Last night---the Mount Pleasant Village Board approved several items related to the proposed Foxconn development project---even though the state has yet to sign an agreement with the Taiwanese company. Contracts with seven firms involved in appraisals, environmental and site assessments, and relocation services were approved by the board, to assist in the acquisition of the property needed for the project. Attorney Alan Marcuvitz told trustees that because of the number of parcels involved, and the complexity of the process, several firms will need to be involved. Marcuvitz said approving the contracts now will mean the village will be ready to go when the time comes.
Marcuvitz said under state law, the contracts did not have to go through the competitive bidding process. Mentioning a letter from the state, Marcuvitz noted that no village funds will be used to pay the firms once the work has begun---all of the money coming from a state grant. The board also approved a contract with the state Department of Transportation that temporarily transfers all of the road projects associated with the Foxconn Development to the state, the entire cost of those projects to be borne by the state. The board also accepted an offer to sell property in the site designated as area 3 for future development.
Marcuvitz said he expects to get an update on the progress toward finalizing the state contract with Foxconn at a meeting involving the village, Racine County and state officials later today. A vote on the $3-billion-dollar incentive package by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation was postponed last week by an undisclosed issue.