City waits on Main Street Program answer

WORLAND – The City of Worland should find out if it will become a recipient of the Wyoming Main Street program from the Wyoming Business Council sometime this week.

Worland Mayor Dave Duffy, Board of Planning and Adjustment Commission member Terry Sutherland and City Planner Ron Vanderpool went to Cheyenne on March 23 and sat down for one hour of questioning for the program, and were notified by the board that an official letter would come this week with the city’s acceptance or rejection of the program.

Sutherland, who has become the spokesperson for the program, said they were able to bring 12 letters of support from local businesses, present the newly changed Chapter 24 – Zoning, the City of Worland Master Plan and spoke of the drafted changes to Chapter 7 – Building Code.

By bringing all these documents Sutherland said, “It was our intent to make it easier to implement the program.”

If Worland becomes a recipient of the Main Street Program, the implementation would be a diligent process because board members will need to be appointed and because the rules have changed when the program switched over to the Wyoming Business Council.

Originally, the program was under the Mains Street Committee but that has been disbanded and the program went over to the Wyoming Business Council, Sutherland said.

To help with the implementation of the program, Sutherland said he will attend the National Main Street Program on May 19 in Milwaukee, Wis.. for a workshop on the best way to work the Main Street Program’s practices in Worland, provided the community is accepted into the program.

Overall how the meeting went

Sutherland said he felt the presentation/ informal questionnaire went smoothly. They wanted to know if Worland was prepared for the Main Street Program, he said.

He added he felt the meeting was productive and they were able to answer all the council’s questions about Worland’s financial and business community.

What is the Main Street Program?

The Main Street Program was made to assist small rural communities with filling empty business with new businesses, Sutherland said. He said the Main Street Program supports existing local businesses, and recruits new businesses to compete in the new economy against chain businesses.

The Main Street Program is separated into three categories: aspiring, affiliate and certified. Worland is hoping to fall under the aspiring category, Mayor Duffy said.

Sutherland said if Worland is selected, the Main Street Program would have the focus area for implementation starting by North Railroad Avenue near the tracks down Big Horn Avenue to Big Horn Federal Bank.