Housing, child care, development needs discussed at PCED On Board meeting

    Blame the scarcity of child care or the housing shortage or the lack of access to winter sports — businesses in Holyoke and Phillips County are struggling to recruit out-of-town employees.
    Local officials and business leaders sat down for a round-table discussion Monday, Oct. 22, to discuss economic development in Phillips County and the ways in which locals are tackling the challenges that come with hiring in small towns and stretching small budgets.
    Phillips County Economic Development On Board was the first meeting of its kind since October 2016 and brought together representatives from Phillips County, the Town of Haxtun, Haxtun Hospital District, Melissa Memorial Hospital, Holyoke Community Childcare Initiative, Holyoke City Council, Holyoke School District and Holyoke Chamber of Commerce.
    Also present were PCED board members and Bethleen McCall, who is a candidate to represent House District 65 in the Colorado Legislature.
    The concerns raised by attendees at the meeting tracked closely with the three points of PCED’s strategic plan — housing, diversification of industry and workforce/youth development.
    Attendees agreed one of the most pressing issues is housing, with virtually every entity echoing the need for more housing accommodating residents of different income levels.
    Because open apartments and houses are few and far between in Phillips County, employers often find themselves at the mercy of the market when trying to sign out-of-town employees.
    “Our biggest problem is affordable housing for low- and middle-income families,” Holyoke City Council member Brian Akey said.
    Haxtun Town Superintendent Ron Carpenter said the demand for housing far exceeds the amount of real estate currently available.
    “As far as larger barriers are concerned, housing is always an issue,” Carpenter said. “As a house goes on the market here, it’s sold by the end of the week.”
    PCED board member and First Pioneer National Bank of Holyoke President Tom Bennett said the most prohibitive factor is developers turning little to no profit on properties or attempting to flip their developments for unrealistic prices.
    He added that one way to attract developers could be lowering the cost of land and costs related to infrastructure.
    “I’ve been places where people have said developers should pay for themselves, but that’s not working,” Bennett said.
    PCED Executive Director Trisha Herman had mentioned at the Sept. 18 meeting of the Holyoke City Council that her organization was soliciting bids for a housing assessment, which will quantify the local housing shortage and open up  opportunities for grant funding. Phillips County was last assessed in 2004.
    Herman updated meeting attendees on the status of the assessment, saying they had since received quotes of $18,000 and $44,000.
    Bennett proposed forming a committee to tackle the housing issue and said his bank would be willing to contribute a few thousand dollars for the assessment. Phillips County Commissioner Don Lock said the County would also be interested in contributing, depending on budget restrictions, and mentioned that housing has been a problem in the county for decades.
    Herman also said certain parts of the housing assessment, like a related survey, could be handled by volunteers, which would reduce the total cost.
    Holyoke School District Superintendent Kyle Stumpf said other major hurdles arise when recruiting from outside of the community if candidates plan to move with their families.
    “Finding a job for their spouse is huge, and then the day care issue, as well,” he said.
    Recently, the Holyoke Community Childcare Initiative has made strides in raising funds and planning for a day care facility north of Melissa Memorial Hospital in Holyoke.
    HCCI Project Coordinator Elizabeth Hutches said Holyoke’s current network of child care providers can only accommodate 68 children. Because of its lack of child care resources compared to neighboring communities, even within Phillips County, the city is considered a “child care desert.”
    Herman, who also serves as HCCI treasurer, said the initiative is thinking of starting a sustainability campaign that would solicit pledges from local businesses. The initiative has already received support from Melissa Memorial Hospital, First Pioneer National Bank, Seaboard Foods, CHS Grainland and Sully Team Realty.
    The future of agriculture in light of looming irrigation issues  — namely the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer — was also discussed.
    Phillips County’s dependence on agriculture means any decline within the industry could have a massive impact on the rest of the local economy.
    “When people ask me how much percent I loan out for agriculture as a bank, I say 100 percent, because the car loans or house loans I make are for people tied to agriculture,” Bennett said. “We need to figure out something different, or something to complement that.”
    Herman said her organization has been pursuing ties with organizations like Northeast Colorado Manufacturing Partnership, which promotes manufacturing in northeast Colorado.
    Stumpf also mentioned career exploration and networking opportunities being offered through Holyoke schools.
    In September, a panel of Lockheed Martin employees traveled to the district to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and aerospace careers, and in October, Holyoke High School senior Savannah Burris spoke at a national rural education conference in Denver.
    Another idea for vacant buildings in Phillips County towns was to convert them into facilities for vocational classes, which Stumpf said his district would consider.
    In addition to development, Holyoke City Council member Gene Bittner stressed the need to support existing business, including agriculture.
    “I think the main thing is keeping the businesses we have in business,” he said.