The Greene County Development Corporation Board met yesterday in regular session.
A proposed 2014 budget was presented to the Board. The total income is estimated at $139,283 which is down from last year’s income of $144,437. According to preliminary numbers, the biggest decrease is from the non-profit support group of the casino in Grow Greene County which generated $2,649 and no amount was entered for this calendar year. The total estimated expenses were also down from $141,820 last year to $134,357 this year. Some of the largest changes were in the Greene County Chamber reimbursement with Jason Cerveny’s position changing over to GCDC from Chamber of nearly $10,000 and incorporating that amount into a contract with Lisa Nielsen CPA to keep track of GCDC’s financial books while Cerveny finishes his education with AIB College of Business in Des Moines. The Board is expected to take action on the 2014 budget at next month’s meeting.
President Norm Fandel reported that they are now longer going to fund a bus to take people to Prairie Meadows in Altoona for the March 6th meeting with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. He invites everyone to join them for the 45-minute presentation by Wild Rose Entertainment to the Commission. As part of its 45-minute presentation, there will be a video showing support from local members of the county which include Rick Morain from Jefferson, Fandel and sheriff Steve Haupert.
Fandel talks about why they want to include local members as part of the video that will be shown to the Commission.
“It just gives a wider community aspect. We’re only going to have a 45-minute window, so we’re trying to confine and get as much information in that 45-minutes as we can. So we feel like the videos from 15-to-20 different people as going to be more beneficial than trying to get everybody up to the podium and save time.”
The meeting begins at 8:30am on March 6th and everyone is invited to go and stay for the entire meeting.
Economic Development Director Ken Paxton is requesting anyone with housing property for sale, rent or lease to contact him at the Chamber so he can add your property to an available housing website on their webpage. He also told the Board that they have raised $5,000 of the $9,000 for area veterans to go on the honor flights to Washington D.C. in May and September and if anyone is wanting to help donate for that cause, they can contact him.
Greene County ISU Extension Coordinator Michael Cooley invited all business leaders and entrepreneurial people to an expanding entrepreneurial workshop on Monday, February 24th at 6:30pm at the extension office in Jefferson with the purpose of having everyone on the same page as the county moves forward with its idea of buying local and staying local.
Director of Jefferson Matters: Main Street Alan Robinson invited everyone to their first-ever review dinner scheduled for Wednesday, February 19th from 5-7pm at the Sierra Community Theatre.