PCDI Gaining Income on Washington Street Rental Property

The Prowers County Development Incorporated board of directors voted to adopt the general operating budget for 2014, as well as the incentives property budget.  Portions of the former Big R warehouse on East Washington Street have been rented over the past several months and a formal annual budget is warranted.  Office space is being used by the Colorado State Patrol and ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority is renting warehouse space.  Enough revenue has been generated from the rentals that the board voted to pay off a line of credit PCDI has used for operating funds and utility and insurance expenses for the property.  Members also voted for a six month extension for realtor Sharon Wilson to continue to show the property to prospective buyers.  A future discussion among board members will be held to determine if the property would generate the most income either through continued rentals or an outright sale of the land and buildings.  There is still ample warehouse space that can be used as a storage rental or a business operation.  A drainage issue at the warehouse is being corrected as a new pump has been purchased and will be tested.  An insurance claim will be sent in for an east wall that flew off its brackets on a prefab shed.  This occurred during a period of high winds this fall. 

A request from Lamar Partnerships Incorporated was approved to use a portion of the facility as storage space for a recycling campaign.  PCDI executive director, Lance Benninghoff, explained that he had been contacted by LPI to store a trailer that would be used to collect recyclable plastic materials including pvc pipe and electronic refuse from Holly, Lamar, Granada and Wiley residents and businesses.  The items would be sold in bulk quantities.  The cost of storage and recycling would be paid through the purchase of storage bags priced at $3 each.  The trailer would visit various communities on specified days to collect the items to be recycled. 

Benninghoff and PCDI business manager, Carla Scranton, will attend a Colorado Entrepreneurship Marketplace workshop in the future.  The seminar will deal with website training and use by business owners and managers.  A series of local business seminars and dates was also discussed for topics and the best time to schedule them.  Benninghoff will follow up on seminars which will be hosted at various participating businesses to help directly reach employees. 

The pending closure of ALCO in Lamar was briefly discussed.  Benninghoff has been in contact with the parent corporation, seeing if some alternative to closing is an option for the Lamar store.  A press release issued recently stated the store would close its doors on January 26 of next year.  Benninghoff said area residents are welcome to send letters of support for the store to remain open.  They can be addressed to the ALCO chief executive officer, Richard Wilson at 401 Cottage Street in Abilene, KS 67410. 

With the pending holidays, the next two meeting dates for the PCDI board were set for November 19 and December 31.

By Russ Baldwin