The Johnson County Board of Commissioners and Redevelopment Commission on Oct. 27 approved a one-year professional services agreement with Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance, renewing the county's contract for economic development services beginning Nov. 1, 2025.

The agreement mirrors the prior year's services with a slight price increase; staff confirmed there are no changes to the scope of work. Commission discussion included an update from Aspire representatives about recent business development activity in the county.

Amanda (last name not provided), a representative of Aspire, said the organization has begun to see modest movement after a quiet summer, noting active projects and recent site visits. "Starting to analyze what is available, what could be available, what are those next rings of potential development," she said, adding that some prospects are "percolating" but that activity is still well below levels seen a few years ago.

Amanda identified utilities as the primary obstacle for companies considering the unincorporated county. "You've got to get those utilities in place," she said when asked about reluctance to locate outside municipalities. She also attributed part of the slowdown to broad economic uncertainty, including tariffs and funding availability: "It's uncertainty. Uncertainty has been driving that conversation... that's been a lot of what we're seeing."

Commissioners asked for clarification about contract terms; staff and a commissioner noted the contract is essentially the same as the prior year with a minor price increase. A motion to approve the professional services agreement was made and seconded, and the board approved it by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Aspire staff said much of their initial work has focused on compiling a pipeline dashboard, analyzing available sites and outreach to site selectors, brokers and potential companies. They also told commissioners they could provide a presentation under old/new business or deliver the update later in the meeting; commissioners accepted the presentation at this point in the agenda.