Politics & Government

Arnold Gets Fast-Track Authority to Attract Businesses

A municipal resolution allows the mayor to speed up the building and inspection process needed to approve construction of a new building in Arnold.

The Arnold City Council voted 8-0 to grant Mayor Ron Counts fast-track permit authority to help attract retailers and industrial businesses to the city.

“It’s an important piece of legislation that hopefully will bring good paying jobs and make the city a better place to work and live,” said Ward 3 Councilman Phil Amato during the city council meeting at City Hall, 2101 Jeffco Blvd. Thursday.

Amato, Ward 3 Councilman Paul Freese and Ward 2 Councilman Jeff Fitter co-sponsored the resolution. 

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The ordinance could provide an advantage to Arnold when competing against St. Louis city and other cities for businesses wanting new buildings or locations in the region.

Amato said in an interview with Arnold Patch, that quickly obtaining construction, building and other related permits helped Arnold earn SGI Manufacturing’s decision a few years ago to build a 103,000-square foot metal fabrication plant located at 1120 Intagliata Dr.

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“We (the City of Arnold) were competing against Fenton, St. Louis city and Earth City for the new building,” Amato said during the city council meeting.

The resolution only reduces a corporation’s wait time while permits are reviewed.

No tax abatements or city money will be offered through the resolution. The resolution does not ignore ordinances, rules, or regulations that protect public safety.

Businesses that receive fast-track authority will receive a higher priority during inspections and reviews. And those engineers and contractors will be immediately informed of any flaws that will delay construction.

“We won’t use it (the fast-track authority) every day,” Counts said. Businesses, seeking to relocate, have very different timelines, and the Arnold resolution creates competitive advantage for considering moving operations to Arnold.

The mayor’s office will consider a company’s economic impact and the number of jobs created or retained in Arnold prior to using fast-track authority. 

Rock Community Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Lloyd Montgomery said the resolution simply codifies a process that has been used prudently in the past. 

“We’ve done it (placed higher priority on inspections) before, the resolution will speed things through and get good jobs to Arnold,” Montgomery said during the council meeting.

Montgomery’s office conducts fire safety inspections on buildings and new construction in the district. 

The resolution only affects the Arnold permit process. State and local regulations may require notice of a public meeting. Arnold would schedule the meetings at the earliest possible time to prevent a long delay in the project.


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