Iola City Council members are keen on developing a policy to codify what incentives can be offered for new business development.
Councilman Carl Slaugh has taken the reins to the endeavor, asking his fellow Council members for their thoughts on what should be considered when drafting the policy, which would require approval of the full Council’s approval.
“If I drafted a policy that might address some of my concerns, I think it would be incomplete without getting input from Council on what their preferences are,” Slaugh said Monday.
The subsequent discussion covered several areas, from setting criteria to determine how much, if any, can be offered.
Members pointed to such criteria as the number of employees or revenue generated from sales taxes or utility usage.
Mayor Jon Wells said incentives, and criteria, also should differentiate on whether developers are industrial, commercial or residential.
Mark Peters said value-added jobs should be given special consideration, such as if an employer offers full benefits.
He noted few other communities offer electric hookups as incentives, as Iola traditionally has done.
Wells said he favored seeing Iola keep those utility incentives as an option, calling them “an arrow in our quiver” other communities cannot offer.
Once the city sets those criteria, Councilwoman Nancy Ford urged the city to put those incentives in writing, so they can be shared to prospective developers.
She described it as a new business packet — “a marketing piece, essentially.”
Councilman Ron Ballard said policies should be set so that new business ventures aren’t unfairly boosted if they are in direct competition with existing businesses, referring to the Allen County Commission’s decisions in recent years to offer funding to grocery store ventures in Moran and Humboldt.
On hand for the debate were Jonathan Goering and Lisse Regehr of Thrive Allen County, which serves as the city’s economic development agent. Iola, Allen County, Humboldt and Iola Industries all pay Thrive money to help oversee economic development projects.
Regehr applauded the city’s efforts to reshape its incentives policies, so they can better communicate what is available to potential developers.
COUNCIL members agreed to spend $5,000 annually over the next five years on SAFE BASE, Iola’s after-school program.
The donation is contingent upon SAFE BASE’s success in attracting a five-year, $460,000 Kansas Department of Education grant to fund the program.
