progress 2014 - business

8/12/2019 Progress 2014 - Business

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Ample supply, low interest rates help homebuyersBy TIM HORAN

[email protected]

Twenty fourteen might be a goodyear to buy a home.

Tony Haug, president of The Dick-inson County Board of Realtors, saidthere are two good reasons to pur-chase.

The rst: There are lots of houseson the market.

Haug calculated 110 residentialhomes on the market in February, 14of which had pending contracts.

There is a variety of homes and avariety of price ranges, Haug said,adding the prices range from $30,000to nearly $600,000. Three houses in2013 sold for more than $300,000which was unusual.

Money is available and they aregiving it away, he said. The inter-est rate is still low. Its not 10 to 12

percent like it was 10 years ago.

So know matter what a potential

home buyer is looking for in a newhome, Abilene and the surroundingarea probably has it.

Regardless of what they are look-ing for, there is something out there,Haug said.

Tim Hamilton, Abilene Commu-nity Development director, said there

were 10 permits for new homes lastyear.

There are not a ton of new houseson the market, Haug said. Im talk-ing brand new houses. They usuallysell and then they start building an-other one.

As far as commercial property, we

have a lot of remodeling going on,Hamilton said. Some smaller ex-

pansions.

As far as residential, we saw a lit-tle up tick from previous years, headded.

He said the city hopes homeownerstake advantage of the citys neigh-

borhood revitalization programs.

The new revitalization that wasjust passed pertains primarily to resi-dential units downtown, in secondstories, Hamilton said, citing thelofts in the United Building as an ex-ample.

Haug said for homeowner who isinterested in selling, take a good lookat the current condition of the home.

Walk through the house like youwere trying to buy it and see whatneeds to be done, Haug said.

Natural paint colors in rooms arerecommended.

Year SFR MFR Total Avg. value

2009 7 0 7 $219,000

2010 6 0 6 $169,000

2011 2 4 6 $80,000

2012 3 6 9 $126,800

2013 10 0 10 $219,000

Abilene housing starts

Progress 2014Business

February 2014


2/10

2 Progress 2014 Business www.abilene-rc.com

Abilene bed and breakfasts greeting visitorsBy TIFFANY RONEY

[email protected]

Between researchersfrom all over the worldwho come to study for-

mer President Dwight D.Eisenhower and periodtopics, to groups of gig-gling girlfriends who justwant to get away, bothAbilene area bed-and-breakfasts fit that mold.

What I think is uniqueabout the Victorian Inn isthe home itself, Conven-tion and Visitors Bureaudirector Glenda Purkissaid. I think its one ofthe most fabulous homesthat we have in Abilene,and it will sleep more

than a typical bed-and-breakfast.

The Windmill Inn which we also market,because its within thecounty offers a totallydifferent experience, ifyou like something thatis outside of town with-out the local traffic, shesaid.

Each of the area bed-and-breakfasts fulfill dif-ferent needs, but Purkissaid there is still a needfor even more dine-in

lodging facilities.I wish we had more,

she said. For the amountof historic housing in-ventory that we have,we should have severalB&Bs. We get a lot of callsfrom people who want tostay in B&Bs. There aretravelers looking for thatmore personal, close-knitexperience.

Abilenes

Victorian Inn

Abilenes Victorian Inn,a local 1887 Queen Anne

Victorian-style house,was built and lived inby Abilenes first sur-

geon, whose son wasbest friends with Dwight

Eisenhower, inn ownerAdrian Potter said.

It is fitting for Eisen-hower to have spent timein the home because Pot-ter said many of the innsguests come to study theaccomplished Abileniean.At a distance of just onemile, the inn, 820 N.W.Third St., is the closestlodging facility to theEisenhower PresidentialLibrary, Museum andBoyhood Home. Guestswalk, use one of the inns

bicycles or borrow a bikefrom the center.

We have fun with the

researchers, Potter said.Sometimes I make them

dinner, and sometimestheyll come in our backarea if theyre here a longtime. They become partof the family and theywatch movies with us andwe visit. So that can bea real reward for us, too.We treat them like fam-ily. We take good care ofthem.

The inn has housed re-searchers from 18 to morethan 65 years of age, whohail from all corners ofthe world, including Hun-

gary, West Africa, Eng-land, Scotland and Japan,as well as U.S. students

from Harvard and Yale.Some are fluent in Eng-

lish, while others needtranslators or simply getby as best they can, Pot-ter said.

Researchers have stayedany length of time fromtwo days to two months.Potter and her husband,Jay, offer reduced ratesfor extended-stay guests.

We love what we do.We love our guests andmore than 50 percent ofour guests return to us,Adrian said. Some evenconsider us their second

home. Others have iden-tified us as if it was likegoing to Grandmas, and

thats the nicest compli-ment that we could get.

Looking back over thepast couple of years, theinn received regional at-tention and new busi-ness because of afeature on the bed-and-breakfast in Midwest Liv-ing Magazine.

I dont know how theyfound us, Adrian said.They did say they hadchosen one B&B perstate. I think they musthave sent someone hereanonymously to stay withus. And it ended up that

we were on three pag-es, and that was really ablessing.

The inn is featured inthe November-December

2012 issue of the maga-zine. Around the sametime, in that December,the inn published a cook-book featuring 188 reci-pes from 22 guests. Adri-an, who has a degree inculinary arts, continues tooffer lunch and tea partiesto the public by reserva-tion.

Adrian and Jays biggestplan for 2014 is to add anew floor to the kitchen.

Im very excited aboutthat its been a longtime coming, she said.Its going to be black andwhite, on the diamond, so

Tiffany Roney Reector-Chronicle

Tim and Deb Sanders, owners of the Windmill Inn, prepare a Valentines Day dinner for guests.

See: Bed, Page 9

Introducing the latest

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at Geary Community HospitalToshiba Vantage Titan 1.5T

MRI Installed January 2014 Now located inside the radiology dept. Outstanding image quality

More comfortable patient experience Larger Opening (71cm) and ultra-short

magnet - less claustrophobic Utilizing Toshibas Pianissimo

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Table lowers to less than 17 inchesallowing better access for the youngand old.

Adjustable ventilation, lighting andairow

Toshiba Aquillion Prime

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patient safety Acquires data faster to reduce exam

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Table lowers to less than 17 inchesallowing better access for young, old,and emergency patients

Imaging You Need

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Junction City

A project in partnership with the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation


3/10

www.abilene-rc.com Progress 2014 Business 3

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Local hotels keep busy with updatesBy TIFFANY RONEY

[email protected]

The year of 2013 was a busyone for Abilene motels. The Dia-mond Motel received new own-ers who moved to the area fromout-of-state and gave the motela facelift. Americas Best ValueInn received new management.Additionally, both motels, aswell as Holiday Inn Express andSuper 8, all received substantial

upgrades.While it may sound like a lot ofchanges for a motel to put in newtile, replace all its mattresses,box springs and paint, replacemost of its carpet and half of itswindows all in one year, LyndaCollins, manager of Super 8,said its just business as usual.

You have to keep things up-dated, she said. Were just up-dating everything we can on theproperty and making sure ourguests have a good experience.

During the rest of 2014, Col-lins said she and her team plan to

complete the carpeting replace-ment and then redo all of theirsheets, blankets and furnishings.

The following year, they plan toreplace all of the televisions.

Thats not until 2015, but youhave to plan it out, she said.

Savan Bhakta, manager ofAmericas Best Value Inn, saidhe still feels new to the motelsince he started managing it inNovember. Hes no stranger tothe motel business though thePanama native has 6 years ofexperience in various states.

We are doing a lot of things,like changing the interior styleand remodeling things, Bhaktasaid. Right now its a lot ofwork as we change some things.We have to pay for the pool andhot tub, so its going to affect usa little bit from the income sideof it, but we are going to takecare of it.

Bhakta said he is especiallythankful for the motels relation-ship with La Fiesta, as the twoentities share a building. Simi-larly, Collins said she enjoyssending guests across the park-

ing lot to Green Acres. ChadRufener, manager of HolidayInn Express, said he regularly

recommends Brookville Hotel toguests and often receives thanksfrom the customers via takeoutboxes of fried chicken a phe-nomenon he said he cant com-plain about.

Holiday Inn Express pumps alot of money into upgrades ev-ery year, and Ive stayed in otherHoliday Inn Express hotels thatarent nearly as nice as ours,Convention and Visitors Bu-reau director Glenda Purkis said.When we go to shows and thefair, I get comments about whata great hotel we have at the Hol-iday Inn. We dont appreciatewhat we have sometimes orwe dont know what we have.

Purkis said she is thankful allof the local hotels and motels arecontinuing to put resources to-ward improvements.

The upgrades are very key tokeeping the businesses operat-ing and keeping the ability topull trafc off the interstate, shesaid. Tourists want upgraded

properties, and were fortunatethat our hotels see the impor-tance of that and are doing it.


Lynda Collins shows a recently remodeled bathroom at Abilenes Super 8

Tiffany Roney Reector-ChronicleSolid surface window sills are one of several up-grades at Abilenes Super 8.


4/10


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Getting married? Having a birthday? Family reunion?

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Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau & Civic CenterLocated in the Historic Union Pacific Depot

201 NW Second, Abilene, Kansas

304 N. BroadwayName:Shelley RosebrookHow long have your worked in

Abilene? 18 yearsGraduated from Abilene High School

and University of Kansas School ofPharmacy.

A unique feature of the pharmacy isthe soda fountain that has been theresince 1972. One of the few places inKansas where Green Rivers and 400sare sold.

Name: Angela HorsfallBroadway locationAngela is a graduate of CentralHeights High School, a small, countryschool in eastern Kansas in 2005. Shespent the next eight years in Lawrence

at the University of Kansas, four yearsas an undergraduate and four at theSchool of Pharmacy. She graduated inMay 2013 and moved to Abilene thevery same week taking on the positionof pharmacy manager with AuBurn.Angel and her husband Kellen havebeen married 4 years and have two

children that keep them very busy,Emma, who is 1 and 1/2, and Killianwho is 1 month old.They have live in Abilene for eight

months.What is the nature of your business?Providing fast, quality, community

pharmacy services with a friendly, pro-fessional pharmacy staff with affordableprices, walk-in vaccinations and newextended hours.

Business in profle

Angela Horsfall (left) and Taylor Heinrich in the unique soda fountain at Auburn Pharmacy.

AuBurn Pharmacy

Business:Insurance services and risk managementNew Location:500 N. Buckeye Ave.Tell our readers a little bit about yourself:Copeland Insurance Agency, Inc. was established in

1960 in Riley, Kan., to serve the residents and farmers ofthe area. Over the past 50 years, Copeland Insurance hascontinued to grow and nowserves all of Northeast andCentral Kansas. CopelandInsurance is owned by Jayand Vonda Copeland and isquickly becoming one of thefastest growing insuranceagencies in the State. Eachlocation is staffed by localpeople who live in and knowyour community, and giveyou personal service.In 2000 Jay purchased an agency in Enterprise, in 2006

bought a building on Broadway St. and moved the agencyto Abilene. For the past few years the Jay kept an eye openfor an opportunity to move to a more visible location. Whenthe former Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce building wasput on the market, the perfect spot was found.Currently CIA has three Abilene Agents:Deborah LakeHas been with Copeland Insurance since 1995, starting out

first in the Manhattan office for several years before moving

Copeland Insurance Agency, Inc

Debra Lake

Robert Cox

Sheldon Jones

See: Copeland, Page 6

302 N. Broadway Abilene, KS 785-200-6622 Hrs: T-F 8-4, Sat 9-3

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5/10

By TIFFANY RONEY

[email protected]

First, he was a countyattorney. Then a racingmuseum owner. Then ascreenwriter and producer.Now, hes about to be-come a grocery store own-er while continuing hiswork with all of the above.

Doug Thompson said hehad considered the ideaof starting a grocery storein Chapman for severalyears, but a recent catalystcaused him to put the planinto practice.

Chapman hasnt hada full-size grocery storein a long time, so therewas a need for it and thecommunity wanted it,Thompson said. Theneighborhood revitaliza-tion program that the cityadopted probably was thelast piece of the puzzle tobring it together.

The program gives busi-nesses like the upcomingChapman Food Mart taxabatements on their realestate, which, Thompsonsaid, gives a new busi-ness with that sort of in-

vestment a good chance toget off the ground and beprotable.

Thompson and his wife,Connie Thompson, decid-ed to build the store on a

piece of land in front of an-other of Dougs ventures,the Kansas Auto RacingMuseum. Doug said con-struction of the 100 x 80square foot building is 80percent complete.

Doug said he hopes to re-ceive not only local busi-ness but also sales frompeople traveling on Inter-state-70.

If I was traveling downthe road and we said,

Lets grab somethingfrom a deli, I might seethe sign and say, Youknow, thats easy enoughfor me. I can see whereI get off and where I get

back on lets go do it,Doug said. Its betterthan ghting through anarea where its just reallybusy.

Doug said the grocerystore will probably cre-ate 15 to 20 jobs, someof which will be full-timeand others part-time. Hesaid it will likely employa combination of local in-dividuals and people fromoutside Chapman.

I think there will besome people who aremaybe working outside ofthe area in that businesswho may want to comeand work closer to home,

Doug said. There will besome who say, Im look-ing for some part-timework, and those may t ascheckers, stockers, carry-out or working in the deli.And there may be some-body who will take a joband move into the area.

In addition to the deli,Doug said the full-servicegrocery store will includea meat market, salad bar,fresh fruits and vegetables

and a variety of dry goods.The store will be openseven days per week.

Partnering for produce

Doug said he hopes to

partner with area farmersfor fresh, local produce.

There is some excellentproduce around, and thatwould make sense, ratherthan paying the expense totruck it in, he said. I betwe can nd some farmersaround who are producing

watermelons and so forththat would just be perfectfor it.

He said farmers who areinterested in partnering

with the grocery store canstop by the store or, after itopens, call its phone num-ber, which is not yet setup. Doug said he plans toopen the store by the endof March.

Its just a big emptystore right now, he said.


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Helping You Find Your Way Home

Chapman awaiting new hometown grocery


Doug Thompson looks out the entrance to Chapman Food Mart.


6/10


Tnk You

Dicis Ctyfr ll Yr

Spprt the Last

47 Years!

1900 n. Bceye 263-2285 bilee

Tnk You

Dicis Ctyfr ll Yr

Spprt the Last

47 Years!Serving The Abilene

Community Since 1930Richard R. Danner, Willa Danner,

Andy DeLay, Rick Wyckoff &Louise RyanP.O. Box 758

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to Enterprise in 2000,and later to Abilene.Deborahs hobbiesinclude reading, play-ing cards and watchingDisney movies with thegrandchildren. She andher husband Rick Lakelive in Abilene and havetwo grown children.

Sheldon JonesHas been with Copeland

Insurance since 2009.Before working for CIA,Sheldon worked at theGreen Team of Abilenefor around four years andwas employed at MidcoPlastics in Enterprise forover 20 years. Sheldonlikes to spend time at thelake with friends and alsoenjoys his grandsons. Heand his wife Julie live inEnterprise and have two

grown children.

Robert CoxHas been with Copeland

Insurance nearly one

year now. Prior to joiningCIA Rob worked at UMB.Robs favorite hobby iswhatever the kids areinto, so right now he isa Boy Scout leader andkids wrestling coach. Heand his wife Kara live inAbilene and have fourchildren. Rob grew uphere in Abilene and is theson of Greg and SusanCox. His grandfather Joe

Cox ran Cox Gambleshere in Abilene

What is the nature ofyour business?As an IndependentInsurance Agency, werepresent some of thetop insurance compa-nies in the country. Thatmeans better coverageat a competitive price.Because we are substan-tial in size and strength,our staff handles theplacing of large or dif-ficult policies quickly and

accurately.Copeland Insuranceunderstands you mayhave special and ongo-ing needs. Unlike the

insurance days of old, weunderstand that you donot need just an insur-ance policy but a specificand specialized program,which includes ongoingsupport. Copeland Insur-ance is dedicated to serv-ing your insurance andsafety needs throughoutthe entire year and notjust at renewal. Lookingout for a customers best

interest is important, anagent should not onlytake the time to get toknow the customer, butto also educate themabout insurance. Youhave to earn their confi-dence.At Copeland Insuranceyou can receive advicein all areas of insuranceand benefit needs fromProperty and Casualty,Employee Benefits, Buy/Sell Agreements, Bonds,to your investment

needs.We insure all lines

including Business,Farming, Home, Auto,Life & Health, and PublicEntities, basically if itsimportant to you, we caninsure it.We would appreciate

having the opportunityto serve as your businessinsurance representativeto protect your personaland business propertyand assets.

Copeland InsuranceAgency has on staff a fulltime Loss Control Con-sultant who can inspecta risk and work with theinsured and the insur-ance company.Other locations are

Junction City, Leawood,Manhattan, Marysville,Riley, Salina, Topeka andWamego.

What role, if any,does technology havein your business?Smart phones; people

can find us and also haveaccess to some policy in-

formation in the palm oftheir hand. We also havea state of the art websiteand lead system.

What changes to doyou see in your busi-ness because of thechange in location?Consider the difference

of the amount of trafficon the 200 block of N.Broadway and 500 blockof N. Buckeye along with

the LED sign. We have

had people talk to usthat think we are new to

Abilene. It is difficult toknow what media to use

to market a business.Top of mind awareness is

important. Someone may

not want to change in-surance agents today but

when they do, they willremember that place by

the credit union with the

Las Vegas sign.

CopelandContinued from Page 4

Abilenes incentives limited by stateBy DAVID DILLNER

Abil ene C ity Manager

When I am out and about,I am often asked about

economic develop-ment incentives. In many cases,bus iness owners are inquir ing asto their business eligibility forcity incentives. I thought I wouldprovid e some explanation aboutwhy incentives are used and whycertain businesses are not eligi-ble to receive cert ain incent ives.

For the most part, the City isvery limited on the economic de-velopment incentives it can pro-vide the public. Most incentivesare authorized by state law andhave little room for local modi-fication. Other programs, such as

the Neighborhood Revitalization

Program, provide greater flex-ibility to local governments espe-cially as it relates to where suchincentives are allowed to be used

in a community and what criteriais used to determine eligibility.

The City of Abilene has autho-rized the following economicdevelopment incentives: Ad Va-lorem Property Tax Abatement,Issuance of Industrial RevenueBonds, Neighborhood Revital-ization Program (known as theAbilene Revitalization Program),and the Hotel Incentive Program.Over the next several weeks, Iwill explore each of these in-centive programs to help informthe public on the eligibility forthese various programs. But first,

please allow me to discus s some

things the public needs to con-sider to better understand incen-tives.

Economic development incen-

tives encourage development toaddress specific land use issues.The Abilene Revitalization Pro-gram provides an incentive topro per ty owners who inv est inbui ldings or structures located inspecific areas of the community.These areas have been designat-ed because of their importance toAbilenes tax base.

For example, the DowntownRevitalization District is intend-ed to promote private invest-ment in aging buildings locatedin the Downtown Business Dis-trict. Many of the buildings in the

downtown are historic structures

that add a certain appeal and nos-talgia to the community. Thesestructures are valued assets thatthe community desires to pre-

serve. Aging buildings, however,also have their liabilities.

Aging buildings will deteriorateover time without proper main-tenance. The repairs needed tokeep an historic building in goodorder tend to be costly, especiallyif retrofitting is required for non-compliant electric, plumbing, ormechanical features. DowntownAbilene is unique because of thedensity of historic commercialbui ldings . Incent ivi zing improv e-ments to this area is one way theCity can assist in preserving thisvalued asset of the community.

See: Incentives, Page 8


7/10


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Bremer Farmers Mutual Kansas Mutual

Johns ServiceServing Abilene Area Since 1970

24 hour Light & HeavyTowing & Recovery

Light Car Repair Custom ExhaustLock Out Service

785-263-4444425 N Buckeye, Abilene

Ryan Horan 785-280-1814

(25 Gut

ter Colors To Choose Fr

om) Seamless Guttering

Leaf Shelter (Gutter ProtectionSystem Available)

*

*FREE ESTIM

ATES*

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GG

orillauttering

and Repair

263-7012 or 263-4002 For Information on Marking Your Home

Heritage Homes AssociationHelping Preserve Abilenes Older Homes

Rotary 2014EngagERotaRy, ChangELivEsRotary International Theme - 2013-2014

In 2013 The Following Projects Were Supported By

Volunteer Service Or Funding: Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup Radio Days Food For Kids Literacy Project -

Dictionaries Worldwide Polio

Eradication Campaign Fred Jarvis Rotary

Scholarships Church Women United

Abilene Food Pantry

Heritage Center CarouselHorse

Old Abilene Town -Restroom Grant

Rocky Rorabaugh GolfTourn for BB/BS &Food For Kids

4-H Banquet Meals on Wheels Big Brothers Big Sisters

Rotoract Scholarship Shelter Box

Abilene Rotary ClubNo. 1543 District 5670

Randy Gassman, President-Bryan Koehn, President ElectGlenda Purkis, Vice PresidentJoleen Rankin, SecretaryBruce Hettenbach, TreasurerBecky Schwab, Past PresidentHenry Baxa, Sergeant at ArmsBruce Dale, MemberMack Teasley, MemberTonya Mills, Member

Organized October 6, 1921. Meets each Friday 12:10 at Mr. Ks Farmhouse

Benjamin F. EdwardsName:Brian WilliamsNew Location: N.W. corner of Third and Buckeye

Streets, in the old Long Oil building.Tell our readers a little bit about yourself:Williams grew up the son of a career Navy man. As

a child, his family lived in California, Maine (twice),Florida, Iceland and Michigan. After graduating highschool, he joined the Armys Military Police Corps andwas stationed at Fort Riley following basic and ad-vanced training in Alabama. When he completed hismilitary service, he enrolled at Kansas State Univer-sity, where he studied Economics and Sociology.Following the completion of his bachelors degrees,

Williams stayed at KSU and earned his MastersDegree in Public Administration. During that time,he started a career in municipal government, work-ing for the City of Manhattan; first as an intern in theFinance Department and eventually in several otherroles, including Assistant to the City Manager andAssistant Airport Director at the Manhattan RegionalAirport. In his various roles with the city (and in his

subsequent position as a civilian analyst with the U.S.Army Garrison at Fort Riley) he was fortunate to inter-act professionally with numerous regional, state andfederal government officials and organizations, andin doing so provided insight, information and analy-

sis on innumerable special projects and initiatives ofthe City, County, School District and State, includingseveral significant financial undertakings that requiredthe issuance of either General Obligation or SpecialRevenue Bonds (or some combination thereof) byone or more of those taxing jurisdictions. He was also

especially privileged to work with the Flint Hills Re-gional Council on regional housing, transportation andinfrastructure development issues that have impactedthis region significantly as our local communities havecontinued to grow.In 2011 he left the local community and was hired

by Merrill Lynch as a Financial Advisor in KansasCity, Mo., and Leawood, Kan. While at Merril l Lynch,he built on the foundation of his previous educa-tion and experience by further developing the skillsnecessary to manage his clients investments in thevarious capital markets. In December of 2013 hewas fortunate to be offered my current position withBenjamin F. Edwards & Co, here in Abilene. Williamssaid, I am proud to have joined a highly reputable,privately-owned firm, widely-known and respected forits history of prudent management and protection of

our clients financial well-being.He has two children (8 and 10) who are active in

sports, theater and dance. In his limited time offfrom being a Financial Consultant and Dad, he enjoysgolfing and reading.

How long have your worked in Abilene?SinceDecember 2013.

What was your occupation before the one youhave now?I worked for Merrill Lynch as a FinancialAdvisor in Kansas City.

What is the nature of your business?At Benja-min F. Edwards, we work with our clients to developan investment program that combines sound advice,a wide range of investments and services and thepersonalized attention our clients deserve.

What role, if any, does technology have inyour business? Our Financial Consultants haveaccess to a complete and powerful suite of finan-cial analysis programs and resources that we useon behalf of our clients in developing individualizedgoals-based financial plans, and in reviewing theirprogress towards achieving specific objectives. Wealso leverage those resources to identify the mostprudent investments for our clients as we tailor andmonitor their investment portfolios according to theirparticular needs.

Business in profle

The staff at the Benjamin F. Edwards & Co., in the newly re-modeled ofce at the corner of Buckeye Ave. and Third Street(from left) Brian Williams, Patricia OMalley-Weingartner, Donna

Nanninga and Marcella Cobb.


8/10


Salinaest. 1996

Locally Owned Since 1905...Three Convenient Locations

Abilene, Ks.(785) 263-1332

Salina, Ks.(785) 827-3600

Solomon, Ks.(785) 655-2941

Abileneest. 1990

Solomonest. 1905

To our loyal customers,the foundation of our success,we extend our sincere gratitude

Thank You!

Back, left to right, toward front: Scott Darling, Marianna Carney, Dennis Riordan, David Riordan, Kirk Berneking, Kyle McCook, Kathy Crichton,

Diane Swenson, Kathy Hasker, Rebecca Meuli, Bernie Nogle, Mary Beth Thompson, Joan Reiff, Kimberly Reinert,Cheril Geist, Gay Scanlan, Terri Scanlan, Kathy Breer, Joy Sarapa,Lindsey Strunk, and Jacque Anguiano

For All Your

Automotive Needs!

AUTO CLINICKenny Rodda

Open Daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.CLOSED SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS

315 W. 1st Abilene 263-3383

Since 1971

BriansPlumbing, Inc.

663 Old Hwy. 40, Abilene, KS 67410

Ph. (785) 263-1960Fax (785) 263-0265

Brian and Leigh Ann Griffis, ownersLicensed Master Plumber with over 30 years experience

By default, incentivesare also set up to dis-courage developmentin certain areas. Forexample, the City doesnot extend the AbileneRevitalization Programto areas included in thefloodplain because en-couraging developmentin areas designated asfloodplain would becounterproductive withthe FEMA Flood Pro-gram.

Economic develop-ment incentives encour-age certain types ofbus iness development.By state law, the Cityis only able to provideconstitutional tax abate-ments to businesses that

manufacture articles ofcommerce, conduct re-search and developmentrelative to the manu-facture of products, orthat store goods tradedin interstate commerce.Retail and service busi-nesses are not eligiblefor this specific incen-tive. The State of Kan-sas, like many states,has decided to grantspecial provisions toencourage these typesof businesses to locate

and expand in Kansas.Because the incentive isestablished by state lawand not subject to lo-

cal modification, mostbus inesses in Abi leneare not eligible for atax abatement like theone provided in 2005 toGreat Plains Manufac-turing, Inc.

Economic develop-ment incentives are

supposed to encourageactivity that would nototherwise occur with-out the incentive. Manyincentives authorizedby sta te law require abut-for analysis thatis meant to show thatthe development wouldnot occur but for the in-centive. The thought be-hind this analysis is thatbus inesses should notbe granted an incent ivefor doing somethingthat they were going todo without the incen-tive. When a businessis provided an incen-tive, it receives eithera direct or indirect sub-sidy from a governmen-tal entity. At the locallevel, this means that abus iness either receivesa rebate on propertytaxes or does not haveto pay the liability atall. The result is the re-maining tax base mustcontinue to pay for lo-cal government servicesthat may be used by that

bus iness dur ing the in-centive period. If an in-centive is not needed inorder for the business to

succeed, it should theo-retically not be grantedso as to preserve equitythroughout the tax base.

Economic develop-ment incentives shift thebur den of taxation fromthose property ownersthat receive the incen-

tive to those that do not.As briefly discussed inthe previous point, in-centives shift the taxbur den on to all oth ersthat do not receive theincentive. If a large em-ployer comes to a com-munity and is awarded aten-year, 100% propertytax abatement, otherbus inesses and res iden-tial properties will bepay ing to subsid ize thebus iness receiv ing theabatement. A good ex-ample of this would be

a call for police serviceduring the abatementper iod . The bus inesshas not paid propertytaxes, which are meantto pay for public ser-vices. When the PoliceDepartment arrives tothe call, the bill forthe call was paid for byother property ownersof the community. Thepro per ty wil l con tinueto be subsidized untilthe property comes untothe tax rolls.

Economic develop-ment incentives arenearly uniform through-out the State of Kansas,

and many states have

similar incentives to at-

tract investment. The

incentives that are au-

thorized by the State of

Kansas are authorized

such that most commu-

nities have the ability to

approve nearly the same

incentive as every othercommunity. Cities have

some flexibility with re-

spect to some of the cri-

teria and the amount of

incentive granted, but I

would suspect that there

is not a lot of disparity

in these areas through-

out Kansas. As a result,

incentives do not make

any community more

attract than another.

Since most communi-

ties and other states

provide nearly the sameincentives, businesses

will choose the most at-

tractive locations and

then determine the best

incentive package for

their business. While it

may help separate two

or three competing mu-

nicipalities, it probably

wont help a community

that lacks the necessary

labor force, education

quality, public infra-

structure, tax policy,

and quality of life thatis expected to attract

outside business invest-

ment.

IncentivesContinued from Page 6

Business in prole

Name: Jarad and Jennifer WaiteNew Location: 202 N.W. 15th StreetJarad Waite O.D. is a graduate of Osborne High School.

He received a Bachelor of Science at Kansas State Uni-

versity, attended University of Missouri, and received aDoctorate in Optometry from St. Louis College of Optom-etry. He is a member of the Kansas Optometry Associa-tion, American Optometry Association, Abilene BreakfastOptimist Club and St. Andrews Knights of Columbus.Jennifer is the office manager for Family Eye Care.They have a son, Grant, in third grade at St. Andrews

and a daughter, Annastyn, in preschool. Their hobbiesinclude family, sports, hunting and fishing

How long have you worked in Abilene?5-1/2years.

When did you move?The business moved to its newlocation last December.

Is there a reason for the move?Larger building,better layout and location, better parking.

What do you like best about the new location?The ability to grow.

What is the nature of your business?Optometry,optical frame boutique, contact lens fitting, ocular dis-ease diagnosis and treatment.

What role, if any, does technology have in yourbusiness?Family Eye Care offers electronic healthrecords and uses scanning lasers in some instruments.

The staff at the Family Eye Care of Abilene (from left) Dr. JaradWaite, Jennifer Waite, LeAnn Kuntz, Nikki Young, Kathy Heiser,Laurie McLaughlin, Jo Ferguson and Donna Bathurst.

Family Eye Careof Abilene


9/10

By TIFFANY RONEY

[email protected]

Though local hotel own-ers saw a decrease in busi-ness during the Interstate70 construction last fall,Convention and VisitorsBureau director GlendaPurkis said the hotels areso busy in the summertimethat they have to turn tour-ists away.

We have so many attrac-tions that visitors want tosee when they come here,but during our peak months the summer months we dont have the lodgingbecause our hotels ll up,Purkis said.

To remedy this problem,the CVB board and citystaff are working to attractdevelopers to build a newhotel in the area.

Any hotel developerwould be interested in as

close to I-70 as they canget, with a view from I-70so drivers can see whatsavailable before they gethere and then pull rightoff, she said.

Purkis said another hotelwould benet not only thetravelers who want a placeto stay while they visit at-tractions like EisenhowerPresidential Library, Mu-seum and Boyhood Home;but it would also benet thecity of Abilene as a whole.

Overnight lodging is

what provides the fundingfor the CVB to do all themarketing and the tourism

programs for Abilene, shesaid. So if we dont havewhat I call the heads inbeds, then we dont havethe budget that we can putback in to get more visitorsto pull off the interstate andsee the attractions and therestaurants, ll up with gasand spend the night.

While it may sound like acatch-22 loop funds areneeded via heads in bedsto produce funds for moreheads in beds Purkissaid there are ways to gen-

erate more economic activ-ity to boost the loops mo-mentum.

I know that there areother communities thatwill plan winter events,she said. Hays has theFrost Fest to create somevisitor trafc in the wintermonths. Ive seen craftingweekends. Wamego has awool fest. So weve lookedat events we could havein January, February andMarch.

Though no winter events

are set in stone for afterChristmas next year, Pur-kis said the local tourismindustry has somethingto look forward to that iscoming up in less than twomonths.

April is a packed monthfor Abilene tourism be-cause it holds the Eisen-hower Marathon and theNational Greyhound Asso-

ciation Spring Meet.Our season really starts

in April with those twobig events, she said. Themore events that you cancreate, the more trafcyoure going to pull fromoutside the area, and someof them will spend thenight.

While not every Abileneresident has the time toput together a new tourist-drawing event or has the re-sources to pull in a new ho-tel, Purkis said any Abileneresident can support localhotels and the citys tour-ism industry simply bystaying in touch with theirlong-distance loved onesand faraway friends.

State Travel and Tour-ism says the No. 1 reasonpeople travel and visitcommunities is family andfriends, she said. Classreunions. Family get-to-gethers. Our residents arethe best generator of theovernights.

it will be very retro.

Additionally, the Pot-ters are hiring part-timeemployees to help keepthe space spick-and-span.

Were just alwaysstriving to learn more andbe better, and our goal,ultimately, is to achieveexcellence, Adrian said.Every year, we hope tobring more blessings toour guests and increasethe number of peoplecoming out, and givethem the best possibleexperience.

Windmill Inn

While the VictorianInns owners moved toAbilene from New Mex-ico to run the inn, theWindmill Inns owners,Tim and Deb Sanders,who hail from Hutchin-son and Wichita, respec-tively, moved to the areawithout a bed-and-break-fast plan. They came be-cause Tim wanted to startfarming.

I looked at what wasavailable for rural wom-en, and there wasntthat much, Deb said.I wanted some work.We had stayed in a B&Bbefore, so we thought,Why not?

Twenty-four years in,the Sanders said they en-joy opening their homeas an inn, and Deb espe-cially enjoys the cook-ing. They watch cookingshows and keep an eyeon menus of upscale res-

taurants to ensure theyserve whatevers cur-rent, Deb said.

They offer eveningmeals, by reservation,to groups of eight ormore, and they serve asix-course ValentinesDinner each year on theweekend closest to theholiday.

We enjoy the hospital-ity, and we get wonder-ful people, Deb said.People who come intoa bed-and-breakfast are

looking for somethinga little different. Theydont necessarily wantthe same room they hadthe night before. Andthey enjoy getting intoolder homes, typically,and learning the history.We meet a variety of peo-ple. Its a great way shareyour property.

Deb said 2013 was agood year for the Wind-mill Inn, but the pastfew years hadnt been asstrong.

After the economy slid

in 08, things were a littlequiet, but in 2012, things

started to improve, andin 13, they improvedmore, she said. Thisyear, I expect to be backwhere we used to be be-fore the recession start-ed.

The inn has already re-ceived something new in2014: a spot on the FlintHills Quilt Block.

Were putting a quiltblock trail through theFlint Hills, and weveadded two quilt blocksout on one of our build-

ings, Deb said. Theyrevery visible from theroad and very beautiful,and theres pinwheels.Theres a lot of peoplethat have an interest inthe quilts, the patterns,that sort of thing, and Ithink that will be a gooddraw for us, for peoplecoming in to see that.

The Sanders continu-ally make changes to theinn to maintain a qualityatmosphere for the widespectrum of guests theyreceive.

Weve been gettingmore intergenerationalfamilies grandparents,parents and grandkids who want to show theirkids something differ-ent than Disneyland on

a family vacation, Debsaid. Several years ago,

we had eight men fromKorea. Only one of themcould speak English, andthat was difficult, but wesure had a nice time withthem.

Deb said she is amazedby the people she gets ac-quainted with and by thevariety of reasons theytraveled to the area.

Some are here for afuneral or a memorialservice, and of coursegraduations and wed-dings, she said. There

are all kinds of reasonswhy people are out andabout. Its pretty cool.


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More hotel beds

could be boon

to local tourismSo if we dont have what

I call the heads in beds,

then we dont have the bud-

get that we can put back

in to get more visitors to

pull off the interstate and

see the attractions and the

restaurants, fill up with gas

and spend the night.

Glenda Purkis

BedContinued from Page 2


Abilenes Victorian Inn owner Adrian Potter arranges cushions on a couch at the inn.


10/10


SALES OFFICE

PARTS

DETAIL DEPARTMENT

SERVICE

BODY SHOP

Chris EckertSales

25 Years

Thank you for your business and support over these last 31 years. During this time we have made

lots of changes and improvements to our ability to serve the transportation needs of our community

and we could not have done so without your generous support. When you choose to do business

with Holm Automotive Center, please know you are supporting our City and County and you are

doing business with friends and neighbors.

You can be sure your investment with Holm Automotive Center will be reinvested in our commu-

nity for the good of our community.

Thanks again, and heres to the next 31 years and more.

Tim Holm, Dealership Principal

Come On Over to Holm Automotive Center in Abilene.Youll Be Glad You Did!

GROWING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF DICKINSON COUNTY

Eric AltweggSales

23 Years

Pat MageeFinance Director

18 Years

Hunter McMillenSales

10 Years

Brent PalinInternet Mngr

10 Years

David BrooksSales1 Year

David SurriteSales1 Year

Jeff JohnsonSales1 Year

Jeff HolmSales

8 Years

Matt HolmGSM

8 Years

Michelle HoltSales

6 Years

Chuck SteinSales

4 Years

Ross TaplinSales Mngr.

4 Years

Michelle HolmSales

3 Years

Pam HasselmanAsst. Office Mngr

15 Years

Darwin AldersonController13 Years

Elizabeth ThompsonTitle Clerk/Acct. Receivable

7 Years

Diane HoltEvening Receptionist

4 Years

Greg HagemeisterBody Shop Tech

15 Years

Devin McKeeBody Shop Tech

3 Years

Andy ElliottBody Shop Mngr

2 Years

Norman HartmanBody Shop Tech

2 Year

Brad SignerParts Mngr

16 Years

Niles GuerraParts Consultant

4 Years

Gary HasselmanFixed Operations Mngr

27 Years

Kit VealService Tech

23 Years

Jamie AversService Advisor

14 Years

Darren RappService Tech

11 Years

Chuck LoaderService Advisor

9 Years

Mike HasselmanService Tech

6 Years

Rick VandercreekService Tech

6 Years

Steven AnguianoLube Tech

2 Years

Ramon DeLaMoraBody Shop Tech

1 Year

Jeff ThorntonService Tech

2 Years

Len LegetteDetail Mngr.

1 Year

ANY MAKE OR MODEL ON MOST MAKES AND MODELS, SO

ME SLIGHTLY MORE

holmauto.com Hrs: M-T-W-F 8-5:30

Thurs 8-8 Sat 8-2

I like Ike Month Specials!

Kim BaconReceptionist/Rental Mngr.

1 Year

Kari ThortonCashier/Title Clerk

1 Year

Dede BrunnerCollision Shop Asst.

1 Year

Justin BiasDetail Consultant

6 Months

Cody KochService Advisor

1 Year

Joshua GardinierDetail Consultant

6 Months

Jeremy PlottSales1 Year

Jed SmithSales1 Year

Corey NeufeldFinance1 Year Norm Holt

Courier Driver3 Years

Nathan WendlandBody Shop Tech

1 Year

progress 2014 - business

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