Alva Review-Courier -

Rick Cunningham, Stan Kline and Randy McMurphy were enough to make a quorum at Tuesday morning's Woods County Industrial Development Authority meeting. (Members Richard Ryerson and Connor Martin were not present.) Neal Williams, Woods County Economic Development Committee director, was on hand to do a roll call and provide board members with documents detailing previous meeting minutes, financial reports and outstanding bills. He also presented a new meeting schedule for quickly approaching 2021. (Board members approved meeting quarterly on the second Tuesday of each month.)

After approving the last meeting's minutes, the board reviewed the finances before ultimately approving them. On the balance sheet, as of Aug. 31, total assets were $1,653,921.73. The total current liability of $1,650 was for an Economic Development Committee pledge. As for outstanding bills, the yearly pledge of $7,500 was due, and given there were sufficient funds in the account to pay it, the motion to approve carried.

Up next for discussion was the Waynoka Incubator. Williams said they are still receiving $1,250 per month from a tenant that is no longer in the building but still honoring its contract. A check from them was received earlier in the week. At a previous meeting, Williams said there might be a prospective renter, but they turned out to be in the welding industry and, because of that, it was not a good fit. There have been no other inquiries up to this point.

Cunningham asked if there was advertising of some kind for the building's vacancy. Williams told him that he is trying to get it listed on the State Department of Commerce's website with all of the other empty buildings in Woods County. He mentioned putting up a "For Rent" banner on the premises.

Regarding the airport project, Williams said they are looking at changing the project's emphasis on aviation education. He said they are working with Northwestern Oklahoma State University on aviation, drones and robotics. Students from this area could benefit significantly by learning more about drones, not only flying them but collecting and interpreting data. Doing so would provide students with a wealth of knowledge and business savvy to keep up with technological advancements.

NWOSU Vice President Bo Hannaford and Northwest Technology’s Superintendent, Daren Slater, are working alongside Williams in figuring out the intricacies of the program. Another area of interest Williams said was the programming science of futuristic self-driving automobiles.

These programs' goal is to educate students to equip them to have a leading edge in the job market. Cunningham was pleased to hear about the efforts put forth because of how fast technology is changing. Williams said the applications are varied, and even farmers are using drone technology to determine where fertilizer needs to be applied. Oil companies and pipelines are putting them to use, too.

Speaking of collecting data, Williams said he has been working with City Manager Angelica Brady to get a new Alva Regional Airport survey. The board expressed great faith in Brady's ability to get it going. Williams told the group that he has met with Brady and Alva Chamber of Commerce Director Jodie Bradford to set up monthly meetings to develop ideas on how Alva, Freedom and Waynoka can work together to promote each other.

The next agenda item was about a Value Added Products note extension. The payment schedule was extended for VAP due to the effects of COVID-19. Williams said VAP provides schools with products, and because of school shutdowns in March, business decreased. Getting supplies and also servicing accounts became extremely difficult. Payment deferment went into effect in August and will go until the end of November. The next payment due is December 1 for the amount of $7,200.

McMurphy then brought up the 2020 Census. Oklahoma is lagging on census response, and there is a lot at stake, he said. Census numbers dictate many vital matters like legislative representation, school lunches and grants. Up to $1,600-$1,700 per person will be missed if residents don't turn in their census paperwork.

The conversation then moved on to broadband technology. McMurphy said Woods County will now have the option of using Nextlink Internet – it's wireless and will cover many areas. This has been a point of focus for about three months. Williams mentioned the Town of Freedom, where the mayor, Shad Brackin, and his wife Kari, had to leave their ranch and go into town for Mrs. Brackin to get a hardwire internet connection. She is in the medical field, and because of privacy laws, wireless connections are not allowed. Williams said they are working diligently on ways to service rural areas. Even Alva's downtown is being looked into to make wifi accessible.

"If we don't have high-speed internet, there's going to be things we can't participate in down the road. That's been highlighted because of COVID," said Williams.

COVID-19 has changed many things, and one of them is employees working from home. It is speculated that after the pandemic ceases, many businesses will continue operating this way. Williams said he's even heard of former Alvans wanting to come back to Alva for this reason; they would continue working for their current big-city employer but from the comfort of their home here. Because of this, Williams believes it is crucial to make sure there is adequate infrastructure in place.

Another project in the works is an electric charging station designed for two vehicles. The station will be going in downtown on the square. Though there isn't an abundance of electric cars in town, the station is projected to be popular with out-of-towners passing through Alva traveling to and from states like Colorado and New Mexico. After that discussion wrapped up, the meeting adjourned.