NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — What should have been a relatively straightforward motion by the Board of County Commissioners in Reno County to table discussion of signing a contract for an economic incentive program at the request of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber and to take it up at the next meeting devolved into a county commissioner accusing another of impropriety in moving the item to a future consent agenda instead of the regular business items.
"I would say to the public, you know, if you want your tax dollars going to bring people out of county in to take your jobs, or potentially criminal aliens coming in to Reno County to take your jobs, then you need to contact the other four commissioners," said Commissioner John Whitesel. "That's what this policy does. They are wanting to put it on the consent agenda to avoid debate."
Commissioner Daniel Friesen, who made the consent agenda motion, took issue with that characterization.
"The reason it should go on the consent agenda is we just debated it for 10 minutes on the public record, on video," Friesen said. "If we get a lot of feedback on it, you know, we can make a motion together to pull it off. If there's no feedback, then it's efficient use to put it on the consent agenda so we don't have to have the same conversation next meeting again."
The item was approved to be on the consent agenda at the next meeting by a 4-1 vote, with Whitesel the only no vote.
The original request from the Chamber was to change the way economic incentives can be given to allow for them to be given to individuals in recruitment and not merely to whole businesses, with a specific request by Superior Holding prompting the ask.
"Superior Holding operates several facilities here in Hutchinson and Reno County," Teufel said. "They are considering an expansion of their facility that is on Corey Road. Their proposal is to add to that facility, either through lease of an adjacent building or expansion of their current footprint. That would be a several million dollar endeavor to create 50 jobs. They have recently added 50 jobs over the last four years and they know the limitations of our current workforce. While they will make every effort to employ students coming out of our welding programs and employ other people here, they also acknowledge that they don't want to just churn a workforce with other employers and steal from their neighboring employer. They would like to look at this as a pilot program to try a promotion to relocate people to Reno County. They would be providing a relocation incentive to individuals moving here. They have to be documented that they are moving here by establishing residency, proving that their residency was elsewhere and that they establish residence in Reno County. They have to provide that documentation to our office. Then, on a quarterly basis, we would provide a report to Reno County to draw down from a set aside fund that would be capped at this point, based on those 50 jobs, at $2500 per job, a total of $125,000. In order for them to then receive a portion of a match to that on a reimbursement basis."
The Board of County Commissioners will meet April 10 at 9 a.m. in the Veterans Room at the Reno County Courthouse.
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