Site Selectors Annual Survey

Site Selector's annual survey of corporate real estate executives reveals factors most important to them. 1) Work Force Skils 2) State & local tax scheme 3) Transportation infrastructure 4) Flexibility of incentives T5) Availability of incentives T5) Utility infrastructure 7) Land/Building costs & supploy 8) State Economic Development Strategy 9) Permitting & regulatory structure 10) Higher education resources

Unemployment Rate Continues to Drop

The Kansas Department of Labor has released the latest unemployment figures for October 2010. According to their report in October of this Mitchell County's unemployment rate was 4.3 %. That is down from 4.6 % in October 2009 and the 4.8 % unemployment rate recorded in September.

Preliminary BRES Survey Results

Preliminary results of the Business Retention and Expansion Survey conducted this Summer were discussed at the Solomon Valley Economic Development meeting on Thursday. The survey of about a half dozen big and small businesses in Mitchell County provide a sampling of information on local business and employment trends. The businesses surveyed represent a total of 425 employees. Of that amount 33.6% of the employees are commuting from outside Mitchell County.
The survey gathered information on the downsizing the businesses went through over the past couple of years. But it also showed a positive trend towards bringing back at least 25% of the workforce within the next 2 years.
The survey covered information on procurement of products and services; local government; infrastructure and quality of life issues.
All of the businesses surveyed indicated they are very pleased with the local qualtiy of life. Especialy the medical services, schools and general family isues.
The one area of concern mentioned was housing. Both in terms of the quality of available housing and the availability of housing for our workforce.
Additional surveys will be conducted soon to increase the sampling. As those surveys are finished and follow-up interviews are conducted more details of the report will be released.

NCKTC Unveils New Underground Construction Program

The North Central Kansas Technical College has unveiled a new program that is gaining worldwide attention.
The Kansas Institute of Underground Technology evolved from the increasing need of a trained workforce in the career fields of horizontal directional drilling, proper fluid mixing and training for locating underground utilities.
In conjunction with grant assistance from the Kansas Department of Commerce, North Central Kansas Community Network, Inc. as a funding source through the Rural Business Development Tax Credit program of the Kansas Department of Commerce and in-kind support from Charles Machine Works, Inc., manufacturer of Ditch Witch products and Ditch Witch of Kansas, NCKTC has developed the Kansas Institute of Underground Technology. The Institute features state-of-the-art, up-to-date curriculum, along with hands-on practical training opportunities to allow participants/students to successfully complete the training needed to safely operate equipment used in underground technology.
Since announcing the new program on September 1st the college has already received a response from the editor of two trade publications in London who plans to help promote the program in Beloit by getting the information to their subscribers.

For more information follow this link to the website on the new college program.

Economic Development FAM Tour

Members of the North Central Kansas Rural Development Council are working on plans to host a group of commercial realtors, site selectors, consultants and staff from the Kansas Department of Commerce later this Fall. The Development Council which represents economic development organizations in 13 counties of North Central Kansas is planning a two day FAM or (familiarization) tour to introduce our region to those people who work directly with businesses that are seeking locations for new or expanding businesses.

They will be showing off available commercial buildings and sites where businesses can be built throughout the area.

Plans for the FAM tour are in the early discussion stage at this time. It will be held this Fall, possibly in October. More details will be announced as they are developed.

Senior Housing Availability

In rural areas of the country like ours housing is an issue we continue to address. Senior Housing has been an issue we have been working to address through more community awareness. We have made attempts to help raise the awareness of what senior housing options are available in our area. This is being done through our website at solomonvalley.com We have created a special section called "Retirement Living" that provides information on nursing home, intermediate care and assisted living facilities in a multi-county area of north central Kansas. We try to update information on available beds and apartments on this section of our website every week. You can click here for look at the website.

By addressing the housing needs of our seniors we hope to also address the needs of other families in our communities. As seniors move into other retirement living facilities they can sell or rent their homes to others who are in need of housing.

We hope this approach is having a positive impact in our communities in Mitchell County and the surrounding area.

New Business Activity in Beloit, KS

WWe are starting to see new business activity again in Beloit. It has been recently announced that changes are coming to Tammy Vetter’s store, the Closet. Eva Shurts and Dustin Dougherty are both planning to bring businesses into the north half of the building. Eva will offer a new fitness program called Body Defined by Eva and Dustin is moving his Tae Kwon Do classes into the north half of the building.

Tammy will continue to have her store, the Closet in the south half of the store.

Just last week we announced Jodi Mosher owner of “Accents 4 You” is moving her store downtown to the Struble Photography building. Dick and Pat Struble have sold their building and will be moving their photography business to their home.

Ambria Wendell has opened a massage therapy business called “Rejuvenating Touch by Ambria into the building just south of the Solomon Valley Cinema. Ambria has scheduled a ribbon cutting for June 1 at 9:00 a.m.

Andrea Benedick is also opening a new floral business called Wheat Fields Floral. She will be operating the business at 541 Roosevelt alongside her parents business Great Plains Landscaping. Andrea will have a ribbon cutting on Thursday, May 27 at 9:00 a.m. She also has a website at wheatfieldsfloral.com

At this time we are also working with a service related business from Concordia that is looking for office space in Beloit. There are a couple of small retailers looking for locations. Plus a proposal was recently submitted for a manufacturing business that is looking for a new location.

If you would be interested in starting a new business or expanding an existing business contact Mitchell County Community Development at 785-738-2717 or e-mail beloitmmcgee@nckcn.com

2010 Census Going Door to Door

Census workers will be going door to door soon for those who haven't returned their 10 question form that was mailed earlier this year. The census is vital not only in county the number of residents in our community. But it also determines what type of funding we may have access to for community programs, housing, schools, highways and other infrastructure. It is very important that every person is counted.

Response to the mail in survey was fairly good. The national response rate was 72%. The state response was 75% and here in Mitchell County our response rate was 73%. Our neighbors to the south in Saline County had an incredible response rate of 84%.

Despite the good response to the mail in surveys there is a lot more work to be done. Census workers will do their best to go door-to-door to count those who did not response to the mail surveys. They will gather the basic information on the 2010 Census questionnaire by interviewing an adult member of the household. If no one from the household is available, the census taker will make repeated attempts to contact someone in the home.

The follow-up operations will be conducted by official census takers, who will have ID badges with the U.S. Department of Commerce seal and expiration date. They also may be carrying a bag with a U.S. Census Bureau logo. If asked, they will provide the telephone numbers for their supervisor and local census office for verification.

Tech College Sets Sights on Future

The North Central Kansas Technical College is setting sights on developing the Kansas Institute for Underground Construction. The idea is being discussed with representatives from Ditch Witch who manufacture a directional drilling tool used in utility construction.

At this time there is no training program for operation of drilling tools and the technical college would like to be the first to offer such a program and possibly begin a certification program.

School, state and community officials met at the college last week to discuss the ideas for the program in further detail. They hope something can be developed soon. The demand for underground construction is picking up and is expected to be good in the year 2011.

The Institute for Underground Construction would not only include training in directional drilling. It would also cover topics including utility locating, OSHA Regulations, CDL training and a variety of other subjects addressing the needs of the underground construction industry.

We would like to thank the representatives from Ditch Witch who attended the meeting and provided their insight of the industry. This partnership can help formulate a program that benefits both the school and the industry.

Shaping Our Future with the North Campus Development

Unfortunately we don't have a crystal ball and can't take a clear look into the future. But in Economic Development we always have to look forward as far as we can to identify what can be done for continued growth and sustainability of our businesses and our community.

Work is underway to redefine and set a new direction for the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility. To begin the facility is now being referred to as the "North Campus Development" which is a way of looking forward and setting our sights on the future.

The City of Beloit and Mitchell County are working together right now on developing plans to "re purpose" at least one building on the campus. The Morning View building is a hard-cell, lock-down, jail facility that was designed to house juvenile female offenders. It is going to become the future home of the Beloit Police Department, Mitchell County Sheriff's Department and it will serve as our jail for adult prisoners. This step is expected to be a long term move for our local law enforcement personnel.

The City of Beloit is expected to take another step in working with officials from USD 273 to utilize the "North High School" building on the campus.

Mitchell County Partnership for Children and The Early Learning Center have occupied two buildings on the campus for the past several years and it's anticipated they will have contracts from the City to keep them there as well.

Efforts are underway to find other purposes for the remaining buildings. Each step is being considered very carefully.

Taking a broader look at the "North Campus Development", opens the doors to many opportunities for our community. There are nearly 50 acres of undeveloped land. Portions of the land provide frontage on highway 24 that could be utilized for key retail services. This land could also provide space for lighter commercial uses, multi-family residential development and much needed single family housing development.

This will all take careful planning. And that is what is currently being done with specific attention given to the location of existing roads and utilities. An examination of how those can be extended to serve the existing campus facilities and extend into the undeveloped property for future growth.

These items must be studied carefully and not rushed. The direction taken today could set the course for the future of our community for the next 40 years. When you consider the former juvenile correctional facility was planned and developed over 120 years ago. Then 40 years really doesn't seem like such a long time. But it's an important timeline because what is done today and in the next few years will set a new direction for our community that will have a long lasting impact on our future.

Utilities and Technology Vital

When it comes to business growth and new business attraction having up to date utilities, infrastructure and technology is a vital.

Sometimes rural communities are over looked because people think they aren't up to speed with the rest of the world. Well you might be surprised by what you can find in a rural community like ours.

For example, fiber optics is a MUST for many businesses today. But some might not think we have access to it here. I contacted Brent Cunningham with Cunningham Telephone and Cable and was impressed to find they have over 1,000 miles of fiber optics connecting homes, businesses and communities in Mitchell, Jewell, Cloud, Republic, Osborne and Ottawa counties. That is very significant to business sustainability and growth here in north central Kansas. Cunningham Telephone exchanges are built with "Fiber-to-the-Home" technology with dedicated fibers per customers and 100 Mbps capable connections.

This didn't happen overnight. Cunningham Telephone is a founding member of the Kansas Fiber Network connecting Kansas with advanced services. Cunningham Communications cable systems are built with fiber optic nodes and 1GHz technology. They have been providing broadband Internet service since 1997.

Another great asset for our community is the North Central Kansas Technical College. The college provides training and services that can be very beneficial for business. Some of these are on the cutting edge of technology. The NCK Tech College has a great GIS/GPS program and can provide training and services related to geographic information systems.

The college can also provide training in telecommunications, business, computer courses, welding and a wide variety of other programs.

The City of Beloit and Mitchell County are working together on gathering GIS data and creating new aerial maps and databases. This information can be important for business planning, infrastructure development and improvements.

Utilities are another important element when a business considers expanding or relocating in our area. On one recent site visit a business person asked me how many times a year we had power outages and how long they lasted. I contacted the Systems Operations department for the City of Beloit and they verified my answer. In 2009 the city of Beloit had 3 power outages. Two of those were during winter ice storms. The average time of the outages was only about 15 minutes. In most cases the outages are limited to one section of the city or another depending on what caused the outage and where it is located.

Beloit us unique in that the city still has a power plant and can generate their own power if needed during outages from their suppliers. Or in case of emergencies. In 2009 the City of Beloit generated their own power for a total of 761,780 kWh. They purchased over 47,000,000 kWh of electricity last year from KMEA, WAPA and GRDA.

Water is another vital resource for residents and businesses alike. The city of Beloit gets its water from the Solomon River/Waconda Lake. The City has total water rights of more than 227,102,673 gallons per year or approximately 622,199 gallons per day.

The capacity of the City Water Plant is 1.5 million gallons per day and the average annual consumption is 800,000 gallons per day.

The numbers, facts and figures concerning the utilities, infrastructure and technology available in our area goes on and on. But I think this summary give you a better idea on what we have to offer to businesses and the fact that we are up to speed with the latest technology that is so important in today's business world.

Solomon Valley Farmers Market Association

Farmers Markets are a great way to help individual producers and consumers who are looking for fresh items grown or produced locally. The Solomon Valley Farmers Market Association is planning to start a local market in Beloit, KS this summer. They plan to have the market every Saturday from June 19 to October 2nd at Guaranty State Bank, the intersection of Mill & Court Streets.

Vendors are will pay a $25 fee for their booth to participate in the full season.

More details on the market can be found on their Facebook Page.

Their next planning meeting will be March 25th, 7 PM at 1217 North Mill Street in Beloit, KS.

Beloit Recieves Deed to BJCF

Who says the wheels of government move slowly? The City of Beloit has received the deed for the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility. And now the City and County are working together on working out the details for the first steps towards bringing new life to the buildings on the campus.

The Beloit City Council will discuss the new developments at their next meeting Tuesday night.

Several things are already in motion.

1) Plans are to keep the Mitchell County Partnership for Children and The Early Learning Center in the two buildings they currently occupy on the campus.

2) The City and County Lawenforcement would like to relocate to the Morning View building which is a hard cell, lock down, jail facility on the campus. This would give both local agencies more space and would incrase the county's jail capacity.

Several other groups have also expressed interest in various buildings on the campus and agreements will have to be worked out with each of them. This will of course take some time. But the wheels are moving and this project is definitely a "community" effort.

Governor Signs SB 357 to Transfer BJCF to Beloit

Govenror Parkinson has signed Senate Bill 357 to authorize the transfer of the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility property to the City of Beloit.

The Govenror closed the facility last August due to severe budget cuts bringing an end to a facility that has served the state of Kansas for over 120 years.

The Governor's action today means the property which includes roughly 14 buildings on a 23 acre campus, along with 49 acres of agricultural land will be returned to the City of Beloit.

Local officials have been working on plans to reuse most of the buildings on the campus. Representatives from the City of Beloit, Mitchell County, USD 273, NCK Technical College and the community have been working together on this project.

The actual transfer of the property will take some time. It will be handled by the Kansas Department of Administration and Attorney General's office.

Pictures of the Administration Building and available property can be found on the Mitchell County Community Development Facebook Page and on LocationOne.

Next Focus On Technology and Infrastructure

A new brochure is currently being developed to focus attention on the technology and infrastructure we have to offer businesses that are looking to expand or relocate in our area. The brochure, developed by Mitchell County Community Development is the third in a series that is being sent directly to professional Realtors and site selectors who assist businesses in their decision making.

It is interesting to note Cunningham Telephone and Cable has over 1,000 miles of fiber optics connecting homes, businesses and communities in Mitchell, Jewell, Cloud, Republic, Osborne and Ottawa counties. North Central Kansas Technical College has a GIS/GPS Technology program that provides training in geographical information systems software using global positioning system technology. The college has contracted with local city agencies to provide data in GIS format.

The brochure will also include information on the advanced medical technology that is available to our local physicians and hospital. It will also cover information on current utility capabilities available in and around our communities.

Businesses look closely at the technology they need when they consider expanding or relocating to an area.

We're # 1

Mitchell County residents can stand up and take a bow. A new study has been released that ranks Mitchell County as the healthiest county in the state of Kansas. The study was conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

The Kansas Health Rankings report studies many different factors, including quality of health care, individual behavior, education and jobs, and the environment. (Mitchell County Summary)

For more details you can read the report on county health rankings here.

BJCF Bill Clears Another Hurdle

Senate Bill 357 cleared another hurdle last week when the House Local Government Committee voted unanimously to pass it on to the full House for consideration. The bill authorizes the transfer of the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility property to the City of Beloit.

The bill has been placed on "General Orders" on the House Calendar. On Monday, February 15th it was listed on page 10. This morning (February 16) the bill is listed on page 8.

Legislators have been moving the bill through the process quickly so the property can be removed from the states inventory as soon as possible and remove their liability for the utilities and maintenance of the facilities.

Local leaders are standing ready to receive the property. They include the City of Beloit, Mitchell County, USD 273, Mitchell County Partnership for Children, the Early Learning Center and NCK Technical College and possibly others.

Once the House of Representatives approve the bill the Kansas Department of Administration and the Attorney General's office will be involved in handling the final transaction with the City of Beloit.

The House of Representatives meet at 11 A.M. each week day. You can listen in on their debate of bills online at kslegislature.org.

Proposed Housing Development Positive Step

Wichita housing developer, Manske & Associates is looking at the possibility of constructing ten new homes in Beloit. The developer has been working with representatives from Mitchell County Community Development, the Solomon Valley Economic Development Housing Task Force and the City of Beloit. They have submitted an application to the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation to participate in a special housing tax credit program to encourage the development of income based housing.

The total cost estimate for the development is $1.8 million and calls for new homes to be built at 3rd and Mill and in the Zimmer Addition in Beloit, KS.

Manske & Associates has a very long and positive record of developing housing in communities all across the state of Kansas. The homes proposed for Beloit will be single family houses with 3 bedrooms, two baths and a two car garage. They will be approximately 1,275 square feet and some will include an unfinished basement.

The application for the housing development program has been submitted to KHRC and will be reviewed and scored against other projects being considered throughout the state.

Just the other day someone asked what a housing means to economic development. Of course there is the initial benefit of the jobs created for construction of the homes and the purchase of materials. There is also an increase in property value created with the addition of new homes.

Beyond the construction phase of the project there are many other economic benefits to creating additional housing in a community. Rental housing in Beloit is extremely tight and adding 10 homes with 3 bedrooms each would help relieve some of the pressure on the housing market. This would add to the number of people living in our community as they move into the new homes. Some will be new residents. Others will be moving out of other homes in Beloit and freeing them up for other families to move into.

Having more families in Beloit would increase the demand for retail goods and services, sales tax revenues and possibly add more children to our school system. For the City and County it would generate more property taxes and utility revenues.

The housing project will be owned locally. Manske & Associates only serve as the developer. The local owner of the project will benefit from the revenues generated by the rental and sales of the homes.

In all there are many ways that a new housing development benefits the local community. We are hopeful our application is approved by the KHRC.

BJCF Legislative Path Streamlined

Members of the Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility Task Force are heading back to Topeka on February 11th to testify in support of Senate Bill 357. The bill has already been passed by the full Kansas Senate. Now it is being heard by the House Local Government Committee.
A duplicate bill HB 2450 that originated in the House of Representatives has been put on hold. It was found that having the duplicate bill was not necessary as the Senate quickly moved SB 357 through to the House for consideration.
Part of the reason for the quick action by the Legislature is the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority is currently paying for the utilities and a full-time staff person to keep the former BJCF maintained and they are running short of money.
What will happen if SB 357 is passed by the House? It will become official once the bill is published. Then the work will begin to transfer the property to the City of Beloit.
In the meantime representatives from the City of Beloit, Mitchell County Commissioners, NCK Technical College, USD 273, the Early Learning Center and several other organizations have been working together to develop plans for how the facilities can be utilized to benefit the community. And to plan how the expenses for utilities and maintenance will be shared.
Admittedly the legislative action on the communities request to receive the BJCF property is moving faster than expected. But with all parties working together the community can develop plans to receive and utilize the facility, secure jobs that are already asscociated with the Early Learning Center and Mitchell County Partnership for Children, and create several other jobs associated with new uses for the buildings and property.

Hearing Set for HB 2450

The Local Government Committee of the Kansas House of Representative will hear testimony on HB 2450 on February 9th. Members of the Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility Task Force will return to Topeka on the 9th to testify in support of the bill that authorizes the state to transfer the property of the former correctional facility back to the City of Beloit.
HB 2450 was introduced by Representative Clay Aurand. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Janis Lee. SB 357 was passed on "favorably" by the Senate Ways and Means Committee this past Tuesday. It will be considered by the full Senate within the next few days.
In the meantime members of the local BJCF Task Force are working on details in preparation to receive the property from the state and to put it to use in the best interest of the community.

Senate Committee Passes SB 357 to the Full Senate

Several members of our community testified today before the Senate Ways and Means committee on SB 357 to authorize the transfer of the BJCF to the City of Beloit. The committee voted unanimously to pass the bill favorably on to the full Senate for their consideration. The Senate is expected to take up the bill on Monday. A similar bill is going to be heard by the House Local Government Committee sometime soon.

Kansas Senate Bill 357 Hearing

Members of the Kansas Senate Ways and Means Committee will hear testimony on a bill to authorize the transfer of Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility to the City of Beloit. Several community representatives will travel to Topeka on January 27th to testify before the Senate Committee on behalf of our community to encourage the state to return the property to the community so it can be utilized for the greatest benefit of the community and not sit idle.

The property was originally given to the state by the community in the late 1890’s and operated over 120 years as a facility for juvenile girls.

Senator Janis Lee introduced senate Bill 357. A similar bill is also working its way through the House of Representatives and will be considered by the House Local Government Committee sometime soon.

BJCF Bills Introduced

Two bills have been introduced in Topeka requesting the state return the Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility property to the City of Beloit. Last week Senator Janis Lee introduced Senate Bill 357 and Representative Clay Aurand introduced House Bill 2450.

The Senate Bill has been assigned to the Ways and Means Committee for their consideration. The House Bill has been assigned to the Local Government Committee.

Both bills ask that the Secretary of Administration be given the authority to convey the Correctional Facility property to the City of Beloit.

The property was given to the state over 120 years ago. Community leaders are asking the property be returned so that it can be put to use once again for the benefit of the community.

If you would like to follow these bills through the legislative process click here and type in the appropriate bill numbers in the tracking box.

Getting the state to return the property to the City of Beloit will open the door for us to utilize the property in ways that will benefit the entire community.

Available Buildings and Sites

We are continuously updating information on available buildings and sites in Mitchell County, Kansas. You can keep up to date on these properties via our Facebook Fan Page.

If you have any questions contact Murray McGee at 785.738.2717 or 785.569.1465.

Site Prep Underway for NBAF in Manhattan

Our eyes are focused towards Manhattan these days as Kansas State University and the City of Manhattan begin site preparation for NBAF. According to officials in Manhattan the preparations are moving along pretty well.

KSU President Kirk Schulz told members of Solomon Valley Economic Development and the Beloit Chamber of Commerce the new National Bio Agro-Defense Facility will make a significant impact on Manhattan and communities as far away as 100-150 miles as support businesses will be looking for available buildings and land for development.

If all goes as planned construction on the NBAF facility could begin late this summer.

NBAF Future in Kansas

The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility is slated to come to Manhattan soon and it could change the landscape in our state and our communities. Kansas State University President, Kirk Schulz was the keynote speaker at the Beloit Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on January 9th, 2010. He biefly discussed what NBAF could mean to our area.

Of course the greatest impact of the the NBAF development will be seen in the Manhattan and Junction City, Kansas area. The NBAF facilities are being built at Kansas State University in Manhattan. But as Dr. Schulz pointed out there will be many related businesses that will need to local near Manhattan. Some of those will need offices for 2 or 3 people. Some will need small production or manufacturing buildings and some will need land to build.....new, large manufacturing facilities.

Some of these new businesses will need to be close to NBAF. Some will be able to operate within a few miles of the new facility and some will want to locate within a 100 to 150 mile radius of the facility.

Of course the latter of the locations mentioned is where our community could come into consideration. We may be able to offer available buildings and land for development of new facilities related to NBAF.

But the key element is to make sure these prospective new businesses know we are even here. At this time there is no "single" point of contact for these prospects. It is up to us to be sure that we make ourselves known.

It will be important for us to be in direct communication with economic development leaders in Manhattan and with Kansas State University.

We are studying our options and what opportunities could be ahead for our community in relation to NBAF. Like everyone else we are interested to see how this facility could change the landscape for business in north central Kansas and possibly the entire state.

Claw Back Clauses

Cities and Counties all across the country are starting to use "claw back clauses" that have been built into recent economic development incentives. An Associated Press story hit wires on January 3rd explaining the problem businesses and communities are facing. You can read the details here.

Tax breaks or tax abatement's for businesses are often tied to "job creation". A business promises to create a certain number of jobs and in exchange they receive certain tax breaks.

In our many communities in our area communities consider the number of jobs created and the amount of investment being made in the community through construction and other capital improvements.

In tough economic times incentives must be considered very carefully by the taxing entities offering the incentive and the business accepting them.

Still in Mitchell County the incentive we have offered to spur growth and development is a tax rebate and not a tax abatement. This way the local taxing entities are not giving up any tax revenues they currently receive. Instead they are offering to rebate a portion of the increased tax revenues created by improvements made to a property. The rebate is only applied to the improvements and the taxing entities continue to receive the base tax that is paid on the property before improvements are made.

We certainly want to roll out the red carpet for any business that wishes to expand, relocate or start up new in Mitchell County. We want to do what is beneficial for our community and our businesses.