Lawmakers are continuing talks about the future of the Wyoming Business Council (WBC), the state’s primary economic development agency.
This week, the Joint Appropriations Committee entertained four draft bills.
Wyoming Business Council and programs amendments: This bill draft would touch on two concepts. First, the bill would create and define "legislative liaisons." The liaison would be one senator and representative who attends meetings and interacts with the WBC. The second part of the bill would affect the Business Ready Community program (BRCP) and which projects are appropriate for the program to fund.
The BRCP is a grant and loan program focused on removing economic barriers to a city or towns development. This means local communities can apply for money to build need publicly needed infrstructe that promotes educational or economic development. Previously, the program had an “incluvise list” which allowed for board definitions of publicly needed infrstruturw. This bill draft opted for "exclusive", limiting what may be built such as the exclusion of airports.
Wyoming Business Council program elimination: This bill would eliminate programs from the WBC’s agency. Some, like the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund, have been exhausted for nearly a decade. But others, like broadband funding, would see nearly $12 million returned to the state’s General Fund.
Ashley Harpstreith, the executive director for the Wyoming Association of Municipalities, cautioned the committee on full repeals, suggesting some programs have ongoing uses.
“I know that some of them haven't been used in a while, but it's not to say that the communities or the practitioners couldn't use it. I just think that there hasn't been availability yet through the current state agency or they haven't prioritized,” said Harpstreith.
County consensus funding program: This bill would create a grant program for counties to apply to fund infrastructure projects.. While the program has existed in a few forms, namely Business Ready Community and Building Resilient Communities under the WBC, this bill would have the Office of State Lands and Investments oversee grant awards to counties, cities, towns and special districts. The Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes were able to apply to the previous programs.
Wyoming venture capital fund: This bill would give the Legislature the ability to review the federal funds the WBC utilizes. Currently, the WBC, through statute, can accept federal funds for investment into small businesses and communities. The legislature could potentially opt out of funds that the WBC request. Rep. John Bear (R-Gillette) said this addresses one issue that the committee had with the council.
“It is an off-the-books kind of entity, in that we don't dictate your Full Time Employees ,” said Bear. “We don't really control anything. We give a lump sum to the Wyoming Business Council, and then the governor and the council make those decisions internally.”
The committee also tried to focus on the WBC’s vision and financial needs, among other topics. Rep. Ken Pendergraft (R-Sheridan) was disappointed with the WBC’s failure to directly answer some of the committee’s questions.
“We want to get to your vision … And you were asked earlier what would it cost you to be successful,” said Pendergraft. “No answer. You were asked what the average cost of administration is for a year. No answer. You were asked what would it cost to be successful. No answer. No answer, no money.”
Josh Dorrell, CEO of the WBC, told the committee he would have more specifics during their Aug. 27 meeting. The committee will meet concurrently with the Joint Minerals Committee, which is also looking into reforming the WBC.
In March, the Management Council assigned reforming the WBC to Minerals and Joint Appropriations after a push by members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus to fully eliminate the agency.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
