WAYNE COUNTY

  • Upcoming Events

    • To view a picture of Wayne County Click Here

    Wayne County Youth Center

    The Wayne County EZ Community, Inc. and the Youth Center Project Committee has surveyed every student(more than 1600) in Grades 5-12 in the county as part of a needs assessment on the type of facility they wanted. Taking this information, the committee has hired a design firm to either modify an existing facility or construct a new center. Approval has been received to locate the facility outside the zone boundaries, if necessary, in order to be centrally-located to the schools. The committee advertised for proposals for possible sites or buildings, with 15 being submitted. These proposals were rejected as the price of land was deemed too high. The committee readvertised for proposals with six new sites submitted. The committee then narrowed the canidate sites to three.

    The Wayne County EZ Community, Inc. will meet on February 17, 1997 to make a final selection. The project committee has recommended a 5 acre parcel located at the corner of Airport Road and Highway 1275. If the Board concurs with the committee recommendation, a archeological survey and environmental review must be completed prior to the property being purchased. It will also be subject to an independent appraisal and review appraisal. A design firm has been selected and construction should begin in late Summer 1997. This project will include $750,000 of Empowerment Zone funds.

    Wayne County Water Line Extension

    The City of Monticello secured funding for six water projects within the Empowerment Zone since designation. Total investment in these projects is $11,515,785, which includes $850,000 in Empowerment Zone funds, $7,252,000 in Rural Development grants and loans, $2,793,785 from the Community Development Block Grant program, $350,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission and $1,171,000 in local funds. These five projects will provide water to more than 1,500 households in the Zone.

    The Beaver Creek Water Extension and the Otter Creek project have been completed. The Powersburg project were bid on January 15, 1997. The Coopersville and the Sumpter water projects are currently in design and will be bid later in 1997.

    Wayne County Industrial Park

    After completing environmental and archeological reviews, Wayne County purchased property for their new industrial park in October 1996. After public advertising for a site and a lengthy selection process, a project committee selected a 74-acre tract along KY 90, four miles west of Monticello. The price for the parcel was $175,000. The Board also voted to utilize up to $350,000 for water tank improvements for the industrial park. The total EZ funds available for the project are $1 million.

    Wayne County Spec Building

    The Wayne County Industrial Foundation is nearing completion on a 60,000 square foot industrial building that is available for sale or lease. The building is situated on 11.3 acres within a new 70-acres industrial park just west of Monticello. The building has 8 foot masonry walls on three sides, with the fourth side expandable to accomodate future growth. The eave height is 22 feet, with bay spacing of 25' by 50'. There are four loading docks. The site is graded and compacted to expand the building to 120,000 s.f. A Phase I Environmental Assessment and an archeological survey have been completed on the entire tract and are available. The asking price for the building is $660,000. For further information, please contact Gale Edwards, Wayne County EZ Community, Inc., at 606-348-0204.

    Wayne County Industrial Locations

    During the past several months, Wayne County has been fortunate to recruit six new industries within the Empowerment Zone. Included in the developments are Fantasy Custom Yachts (houseboats), BMA Manfacturing (custom silkscreen), Louie Wright, Inc. (farm equipment attachments), Wayne Pallet Co., Wayne Veneer, Inc. and most recently in October 1996, Horizon Yachts, Inc. (houseboats). These companies all have completed new facilities or have them under construction. Already 75 new jobs are in place with another 165 projected in the next 18 months. Total investment in these projects is more than $4 million. In addition, Wayne County has been awarded $750,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the Commonwealth of Kentucky to assist in financing the expansion of a cabinet manufacturer. This $5.2 million project will create 110 new jobs in the Zone.

    Wayne County Hospital Expansion

    Construction began in Fall 1997 on a $2 million expansion of the Wayne County Hospital with financing for the project provided by USDA-Rural Development and a local bank. The expansion includes an 8,360 s.f. expansion, renovation of existing facilities and overall equipment upgrades. A new emergency room and surgery suite are included in the program. The facilities should be ready in late 1997.

    For the second straight year, the Wayne County Hospital has been named on the The 100 Top Hospitals in the nation by William Mercer, Inc. The Wayne County Hospital was included in among the top rural hospitals with fewer than 250 beds.

    Multi-County Recycling and Composting Facility

    Clinton and Wayne Counties have jointly begun the first phase of a proposed multi-county recycling project that will include $2 million of Empowerment Zone financing. A citizen project group conducted a national search and has recommended two consultant groups to complete a feasibility and operational study. The joint county Board of Directors concurred with project groups recommendations on May 14, 1996 and negotiated a contract on July 27, 1996 with a joint venture of Alternative Resources, Inc., Concord, MA and Quest Engineering, Lexington, KY.

    Phase I of the feasibility study was completed in November 1996. The initial study indicated that the project could be successful but that the waste stream for recycleables would need to be extended beyond the Clinton and Wayne County areas. The group unanimously voted to proceed with Phase II of the feasibility study which will focus on project development, costs, marketing and operation.

    Wayne County Leadership Training Seminar

    On July 22-24, 1996, the Wayne County EZ Community, Inc., in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Kentucky Highlands Empowerment Zone offered the "Investment in Excellence for the 90's" leadership training seminar. The training was done by The Pacific Institute and was free and open to the public. The second phase of the training, which focusses on community development, was held on September 10-11, 1996 at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.

    Wayne County Ambulance Service

    The Wayne County EZ Community, Inc. has purchase two new ambulances to provide improved emergency care for Zone residents. Wayne County also received a $20,000 grant from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services to assist in the purchase of an ambulance and emergency equipment to serve the County. This award supplemented the $100,000 in EZ funds for ambulance/emergency care under the Strategic Plan. The equipment will be leased to Transcare Ambulance Service, the provider of emergency services in Wayne County.

    Wayne County Fire Protection Project

    As part of the $400,000 Empowerment Zone project to upgrade fire protection in the Zone, the Wayne County EZ Community, Inc. has received bids on turnout gear for fire personnel. With the additional funds in the budget, the committee plans to purchase further equipment and provide training for emergency personnel. This activity will be ongoing over the next 12-18 months.

    Appalachian Regional Commission School Technology Grant

    In mid-August 1996, the Wayne County Board of Education was awarded a $29,720 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to assist in establishing a modular technology laboratory and course at the Wayne County High School. The program, designed to serve 150 students per year, will provide an introduction to computer-aided design, structural engineering, 3-D graphics, digital photography, robotics, computer assembly, aerospace and desktop video productions. The Wayne County Board of Education has also committed $30,000 in matching funds for the project.

    Monticello Schools Distance Learning Classroom

    The Monticello School system has been awarded a $69,000 grant from the Kentucky Telelinking Network to establish a distance learning classroom on campus. In addition to class exchanges for the primary and secondary schools, Eastern Kentucky University will be offering graduate courses in education through the link. The classroom, one of 55 in Kentucky schools and campuses, opened on December 1, 1996.

    Monticello Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grant

    Monticello has been awarded a $72,878 grant by the U.S. Department of Justice, matched by $25,358 in city funds under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. The awarded, announced in mid-December 1996, will allow the city to hire two additional police officers. The Monticello Police Department is also the recent recipient of a $3,850 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to purchase equipment to finish outfitting patrol cars.

    Upcoming Events

    February 17, 1997.....Wayne County EZ Community, Inc. Board Meeting, Monticello, 10:00 a.m.
    February 18, 1997.....Wayne County Youth Center Committee, 4:15 p.m., Chahamer of Commerce office, Monticello.
    February 26, 1997....."Wired for Success - Government Contracting for Empowerment Zone Businesses" Seminar, London & Somerset, 9:00 - 12:30 p.m. (EST)
    March 1 & 8, 1997..Empowerment Zone Grantsmanship Training, Albany and London, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (EST)

    To Return to the KHEZ Home Page Click Here
    Send comments and mail to Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation

    kentucky@www.ezec.gov