Leaders of Emporia city and Lyon County government have been holding increasingly urgent conversations about economic development direction over the past year. That continued during a joint meeting involving city and county commissioners Wednesday.
City Commissioner Jamie Sauder revisited his thought housing is a “linchpin” to economic development, and he says the county currently has 15 homes available for sale — less than half a month’s supply when six months of supply is considered an acceptable standard. Sauder says this makes it hard for current employers to expand and it makes it easier for companies considering relocation to cross Emporia off their lists.
On housing, he believes the city should aggressively emphasize an infill housing program. Reason being: there’s no point in expanding the city footprint, including infrastructure and overall costs, if the population and tax base is stagnant.
The city may have to review its vacant homes ordinances, especially whether they need to be adjusted or whether additional personnel should be dedicated to enforcement.
Sauder, City Manager Trey Cocking and others also mentioned concerns about child care — and in Cocking’s case, concerns about both finding a home and lining up a daycare facility. County Commissioner Scott Briggs says there was a time when it was hard to see how the issues were connected. Now it’s clear.
For traditional economic development, conversation late in the meeting centered on general direction. Briggs and others at the meeting say the number of agencies involved — the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas, Emporia Main Street, Ignite Emporia and others — make it challenging to both move forward with a unified vision and for others considering Emporia and Lyon County to get the information they need through a “one-stop shop” approach.
