(Lander, WY) – The Lander City Council considered its final round of grant applications for local economic development funding last week.
The council voted to suspend its economic development funding program after this current round of applications is processed, citing the recent failure of the local half percent sales tax that supported the grants.
The city will decide how to distribute its remaining half percent sales tax funds at a later date.
Girls Softball
Three organizations applied for grant funding in the final round this quarter: the Lander Girls Softball League, Arcade, and NOLS Fest (60th Anniversary Celebration).
The council decided to table the request from the Lander Girls Softball League in order to allow time to consult with local school officials about the project, which would result in improvements to Fremont County School District 1 property.
“I’m in support of some distribution here,” Councilmember Julia Stuble said. “But I feel like I want to know more (about) where the school district is willing to put in some improvement as well.”
Councilmember Melinda Cox agreed that “we need (to) get some more buy-in from some other partners that … have to contribute as well,” and Councilmember Missy White said she would support “a little further discussion and having all of our partners share in this.”
The council voted to table the decision until their Jan. 14 meeting, with the intention that they would discuss the project with FCSD 1 and Lander Girls Softball during a work session Dec. 17.
Arcade, NOLS
The council voted against a recommendation to grant economic development funding to a new arcade, and they decided to award $45,000 to the National Outdoor Leadership School to support the organization’s 60th anniversary celebration.
The city’s economic development committee had recommended awarding $60,000 to NOLS, but council members pointed out that other local events that have applied for half percent sales tax funding in the past haven’t received nearly that much money.
“We haven’t funded an event even close to this level,” Stuble said. “It would be a high amount for what we’ve historically given to events … from the collections of the half cent.”
NOLS said it needed a minimum of $45,000 to move forward with the event as planned, so Stuble suggested awarding that amount, with the request that the money be used to hire Fremont County vendors.
For more information call the City of Lander at (307) 332-2870.