By: The Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC) | 9.10.25
Community Growth Conversations
Throughout 2025, conversations have been taking place across Pottawatomie County to understand needs and priorities at a high, mid, and low level. The idea is that having a broad understanding of these things will allow community leaders and stakeholders to connect needs with resources and facilitate collaboration amongst entities to address solutions.
Westmoreland
The Westmoreland Community Growth Conversation took place on 4/10 with approximately 20 attendees, primarily city commissioners and city staff.
Projects:
- Asphalt patching streets throughout town (41,710 sq ft, $500,520 estimated cost)
- South ball diamond perimeter fencing
- State Street intersection culvert replacement/ storm drainage issues
- N. Walnut St. storm drainage issues
- Community Center exterior rotted siding/ trim replacement
- Library rear wall repairs
- Library roof replacement
- City Hall concrete pad/ exterior wall repointing
- Road salt storage
- Shop 30’ addition to work bays and 50’ equipment storage bays
- South ball diamond field lighting
- Asphalt overlay of seats
- Storage garage interior ceiling replacement
- Street intersection signage replacement throughout town
- Community center improvements: projector and mounting, 98” television/ mount/ installation, 8’ commercial table
Equipment Replacement:
- 2004 New Holland backhoe L1
- 2013 New Holland skid loader L2
- 2003 F650 dump/ plow truck T3
The discussion covered a range of priority projects and equipment replacements aimed at maintaining and improving community infrastructure. These projects include essential street repairs and drainage improvements, updates to public facilities such as the library, community center, and City Hall, and enhancements to recreational spaces like the south ball diamond. Planned upgrades also address signage, storage, and equipment needs, including the addition of work bays and field lighting. In addition, the city intends to replace aging equipment—specifically a backhoe, skid loader, and dump/plow truck—to ensure continued efficiency in public works and maintenance operations.
St George
The St George Community Growth Conversation took place on 4/17 with approximately 20 attendees, primarily city commissioners, planning and zoning committee members, staff and community members. We discussed the community’s top priorities, beginning with a comprehensive street and road study to guide future repairs, followed by the development of a downtown strategic plan, a Master Parks Plan, improved street lighting, and addressing elevated nitrate levels in the water. Additional goals include encouraging commercial development along Highway 24 and Vineyard—though limited by current water and sewer infrastructure—and constructing a new City Hall that includes community space and houses the Police Department.
Top priorities identified and ranked:
- Street/ road study to know where to start with fixing streets that are falling in and apart
- Downtown strategic plan
- Master Parks Plan
- Street lighting
- Address water issue (testing high for nitrates)
Additional items:
- Encourage commercial development on Hwy 24 and Vineyard and annex, but water/ sewer can’t reach out there
- Build city hall with a community space and house the Police Dept
St Marys
The St Marys Community Growth Conversation took place on May 6 with approximately 50 attendees including Kaw Valley Chamber of Commerce members as well as county commissioners Dee McKee, Bill Drew, Terry Force and Merl Page, state senator Kenny Titus, the new CEO of CHCS, and various business owners and community members.
Top priorities identified and ranked:
- Creative housing strategy (including addressing flood certification and easements)
- Expansion of a city/ development of an additional area
- Assessment of sewer infrastructure/ aging pipes and sewer
Additional items discussed (in no particular order):
- Safety issues (specifically on Main St/ Hwy 24 and pedestrian crossing; making the crosswalks more visible like in Wamego)
- Downtown beautification and parking
- Workforce development: recruiting, hiring, professional development
- Business accelerator
- Healthcare services
- Municipal wealth fund
- Mural grants
- Park improvements and recreation (including swimming pool and concession stand)
- City and downtown beautification (potentially consider a theme to be known for)
- More signage
- Historical link
- Military memorial arch
- Assisted living
- Future college development
The items discussed fell into three main categories: projects, partnerships, and planning. Some are relatively straightforward, such as mural grants, park improvements, and signage. Others will require more extensive planning, including a creative housing strategy, city expansion, and sewer infrastructure. Partnerships can help move forward additional priorities like improving healthcare services (through Community HealthCare System) and advancing workforce development (in collaboration with nearby technical colleges).
Wamego
Participated in the Vision Wamego strategic planning process in 2025. Vision Wamego is a joint initiative led by the Wamego Chamber of Commerce and the City of Wamego, with guidance from a steering committee composed of business owners, elected officials, and community leaders.
- Housing:
Support the development of a diverse range of housing options to meet the needs of all residents—at every income level and stage of life. This includes affordable housing, workforce housing, and housing for seniors, ensuring our community remains accessible and welcoming to all. - Utilities and Infrastructure:
Prioritize the planning, maintenance, and replacement of essential utility infrastructure to support long-term community growth and reliability. This includes water, sewer, and other core systems that are vital to everyday life and future development. - Revenue and Taxes:
Ensure the city generates strong, sustainable revenue through economic development, sales tax, property tax, and other sources. This includes attracting and retaining businesses, encouraging city growth, and promoting tourism to boost sales tax revenue. The goal is to maintain healthy revenue streams so we can keep property taxes as low as possible.
Wamego Housing Assessment (Completed 2/15/25)
Onaga
The Onaga Community Growth Conversations have taken place as a committee throughout the spring and summer with approximately 5 attendees, primarily community members and the city staff member. Working with FHRC, who has EPA dollars, the group is reviewing the previously developed Comprehensive Plan, zeroing in on downtown revitalization.
- School bond for new building
- Sidewalk improvement
- The city would like to work with landlords with vacant properties; code enforcement and inspections prior to leasing.
- Downtown Revitalization Projects:
- Move city office to Main Street (need funding to rehab building the city owns)
- Fill vacant properties downtown with interested small business owners (HEAL program)
Next Steps
- Learn how we matched grants to projects by creating Community Grant Opportunities. We grouped projects into buckets (infrastructure, housing, economic development, etc.) and assigned likely funding sources.
- Download a copy of the Community Grant Calendar spreadsheet. Open the Google Sheet, then select “File” → “Make a Copy” to save it to your own Google Drive. The sheet includes grants and timelines you can update and track for your community.
- Member communities should contact Flint Hills Regional Council for grant writing assistance.
