Scott’s Pump owners say they’ll fulfill contract with city

    While Scott and Stephanie Moser still plan to move from the community, they told city officials Monday they will create six full-time jobs by April 2018 at their business, Scott’s Pump Service.
    That would fulfill requirements in the real estate agreement they signed with the city two years ago that gave them a $161,450 land discount for their business in the Cornerstone property.
    That was a change in direction from what the mayor and council were ready to deal with at Monday’s meeting. What was to be discussed was a second recommendation from the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) dealing with the property and business that burned in a February fire.
    On a 4-1 vote last Thursday, the CAC recommended exchanging the Mosers’ south lot for the $161,450 the Mosers owe the city.
    However, with Tuller’s announcement that Mosers now plan to hire the six workers, the CAC action last week is moot.
    That didn’t stop a lot of questions from the public Monday night.
    Earlier in the meeting, when the agenda item came up to address the CAC recommendation on the lot exchange, Jason Tuller, the city’s community development director who worked with the Mosers on the land deal, said the Mosers planned to fulfill their part of the contract now.
    Many in the audience thought that meant they were going to pay the $161,450 owed to the city.
    The Mosers were notified in a March 7 letter the $161,450 was owed within 45 days because they were leaving town presumably without creating six full-time  positions as the contract required.
    One of those attending Monday’s meeting, Becky Carman, asked for clarification later in the meeting when Tuller was giving his superintendent’s report.
    Tuller said Mosers can meet their contract obligations by hiring six full-time workers by next year’s deadline. He confirmed they plan to move from Imperial.                “They don’t have to be here,” Tuller said, to fulfill the worker requirement.
    They also have to retain those six workers for two years.
    Sue Smith asked what guarantee will there be.
    “That’s a good question,”

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