The Lyon County Commission reviewed the findings and recommendations found in the VisionFirst Economic Development Report, Thursday morning. The report outlines recommendations for streamlining economic development efforts in Emporia and the surrounding areas by bringing entities like RDA, the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, Emporia Main Street, and Visit Emporia under one umbrella organization. The report, which was commissioned by the City of Emporia, was recently presented to the county and several key stakeholders, including the Regional Development Association and Emporia Enterprises. According to Chair Rollie Martin, the VisionFirst report outlines a more unified, strategic direction for economic development in Emporia and Lyon County. The key recommendation suggests consolidating economic development efforts, which currently involve multiple entities, under one primary organization. It proposes dissolving Emporia Enterprises and shifting its responsibilities to the RDA, which already has the authority to handle many of these tasks, including acquiring property for economic development purposes.
Source: Emporia Gazette
