Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — The Loring Development Authority Board of Trustees met on Jan. 13, approving continued negotiations for a five-year lease agreement with Pineland Farms Natural Meats and discussing $1 million received by the LDA from a measure originated from the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. The $1 million will be used for infrastructure and facilities upgrades. Under the potential lease agreement, which the board authorized President and CEO of the LDA Carl Flora to proceed with, “the goal of Pineland Farms Natural Meats would be to generate 10,000 cubic yards or more of bulk compost sales,” Flora described.
In his president’s report, Flora discussed the status of the Arch Hangar PVC membrane roof, which was installed in 2002. Since then, there has been some issues with snow and ice which caused the roof to develop a leak and according to Flora, the manufacturer of the roof has exhibited troubling conduct in repairing and complying to their warranty.
Flora also updated the board members on efforts to improve the water quality on the former base, particularly in the reduction of disinfection byproducts and lead. The lead issues, according to Flora, are confined to specific buildings and specific plumbing has been and will be removed to rectify the issue. Because of the complexity of the disinfection byproducts, or THMs, the water system is expected to be in full compliance by December 2011.
Also included in the president’s report, American Salmon Company continues to work with the LDA to finalize their plans for creating an indoor salmon farming facility and the LDA is preparing to apply for Economic Development Administration grants that would provide funding for various projects including the rehabilitation of the water supply infrastructure and the rehabilitation of the roads at the Commerce Centre. Should the grants be received, LDA administration would then plan to provide the necessary 50 percent match with funds primarily obtained from the Air Force for water systems improvements.
Hayes Gahagan of Loring BioEnergy was also at the meeting and updated the trustees on the state of the project, and the possibility of further developing existing necessary pipeline to allow the project to move forward.