At a Nov. 10 public hearing, the City of Muskegon hosted a presentation by development staff on a proposed PA 198 industrial facilities exemption for Johnson Technology (a GE Aerospace supplier) at 2034 Latimer Drive. The proposed project would add roughly 20,000 square feet of space, cost in excess of $9 million and is expected to support an increase of about 90 jobs on top of the company's current ~330 employees.

Development analyst Jocelyn Hines explained that staff and the internal tax committee recommended consideration of the exemption, which would reduce property taxes by up to 50% for the duration of an IFT certificate, subject to the statutory PA 198 process. Before the commission can vote, staff said the applicant must complete a parcel consolidation required by site plan approval. The item is scheduled to return for a December 9 vote when that deficiency is resolved.

Commissioners asked about workforce and compliance: because Johnson Technology is a federal contractor, staff said they are subject to certain executive orders (identified in the record as executive order 14173) that affect local affirmative‑action reporting; the company indicated it would provide documentation on workforce policies when available.

Public comment on the matter was minimal at the hearing and staff will file a full recommendation and packet for the December meeting after parcel consolidation is complete.

Next steps: Staff will report back Dec. 9 with consolidated parcels, applicant's inclusion/workforce documentation, and a final recommendation for the commission’s consideration.