The city council Monday will likely authorize a 13-point requirement list for a development agreement with Premium Pork LLC, drawn up by City Manager Paul Sparks with input from the council.

Sparks said the agreement is the first step in a process of back-and-forth negotiations between the city and the company on what a final development agreement might look like.

The requirements from the city include:

&045; The company must make a commitment to build a high-volume pork slaughter and processing plant within the the city limits of Albert Lea.

&045; The proper annexation petition must be passed for the land acquired for the site. The city has said it will need to find a site outside current city limits and then annex the land.

&045; The company must agree to employ 400 people at the start, 1,000 within five years of signing the agreement and 2,000 as an ultimate goal.

&045; The company must maintain its headquarters in Albert Lea for the life of the tax increment district, which the city would create to help fund utilities and other groundwork for the plant. The TIF district would likely last in the range of 15 years, Sparks has said.

&045; The city would require a financial guarantee through a line of credit or a multiple of private investment before public investment is made.

&045; A wastewater-discharge permit will spell out daily limits and require that the company use a pre-treatment system to help the city to free capacity at the treatment plant.

&045; The corporation would pay standard rates for all wastewater-treatment provided, with the option of credits if the company were to cut down on their usage.

&045; The company must pay hourly wages at or above those of Farmland Foods on July 11, 2001. A fire at Farmland on July 8, 2001 put the plant out of commission.

&045; The corporation must demonstrate financial capability to carry out the development. Required would be financial statements, projections and a business plan.

&045; The city would limit tax-increment activities to sewer and water improvements, land acquisition, road construction, storm sewers and site preparation.

&045; The company would need to comply with local, state and federal environmental law.

&045; A backout or failure to meet the obligations set in the agreement would require the company to pay back any TIF funding provided by the city.

&045; The company would enter into a &uot;deficiency agreement&uot; whereby if there were to be a change in state taxes where the city might lose money on their TIF district with the company, the company would pay the difference.

Sparks said he expects the agreement to be complete Monday night in time for a council vote. There may be some changes to the language, and he invited councilors to make changes or additions if they felt it necessary.

The council will also vote Monday on whether to grant Mayor Jean Eaton and Sparks authority to negotiate on the preliminary project development agreement.

Sparks said he hopes the first part of the negotiating process can be finished by April 28, when the council holds its second meeting of the month.