FROM STAFF REPORTS

The Statesville City Council has approved a $426,226 economic development incentive for DENSO Manufacturing Inc.

DENSO is planning a $38 million expansion of its facility on Crawford Road, where it produces electric motors for motor vehicles.

The expansion will result in the creation of at least 137 new jobs with an average salary of $43,000 by the end of 2022.

Chad Thomas, director of business development for the Iredell County Economic Development Corporation, requested the economic development incentive during Monday’s city council meeting.

The incentive, which was approved unanimously by the council, will be paid in the form of reduced property taxes over five years.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business, the council heard from three residents who want to make Statesville a better place to live and work:

♦ Cookie Messick asked the council to approve funding for a sidewalk along Stockton Street.

Messick, who relies on a motorized wheelchair to get around, said she has nearly been hit several times while traveling on the road to the grocery store and pharmacy because there is no sidewalk.

“They’ve come so close that you could not walk between me and the other vehicle,” she said. “They’ve tried to sideswipe me.”

♦ Jill Schooley asked the council to support a citywide cleanup during the week after Labor Day.

The cleanup, which will be organized by ward, will provide a great opportunity for residents to get to know their neighbors and make the entire city more attractive. The weeklong event will culminate with a cookout for volunteers at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

“We love Statesville. We want to make it shine,” Schooley said.

♦ Travis Campbell asked the council to fulfill a promise to extend the downtown streetscape from Sharpe Street to Shelton Avenue.

“This is a serious matter for the small business owners in the Flats,” Campbell said. “We want South Statesville to look like North Statesville. We want it to be equally balanced.”