Brainstorming Carbon County

The Wyoming Business Alliance (WBA) has been hosting Tour23 meetings in every county of Wyoming. On May 20 the WBA stopped in Rawlins, the 15th of 23 counties so far.

Tour23 is about job creation, Bill Schilling president of the WBA told the 26 leaders in attendance representing all but three communities in Carbon County.

Stacy Crimmins, Chief Executive Officer for the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce (SPVCC) was at the meeting representing the Platte Valley. Also attending from the Platte Valley were Alyson Sneddon, chairman of the SPVCC. Sneddon was wearing several hats as the owner of Wind Swept Accounting, The Red Wagon LLC and a member of the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation.

Joe Glode, of Shively Hardware; Lindy Glode, Carbon County Commissioner; both of Saratoga, were in attendance.

Crimmins said that she had already heard many of the issues at other meetings, and that it is good to keep the discussion going. What she hopes to happen is that the state will be able to see what each of the 23 counties have shared in common to help the state prioritize ideas to benefit each of the counties.

Schilling explained that the development in downtown Rawlins didn’t just happen. “I have said that over and over as I have traveled the state,” Schilling said. “Rawlins?” People would ask Schilling. He responded, “Yes, Rawlins. Get off the interstate, go downtown and see that wonderful sculptures of eagles – they’re eagles right?” Pam Thayer, with the Rawlins Main Street program corrected him saying they are hawks.

Schilling complemented the upgrade of the facades on the buildings, and that his two bests have been in Rawlins – the best rack of lamb and the best coconut cream pie. Schilling also said the best raspberry ice cream he has had was from Lollypops in Saratoga.

Schilling reminded the leaders they need to look at the past and then start looking toward the future. “Guiding starts locally,” Schilling said.

Anne Alexander talked about the economics of the state and how it compared with the nation and how Carbon County compared with other counties in the state.

Wyoming ranks seventh in middle class income per capita. “We have a huge middle class, more than 50 percent of our state is in the middle class,” Alexander said.

After a lesson in economics and a summary of the boom and bust cycle in Wyoming, the leaders were split into groups to come up with the top historical changes between 1890-1940; 1940-1990 and 1990 to present.

After the brainstorming sessions, the leaders shared what they believed to be the top historical changes in Carbon County, which ranges from the Ferris-Haggerty mine and penitentiary to the homestead act, the sheep industry and the railroad – to name a few for the early years.

For the mid years was the mechanization of agriculture, finding natural gas wells, the interstate, the Kendrick Project, logging and tourism, World War II, the Wyoming Water Development Commission and the Parco Refinery plus several more.

From the 1990 to the present, the tourism tax, paving Battle Highway, the severance tax, ranches begin purchased by corporations, the Hathaway Scholarship and workers staying and living in hotels rather than buying homes topped the list.

The Carbon County Council of Government was identified as one of the successful groups to help communication across the county between town governments.

Copper France, with the Bank of Commerce, said without the steady flow of funding there would not be a Wyoming Business Council. Schilling asked the question, without the Wyoming Business Council, would be better off or worse off. “I think we would be worse off,” Schilling said.

The groups split to discuss how to identify goals and wish lists, then after discussing the goals, they grouped together again to come up with sustainability.

Each group had to come up with two observations and two key beliefs, which did not have to be specific to the county.

Beliefs and observations varied from helping local businesses succeed, to endorsement of the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation, partnerships between public and private enterprises and investing in human capital.

Schilling encouraged the group to claim their authority and to recognize the value they have, such as tourists who are interested in the historic west.

One group suggested to say “Rawlins” in a positive voice. “We don’t talk about our blessings,” Linda Fleming said for her group. Her group also wants to see Battle Highway open earlier in the season.

In sustainability, it was suggested that the state and county needs to react and respond at the speed of business. It was also suggested to educate elected officials. “It’s not that they are not aware, but let’s have a conversation about it,” one group said.

Kevin Colman, mayor of Medicine Bow, said most of the communities have the same problem, abandoned homes that have been passed from one generation to another and nobody wants them. “You can tell nobody wants them,” Colman said. “I know this is a bad word, but we need to start going in with the process of eminent domain, clearing the land and then selling that land back to the builder at a reduced cost to encourage development in these areas.”

Schilling told Colman that was a pretty good idea and gave him an “at a boy” because in the 14 counties the WBA has worked with to date had not come up with the idea.

Other action items included capitalizing on natural recreation resources, encourage tourists to get off the highway and take the back roads and get off the beaten track.

 

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