WBC Board Meets Virtually on May 11

The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) Board of Directors will consider three Business Ready Community (BRC) funding requests during its regular quarterly meeting on Wednesday, May 11. The meeting will be held via Zoom beginning at 8 a.m. Meeting materials and full agenda are available at wbc.pub/WBC_Board.  

Anyone interested in joining the meeting remotely may do so at wbc.pub/wbc_meeting or by calling in at 1-253-215-8782 (no passcode is required, press # to join). Members of the public wishing to speak during the meeting should send an email to [email protected] prior to 4 p.m. on May 10. Please state your name and the topic you wish to address.   
  
Other business to be conducted during this meeting includes reviewing a variety of contracts, presentation of the FY2021 Financial Audit Report and the SBIR FY2021 program report, as well as reports from all of the WBC teams.

BRC projects being considered at the May 11 meeting:
 
Business Committed Application 
The Town of Lyman requests a $3 million Business Committed grant and a $3 million loan for the construction of a 16,000-square-foot assisted living facility. When completed, the facility will include 22 apartments, a complete kitchen and dining area. The proposed facility will be located on a 2.6-acre site across from Town Hall in an area that is currently used for parking overflow.

Community Readiness Application
The town of Hudson requests a $248,513 Community Readiness grant to extend the town’s existing water line from Kansas Avenue approximately 600 yards under the little Popo Agie River to Frank’s Meats and the surrounding land. The extension will serve two businesses and stub out to the adjacent 12 acres of land for further business or residential expansion opportunities. The project will also serve five existing residences that would not have to haul water anymore.

Community Project Application
The town of Sinclair requests a $240,000 Community Project grant to stabilize and repair the exterior façade of the Sinclair Historic Theatre. This will be the final phase of a multi-year project to renovate, revitalize, and ensure the Historic Theatre is operational as a community gathering place.

ABOUT THE BUSINESS READY COMMUNITY (BRC) GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM
The Wyoming Business Council administers the Business Ready Community grant and loan program, which provides financing for publicly owned infrastructure that serves the needs of businesses and promotes economic development within Wyoming communities. Council staff thoroughly review and vet each application, conduct in-person or virtual site visits, and present to a board subcommittee prior to making final recommendations to the full board.    

The Business Council board is required by statute to forward BRC grant and loan recommendations to the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) for final approval. The SLIB is comprised of the five statewide elected officials: the governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, and state superintendent of public instruction.  
  
SLIB will make final decisions on these BRC project requests at its 8 a.m. meeting on June 2.