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The Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors will tour the Casper Area Business Innovation Center, hear updates from four Business Council operational divisions, and review applications for Business Ready Community (BRC) and Community Facilities grants at its March 14 meeting in Casper, Wyo.  

The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Center located at 1150 N. Poplar Street, Casper, WY 82601.  The meeting agenda follows the press release. 

The Business Council’s Agribusiness, Business and Industry, Rural Development/Wyoming Main Street, and Regional Office divisions will report on their recent work.  The board will also evaluate one Business Ready Community Business Committed grant application totaling $1.5 million, one Managed Data Center Cost Reduction application totaling $2.25 million, 11 BRC Planning applications totaling $313,100; and five Community Facilities program applications totaling $4,397,780. 

If unable to make the meeting in person, the public may listen to the meeting via telephone by calling toll-free 1-866-931-7845 and using the conference code #589138. If interested in commenting via telephone during the meeting, please register to speak by calling 307.777.2803. Those commenting by phone will be un-muted at the proper time so they may speak.  Board meeting materials are available for review at  www.wyomingbusiness.org/content/board_meeting_materials. 

BUSINESS READY COMMUNITY GRANT APPLICATIONS

The board will review 13 applications, totaling $4,063,100 and leaving $54,565,041 available for this biennium if awarded by the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB).  Before making the final recommendation to the board, staff reviews each application, conducts a site visit, and presents to a board subcommittee.  Board recommendations will be forwarded to the SLIB for approval at their April 11 meeting in Cheyenne at 8 a.m. in room B-63 of the Hershler Building.      

ABOUT THE PROGRAM: The Business Council administers the Business Ready Community Grant and Loan Program (BRC), which provides financing for publicly owned infrastructure that serves the needs of businesses and promotes economic development within Wyoming communities. The Business Council board is required by statute to forward BRC grant recommendations to the SLIB for final approval. The SLIB is made up of the five statewide elected officials: Gov. Matt Mead, Secretary of State Max Maxfield, State Treasurer Mark Gordon, State Auditor Cynthia Cloud, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill.

Business Ready Community Business Committed applications

• Sweetwater County requests a $1.5 million Business Committed grant to upgrade a 12-mile section of County Road 4-23 to allow Ur-Energy and other companies access to the first in-situ recovery uranium mine in the Great Divide Basin.   (Staff recommended in full)

Managed Data Center Cost Reduction applications

• Laramie County requests a $2.25 million Managed Data Center Cost Reduction grant for the expansion of Green House Data.  (Staff recommended in full)

BRC Planning applications

• Natrona County requests a $25,000 BRC Feasibility Study Planning grant for an electrical capacity study on 11 industrial sites within Natrona County. (Staff recommended in full)
• Big Horn County requests a $37,500 BRC Economic Development Planning grant for a county-wide economic development strategic plan. (Staff recommended in full)
• Sheridan Economic and Educational Development Authority JPB requests a $49,800 BRC Regional Targeted Industry Planning grant to update the current 2007 regional targeted industrial study. (Staff recommended in full)
• Cody requests a $25,000 BRC Feasibility Study Planning grant for the Cody Gunsmithing School Feasibility Study. (Staff recommended in full)
• Park County requests a $25,000 BRC Feasibility Study Planning grant for the George Farms Value-Added Dairy project. (Staff recommended in full)
• Gillette requests a $25,000 BRC Feasibility Study Planning grant for the Energy Park Rail Spur Feasibility Study. (Staff recommended in full)
• Laramie County requests a $50,000 BRC Economic Development Planning grant for a regional fiber and broadband study. (Staff recommended in full)
• Sheridan requests a $25,000 BRC Feasibility Study Planning grant for the Sheridan Downtown Entrepreneurial Center. (Staff recommended in full)
• Goshen County requests an $18,300 BRC Tourism Planning grant for a tourism marketing strategy and implementation plan. (Staff recommended in full)
• Guernsey requests a $7,500 BRC Tourism Planning grant for the development of a marketing plan.  (Staff recommended in full)
• Weston County requests a $25,000 BRC Feasibility Study Planning grant for a traffic study for the Upton Logistics Center. (Staff recommended in full)

 Community Facilities applications

ABOUT THE PROGRAM: The purpose of the program is to assist communities with grant and loan funding to construct local enhancements to a school building or facility or preserve former school and government facilities that have existing or future community uses. All projects must be related to economic development or quality of life enhancement. Facilities may be space for community gatherings and functions, recreational, swimming and athletic facilities for community members, particularly youth.

• Osage Improvement Service District requests a $1 million Community Facilities Program grant to renovate and restore the Osage Kitty Moats Complex facility. (Staff recommended in full)

• Evanston requests a $1 million Community Facilities Program grant to renovate the former Strand Theater currently known as the Evanston Cultural Center. (Staff recommended in full)
• Green River requests a $1 million Community Facilities Program grant for the renovation of Phase I of the former Union Pacific Depot facility to create the Destination Green River Station Historic Depot and Community Cultural Center.  (Staff recommended in full)
• Granger requests a $1 million Community Facilities Program grant to renovate the former Granger School facility to create the General George Patton Community and Cultural Center. (Staff recommended in full)
• Hyattville Cemetery District requests a $397,780 Community Facilities Program grant to complete the renovations of the Hyattville Community Center.  (Staff recommended in full)

 For more information about these projects, visit the Wyoming Business Council Website at www.wyomingbusiness.org or call 1-800-262-3425.

 

WYOMING BUSINESS COUNCIL

Board of Directors Meeting

March 13 & 14, 2013

Casper, Wyo.   

 

TENTATIVE AGENDA

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 – Casper Incubator, 1707 King Blvd. (Old Amoco Refinery Bldg.)  

1– 2 p.m.                     Tour of Casper Incubator

2-5 p.m.                       Board/Staff Retreat

5:15 – 6:15 p.m.          Community Member Reception

6:30 p.m.                     Dinner – Board & Staff

 

Thursday, March 14, 2013 – Hilton Garden Inn – 1150 N Poplar Street

7:30 - 8:30 a.m.          Continental Breakfast   

8:30 a.m.                     Public Board Meeting Call-To Order – Gary Negich, Co-Chair

                                                Welcome

                                                Board Member Introductions

                                                Minutes Approval from Nov. 6 and Sept. 6 2012 meetings

                                                Nominating Committee Report

                                                Presentations

9 a.m.                          Rural Development/Main Street Update – Mary Randolph, Director

9:15 a.m.                     Business & Industry Update – Ben Avery, Division Director

                                                            WEDA Update            

                                                            Chamber of Commerce Update                                  

9:45 a.m.                     Business Development Sub-Committee – Rex Lewis, Chair

                                                Loan/Portfolio Program

                                                            WY Industrial Development Corp.

                                                            Bank of Colorado, Cowboy Inn, LLC

                                                            Loan Loss Analysis

                                                            Past Due Report

                                                            Charge-Off Report                              

10 a.m.                                    Personnel, Budget & Audit Sub-Committee – Lee Lockhart, Chair

                                                            Financials – Diane Joyce, Chief Financial Officer

10:15 a.m.                   BREAK

10:30 a.m.                   Community Development Sub-Committee – Lynne Michelena, Chair

                                                Business Ready Community and Community Facilities Program

12:30 p.m.                   Lunch for Board & Staff

1:30 p.m.                     AgriBusiness Update – Cindy Weibel, Division Director

1:45 p.m.                     Personnel Report – Chava Case, HR Manager

2 p.m.                          Regional Directors Reports

                                                Division Director and NW Region – Leah Bruscino

                                                Western Central Region – Roger Bower

                                                South West Region – Elaina Zempel

                                                South Central Region – Pat Robbins

                                                South East Region – Tom Johnson

                                                East Central Region – Kim Rightmer

                                                North East Region – Dave Spencer     

2:30 p.m.                     CEO Update – Bob Jensen, CEO

3 p.m.                          Old Business, New Business, Other Business

                                                Next Meeting – May 22 & 23 in Thermopolis                                    

3:15 p.m.                     Adjournment

The mission of the Business Council is to facilitate the economic growth of Wyoming. The Business Council, a state government agency, concentrates its efforts on providing assistance for existing Wyoming companies and start-ups, helping communities meet their development and diversification needs, and recruiting new firms and industries targeted to complement the state’s assets. For more information, please visit www.wyomingbusiness.org.