~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The Greene County board of supervisors heard a glowing report from Ken Paxton, Greene County Chamber and Development, on the county’s premier national status in the rural technology revolution at its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 21.
Paxton reported Greene County is “Ground Zero in the US for rural technology.” Across the country, large computer firms are wanting to move out of large population areas to find and develop technology talent in rural areas. The Forge, located in Jefferson, is a prototype for how this can be done, according to Paxton.
“The Lincoln Corridor, an area contained in a triangle from Carroll, to Jefferson, to Boone, to Perry, contains 50,000 people and no place is more than 40 minutes from any other,” Paxton said. “This concept is attractive to technology developers.”
Paxton also spoke of the housing, cultural, and recreational assets being developed in the county. “The 12-unit housing (built by Rowland Construction) is two-thirds completed.” He spoke of the possibility of the current middle school becoming upscale apartments. “These make living here very attractive and are helpful in selling the concept of rural technology to tech companies.”
The board proceeded with steps toward obtaining a credit rating from Standard and Poor in order to offer the sale of $5.1 million general obligation urban renewal capital loan notes to be used for the career academy and other urban renewal projects. Heidi Kuhl, Northland Securities representative, prepared the board for a conference call with S&P Global to occur after the board meeting.
Kuhl explained factors that go into calculating a credit rating for a county. Financial reports are crucial and “the kind of things Mr Paxton said about growth and current projects.”
Supervisor Tom Contner asked who usually buys the notes and Kuhl said, “Banks buy the notes. Greene County banks will have first chance, then other banks across Iowa and the Midwest.”
The county credit rating will be publicly announced when available.
The board also issued a resolution approving distribution of a preliminary official statement offering the notes for sale. Obtaining a county credit rating prepares the way for final offering of the notes for sale.
In other business, sheriff Jack Williams asked the board about sending deputies to Guthrie County “to help cover shifts.” Several officers in Guthrie County are recovering from wounds suffered during a stand-off shooting in Stuart last week. The board agreed.
