Board members from the local Chamber of Commerce presented a formal plan to move forward with the director position to the Haxtun Town Council on Monday night, Oct. 3. Chamber President Jim Helfer told the Council plans are in place to create a full-time position that will serve as the director of both the Haxtun and Holyoke chambers in hopes to hire and retain a quality individual to serve both communities.

Since the beginning of spring, the Haxtun Chamber of Commerce has been without a director and within that time, board members have been stepping in to take care of necessary business as needed while also organizing and assisting with big community events throughout the summer and fall.

Several months ago, those chamber board members began talking with the director of the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and board members from that organization to hopefully come up with a plan to hire a director that can operate the two organizations in light of the Holyoke director resigning at the end of the year.

Plans are for each chamber to contribute evenly to a salary in hopes to create a competitive wage that will attract and retain a full-time employee. That position will be paid through Phillips County, similar to the current Phillips County Economic Development Director position, so that health benefits can also be a part of the full-time package. The Director will split their time evenly between the two chamber organizations while each chamber pays equal amounts towards the salary.

In addition, each chamber has requested $5,000 from their respective municipality to also contribute to the full-time salary. Hopes are also to see a matching amount from Phillips County in an effort to offer a reasonable wage that will attract and retain a quality individual for the position.

Similar cooperative efforts between the two communities is already in place within the school districts in Haxtun and Holyoke. This year, the two districts are sharing an IT Director, 50-50, who splits his time between the two schools and the two are also sharing a band teacher to fill a gap needed in both districts.

The Haxtun Town Council later voted to approve the $5,000 contribution and it will be included in the 2023 budget. The following night, the Holyoke Town Council also agreed to contribute the same amount towards the position.

Now that commitments have been made and the two chamber boards know the financial piece is in place, plans are to move forward with an executive committee who will oversee hiring a director, including piecing together a job description and nailing down additional important information. The executive committee will be made up of the president from each chamber as well as a board member and a Phillips County Commissioner. That committee will remain in place to oversee the director in their role once hired.

Helfer said it is important to note that the two chamber organizations, Haxtun and Holyoke, will continue to operate separately, this is not a proposal for a Phillips County chamber. The director will oversee both organizations, each that have employed part-time directors up to this point. Hopes are to advance both chambers forward through collaboration while keeping separate identities.

At the start of the meeting, PCED Director Trish Herman spoke to the Council during public comment. She announced her departure from the PCED organization after five years and said she plans to continue to assist where needed with projects already in the works as well as remain in place to help with a smooth transition when a new director is hired.

One area she has been working with the Town of Haxtun in includes the Rural Jump-Start Program. Council members later voted in action items to take part in the program that offers incentives to potential new businesses. In doing so, a resolution was passed to opt into the program.

The Rural Jump-Start Program incentivizes new businesses start in or move into rural, economically distressed areas and hire new employees, according to the website. To be eligible, businesses cannot compete with similar businesses in the county or adjacent economically distressed county. The program provides both a grant and tax credit to businesses.

Grant and tax relief amounts are dependent on the business's location. For example:

• If a business is located in a Rural-Jump Start zone, businesses can receive up to $20,000 as a newly established business and up to $2,500 per new hire; and

• If a business is located in a Tier 1 Just Transition community, businesses can receive up to $40,000 as a newly established business and up to $5,000 per new hire.

Tax benefits include relief from State income taxes for the new business, State sales and use tax for the business, 100 percent of county personal property taxes for the business, municipal personal property taxes for the business (in participating municipalities) and 100 percent of State income taxes for the employee.

In other business the Council:

• Voted to approve a resolution cancelling the November election. New Mayor Mike Ensminger and council members Lori Lundgren, Bob Coinek and Dave Green will take their oaths of office in December. The shift in positions will create an open council seat, one that will need to be filled by appointment following the December meeting. Those who may be interested in filling the open vacancy on the Haxtun Town Council should write a letter of interest and submit it at the town hall. For more information, contact Clerk Kelsey Harms at (970) 774-6104;

• Agreed to increase a contribution to Phillips County for the communications center to $9,000 annually. That increase is double from where it was last year. The County had requested an increase to $12,000;

• Discussed the golf cart ordinance, again. Plans are to make the driving age 16 and also remove the windshield requirement from the current ordinance. Plans are in place to draft a new version of the ordinance and have it on the agenda at a future meeting for final approval;

• Discussed a mobile food vendor ordinance and application following interest in local food trucks to regularly visit Haxtun;

• Discussed the 2023 budget, final approval will be given in December following a public hearing. The draft budget will be available for inspection at town hall before the public hearing. Continue to watch future editions of the Herald for more updates.