Marla Jones, Managing Editor
FORT PAYNE, Ala.-- (Full video on Southern Torch Facebook) The Fort Payne City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, January 17.
In the absence of Council President Walter Waston, Council President Pro-Tem Lynn Brewer conducted the meeting. This was the first time a female has presided over a Fort Payne City Council meeting.
Tom Sesterhenn, Vice President and General Manager of GH Metal Solutions informed the Council of a proposed investment of 5.7 million dollars. This investment will reinvest in high-powered lasers for the plant.
GH Metal Solutions, formally known as The Gas House, was founded in Fort Payne in 1958. They currently have 400 employees, mostly from Fort Payne and DeKalb County.
Jimmy Durham, Executive Director for the DeKalb County Economic Development Authority, informed the Council that GH Metal Solutions would like to abate 63,000 in sales tax for equipment and building materials. The company also requests abatement of property taxes in the amount of $44,123 over a 10-year span. No educational taxes will be abated.
The Council passed Resolution 2023-01, which granted tax abatements to GH Metal Solutions on an investment of $5,700,000.
The Council thanked GH Metal Solutions for being a great partner in the community.
Fort Payne Mayor Brian Bain informed the Council that a grant for the Fort Payne Fire Department to purchase defibrillators and P25 radios for Fire and Police was being worked on.
Bain also stated that the sale of the old police fleet netted the city $200,000.
The City of Fort Payne will conduct a Contractors Meeting on Thursday, January 26, beginning at 4 p.m., in the Council chambers, to inform builders of the new Building and Fire Codes for the City of Fort Payne.
In other business, the Council reappointed Jimmy Cunningham to the Industrial Development Board.
The Fort Payne Council went into Executive Session with no action taken.
