North Central Regional Planning Commission, Author at NCRPC

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Investing in Youth Important for Future

Written by Doug McKinney, NCRPC Executive Director

Investing in youth is happening all across the region. I salute the efforts in Republic County and Saline County and the youth entrepreneurship programs they are unveiling in late November. Lincoln County has provided some youth leadership training. Many other locations have initiatives to intentionally engage and invest in youth. One recent example I had the opportunity to participate in was the Career Day in Clay County on November 14. It was a huge success.

You never know what is on the mind of a young person—what their hopes and dreams are until they are asked in a small group setting. About a dozen of 300 I talked with had their own business. They all make use of social media to market their services.

Energizing others was a theme of the dialogue with Ed O’Malley of the Kansas Leadership Center at the recent NCRPC and NCKCN bi-annual banquet at Life’s Finer Moments Lodge near Clay Center. The youth at the previously mentioned forums are energized by what they experience and have the opportunity to express.

Teaming with a mentorship group can also energize them. The world we live in is full of successful collaborations that blossom from a single idea being flushed out amongst a few others who help it grow. According to Forbes Magazine, young persons need a safe environment in which they can thrive and fail at attempts to learn and experiment with innovations. Having others alongside them is vital in that realm. Moreover, often we as older adults do not convey the opportunities that can be explored right here in this region given the technologies and technical trainings available.

Please ponder how we can better prepare the next generation for what is around the next corner in life so they can return to help our communities survive and thrive.

This column appeared in the November 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Project Spotlight: Lincoln Power Plant

A new generator has improved the reliability of the power supply in the City of Lincoln Center.

A basic need of any community is to have steady, reliable electricity. Residents, businesses and visitors all expect and rely upon having electrical power 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

When the City of Lincoln Center was faced with continued problems on its rebuilt electrical power generating engine, the Enterprise, the city knew replacement was the best long-term solution.

The community applied for and was awarded funds from the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce to assist with the cost of the electrical generation upgrade project. The project used approximately $346,000 in CDBG funds. The city contributed nearly $442,000 in City cash and the issuance of bonds.

The older failing engine was replaced with a newer, more reliable engine that will continue to serve the community for many decades.

According to City of Lincoln Power Plant Foreman Jeff Ahring, it was necessary for the city to upgrade the generator. “Prior to the project, in the event that one of our other generators should malfunction, we would not have been able to provide the entire community with enough power to the grid, and as a result, we would have to initiate a “rolling blackout” until the issue was repaired,” Ahring said. “With the addition of the generator this project provided, we are able to provide the power required.”

Now if an incoming utility fails to provide power to the community, the power plant can restore power to the community in a matter of minutes. Ahring also noted the newer engine is a Tier 2, meaning fewer emissions while the engine is producing energy.

NCRPC Community Development Representative Nichole McDaniel administered the project in Lincoln. “The City of Lincoln has been great to work with on this as well as past improvement projects,” McDaniel said. “The recent power plant project has been able to provide the city with confidence that they can provide reliable power to their community.”

There are many great things happening in North Central Kansas communities. Periodically we plan to feature projects from around the region to share ways communities have solved challenges. To view more Project Spotlights, visit https://www.ncrpc.org/tag/project-spotlight/.

This article appeared in the November 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Pilot Home Ownership Program Helps Beloit Home Buyer

Home Ownership Program Logo Buying a home became feasible a little sooner than planned for one new homeowner thanks to a two-county pilot project of the NCK Home Ownership Program.

The program, which offers down payment and closing cost assistance to home buyers in Cloud and Mitchell counties, launched this Spring. NCRPC Business Finance Director Debra Peters manages the program.

Stephanie Simmons utilized the program to purchase a home in Beloit in July. She has lived in the county for nine years but most recently had been renting. Simmons, who serves as Executive Director of the Mitchell County Regional Medical Foundation, says the pilot program was a critical factor in her ability to purchase a home this summer.

The Pilot NCK Home Ownership Program was a factor in Simmons’ ability to purchase a home this summer.

“I am a very budget oriented person and don’t make quick or hasty decisions financially,” Simmons said. “I knew I wanted a home that was a forever home for my daughter and I and it just seemed a little out of reach. This program truly helped to make this more feasible and reasonable on my budget.”

Simmons says the transition to home ownership has been positive. “I feel like I am putting my money to work for me and building equity,” Simmons said. “I also feel like we are more part of a neighborhood that we can be life-long members of—making memories, making our community better, and having our own place.”

Funding requests currently have exceeded the funds available for the pilot project in Cloud and Mitchell Counties. The NCRPC also administers a similar program in Marysville. The Marysville Pilot Home Ownership Program will be accepting applications again beginning January 2. The results of the pilots will be used to develop a regional home ownership program to be launched in the future. For more information, contact Debra Peters at the NCRPC.

This article appeared in the November 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Region Represented in New Initiative

“Land in Kansas” is a new statewide economic development initiative that launched in July with the goal of attracting investment and promoting business expansion.

Key components of the initiative, according to a Kansas Department of Commerce press release, include a new state marketing campaign, a review of economic development programs in the state, and a pilot program to enable communities across the state to better target specific areas for economic growth.

North Central Kansas is represented in the new strategic planning process. CloudCorp Executive Director Ashley Hutchinson, Concordia, KS, has been named co-chair to lead a full evaluation of Kansas’ economic development strategy. Economic Development Director for the City of Lenexa, Blake Schreck, also serves as co-chair.

According to Hutchinson, her role is to create a Request for Proposal (RFP) to analyze and audit the Kansas Department of Commerce Development programs and incentives. Three different stakeholder groups—including economic development professionals, business and industry leaders, and legislators—will be consulted to determine what to include in the RFP.

“Our ultimate goal is to take a look at the programs we have now and see what is working and what isn’t. We are also interested in looking at successes in other states and seeing if those are a good fit for us and our industries,” Hutchinson said. “The completed report will create a guide for policy makers as we all work to Land in Kansas and Grow in Kansas.”

Hutchinson views this strategic process as a positive step toward growing the state.

“I am excited about this initiative because it’s a chance for us to really look at the whole picture instead of piecing together solutions,” Hutchinson said. “I am very excited to be representing rural communities. Our needs are sometimes much different than our counterparts in urban parts of the state and my co-chairman position is a signal that the Governor, along with the Secretaries of Commerce and Agriculture, are taking rural economic development very seriously.”

Contact Ashley at 785-243-2010 if you would like to provide input.

This column appeared in the September 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Internships Benefit Student Intern, Host Organization

Written by Doug McKinney, NCRPC Executive Director

An internship is a way for young adults to get credit for real-world experience. Interns work with an organization engaging in activities that provide them with new learning while benefiting the host organization. One funding source for internships is the Dane G. Hansen Foundation Community Intern Initiative. It matches Northwest Kansas communities or organizations that have a specific need with upper-level college students to address that need during a summer internship.

Communities or organizations first identify a community improvement project — such as downtown revitalization planning; community website/marketing; park or trail improvement; design for re-purposing an old building; or a host of other possibilities — and then apply to host an intern to assist with the project beginning in late May and ending in early August. Hosts in 2018 were City of Belleville, Jewell County Economic Development, Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation, North Central Regional Planning Commission, Ad Astra Music Festival of Russell and Wallace County Community Foundation.

Emily Reno, 2018 Hansen Intern for NCRPC, focused on food system information gathering as part of a regional food system assessment the NCRPC is doing in 2018 and 2019.

“While the first day on the job gave me somewhat of an indication of what my summer would look like, it in no way prepared me for the friendships I was to form in just a short period of time. And little did I know that I would soon find myself immersed in rural culture down to every last county fair, harvest festival, and Fun Day,” Reno said. “North Central Kansas is truly a unique place. Enough for me to consider it as a place I could come back to and call my home.”

Two interns with Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation focused on downtown building façade improvements. Some of the signage and improvement ideas they laid out will occur yet this year.

“It was definitely worthwhile,” Kelly Larson, Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director, said.

Russ Piroutek, Belleville City Clerk, said the city hosted an intern who was able to work on community center concepts for the downtown area and gain a great deal of public feedback about the ideas generated.

Jewell County hosted two interns in 2018. They worked on deteriorating building and spatial development options in various downtown areas. They also worked with the Jewell County Health Coalition on fitness center options.

“It was a great project with lots of value,” Jenny Russell, Coordinator for Jewell County Community Development Association, said. “Hansen support was imperative!”

Another example of a successful internship program is the Nex-Generation Student Internship Program. In 2018, 56 businesses across Northwest and North Central Kansas hosted 68 high school and college interns.

“One of our main objectives is to expose students to Northwest and North Central Kansas workforce opportunities at an early age and encourage them to look for jobs right here at home,” Mendi Anschutz, Nex-Tech’s Economic Development/Networking Specialist, said. “We launched this program through Nex-Tech in 2011 with 6 interns. Three years ago, we opened up the program to local businesses, and a true culture shift has begun.”

At the conclusion of her internship, Emily Reno wrote a Letter to the Editor at the Beloit Call. To read the letter, visit www.ncrpc.org/2018intern.

For more information about the Hansen Intern Initiative, click here. The deadline for communities to apply to host summer interns is October 31, 2018. For more information about the Nex‐Generation Student Internship Program, click here. Businesses interested in hosting interns should contact Nex-Generation before December 2018.

This column appeared in the September 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Claiming Your Google Place Listing

Written by the Kansas State University Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement

Partial screenshot of NCRPC Google search result

This partial screenshot is an example of what it looks like to have claimed your place on Google.

One of the easiest, but most overlooked aspects of online marketing is claiming your Google Place listing. This is a feature that allows information about your business to populate on the right-hand side of the Google search results page. Claiming your business’s online identity in this way allows potential clients to find you and know that you are currently operating. Photos will help them know what your storefront looks like, so it can be identified when they plan a visit. Filling out all sections of the form will allow searchers to click directly into your website or social media pages, reducing the level of searching required to learn about your business.

Claiming your business’s Google Place will allow people to view quite a few details about the business when they search with Google, particularly contact information and hours of operation. This is a simple, yet crucial part of getting a business started out on the right track online. While creating a presence on social media is important, the majority of people still search for a business on Google first to find information. We do not want to lose them at the beginning before they get a chance to see any of the social media on which a business may have worked so hard.

Let’s Get Started!

Visit www.google.com/business and click the green Manage Now button.
You will be prompted on the next page to add the name of your business. Be sure it is accurate and click Next.
Now add in your business location and then it will bring up businesses around the address you provided.
Next it wants you to categorize your business, then add the phone number and website.
You’re finished! Select Finish and be sure to verify your location.
You will then be directed to your business page dashboard and here you can manage it further.

Claim your business today and do not miss out on another customer!

For more information about online marketing with new-media tools like websites, e-newsletters, social-media, and e-commerce, visit our learning resource at RuralEngagement.org.

This article appeared in the September 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

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