The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for many companies across this country, including many of the EDGE and IDB PILOT recipients.
The EDGE Board has approved PILOT policy updates that would allow PILOT recipients to count work-from-home employees in on-site employee totals per their PILOT agreement. The policy update would also allow the EDGE PILOT Performance and Compliance Committee to decide to waive defaults on jobs, wages, capital investment, and/or Minority/Women-Owned Business contracting by PILOT recipients if those defaults were due to the significant challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies must apply for waivers to be considered and the updates only apply to the 2020 calendar year.
“Numerous PILOT recipients are in industries that have been hard hit by the COVID-19,” said EDGE CEO Reid Dulberger. “They have experienced problems providing their goods or services, they have faced significant expenses in keeping their workforce safe, and many have lost customers. We want to make sure we do not penalize these companies for issues that are clearly caused by this global pandemic.”
For PILOTs to count employees working remotely as of 12/31/2020
- The company must request this policy waiver.
- The company must provide a certified zip code survey of all employees counted for PILOT purposes.
- The PILOT Performance Review & Compliance Committee will then review and make a determination.
- If approved, EDGE will count all employees living within the Memphis MSA.
- Recipients will be subject to an added EDGE site compliance visit.
For PILOTs where the pandemic may cause a default based on jobs, wages, capital investment, and MWBE contracting as of 12/31/2020
- The company must request this policy waiver.
- The company must provide a narrative and data explaining the impact of COVID-19 on their PILOT performance.
- The PILOT Performance Review & Compliance Committee will then review and make a determination.
- If approved, EDGE will waive the 2020 PILOT default.
