WYANDOT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

(Unofficial)

WYANDOT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
(WYANDOTTE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL)
NOVEMBER 18, 1998, 11:00 A.M.
DAVIS HALL, WYANDOTTE COUNTY LAKE

WCEDC Members Present: Mayor Ted Stolfus-Chairperson, Mayor Carol Marinovich, Commissioner John McTaggart, Mayor Woody Berry, Mary Ryan

Others Present: Susan Rohrer, Craig Gaffney, Bob Evans, Boris Sztorch, Jackie Hampton, Jim Thompson, Tom Cooley, Marcia Ashford

Mayor Stolfus called the meeting to order and introductions were conducted.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes of the September 16, 1998, meeting were unanimously approved with one correction by a motion from Commissioner McTaggart and second by Mayor Marinovich.

The correction should be made on page 3 under the Report on Development Activity in the third paragraph. The amount of $632,760 should be changed to $632,760,000.

CITIZENS PLANNING COMMITTEE UPDATE

A. WCEDC Home Page Logo - Mr. Gaffney distributed a sheet that had five different samples of logos for the Wyandotte County Economic Development Council’s home page. The board selected the logo that has Wyandotte County Economic Development Council in the outer circle, the shape of Wyandotte County in the middle with the letters WCEDC placed over it, and the words "Founded 1989" underneath the county. One change was suggested in that Wyandotte County be placed in the top portion of the circle and Economic Development Council be placed in the lower portion of the circle. The board would like to see the logo in color. Mr. Gaffney said he would provide color logos at the January 1999 meeting.

B. Update on Core Issues – Mr. Gaffney reported that the issue of transportation will be a new program of work in 1999. The CPC will use a community-wide strategy working with the Kansas City Kansas Area Chamber of Commerce, the Unified Government, the cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville, United Way, MARC, the educational and medical professions, organized labor, BPU and the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Chamber of Commerce. The CPC will utilize the expertise of transportation staff from the Mid-America Regional Council. Mayor Marinovich encouraged the CPC to link up with other metropolitan transportation systems that are either in place or being proposed.

Mr. Gaffney said that the CPC would also like to address the extremely complex and challenging issue of crime in Wyandotte County since it has such a negative impact on the county. Mayor Marinovich suggested that we ask what citizens can do in assisting with the issue of crime. She encouraged the CPC to look at all of our resources that are in place now that address crime. She suggested working with all of the police departments within the county. Two other resources suggested were the Citizens Police Academy and home associations.

TREASURER’S REPORT

Tom Cooley presented the treasurer’s report as of November 18, 1998. The balance of the Wyandot Development Corporation account is $98,006.40. The balances of the three different funds in the account are as follows:

Toward a New Century (TANC) - $30,750.00
Citizens Planning Committee - $59,807.73
Wyandotte County Economic Development Council - $7,448.67

Commissioner McTaggart made a motion to approve the treasurer’s report dated November 18, 1998. Mayor Berry seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved.

Mr. Cooley reported that the accounting firm of Logan and Schmidt is conducting an audit of the Wyandot Development Corporation. It is being tied in with the TANC audit.

Mr. Cooley stated that this is his last meeting as a staff person for the CPC. He thanked the board for the opportunity to serve and said he appreciated their county-wide efforts.

OTHER BUSINESS

A. Fifth Mayors Summit Regarding the International Trade Corridor – Mayor Stolfus reported that he and Commissioner McTaggart just returned from Mexico City where the Fourth Mayors Summit was held regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Corridor. The new headquarters of the North American International Trade Corridor Partnership (NAITCP) will be located in Saint Nicholas near Monterey, Mexico. The mission statement and purpose of the partnership is available from Commissioner McTaggart. The NAITCP addresses problems dealing with trade between Canada, the United States and Mexico, and also works with the private sector.

Mayor Stolfus reported that Commissioner McTaggart offered to host the Fifth Mayors Summit in October 1999. He said that it would be a bi-state collaborative effort, that the primary location for the Summit would be the Reardon Center and that we would need to coordinate hotel accommodations. The offer was very well received by the partnership, but we will have to make a presentation to the selection committee. St. Louis also put in bid to hold the Fifth Summit. The announcement will be made after the first of the year.

Mayor Marinovich made a motion to send a letter from the WCEDC board of directors to the NAITCP selection committee requesting to host the October 1999 Fifth Mayors Summit for the NAFTA Corridor. Commissioner McTaggart seconded, and the vote was unanimous.

B. Edwardsville Development – Mayor Berry reported on the status of the Fourth Street construction project and the new storm shelter.

C. January 20, 1999 Meeting Host – BPU will host the January meeting in their Human Resource Building at 65^th and Riverview.

The meeting adjourned at 11:40 a.m.