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County hears funding requests from Greater Hutch and StartUp Hutch; Greater Hutch seeks modest increase
Summary
Greater Hutch Economic Development requested an increase from $50,000 to $55,000 for county support; StartUp Hutch requested continued support under a five‑year plan and asked for $90,000. Both organizations outlined workforce, site development and talent attraction work.
Deborah Tufel, representing Greater Hutch Economic Development (the economic development division of the Hutchinson‑Reno County Chamber of Commerce), updated commissioners on regional projects and asked the county to increase its annual contribution from $50,000 to $55,000 to help cover rising program costs.
Tufel highlighted recent business expansions the partnership supported, saying projects announced in 2024 amount to roughly 400 new jobs and about $30 million in new investment, and she called out a major Evergy project described as about $1 billion in investment. She described workforce initiatives — including CareerQuest, school‑based career days, a Make My Move pilot to recruit remote workers, and a physician recruitment event — and said the county’s investment leverages city and private sector funding for industrial site development and workforce programming.
StartUp Hutch chair Johanna Moore and program administrator Christopher Acker presented StartUp Hutch’s five‑year action plan and sought $90,000 in county support for the first year, a continuation and expansion of prior county funding. Moore said StartUp Hutch surveyed clients and reported $5.1 million in combined 2024 revenue from respondents; the organization described workshops, mentorship, a small lending/borrowing cohort and entrepreneur outreach across the county.
Commission questions and next steps: Commissioners asked about Make My Move outcomes (Tufel said two participants had completed the program vetting and one had committed to move) and about StartUp Hutch’s countywide outreach. StartUp Hutch leaders said they plan to increase county presence and engage local volunteer board members to extend outreach into smaller towns.
Ending: Both organizations asked commissioners to consider their funding requests as part of upcoming budget discussions. Commissioners thanked presenters and invited continued coordination with county staff.
