Wyoming Main Street and WBC Board of Directors Meet in Rock Springs Sept. 7 & 8

CHEYENNE, WYOMING – Both the Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors and the Wyoming Main Street Advisory Board will hold their quarterly meetings in Rock Springs next week.

Wyoming Main Street Advisory Board

The Wyoming Main Street Advisory Board will meet in person at the Broadway Theatre (618 Broadway; Rock Springs, WY; 82901) and concurrently via Zoom for a board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 7, starting at 9 a.m.  

This meeting will cover community updates from Main Street programs across the state, review a presentation to the Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors, and more. 

The full meeting agenda is available on the Business Council website.  

Individuals wishing to view the meeting may do so at wbc.pub/MS_Meeting or by calling 1.669.900.6833 (Meeting ID: 824 5868 6660). 

The Main Street Advisory Board is comprised of local economic developers, Main Street practitioners, and community leaders from around the state. It is a seven-member advisory board whose focus is revitalizing Wyoming downtowns.

For more information, contact Kayla Kler, Main Street Program Manager, at 307.630.3801.  

Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors

The WBC Board of Directors will consider four Business Ready Community (BRC) funding requests during its regular quarterly meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8. The meeting will be held at Western Wyoming Community College (2500 College Dr, Rooms 3650A and 3650B; Rock Springs, WY 82901) and concurrently by Zoom Webinar beginning at 8 a.m.

Meeting materials and full agenda are available at wbc.pub/WBC_Board.  

For anyone interested in joining the meeting remotely, you may do so at wbc.pub/wbc_meeting or by calling 1.669.900.6833. Enter the 9-digit Meeting ID 295-704-768 (no PIN required, press # when prompted). If joining by phone please note your ability to interact with the panelists may be limited due to system limitations. 

Members of the public wishing to speak during the meeting should send an email to [email protected] prior to 4 p.m. on Sept. 6. Please state your name and the topic you wish to address.  

Other business to be conducted at this meeting includes a presentation from Wyoming Main Street, a review of a contract with the Wyoming Women’s Business Center, a review and discussion of Connect Wyoming program rules, an update on the Pathways to Prosperity project, a presentation of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Rules and the BRC Annual Report, a review of Economic Disaster Loan Charge Offs, as well as reports from each WBC team.

BRC Projects being considered at the Sept. 8 meeting:

Community Project Applications

The Town of Bar Nunn requests a $500,000 Community Project grant to construct a new community center and town hall. While this facility will be one building, the BRC funds will only invest in a portion of the community center. 

The Meeteetse Joint Powers Board requests a $750,000 Community Project grant to construct a 6,600-square foot community center. This community center will be located on a Meeteetse Recreation District-owned lot.

Business Committed Applications 

The City of Cody requests a $1 million Business Committed grant to construct a 16,000-square foot facility for the expansion of Wyoming Legacy Meats. The facility will be located on a 7.6-acre parcel owned by Forward Cody. All infrastructure is at the site.

The City of Laramie requests a $20 million Business Committed grant to construct an approximately 60,000-square foot research and development facility for “Project Jupiter”. The facility will be built on 16.35 acres in the Cirrus Sky Technology Park, which is owned by the Laramie Chamber Business Alliance (LCBA).

ABOUT THE BUSINESS READY COMMUNITY GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM

The Wyoming Business Council administers the Business Ready Community (BRC) 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 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 BRC project requests at its 8 a.m. meeting on Oct. 6