The committee charged with recommending whether Allen County commissioners should support economic development projects found itself long on information but short on members Monday night.
Just four of the seven appointees were on hand, which prompted chairman Dick Works to postpone making any decisions.
Works did, however, say no further requests would be accepted until those in hand were decided. The county has allotted the committee to distribute up to $300,000.
Requests Monday included Bolling’s Meat Market for $190,000, the regional technology center southeast of LaHarpe $100,000, and the Pregnancy Resource Center $75,000.
These are in addition to requests made last year by the food cooperative in Moran for $100,000 and Loren and Regina Lance’s Mildred store $20,000. Those requests were rejected, but put back in the hopper at the behest of county commissioners.
The Pregnancy Resource Center’s proposal for assistance to hire two employees failed to resonate at least with Works. “In my opinion, that’s not economic development,” he said, adding the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department provides the same services.
Ken McWhirter, USD 256 (Moran-Elsmore) superintendent, said the tech center’s request for $100,000 would help it provide courses in wind energy where students could become certified wind energy technicians.
MCWHIRTER said they had been counting on Cloud County Community College, Concordia, to share some of its extra equipment for instruction, but because enrollment for its wind energy program has soared, it no longer has any to spare. McWhirter said enrollment in CCCC’s wind energy program went from 16 to 40 students this year and is expected to reach 100 students in 2018-19.
The LaHarpe tech center needs about $400,000 to purchase necessary equipment and to remodel the center to accommodate instruction. McWhirter said the tech center is hoping a grant with the Kansas Department of Commerce is successful as well as funding through private wind energy companies to round out funding needs.
Stacy Fager, USD 257 (Iola) superintendent, noted 26 high school students in Iola and Moran have expressed interest in becoming wind energy technicians. The jobs pay well, upwards of $100,000, for those willing to apply themselves.
Wind farm construction is due to start soon in northeast Allen County and that of another 60 turbines in Bourbon and southeast Allen counties within two years. Each is expected to require 16 full-time technicians.
Sharon and Mitch Bolling and their daughter, Cara Thomas, have ambitious plans to incorporate their meat market and deli at 201 S. State St. into the Madison Avenue building directly to the west.
When completed, they expect to have doubled the meat market’s capacity, have an upscale restaurant and deli and a fetching banquet hall and catering service. The second floor, where Thomas and her family currently lives, will be repurposed as lodging to accommodate those coming to Iola to use first-floor facilities for weddings, reunions, business meetings, and the such.
They arrived at their request of $190,000 by taking the difference between what the county put toward helping G&W Foods come to Iola, $180,00 and the $200,000 they said the county has promised for purchase of land for a new hotel, which they view as competition with its planned events center.
The county’s agreement for a new Sleep Inn & Suites was a zero-interest loan, not a gift, explained County Counselor Alan Weber. The agreement with Bill Michaud of Fort Scott was to underwrite 50 percent of the cost of the land for the facility, with the provision it be repaid through a 2 percent community improvement district tax assessed to hotel guests.
THE GROUP that wants to purchase Stub’s Market in Moran reprised its arguments made in December, with some additions.
The group has in hand about $55,000, as well as a $60,000 Sunflower grant to pay for a store manager.
Larry Manes, Moran, said the bare minimum needed to purchase the store, acquire inventory and make necessary repairs is $250,000. The asking price for the store is $130,000.
To get the store to an ideal state will require almost $500,000, Manes said, and will require replacing freezer units and installing new lights.
Manes reiterated the store is important for the health of the community and a necessity for a number of elderly residents who either don’t have access to automobiles or who drive sparingly.
“Nelda (his wife) and I can drive to Iola when we need something, but many people just can’t,” he said.
A night manager of a Fayetteville, Ark., grocery has been engaged to work with the group and will be in Moran Monday.
Ben Alexander of Thrive Allen County and Manes are convinced the store will stay afloat under new management and will give those in and near Moran a handy place to continue shopping.
A study has shown those living within a 3.3-mile radius of Moran spend $2.2 million a year on groceries, Alexander said. There is no reason to think the store, under the thumb of a cooperative, won’t continue to attract its share, Manes said.
THE LANCES said they are leaving no stone unturned in efforts to make improvements to their store in Mildred, a requisite if it is to survive.
They have made many improvements, but many more await. The $20,000 they seek would help with updating coolers and make other improvements.
They noted their clientele comes from throughout eastern Kansas and into neighboring states, bolstered by country music shindigs that attract 120 to 160 people every third Saturday.
Like those in Moran, the Lances said their objective is provide for local residents who are unable to drive to Iola or Fort Scott to purchase necessary goods.
The Lances have joined with two other stores to buy groceries at a reasonable price, required by price breaks starting at $12,000 a month, more than the Mildred outlet is capable of handling by itself.
Regina Lance said the combined buying power allows them to sell goods at competitive prices. As an example Lance said they can sell a gallon of milk for less than $4.
ATTENDING the committee’s session were Works, Steve Strickler, Dave Regehr and Darrell Monfort. Absent were Craig Abbott and Terry Sparks, as well as Jerry Whitworth, who is ill. The committee has not reset a date to make decision regarding the requests.
