Bobbi Miles Director of Economic Development

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Bobbi Miles Director of Economic
Development
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Home on the Range History
Higley Cabin birthplace of HOME on the RANGE
Geographical Center of US
Little Miss Liberty
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Newly renovated Wagner Park
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Historic Homes
Relihan Row a.k.a. Millionaire Row
Ingleboro Mansion
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Historic Uptown Smith Center
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Old 1st National Bank Building Kansas Historic
Registry
KPAs 1st revolving fund project
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Uptown Smith Center
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New Businesses on Highway 36
Beffort Ecowater
EMS
Caseys Appliances Furniture
Genes Heartland
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other new businesses on hwy 36
LandMark Implement Recently merged with Minden
Terminal McClymont in NE, and Phillips Co.
Implement in KS
Peterson Industries expanded main facility again
started RV repair shop
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Businesses expansions on Hwy 281
LTM of Lippert Components, Inc.
Central Plains Co-op (recent consolidation) Athol
, Kensington, Cedar Smith Center
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New Homes
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Medical Facilities
Schools
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Additional Facilities
Airport
Fairgrounds
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Entertainment
City owned 10-hole golf course
Community owned theater
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Businesses no longer operating in Smith Center
(11)  since May of 2001

• Style Shop
• Jans Country Cottage
• Prairie Wind Candle Business
• Mapes and Miller
• Radio Shack
• Wangfoozle
• Dales Grocery
• Sale Barn for cattle
• Simmons Furniture
• Hair Today
• Memory Lane

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Businesses retained (16) since May 2001

• Country General-----------------------------------
  ------------------------?Orschelns
• Juenemann Optometrists----------------------------
  ------?Myers and Thompson
• Lyon Den -----------------------------------------
  -----------------------?2nd Cup Café
• McNerneys Choice Amoco---------------------------
  --------?Gibble Tire Auto
• Shane McCall -------------------------------------
  --------------?Deitz and Hardman
• Kleins Green house ------------------------------
  -------------------? Golden Prairie
• Simmons Mortuary-----------------------------?Simm
  ons Olive Boeve Mortuary
• Genes IGA ---------------------------------------
  ------------------?Genes Heartland
• Center Motel--------------------------------------
  -------------?under new ownership
• Scraptacular Scrapbooking-----------------------?M
  emory Lane Scrapbooking
• Simmons Flower Shop-------------------------------
  -?Briar Ridge Floral Gifts
• Baumann Ecowater----------------------------------
  --------------?Beffort Ecowater
• Tuxs Floorcovering-------------------------------
  ------------------?Mr. Carpetman
• Jim Fetters Law Office---------------------------
  ---?Allen Sheltons Law Office
• Framing business----------------------------------
  -----------------------?Frame Shop
• Hair Today----------------------------------------
  ----------------------?Hair Graphics

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Businesses expanded (21) since May of 2001

• Smith County Memorial Hospital
• Smith County Implement Innc.
• EMS expansion to new facility on Highway
• Hardly Used to new facility on Main Street
• Pooches
• Graphic Central (expanded to include additional
  store on Main Street)
• Wheels Unlimited to new lot on Highway
• Peterson Industries several times
• Joe Pahls expansion to new store on Highway and
  further expansion
• Center Pharmacy to building to south
• LTM expanded and was sold for over 1 million
• Kevin Kriley T shirts, mugs, hats, etc.
• Jiffy Burger beautiful pond behind restaurant
• Tracy Kinsbury expanded to do plumbing as well as
  tree trimming
• Frame Shop to new location beside Ohmstedes
• Coop consolidation between Smith Center and Athol
• Controlled Air Inc. (Sinclair from home to new
  location on HWY 36)
• Genes IGA expanded into Genes Heartland

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New businesses (27) since May of 2001
Scraptacular Scrapbooking Aflac Insurance D K
Home Repair Kinas Kritters Candle Business
Wangfoozle Shellitos Auto Repair Center
Monuments Antique Store in Simmons Liberty
Welding Abigails Gourmet Gifts Peterson
Industrys RV Repair 3rd Street Design

• Livestock auction at Sale Barn
• Dollar Stop
• NexTech
• Quilt Shop
• Mr. Carpetman
• Cedar Creek Embroidery
• Keep you in Stitches
• Stortz Auction
• Stress Solutions
• Learning Center
• Wheels Unlimited
• Tea Parlor
• Art Gallery
• Crematorium

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Not all roses- Not all thorns

• Businesses no longer operating (11)
• Businesses retained (16)
• Businesses expanded (21)
• New businesses (27)

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Current Economic Development Projectssince May
2001

• 0 Revolving Loan
• to retain, expand and start local businesses
• 11 loans made to date (over 200,000 loaned)
• Neighborhood Revitalization Program
• tax rebate for improvements to property
  (personal or business)
• 30 approved projects and 12 pending
• Wagner Park Renovation Project
• Cooperation of KPA (Kansas Preservation Alliance)
  
• Old Bank Building
• Junior Economic Development
• LMI Housing project with N.W. Kansas Housing
• Demolition, clean-up and revitalization program
• Set up (Rolling Hills) meteorological tower
• (loan from WAPA, data analysis by NREL)
• Investigating upper-scale no-maintenance housing

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In the works

• Call Center project
• (feasibility study completed, investor lined up)
• Developing Community Foundation
• Developing free land project
• Instituted transient guest tax to develop CVB
• organizing CVB
• plan tourist info. Center
• Developing our new image
• surveys to alumni and visitors
• Promoting our new image
• Website development with Nex-Tech
• Work on our Main Street
• Service Club Signs at entrance to city
• Continuing work outlined in strategic plan

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Completed projectssince May 2001

• Ethanol feasibility study
• (shown not to be profitable at that time)
• Lodging Feasibility study
• 2 additional Facelift projects funded by Ec. Dev.
• DOC BREES program
• (survey businesses and get data analysis)
• Strategic Plan for city
• (funding received from DOC)

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Completed Rensellaerville Projects

• Rent Reimbursal Program for new businesses
• Movinon Up 
• Planters and handrails on Main Street
• Live Better/Live Longer (recruit 50-65 year
  olds)
• 3 - Improvement projects at the golf course
• Facelift Projects
• Clean up Highway 36
• Installing speaker system in downtown
• Signs on highway and advertising in travel
  magazines
• Business directory
• Mentoring and working with young adults
• Gazebo at Park

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Additional involvement

• Affiliate member of KDDA
• KDDA Board member
• Participant at annual Retreat for Rural Leaders
• Prosperity Summit participant
• Member of wKREDA
• Member of N.W. Kansas Travel Council
• Member of North Central Rural Development Council
• Resource Conservation and Development (alternate)
• Pioneer Country Development Board member
• Review board for SBA loans N.W. Kansas Planning
  Com.

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We are pleased to be a Pilot Project!

• We intend to
• Find out what already works
• Develop new methods
• Make mistakes so others wont have to
• Transfer what we learn,
• so we all can benefit