Moorpark Backs Off Roadwork Fee for Company Planning Move to Town : Incentives: Mail marketing firm will construct two large buildings, bringing in nearly $1 million in various levies.

A mail marketing firm that plans to relocate to Moorpark will not be forced to help pay for future improvements along Los Angeles Avenue, the City Council has decided.

The council on Wednesday voted 4 to 0 to merely ask G&S; Partnership to negotiate with the city over a future payment if one is necessary, instead of asking the firm to contribute to the roadwork now.

The company had threatened to reconsider its move from the city of San Fernando if Moorpark officials stuck to an original condition that would have forced the partnership to contribute up to $100,000 toward future road improvements.

Mayor Paul Lawrason on Thursday said that fear the company would abandon plans to construct two buildings totaling 400,000 square feet played a role in the council’s decision not to immediately require the payment.

City leaders are keenly interested in broadening the city’s industrial base and collecting nearly $1 million in various processing and developer fees through the project.

“I felt, right from the very beginning, that there was a breaking point and that bothered me,” Lawrason said. “We had spent so much time and energy getting it as far as it had gotten and I didn’t want to jeopardize the arrangement.”

Councilman John Wozniak said Thursday he was confident the company would bargain in good faith when the road improvements are deemed necessary. Two weeks ago, Wozniak first suggested that the city back away from requiring payments from G&S; for future expansion of Los Angeles Avenue.

“I think it’s a reasonable solution,” Wozniak said. “I think the city and businesses need to work together to better the community and that’s what we’re doing.”

In the meantime, the city is trying to recoup as much road improvement money as possible from the original developers of the industrial park where G&S; plans to relocate. The developers posted a $213,000 bond years ago to help fund the anticipated expansion of Los Angeles Avenue.

Recently, the developers were asked by the city to increase the size of the bond and have yet to respond to the request.

Lawrason acknowledged that the city would have little leverage over G&S; officials during future negotiations, but also held out hope the company would agree to contribute.

“From a leverage standpoint, you have very little,” Lawrason said. “Other than the fact that you are the municipal authority under which they’re existing. So, if they want to make changes as they go along . . . they have to come and negotiate with us. So there’s always an ongoing leverage of some sort.”

Bob Mednick, vice president of finance for G&S;, reasserted the company’s unwillingness to be locked into the payment at Wednesday’s council meeting. After the council voted against imposing the $100,000 payments, Mednick thanked council members and said, “We are looking forward to being your good neighbors.”

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G&S; is planning to buy the land, construct the buildings and lease the space out to Mail Marketing Corp.--which has the same corporate owner as G&S.; Mail Marketing Corp. processes and mails letters, brochures and catalogues for mail order firms.

About 200 people are expected to work at the plant, but company officials say it is not known how many employees will transfer from San Fernando.

Councilman Bernardo Perez was the firm’s toughest critic Wednesday, accusing Mail Marketing of failing to make a commitment to offer good part-time jobs to the city’s youth--something he has repeatedly sought over the past few months.

“I’m looking for something substantial that I can point to when I’m asked why this project moved forward with certain conditions or without certain conditions,” Perez said. “Some of the luster of this whole process has been lost for me.”

Mednick assured Perez and the rest of the council that the company would work with the city to develop the youth hiring policies Perez has requested.