County will help with eco devo

Allen County commissioners Tuesday morning kicked in $10,000 as a third part of funding to create a new economic development position as an adjunct to Thrive Allen County.
The decision came after commissioners gave short shrift to a request handed them last week for $15,000.
Last week Iola Industries and Iola each pumped $15,000 into the project. Allen County settled on $10,000, via a motion made by Rob Francis, who said he had “given it a lot of thought.”
Carl Slaugh, Iola administrator, encouraged county participation. He said development efforts would embrace all of the county with concentration of efforts on existing businesses.
“We have countywide expectations,” said Commissioner Gary McIntosh. “We’re making a list of things we think should be addressed,” he told the Register Tuesday afternoon.
Slaugh added that having a source to follow leads was important, with the realization that sometimes it was years before anything developed.
Jim Gilpin, secretary of Iola Industries, told commissioners a week earlier that the group needed a non-profit status, a role that will be filled by Thrive. That will trigger efforts to attract grants.
Among Thrive’s duties will be to create marketing strategies, create and maintain community profiles, coordinate business information tours and respond to local business requests. Thrust of the project will be to support the community and give businesses the attention they need to be successful, Toland said. Those efforts now may start with funding, albeit $5,000 less than proposed, in place.
Commission Chairman Dick Works made the vote to allocate the $10,000 in county funding unanimous, but not before noting Humboldt’s Business Action Team had filled much of the role the position intends to do countywide.
BAT is manned by volunteers, Works noted, and had developed an inventory of businesses and employees in the Humboldt area while attempting to increase the numbers of each. BAT also has a coaching program for fledgling business, he said.

COMMISSIONERS gave their blessing to WATCO companies, which operates short-line railroads in southeast Kansas, to have access to county right of way at the northeast edge of Humboldt to expand loading facilities for tankers hauling ethanol.
A loading point has been there since the ethanol plant opened in Garnett several years ago.
A bill from Health Facilities Group, architects for the new hospital, for $19,454.37 was approved.
Commissioners also allocated $7,000 to the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center from $31,825 the county received this year in alcohol tax distributions from the state. The mental health center had requested $10,000.
County Counselor Alan Weber told commissioners he would show the vacant warehouse on county property at 410 N. State St. to an interested party.
“I have reservations about selling it,” Francis said.
“I think we should look at renting it,” with rental charge dependent on what the use might be, McIntosh said.

ED BIDEAU, unopposed Republican nominee for the 9th District Kansas House seat, came for a visit, saying he intended to use the remainder of the year to connect with local governing bodies.
“Too often legislators never have been in local government and don’t understand” what occurs at the primary level of governance, Bideau said.
He has a background through legal representation of Neosho County — he practices law in Chanute — but still wants to avail himself of all opportunities to hear what city, county and school officials have on their minds, Bideau said.
“There’s a broad misunderstanding,” not only of local government, but also the necessity of levying property taxes to meet responsibilities at the local level, he said.
Bideau is a supporter of community colleges, as well as public education, he added.
“My brother (David) and I probably wouldn’t be attorneys today without Neosho County Community College,” he said. “Our parents told us to go there out of high school and we’d talk” about higher education after they graduated.
Bideau said he intended to keep open lines of communication with local governing bodies, as well as citizens throughout the 9th District, which includes all of Allen County.
“Call me anytime, at home, at my office or on my cell phone,” Bideau said.