Junction City Mayor Jeff Underhill and Geary County Commission Chair Trish Giordano issued a joint statement on Friday that said they have "great faith in the current efforts of our Economic Development Committee and Director Mickey Fornaro-Dean. "
Underhill noted that there are rumors and speculation about projects that the EDC is working on. "Most of them are just inaccurate and completely untrue. There are people saying that we're going to bring in businesses that are going to add a smell to the community or reduce property values and that sort of thing, and the fact of the matter is that Trish and I both live in that neighborhood on the west side of town. So we don't want obscene smells in our areas either and we don't want to do anything that would be a detriment to the city."
Underhill assured the community that they are working to make the best choices. They also do not want business or industry that doesn't fit in the area or the workforce.
The mayor said that there a lot of great things happening in the city and county. For example Camso / Michelin has exceeded employment goals and are expanding their building and operations. Fairview Junction is purchasing and moving into an existing building on Perry Street and there is a national buzz about the community with the Junction for Military and Civilian Innovation.
Underhill said they seeking more growth and have applied for various funding options at the state and national level to get money for a new interchange at Taylor Road and I-70. The interchange is important to future growth, and that opens up another access to and from the west a well as potential sites for industrial and retail development.