Unemployment Rate Low/Construction High

The latest report from the Kansas Department of Labor shows unemployment in Mitchell County at 3.4% in January 2012. This is lower than any of our neighbors in the contiguous counties of Jewell, Osborne, Lincoln, Cloud and Ottawa counties which are all over 4%. The Department of Labor has published a map demonstrating unemployment rates, county by county, across the state.

Employers in Mitchell County are still trying to hire new people and manufacturers are expanding and facing increasing demand for their products.

New construction and new business investments continue to add up in Mitchell County. Construction continues on the addition to the Super 8 Motel. A small warehouse building has been moved into the Solomon Valley Business park, the additional warehouse facility at Thompson's OK Tire is being completed, the new Law Enforcement Center is open now, a new front is being added to the Solomon Valley Building Center, Sunflower Manufacturing is putting up another building, the Library construction project is underway and two more buildings will begin construction soon on the Solomon Valley Business Park.

On top of all this crews are making great progress on the new swimming pool, new water lines on the west side of Beloit and new cooling towers for the City Power Plant.

Three of the new homes in the Crown Homes Addition are nearing completion. A total of 9 homes are included in this project.

Many images from numerous construction projects currently underway or recently completed can be seen on the Mitchell County Community Development Facebook page.

Neighborhood Revitalization Program Pushes $35 M Mark

Nearly $35 million in construction projects have been approved through Neighborhood Revitalization Program. The county-wide program is designed to encourage construction and development in Mitchell County through the offer of a tax rebate on improvements that are made to a property.
The program applies to new construction and renovation projects. It is also available for both commercial and residential construction.
The county-wide program began in October 2006. From that time to October 2011 a total of $34.9 million in construction has been approved. In the most recent cycle of the program from October 15, 2010 to October 15, 2011 there was nearly $11.5 million in projects approved.
Applications for the program are available at the Mitchell County Appraisers office.

Unemployment Numbers Continue to Drop

Unemployment figures continue to improve in Mitchell County and the surrounding area. According to the Kansas Department of Labor unemployment in Mitchell County in December was down to 3.1 percent. That compares to 3.9 percent in Cloud County, 3.7 percent in Jewell County; 5.5 in Ottawa County; 4.2 in Lincoln County and a statewide average of 5.9 percent.

The unemployment rate of 3.1 percent in Mitchell County in December is down from 3.5 percent in November and 4.7 percent in December of 2010.

Mitchell County Joins ROZ Program

Mitchell County has recently joined a new state program to offer special incentives to people who move to our area.

On April 11, Gov. Sam Brownback signed into law the Rural Opportunity Zones (ROZs) program. The program is a central component of a broader plan by the Brownback Administration to spur economic development in and expand job growth in 50 counties around the state. The program took effect July 1, 2011.

The program has two main incentives:

--A state income tax exemption for up to five years to individuals who move to a ROZs county from outside the state. Individuals must not have lived in Kansas for the past five years, nor have Kansas source income of more than $10,000 per year over the past five years.

--Student loan foregiveness of up to $3,000 per year for individuals who graduate from an accredited post-secondary institution and move to a ROZs county.

The student loan foregiveness portion of the program is a county-state partnership, and counties must opt in to participate. Mitchell County has agreed to fund two people in the student loan program.

To apply for the Rural Opportunity Zone student loan repayment program, click here.

To request more information about the Rural Opportunity Zone program, click here to fill out a request form, or contact:

Dan Lara
Public Information Officer
Kansas Department of Commerce
dlara@kansascommerce.com
(785) 296-3760

Unemployment Continues to Decrease

While the state of Kansas saw a jump in unemployment claims in January claims were down in Mitchell County. According to the latest report from the Kansas Department of Labor, unemployment in Mitchell County stood at 4.6% in January. That is down just one-tenth of a percent from December 2010.

Meanwhile unemployment jumped from 6.4% in December to 7.4% in January for the state of Kansas.

Community Turning Negative Into Positive

It's great to see a community recognized for turning a negative situation into a positive. Our community was hit hard when the state of Kansas closed the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility. Many jobs were lost and we were left with a big hole in the community with an campus full of empty buildings.

Since receiving the campus, buildings and adjacent ag land from the state of Kansas the community has forged ahead with efforts to fill the buildings and now develop plans for future development of the surrounding agricultural land.

Earlier this week a reporter from the Associated Press asked for an update on what the community is doing. Today the word is spreading through radio and TV news stories.

Our community deserves a big pat on the back for moving forward and making something positive out of the hand we were dealt.

Unemployment Figures Continue to Drop

Unemployment continues to drop in Mitchell County, KS. According to the latest report from the Kansas Department of Labor the unemployment rate in Decembr was 4.0%. That is down from 4.7% in November.
The December unemployment report also shows good improvements over last years figures when the unemployment rate in December 2009 was at 7% in Mitchell County.

2011 off to a BIG start

One of the best indicators of economic growth and strength is "construction". When you have construction activity in your community it demonstrates confidence and a dedication to individual and business investment in your community.

Since October 18, 2010 our county commissioners have approved over $7.8 million in construction projects under our Neighborhood Revitalization Pogram. That's almost double the amount of construction projects approved under the same program from Oct. 15, 2009 to October 15, 2010.

We already have over $11 million in construction projects planned in Mitchell County, KS for this Spring. This include a $5.2 million project being undertaken by Farmway Coop for a grain storage and handling facility in Glen Elder, KS; a $2.2 million addition and remodeling project for First National Bank in Beloit, KS; remodeling the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility "lock down" facility into a joint city and county law enforcement center and jail; remodeling the cafeteria on the former correctional facility campus into a new library; the Crown Homes housing project that will add 10 new homes in Beloit totaling over $1.3 million in construction and several smaller commercial and residential building projects scheduled for this Spring.

It's exciting to see this magnitude of construction taking place in a county of approximatley 6,500 people. It shows a strong committment to investing in our community.

Another exciting development is the work being done by the North Campus Development Steering Committee. This is a committee made up of people from our community who will help create a plan for development of the North Campus (the former state Correctional Facility campus. The steering committee is focusing on development plans for approximtley 46 acres of agricultural land along and just south of U.S. Highway 24 in Beloit. Some of the land will be utilized for commercial growth along the highway. The committee is also looking at designating a portion of the land for additional housing.

This type of activity is a sign of positive economic growth in our community.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Starting a New Facebook Look

Facebook seems to be the latest tool for marketing your business or organization. I know we may be a little behind the time here. But I have been working on a Facebook page to help promote our community and the resources we have available for new and/or expanding businesses.

We have started uploading our inventory of available buildings and building sites and will highlight some of our business incentives.

Take a look at our fan page for Mitchell County Community Development and become a fan today. Just follow this link

Green Acres!

I was surfing the net this morning and came across a story from the Wall Street Journal describing how young people are leaving metropolitan areas in search of greener pastures in rural areas of the country. You can read the story here.

My first reaction was.....great! I thought how great it would be to have more people moving to our rural areas. We have been struggling with a declining population for over 100 years. But then I read the many posts people made in response to the story. They are from rural residents who do NOT like city people moving in to their areas. They are concerned the "city" folks won't understand the difficulties that come with living in a rural area. And they might believe they can earn a living on a 5 or 10 acre farm. Or they might drive up the cost of land. There are many other concerns or fears the rural people have about welcoming "city dwellers" to the countryside.

Then I thought "What about inviting people from the metropolitan areas" to contact us and invite them to come and learn more about what rural living is really about. It's not for everyone. But for some people it could be a positive lifestyle change.

I don't believe people should rush into making life changing decisions. I also believe we should not close the door to opportunities for both rural and urban residents. With education and understanding there could be positive opportunities for both. I believe the lines of communication and understanding should be open. And if someone from an urban area has a genuine interest in moving to Mitchell County, Kansas. Great! Let us know and we'll work together to see if it "really" is something for you and your family.