FOR RELEASE:
March 23, 2006
For more information contact:

Tom Lacock, Senior Marketing and Public Relations Specialist
Wyoming Business Council
Office: 307.777.2834

Business Council Board approves and recommends grants

RIVERTON – The Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors approved $642,963.00 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications and another $1,446,000 in the form of a Community Facilities Program (CFP) application at a meeting today at the Riverton Holiday Inn.

The board recommended for approval a $1,446,000 Community Facilities Grant to Washakie County. This grant recommendation will be before the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) on April 13 in Cheyenne.

The Washakie County Joint Powers Board was recommended for a $1,446,000 grant for the decommissioned Worland Middle School to continue remodeling and efficiency efforts for the Worland Community Center Complex (WCCC). The west wing will be remodeled for office space for community organizations, video conferencing facilities and community multi purpose space. The middle and common portion of the building has been renovated and is used for youth and community recreation, community gathering and classroom space.

A senior citizen center is also planned for the complex. The applicant has projected to set aside $1.7 million from the 1 percent Specific Purpose Tax to help address this community identified need.

Community Facility Program Grant requests are recommended to the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) for approval at their meeting April 13 in Cheyenne.
Ten Community Development Block Grants were approved at the meeting. They are:

• The town of Opal was approved for a $150,000 Downtown Development Grant. The grant will be used to rehabilitate and modify a building, owned by the town of Opal, which will then be leased to Shane and Ruth Wood who plan to operate a convenience store. In 2004 a Community Assessment was conducted and one of the goals of the community was to have a convenience store where local residents could buy groceries or other household items. Currently there are no retail businesses in Opal.
• The city of Powell was approved for an $185,000 Downtown Development grant. Funds will be used to purchase the building adjacent to the Powell Mercantile. The store, which opened in 2002, currently occupies 7,000 square feet but houses children’s items in a separate location three doors to the south of the main store. Buying the adjacent building would provide the additional room the store needs to bring the children’s clothing items back into the main store as well as properly display merchandise, and expand their current inventory.
• The town of Wamsutter was approved for a $160,000 Infrastructure grant. The grant will be used to help develop a daycare center. The town of Wamsutter will contribute the property on which the daycare facility will be located and the CDBG funds will be used to offset the cost to provide water, streets and parking to the daycare center with additional dollars necessary to complete the infrastructure being provided by British Petroleum (BP). BP will also pay for the purchase and installation of a modular, custom designed building that will house the daycare center which will be given to the town of Wamsutter. The town has contracted with the YWCA in Rock Springs to operate the daycare.
• Campbell County was approved for a $25,000 Planning grant. The grant, along with funds from the Rockpile Museum, will be used to hire a consultant to develop a feasibility study to address building expansion and parking for the Rockpile. In addition, the consultant will perform a site inventory and analysis, a market study on the museum’s visitors and changes to the admission charges, and a timeline.
• The town of Chugwater was approved for a $6,375 Planning Only grant. The town of Chugwater owns a 405 acre parcel of land that they want to study the best use of the land. Development ideas advanced at a recent public meeting included concerts (as the land boasts a natural amphitheater), a golf course, motocross track or rodeo arena and a permanent home for the yearly chili cook-off. CDBG funds along with funds from the town of Chugwater will be used to hire a consultant to conduct a study on possible land uses.
• The town of Guernsey was approved for a $22,500 Planning Only grant. CDBG funds along with funds from the town will be used to hire a consultant to create a community development plan which will address housing, economic development and public infrastructure improvements. The town is ready, with the help of a professional planner or planning firm, to begin addressing larger issues that will assist the community in continuing to grow and diversify and be able to accommodate the needs of the businesses and citizens.
• The town of LaGrange was approved for a $19,088 Planning Only grant. A 2004 Community Assessment identified the preservation of the old high school building in LaGrange as a priority. It also identified the need for a recreation center and a medical clinic, which the town believes may be accommodated by the preservation and use of the high school building. CDBG funds, along with funds from the town of LaGrange, will be used to conduct a feasibility study which will assess the physical conditions of the building including mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems as well as basic structural condition and overall architectural efficiency as well as possible uses of the building.
• The town of Mountain View was approved for a $25,000 Planning Only grant. The town of Mountain View is developing a new business park and revitalizing the historic downtown district. Landowners and developers are planning the first subdivisions and home building in 25 years. The school district is planning a new school in the community. CDBG funds along with funds from the town will be used to hire a consultant to develop a community development plan to address utilities, roads, recreation, housing and economic development.
• The city of Sheridan was approved for a $25,000 Planning Only grant. The Child Development Center, a non-profit childcare provider, has been in operation in Sheridan for 30 years. In the past three years, demand for services to children with disabilities has increased by 72 percent. CDBG funds, along with funds from the Wyoming Community Foundation and the Child Development Center, will be used to hire a consultant to complete a facility and services assessment. The assessment will explore on and off-site options involving new construction, remodeling, and possibilities of co-location with other non-profit service providers, funding possibilities, and recommendations for action.
• The city of Sheridan was approved for a $25,000 Planning Only grant. CDBG funds, along with funds from the Sheridan Senior Citizen’s Council will be used to hire a consultant to complete an assessment of senior long-term residential needs, the feasibility of “The Green House Project” ® and develop a plan of action for the next two to five years.

The CDBG Program is a federally funded pass through grant program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Since the inception of the program, Wyoming has received annual allocations ranging 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.

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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