The Stevens County Economic Development Board met Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at the Senior Center craft room for their regular monthly meeting.  Present at the meeting were Director Neal Gillespie, Stevens County Commissioner Joe D. Thompson, secretary Ruth Van Horn and board members Josh Morris, Jan Leonard, Ray Hoggatt, Judy Parsons, Mark Crawford, Jack Rowden, Doug Martin and Curtis Crawford.  Also attending the meeting were Jeff Crawford and Hugoton Hermes reporter Ruthie Winget.  Board member Dan Corpening was absent.
The minutes of the previous month were approved.
Treasurer Jack Rowden reported the current balance of the Special Projects account is $59,126.64 and the checking account balance is $1,749.10. The board approved the motion to pay the bills.
The board voted to pay $50 for the use of the Senior Center for the Small Business Seminar taking place January 15.
Director Gillespie informed the board the Small Business Seminar will be January 15 at 6:00 p.m. for the general public at the Senior Center. The seminar will address the tax deductions still available, business startups and business successions. Small Business Development Center’s Michael O’Kane from Liberal will be the speaker.
The board discussed the proposed Minnow Tank.  This project is taken from television’s “Shark Tank”, only  on a smaller scale. EcoDevo will consider business plans to expand business or to generate growth.  EcoDevo will supply  a matching grant up to a maximum of $5,000 to the business the judges select. EcoDevo will pay up to $200 for business plans for the applications for the Minnow Tank. Judges will be nonlocal. The board passed the motion to pay a maximum of four grants and the expenses of the judges and business plans. They attached an amendment: no board members are eligible to apply for this project.
The board passed the motion to contract Hay,  Rice and Associates to do the annual audit for $850.
Neal informed the board he attended the Lesser Prairie Chicken Meeting sponsored by Farm Bureau  at Ulysses. The lesser Prairie Chicken is currently listed as “threatened.”  If it goes to “endangered” listing, farmers and other rural businesses will be affected adversely.
The director remarked Tim Huelskamp’s Town Meeting was very informative. Jerry Moran will be in Hugoton February 17. Legislative Updates are planned for the third
Saturdays of February, March and April.
Neal stated Jon Schallert will be in Garden City in April.  He will give a presentation of how to make your business a “destination business.” The cost of the presentation is $145 and includes lunch. The board passed a motion to pay the first $100 for the first 15 Stevens County businesses wanting to attend.
Gillespie remarked the Best Western Plus Hotel under construction east of Hugoton is progressing well. The plan is to have the hotel completed by June. Carter’s Thriftway project is doing mostly interior work at this time.  The Dollar General project is running concrete floors.
The meeting adjourned.  The next meeting will be Tuesday, February 10, 2015.