One item on the August Watonga City Council agenda that became a non-item was how to structure economic development for the area. It became a non-item because the intended speaker, Charlene Flannery who is the economic development director for Blackwell in Kay County, was unable to attend the meeting.
That doesn't mean there is no plan. The Watonga Chamber of Commerce folded about 2022 and Main Street Watonga followed suit soon after, leaving the town with only the Watonga Economic Development Authority – WEDA – in their place. For a time, WEDA had a director and was active, most noticeably by giving façade grants to businesses and non-profit organizations in the downtown area.
The director left in 2024 and was never replaced. It seems like that is about to change.
City Manager Leroy Alsup has scheduled several meetings and workshops with other economic development directors and entities. The purpose, he said, is to learn how to revitalize the community piggybacking on the experience of others.
That experience could include how the development is funded, how the organization is structured, where to look for grant dollars and hear some success stories.
“This could take a lot of forms,” he said during the council meeting. “It could be a chamber (of commerce) a Main Street organization, a city/county partnership or a city department.”
Alsup went on to say that with the right planning and by hiring the right individual to run economic development, the city is also creating its own succession plan.
That is because, he noted, that with the right development coordinator that person could be positioned in 3 years to 5 years to step up into the city manager role, when he is ready to retire.
Another facet of the business development discussion was a business incubator. That idea was reviewed in depth in last week’s edition of the Watonga Republican, but Alsup also pointed out this may be an opportune time to consider the idea. When a major employer in an area announces closure or layoffs – like USG at Southard recently did – former employees who had previously considered opening a business but hesitated because they are working full time reconsider the idea. They might be further enticed to explore opening a business if there is support and a ready-made space available, eliminating the need to locate a building and the associated costs of startup locations.