Members of the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas reviewed a draft of the 2019 budget during its meeting Friday morning.
RDA President Kent Heermann is requesting the city of Emporia to allocate $325,000 for the upcoming budget, slightly higher than last year’s request of $308,000. A major increase will be in the area of marketing and recruitment including $15,000 for target marketing. Heermann says they continue efforts to ramp up the RDA’s digital marketing and branding.
The request will go the Emporia City Commission for approval. In addition, the RDA is preparing to seek funding for paving Road F near the east entrance of Industrial Park IV. Grants may be pursued through the Kansas Department of Transportation to help with the cost, which could be roughly $1 million.
Heermann says currently the city of Emporia has 180 acres of developable real estate for potential projects, which limits development in the long-term. Grant proposals must be submitted before the end of July.
Efforts to improve the RDA website also continue and Heermann says they are in the final stages of completing the redesign.
