City ED director provides list of activities
The following was the bimonthly written report submitted to Marion City Council Jan. 12 by Marion Economic Development Director Jami Williams.
Williams:
— spoke with Bucher, Willis, and Ratliff about duties needed from them for the Safe Routes to School grant. She also contacted a core group of people to be involved in the planning and implementation of the process to complete the grant. A meeting was scheduled for next week.
— attended the Early Childhood Task Force meeting with Lee Leiker and Keith Collett, representing USD 408, and discussed the possibility of expanding the Head Start program into a four-year-old at-risk program and offering additional educational services. The group also discussed the overwhelming need for additional child care facilities.
— met with Donna Bernhardt, editor and publisher of the Marion County Record, to join the Marion Economic Development Advisory Board. Bernhardt will make a decision at a later date.
— met with the owner of the Wagon Wheel and discussed necessary improvements to make regarding fire protection.
— met with an individual who has a contract on a flower shop and discussed neighborhood revitalization and energy-efficiency programs.
— met with another individual interested in opening a new business in an empty building on Main Street.
— attended the Marion Chamber of Commerce tourism meeting and discussed ways to promote Marion. The group also discussed possible sign improvements and the Kansas Sampler event.
— met with Melissa Parmley about a new promotion piece being considered by the Record. Williams shared some concerns, made some suggestions, and offered support of the project.
— attended a rural housing seminar in Wichita about programs available for single family dwellings. Williams will share the information with local banks.
— toured the former Atmos Energy building, including the upstairs, to determine some possible uses for the available office space.
— continue to send "Did You Know?" e-mails and have received support for the concept.
— had an economic development advisory board meeting to discuss last year's accomplishments. A list of the accomplishments and disappointments will be Williams' first article for the year in the Marion County Record.
— spoke with an individual about the possibility of expanding and updating equipment. She is working on getting him the necessary paperwork to file for a sales tax exemption on his machinery and equipment, and obtaining funds to assist with training on the new equipment.
— received a completed application for a business grant. The information was submitted to the grant committee.
— toured the former Marion Mini-Mall which is now TC's What Not Shop. There only are three unoccupied spaces remaining. Improvements are being made to the building and a grand opening is being planned in February.
— was contacted by a property owner about possibilities for his commercial building the owner wanted to sell. Williams assisted him in contacting a potential buyer and assisted the buyer with possibilities for the building.
— attended the chamber board meeting to discuss the possibility of using Williams' building at 162 W. Main as an incubator building for new businesses.
— met with Marion County Economic Development Secretary Teresa Huffman to discuss the past week's activities in Marion.
— met with Marion County Commissioner Dan Holub about county activities.
— met with Marion County Sheriff Lee Becker and discussed possibility for the new justice center.
— learned that Kansas Department of Commerce representative Rod Weinmeister will retire and who the interim contact will be until the position is filled.
