By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Robert E. and Patricia Schmidt Foundation awarded Imagine Ellis County $50,000 Wednesday to promote Ellis County.
The group arose out of the Dane G. Hansen Strategic Doing meetings. The Imagine Ellis Committee, which is operating under the umbrella of Grow Hays, is meeting to discuss improving the quality of life in Ellis County.
"Those are baseline things you can't ignore to attract a workforce," he said.
The committee is made up of elected officials, business leaders and directors of local nonprofit organizations.
The committee hopes to use the funds to promote Ellis County. This will include a video, website and community survey.
The group wants to show potential residents why they should move to Ellis County.
"The story that's being told," Sandy Jacobs, Hays mayor and committee member, said, "may be told by families, but when you're a business looking at relocating, one of the first things you look at, especially if you're bringing some of your own employees, is that there's a great quality of life when you get there."
The committee will host a Strategic Doing event on Feb. 7, as well as town hall meeting.
"We would encourage anyone who reads about [Imagine Ellis] or hears about it and wants to have input and even wants to attend meetings to reach out," Jacobs said. "We want as many who want to participate."
You may follow the group on Facebook at Imagine Ellis County.