FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 15, 2005
For more information contact:

Rachel Girt, Wyoming Business Council
Phone: 307.777.2851

Wyoming Business Council Board to meet on March 24 in Casper

CASPER – The Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors will meet at the Quality Inn in Casper starting at 8:45 am on March 24. The board will consider applications for the Community Development Block Grant Program and Business Ready Communities Grant and Loan Program at the meeting.

Community Development Block Grant applications to be considered:

• Carbon County requests a $25,000 planning only grant for a fiber optics feasibility study.
• Dubois requests a $25,000 planning only grant for a downtown revitalization plan.
• Evanston requests a $7,5000 technical assistance grant for Handicap Co-op.
• Laramie County requests a $300,000 infrastructure grant for Burnett Farms.
• Lovell requests a $25,000 planning only grant for a community and economic development plan.
• Pine Bluffs requests a $25,000 planning only grant for a downtown plan.
• Sheridan requests a $20,000 planning only grant for a housing needs assessment.
• Sheridan requests a $85,500 infrastructure grant for WYSTAR, a non-profit organization that provides substance abuse treatment services.

Business Ready Communities applications to be considered:

• The town of Ranchester requests a $154,777 Business Committed grant to expand a municipal waterline west along Highway 14 west toward a commercial area just outside the town's boundary.
• The town of Shoshoni requests a $1.5 million Business Committed grant to construct a railcar repair shop.
• The city of Evanston requests a $3 million Business Committed grant to construct a 60,000 square foot building on 11.5 acres in the municipally owned Union Center Business Park.
• The town of Pine Haven requests an additional $123,500 for a Business Committed grant to help construct additional waterline and sewer line to a proposed grocery store/fueling station.

TENTATIVE AGENDA

8:45 AM Public Board Meeting Convenes
Call to Order – Co-Chair Dick McGinity

Welcome & Introductions
Minutes Approval December 1, 2004

9:00 AM Committee Reports

Nominating Committee

• Election of New Officers & Working Committee Appointments

Planning, Budget & Audit Committee – Gus Fleischli, Chair

• Financials; Personnel; Contracts
• Manufacturing Extension Partnership
• Travel & Tourism (FYI): Weaver Publications & Pure Brand Communications

Grants, Subsidies, Loans & Venture Capital – Jim Davis, Chair

• Loan/Portfolio: Economic Disaster – Goshen Co. Bean Growers; Past Due Report; Loan Loss Analysis; Charge-Off Report; and Challenge Loan Rules
• Community Development Block Grant Applications
• Business Ready Community Grant Applications

11:15 AM Public Comment

11:30 AM Travel & Tourism Update – Diane Shober, Director

11:45 AM Legislative Recap – Tucker Fagan, CEO

12 Noon Next Meetings/Locations & Adjournment

The mission of the Wyoming Business Council is to facilitate the economic growth of Wyoming. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.wyomingbusiness.org.

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