Supporters of The Point industrial park had two requests before the Lawrence County Commission Tuesday, both attempts to make the park more enticing to businesses.

Lawrence Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Dr. Bill Dingus first spoke on behalf of the Lawrence County Port Authority requesting that the commission make a resolution supporting a foreign trade zone application.

A similar effort was undertaken previously to attempt to become a satellite of the Rickenbacker Airport in Columbus as a way to gain foreign trade zone status. That bid failed due to the distance separating The Point from the airport.

This new foreign trade zone, Dingus said, would be under the management of the Lawrence County Port Authority. The resolution for the commission's support was approved unanimously.

Second on Dingus' docket was a request for the commission to approve and sign a resolution establishing a job creation incentive program to assist new and expanding businesses with county sewer services.

"We've never really had a lot of business and commercial development (in the South Point area), so we've not really dealt with that issue much," Dingus said.

The plan that Dingus put forth, which was passed without much discussion, would give businesses in the Eastern end of Lawrence County a $1,000 credit on the fee to tap into the Union-Rome sewer system for every $25,000-dollar job that is created. However, the business' tap fee could not dip below twice the amount of a residential fee.

Commissioner Jason Stephens said he believed that the lost tap fees could be easily recouped.

"If we get a business in, in two or three years what they'd pay in rates would be more than they ever would have paid in tap fees," Stephens said.

Dingus seemed pleased that his request slid through largely without incident, and said that he believed resolutions were an important step in the growth of The Point, and in turn, the county.

"Everything we can do for creating jobs in this region is so important to Lawrence County," Dingus said. "For decades we've been exporting workers, and thank goodness our sister communities have been helpful in providing jobs. But I think we have a responsibility to try to create more jobs in Lawrence County."

In addition, a motion was approved to accept the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Lawrence County Treasurer and General Truck Drivers and Helpers Union Local 92.

The commission also approved the Federal Annual Certification Report for the Drug Task Force.