A letter of support for a new regional initiative was requested from the Lyon County Commission during their action session Thursday morning.
Rob Gilligan, Tyler Curtis of Emporia State University and Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods approached commissioners on the topic of providing funding for the i6 Federal Grant which the city of Emporia was recently named a finalist for. The grant is a federal economic development 1-1 match program which will be used to implement the Tech Hub Innovation Network of Kansas, also known as THINK Emporia, initiative.
The main purpose of THINK Emporia is aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship and enhancing the use of technology areawide. Gilligan says stimulating entrepreneurship locally will help it to grow through what he calls entrepreneurial friction.
The plan to see this effort accomplished consists of three key elements. Establish a rural network of tech hubs by developing an incubation space and linking partners centers’ software and fabrication capabilities, developing and growing a strong talent pipeline and fostering a collaborative environment for remote workers that improves lifestyle and productivity.
Curtis says ESU is already on board with the initiative as it provides more local opportunities for their students to get started with what they want to do locally.
The specific support being sought from the commission is a three-year fund allocation of $75,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2020. After the presentation, commissioners decided they would continue the discussions and render a decision in the coming weeks.
While no decision was reached, commissioner Scott Briggs feels the initiative falls right in line with discussions began by the commission a few years ago.
The next step in the i6 application process will be the submission of a rough draft of the application. The deadline for the formal application is April 4.
The deadline was extended due to the recent government shutdown.
In other business, commissioners also approved an agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation and BNSF Railroad for highway crossing signals for the railroad at Road 190. Commissioners also approved the purchase of new cameras for the Lyon County Courthouse in the amount of $9,854 from Kansas Security LLC.
The Lyon County Commission will next meet Thursday, March 14 at 8 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse.
