by William Crum
At the planning session tonight the Board of Public Utilities members talked about what the utility’s projected income will be for 2015.
On the electrical side, income is an estimated 27 percent for residential; this is due to the housing boom which the county is going through, BPU officials said. Also 26 percent is projected for industrial, according to BPU officials.
However, the big increase is on the commercial side, which will be an estimated 47 percent, which is an increase over previous years. This is mainly due to corporations, for example, General Motors and Owens Corning Fiberglass, whose sales are up. A lot of other corporations are considering coming to Wyandotte County in the future, therefore the overall revenue for the BPU will be up, according to officials.
On the water side, revenue will be down slightly. An estimated $30,000 decrease is anticipated, according to BPU officials.
At the regular meeting, Heidi Holliday, executive director of the Rosedale Development Association, gave a presentation. Rosedale Development Association has a program that is dedicated to helping the youth of the community and Is funded through grants through the Board of Public Utilities, he said. It started in 1997 with the goal of providing Rosedale youth ages 14 to 17 an opportunity to gain experience training and skills that they need to successfully enter the workforce upon completion.
Within the organization, for example, they learn skills such as how to fill out and turn in an application, resume writing and cover letter writing. Not only do they learn skills, they also hear from various speakers on diverse topics during the orientation and weekly lunch and learn sessions, according to Holliday.
Rosedale Development Association also is a partner with businesses, higher education, and other organizations providing similar services. Currently they’re looking for other businesses with whom they can be a partner, she said. They are also looking for speakers who will come in and talk about the corporations they represent. For more information, contact Allissa Jensen, 913-677-5097.