FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 25, 2005
For more information contact:

Steve Achter, Wyoming Business Council
Office: 307.777.2811

Wyoming Business Council Board approves and recommends grants

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors met today to approve Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and recommend Business Ready Community (BRC) Grants to the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB).

Business Council BRC recommendations will be forwarded to SLIB for decision at their meeting November 17, 2005, 8 a.m., in Room 1299 of the Herschler Building in Cheyenne.

BRC applications recommended for approval include:

• The city of Laramie is recommended for a $1,086,000 Business Committed Grant for phase 1 construction of a building to be leased to WellDog, Inc. by the Laramie Economic Development Corporation.
• The city of Thermopolis is recommended for a $414,000 Business Committed Grant for purchase and upgrades to an existing building to be owned by Thermopolis-Hot Springs County Economic Development Company and leased to CAPTEL, LLC, for a Wyoming branch of the Washington DC based call center.

The board also approved several CDBG applications at the meeting. In all, the board approved eight CDBG applications totaling $1,661,000.

The CDBG Program is a federally funded pass through grant program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Wyoming has received an annual allocation from a low of $2.2 million, to a high of $3.7 million. For the 2005 program, the state has received $3,571,002.

CDBG applications approved by the board include:

• The town of Jackson was approved for a $300,000 grant for the Jackson Hole Community Health Center. The applicant expressed an urgent and serious need for a new mental health facility in Jackson. The CDBG funds will be used toward the purchase of the lot and existing Mountain House facility at 640 Broadway in order to build the new Community Mental Health Center.
• Laramie County was approved for a $300,000 grant for water and sewer projects. The proposed project is meant to eliminate or minimize exposure to contaminated water wells and the number of polluting septic systems in targeted unincorporated county pockets in the Cheyenne area. This will be accomplished by providing the target areas with access to municipal water/sewer lines. The county and city have committed $240,000 toward the project.
• Sublette County was approved for a $300,000 grant for a Sexual Assault Task Force Office and Safehouse. SAFV serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The county has limited ability to shelter victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Due to the oil and gas development in Sublette County available housing is almost non-existent. CDBG funds will be used to build an office and safe house in Pinedale.
• The Town of Alpine was approved for a $291,000 grant for a new Child Development Center. The Lincoln-Uinta Child Development Association (LUCDA) operates five child development centers in the two-county area. LUCDA has child development centers in Afton and in Thayne, which are at capacity. The CDBG funds will be used to construct a new building in Alpine.
• The town of Gillette was approved for a $300,000 grant for a Youth Emergency Services Facility. Youth Emergency Services (YES) provides services to youth and their families including shelter, counseling, prevention, education, intervention and support on a twenty-four hour basis. The programs are for abused and neglected children. Presently YES is located in four separate locations. Due to the high demand for their services YES feels it is time to consolidate all programs in one location.
• The city of Powell was approved for a $25,000 grant for Big Horn Industries (BHI). BHI provides critical life skills and vocational services for Wyoming adults with disabilities in Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie Counties. Programs provide opportunities for disabled people to lead productive lives that are as independent as possible. The CDBG grant will help to install fire suppression equipment, as well as provide larger kitchen and dining areas for staff and clients.
• The city of Thermopolis was approved for a $25,000 grant for Big Horn Industries. BHI provides services in Thermopolis similar to those provided in Powell. BHE – Thermopolis is applying for funds to install a fire suppression system at the Mondell Group Home. Eight individuals, five of whom rely on staff for their every need, live in the home.
• The city of Sheridan was approved for a $120,000 grant for flood damage repair. The Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) has an “Imminent Threat” funding category that can assist communities with the repair of public infrastructure damaged due to a natural disaster. This is done in conjunction with an emergency declaration by the governor. In the past CDBG funds were used to help Kaycee rebuild damaged streets due to a flood. In May of this year the city of Sheridan was hit with a rainstorm that caused flooding in the community and damage to portions of the city’s infrastructure. During the week of May 7-13 over 4.4 inches of precipitation was recorded, with a May total of 6.2 inches of precipitation. Normal May precipitation is 2.4 inches.

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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