El Dorado Inc. - The Inc Informer

The purpose of El Dorado Inc. is to further the economic development of the El Dorado area and its environs. The primary objectives of El Dorado Inc. shall be to benefit the community as measured by increased employment, payroll, business volume, housing starts and similar factors.

For El Dorado Inc. membership information, contact:
Linda Jolly at 321-3150 or lkjolly@eldorado-inc.com

Annual Meeting to commemorate Inc.’s 20th anniversary
The Annual Meeting of El Dorado Inc. will take place on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at noon at the El Dorado Civic Center. This is a departure in format from years past, when El Dorado Inc. combined with the El Dorado Chamber at the annual meeting.

A hot meal will be served as members celebrate the 20th anniversary of the organization’s inception. An overview of the accomplishments and projects completed by El Dorado Inc. members through the years will be given by one of the original members. Past Presidents will be recognized.

Invitations will be sent after the first of the year, and all members are invited. The cost will be $15.00 per person.

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Work to begin on City’s Comprehensive Plan in January
City officials are awaiting finalization of the contract with Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC) to begin work on revising the City of El Dorado’s Comprehensive Plan. The process is slated to begin in January of 2008, and is projected to take 18 to 24 months to complete. The City’s Comprehensive Plan is a guide for making planning and zoning decisions, and establishes community-wide goals.

Initially a planning committee of representatives from public and private entities will be formed, and a schedule of meetings will be established. A series of public hearings and input sessions will be planned and publicized. Matt Rehder, City Planning Director, estimated the actual plan update to take as much as one year, and the changes in regulations made necessary by the update to take as much as one year.

Dept. of Commerce Can Provide Assistance to Obtain Affordable Health Care
Association Health Care Access Program:
During the 2007 legislative session, the Kansas Legislature authorized the Department of Commerce to offer grants or no-interest loans for associations to assist their members obtain access to quality and affordable health care plans.

The grants or loans are available to: 1) help defray initial costs to organize a qualified association; 2) assist existing associations offer group health plans to members; and/or 3) pay for actuarial or feasibility studies. The applicant may include small businesses, those with 50 or fewer employees, which are considering forming a qualified association. The program requires matching funds by the eligible applicant association or small business. Any health plans offered as a result of such grant or loan must be underwritten by an insurance company or HMO certified by the Kansas Insurance Commissioner.

Interested associations or businesses may send a letter of application that includes the purpose of their association, a list of its prospective members/businesses and type, the number of employees in the proposed association, and a projected budget for the use of the grant or loan.

Small Employer Cafeteria Plan Development Program:
During the 2007 legislative session, the Kansas Legislature authorized the Department of Commerce to offer grants to encourage and expand the use of cafeteria benefit plans authorized by 26 U.S.C. 125 (Section 125 cafeteria plans) by small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Various benefit plan options are available for individual small business needs. A primary benefit of offering a plan includes tax savings by the employee and employer.

The grants are available to defray initial costs of establishing a cafeteria plan including: 1) initial set up fees; 2) expenses associated with required documentation and compliance; 3) third-party claims administration. Qualified applicants include any Kansas small business with 50 or fewer employees wanting to establish a new cafeteria benefit plan complying with 26 U.S.C. 125. Eligible businesses may send a letter of application that includes company contact information, the type of business and the number of employees. If known, please also include the benefit option plans that you wish to establish.

Please send letters of application to:
Darla Price
Business Development Division
Kansas Department of Commerce
1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 100
Topeka, KS 66612-1354
785.296.1868

dprice@kansascommerce.com

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Shorts

BG Products has initiated shipping from its new El Dorado facility. BG Products shipped over 3 million pounds of product in the first month of operation of the new El Dorado shipping facility in the El Dorado Industrial Park. BG currently employs 13 people at the new facility.
WABA Home Show is January 31 through February 3, 2008. El Dorado Inc. will again have a booth at the Home Show, featuring El Dorado’s many attributes and quality of life. Anyone want to help us man the booth? Call Linda at 321-1485.
Office transformation. The offices of El Dorado Inc., El Dorado Convention and Visitors Bureau and the El Dorado Chamber have received very attractive new work areas. The new equipment is very efficient, looks very professional, and is VERY much appreciated by staff. Please stop by and see us in our new surroundings.
Be watching for new outdoor billboard. The large outdoor billboard in the El Dorado Industrial Park, which is visible from the Kansas Turnpike, will soon bear a new message. It will read: “El Dorado welcomes BG Products. Come grow with us in El Dorado.”
New contact information for El Dorado Inc. As part of the reorganization of the civic organizations, El Dorado Inc. now has the following new contact information:

phone: 316-321-1485
fax: 316-321-5419
P.O. Box 509
El Dorado, KS 67042
lkjolly@eldorado-inc.com
jcallaway@eldorado-inc.com

CVB Corner

Text and photos for the 2008 Visitors Guide was delivered to the printer last week. We expect delivery of the new Visitors Guide the first week of January.

Linda Jolly delivered a PowerPoint presentation to the CVB Advisory Committee on Tuesday, December 4th. The presentation outlined the marketing plan for 2008, emphasizing target markets and the most effective ways to reach them. After some additional suggestions from the advisory committee, the plan will be presented to the City Commission for approval in 2008.

Shooting for a video, showcasing the assets and attributes of El Dorado, is scheduled for May of 2008 with CGI Communications, headquartered in Rochester, New York. The video will be accessible for viewing via the city’s website, www.eldoks.com, and will feature business sponsors on the perimeter panels of the video screen.

Thanks to Rep. John Grange and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for their efforts to upgrade the Walnut River camping area with electricity, and a heating system in the area #2 bath house to extend the seasonal usage of this area. This is in response to a request to accommodate the influx of Frontier Refining contract and turnaround workers in their housing needs.

Although listed in the November version of Up Next El Dorado, there is still time to see the exhibit “Scapes” at the Coutts Museum. The exhibit goes through December 19th and consists of paintings and etchings by Phil Epp and Justin Epp, and sculptures by Vern Freisen. The work of Phil Epp is probably familiar to you. He paints the “big clouds” over the prairie. It’s worth your time!

Your �Informer�

The purpose of The Inc. Informer, a monthly e-newsletter to all members of El Dorado Inc., is to share information and ideas which might help you in your business and keep you informed about what�s happening in our business community. The Informer is published on the first of each month and is just one more benefit of your El Dorado Inc. membership.

If you have a news item that might be of interest, please send it to: jcallaway@eldorado-inc.com.

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