Warren city and Howland and Warren townships on Wednesday made one-year appointments to the five-member Joint Economic Development District board overseeing the Kimberly-Clark project.

The board will be known as the Warren-Howland-Warren JEDD Board.

Warren council named Community Development Director Michael Keys as its representative to the board. Keys said the board members each will receive $100 per month from the company regardless of how many meetings they attend.

He said he expects there to be several meetings per month when the board begins to meet.

“A lot of work will need to be done the first couple of months getting all the legislative pieces in,” Keys said.

Warren Councilwoman Helen Rucker, D-at Large, said Keys will do a good job representing the city.

Warren Township trustees named Robert Trey Simpson, a local businessman and graduate of the University of Dayton, who is the plant manager at Kimberly-Clark. He said he looked forward to working with the community.

Trustee Ed Anthony said trustees “were happy to name Simpson,” noting he will be a valuable asset for the community.

Howland trustees named former township administrator Darlene St. George as its representative and the Western Reserve Port Authority named Nick Chretien.

St. George will serve a minimum two-year term on the board, while Chretien will serve a minimum four-year term.

Trustee James LaPolla expressed his support for St. George, recalling her work for the township until passing things onto her successor, James Pantalone.

“We need good people, strong people, and Darlene has led you and I in the past and keeping everybody to where we are today,” said LaPolla, in comments directed toward Trustee Matthew Vansuch. “She’s an excellent person for that person, and I support her wholeheartedly.”

Vansuch said St. George’s appointment was intended to bring comfort, understanding and trust to the board, with LaPolla adding that she had been on the JEDD project since its development.

“The familiar face is important, not only with her experience, but also in providing that comfort level to Kimberly-Clark, that they trust her,” Vansuch said. “We would not be here today if they did not trust her.”

Keys said the four members will meet and select the fifth member and a board chairman at its first meeting at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Trumbull County Planning Commission Office. The JEDD would allow the newly formed board overseeing the land to tax themselves. That money will cover the cost of all updates to the site, taking no money from taxpayers.

THE PROJECT

On May 1, Kimberly-Clark, the personal care and hygiene product producer, announced a five-year, $2 billion investment in its North American operations. That included an $800 million advanced manufacturing facility at the former RG Steel property located in Howland and Warren townships.

About a year before Kimberly-Clark purchased approximately 560 acres from the Western Reserve Port Authority, Executive Director Anthony Trevena and his staff received a phone call. He said the company declined to identify itself.

“We all signed NDA (nondisclosure agreements),” Trevena said when the announcement was made. “We’re driving around with these people and showing them the site. Talking. Everything.

“We literally have no idea what they do. Where they’re from. What they’re about. Nothing, just answering questions.”

Trevena said the topics covered rail service, energy, water, sewer, roads and more.

Port officials reached out to local experts, economic partners and government officials to assist the unknown company.

Trevena said Warren attorney Daniel Daniluk and his staff guided the port through real estate issues involving the property, such as well leases. From tax maps to surveys, the Trumbull County Planning Commission expedited port authority requests for information. The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber and the Lake to River economic group assisted in the early stages and throughout.

As the project progressed, Kimberly-Clark obtained 10-year, 60% tax abatements from Trumbull County, along with Howland and Warren townships. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 1.837%, 10-year tax credit, with the state providing $17.2 million from the All Ohio Future Fund for site readiness and road upgrades at the former steel property.

Also at Wednesday’s Warren City Council meeting, Mayor Doug Franklin said there have been talks with Champion officials on forming a JEDD for the Mercy Health expansion project on Educational Highway near the Kent State University Trumbull campus.