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County staff seeks direction on CWU Technology Transfer Center kickoff funded by CURB feasibility grant
Summary
Kittitas County Public Works briefed commissioners on a CWU Technology Transfer Center feasibility study funded by a Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB/CURB) grant and asked whether the full board or select members should attend a regional kickoff scheduled for April 29.
Josh Frederickson, Public Works project lead, updated the board on the Central Washington University (CWU) Technology Transfer Center feasibility study and said the work is financed by “a Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board or CURB, grant that they provided for this feasibility study.”
Frederickson described the study as an early-stage effort to identify whether public-private partnerships and cost-sharing could support construction and operation of a transfer center located in the former HEAT Building near the CWU campus. He said the feasibility work focuses on “the business and partnership side of things” such as potential investors, operators and managers rather than architectural design.
Frederickson said CWU is the building owner and a primary partner, and the county is the eligible applicant for the CERB/CURB grant. He described a planned kickoff scheduled for April 29 that would invite CWU leadership, legislative representatives, city officials and CERB representatives to see the project and learn about its regional benefits. Frederickson asked for direction on whether the full board should attend the kickoff or whether the board should delegate one or two members noting that “if we do a full board, I believe it would be a public meeting, and we would need to make sure we meet take minutes.”
Commissioners and staff discussed attendance and whether individual members should deliver brief remarks using consultant-provided talking points. No formal vote was taken; staff said they would circulate invitations and talking points and that staff will manage minutes if the full board participates.
Frederickson described the project's goals as supporting CWU's connection between university research and regional industry, and as a regional economic and workforce development opportunity.
