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Osage County authorizes cosigned letter backing regional CHIPS application; presenter cites $4 million state site investment
Summary
A presenter seeking support for a regional CHIPS site asked commissioners to cosign a letter backing the application; commissioners authorized the chair to sign and staff to gather additional municipal signatures. Presenter said the state would commit about $4 million to site preparation if the project moves forward.
A CHIPS-related economic development presentation to the Osage County Commission outlined a regional plan to site semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure and asked the county to cosign a letter of support.
The presenter described a phased manufacturing approach that would begin with 8-inch wafer production in a building designed to accommodate future 12-inch equipment. The presenter said equipment-cost differences make beginning with 8-inch tooling more feasible and described regional partnerships and permitting work already completed for water, power and fiber. The presentation asserted that a state site-preparation investment of about $4,000,000 would anchor development and that federal and private leverage could follow.
Commissioners discussed next steps for a coordinated letter and suggested using an existing letter drafted by a state representative as a template. The commission moved to authorize the chairman to sign a county letter of support on behalf of the commission and to authorize staff (Colleen) to collect additional signatures from municipalities and community partners; the motion carried by voice vote.
Commissioners asked staff to forward the cosigned letter to federal and state representatives as part of the CHIPS application packet and to keep the board apprised of any federal follow-up requests. The presenter thanked county officials and left the meeting after the board approved the action.
