting is set for December 6 at the hospital and Commissioner Kreg Kyle, who is a member of the hospital board, said, “This is the time to get answers to the questions you have”.
A discussion that had been set for Monday’s meeting on hospital finances was postponed until the joint session.
In other hospital-related business, the commission reappoined Dr. Scott Whitby to the hospital board and appointed a new member, Tiffany McCutcheon. Both are for four-year terms.
Monday night’s meeting was short, but busy, with the commission hosting a visit from Cub Scout Troop 28, which was awarded their Arrow of Light Awards. County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway, County Attorney Rob Whitfield, County Sheriff Josh Frey, and Commissioners Randy Gean and Kreg Kyle stayed behind to talk with the Scouts about county government.
Scout Garrett McLeese led the meeting in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The commission gave a standing ovation to Clerk Donna Craig, who was awarded the 2020-2021 County Clerk of the Year award, as selected by the County Clerks Association. As reported by RadioNWTN last week, former Clerk Jerry Bomar also was presented into the County Clerk’s Hall of Fame.
Ridgeway said, “We want to recognize our County Clerk Donna Craig, the Clerk of the Year. And we’re glad that Jerry is in the Hall, too. Long overdue and well-deserved.”
In other business:
The commission approved a PILOT agreement with Euro Group of Paris which will bring 35 new jobs to Paris. The Paris City Commission approved the same agreement with Euro last week.
Under the agreement, Eurotranciatura is purchasing the vacant US Foods building on Hwy. 69, will add two new production lines.
Euro presently has headquarters on Hwy. 54 in the former Tecumseh company building.
Paris-Henry County Industrial Committee Executive Director Rob Goad said the company is purchasing the US Foods building and in the first two years will make more than $2.2M in capital improvement, acquire an estimated $750,000 in new equipment and add 35 new jobs at the site.
The 10-year PILOT agreement would freeze real property taxes at the 2021 value and provide personal tax abatement on the new production equipment.
Goad said he couldn’t reveal both of the new production lines at this time, but said one requires the purchase of a 500 ton press, which is one of only two in the U.S. It will cast massive rotors for electric drive components, he said.
He said Generic also has a “huge contract” with Euro. “This is a good move for them”, he said.
Photo: County officials and Scout Master Jonathan Bell speak with Cub Scout Troop 28 after the meeting. (Shannon McFarlin photo).