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Demographics State: Kansas
Counties (Census Tract): Wichita County (9576)
Community Population: #9; #9; 2,758
Emigration Rate: 17.5%
Net Land Area: 718.6 square miles

Background

• Outmigration status
• 28.3% of the area population has less than a high school education
• High infant morality rate

  Located in the High Plains area of western Kansas, Wichita County was once a thriving center of family farming and the commercial hub of the region (Leoti is the County seat and the only incorporated city in the County). A restructuring of the farm economy has forced many family farms out of business (farm employment has been cut by nearly 40 percent since the 1980 census) and has led to a long-term decline in the population of Wichita County. This loss of jobs and population has devastated the area tax base and businesses, and put a strain on social services as well. With its strategic plan, Wichita County will strive to make the area a place their children will want to remain to work and live in. 

Strategic Plan Highlights 

With the implementation of the strategic plan, the community strives to balance economic and community development.

• Infrastructure—implement a plan to improve the water, sewer, and street maintenance, upgrade airport runways and supporting equipment and facilities, and resurface 6 miles of hard surfaced county road;
• Economic Development—conduct business training for new and existing businesses on an annual basis, establish a revolving loan fund to assist new and expanding businesses, establish an Agricultural Technology Center to promote and assist in the development of on-farm and value-added processing of agricultural products, construct an industrial park, and establish a local investment corporation to invest in new business developments;
• Housing—rehabilitate 3 houses per year for low-income residents, develop an affordable housing financing program, including low-interest revolving loans, low-income grants, and first time home buyers programs;
• Health Care–establish a medical personnel recruitment team, recruit a second physician, recruit a dentist and establish a dental clinic, construct an 8 unit assisted living facility, implement telemedicine system, develop and implement countywide drug and alcohol intervention plan, and upgrade emergency medical services communications system;
• Education—establish vocational training programs, establish an adult education learning program, implement the school technology plan, conduct community computer skills/computer literacy training, and create a youth entrepreneurship incubator and program;
• Environmental—identify potential brownfields and assess for environmental contamination, conduct a community-wide cleanup program, establish a county recycling center.

Wichita County Health Center, Wichita County Economic Development office, U.S.D. 467, Leotia Area Chamber of Commerce, First State Bank, and Security State Bank shared information and have nurtured a collaborative initiative. In addition, they have developed partnerships with the following entities: the Great Plains Development, Inc., an organization providing the local governments and citizens with access to outside funding sources for economic and community development projects; Kansas Rural Economic Development Alliance, a consortium of economic development groups from 46 western Kansas counties who work together to promote economic development efforts in the area of dairy recruitment; and the Santa Fe Trail Resource Conservation and Development. Wichita County has also developed partnerships with regional organizations, state agencies, and federal agencies. 

Leveraging 

The Wichita County Economic Development Office has identified the following organizations as partners who are committed to providing area health care programs: Wichita County Park and Recreation Board ($100,000), Kansas University Medical Center ($25,00), St. Catherine Hospital ($15,000), Wichita County Health Center ($15,000) and the Rural Development 504 Home Repair Loan Program. 

Community Involvement 

The plan states there was wide citizen participation. The committees seem to be representational of a cross section of the community.

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