Brghton and Howell Considering Business Incubator StatusBrghton and Howell Considering Business Incubator Status

7/18/14 - The cities of Brighton and Howell are working with Ann Arbor Spark and Cleary University to become Satellite SmartZones, a program designed to be an incubator to attract new businesses to the community. The Brighton City Council was told at its meeting Thursday night the result could be luring manufacturing, high tech and energy-related businesses to their communities. Luke Bonner, Vice President for Business Development at Ann Arbor Spark, told council a satellite SmartZone captures a portion of local taxes through the communities’ Local Development Finance Authority, or LDFA. City Manager Dana Foster emphasizes that even though that’s true, local governments such as schools, cities, and counties are reimbursed by the state and suffer no loss in revenue. A community approved as a satellite SmartZone is required to partner with a 4-year university, and in Livingston County, that is Cleary University in Howell. Foster tells WHMI he has been involved in exploratory talks with Howell City Manager Shea Charles and Cleary toward creation of a joint satellite SmartZone. If approved, the Brighton and Howell Satellite SmartZone would be under the umbrella of the Ann Arbor SmartZone, which would act as the “host”. Ann Arbor Spark is also working with the cities of Adrian and Tecumseh in Lenawee County toward becoming satellite SmartZones, along with Howell and Brighton. Each community would be required to contribute a “nominal” amount of funds annually to participate in the program – an amount that has yet to be determined. Bonner told council that time is short for Brighton and Howell to become satellite SmartZones and take advantage of the incentives that provide for business attraction, entrepreneurship and job expansion in the local communities. Cleary President Tom Sullivan will be at the next council meeting in August to explain how the university would act as the service provider for the cities of Brighton and Howell in the program. The applications must be in to the state by the end of September, and only a limited number of Satellite SmartZones will be approved by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (TT)