Lyon County Commissioners have voted to lend support to a new local initiative.
Last month the commission was approached on the topic of drafting a letter of support for the i6 Federal Technology Grant which Emporia was recently named a finalist for. Plans are to use the grant to help Emporia and Lyon County become a technology hub through the THINK Emporia initiative.
The initiative is aimed at growing entrepreneurship by enhancing the use of technology areawide. To do this the initiative would establish a rural network of tech hubs, develop and grow a strong talent pipeline and foster a collaborative environment for remote workers.
The letter of support dictates the County will contribute $75,000 a year for three years towards the program beginning in 2020. County Commissioner Scott Briggs believes it is a worthy investment.
The county now joins the likes of Emporia State University and Emporia Main Street as entities who have pledged their support to the initiative. Rob Gilligan, who originally sought the county’s support, says these community partnerships are vital to the initiative’s success.
The Emporia City Commission will also be discussing drafting a letter of support for the initiative at their study session next week. Gilligan expects action to be taken on the matter during the City’s April 3 action session.
The deadline for the application for the i6 grant is April 4.
In other business, Lyon County Engineer Chip Woods made the recommendation to replace the closed bridge at the end of County Road 335. Commissioners approved the recommendation and directed Woods to begin the process.
In the coming weeks, Woods will acquire the necessary permits and begin scheduling a time for the bridge’s replacement. The replacement is necessary as the bridge has begun showing signs of extreme stress and deterioration according to the county’s bi-annual engineering report.
There is currently no timeline for the project.
Commissioners also discussed exchanging $189,533.89 in federal funds for 2019 and received an insurance update from Larry Sharp of KCAMP insurance.
Six executive sessions also took place.
The Lyon County Commission will next meet Thursday, March 28 at 8 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse.
