This year’s community fireworks show was a success! We had people lined up along the river, in Orlis Cox, Forest Park, and every other lot in the vicinity of the shoot. Massive shoutout to our Chautauqua Festival committee, led by City employees, Rudy Holden and Blake Anderson. These two gentlemen, along with their team, worked their tails off throughout the entirety of the 4th to make this show as spectacular as it was. The whole shoot was posted to YouTube, but check out the finale here (video here)!
The exciting bit is that we get to do it all again next year! 2026 has all the potential to be the biggest show that our community has ever seen. With the help of key partners, including the City of Ottawa and Franklin County Government, and the support of local families and businesses, we hope to create something truly special for the nation's 250th birthday. If you’re interested in giving, please check out that info here (invitation available here). If you’re interested in playing a role in the planning or execution of the event, we’d love to have more passionate teammates join Rudy and Blake next summer. Reach out to our office with any and all fireworks-related inquiries!
Help Shape Ottawa’s Future—One Cent at a Time
At the beginning of this month, the City of Ottawa Commission authorized the opening of a public survey (survey here). Its purpose is to better understand initiatives and programs that citizens would like to see accomplished in the coming years. As a municipality, this information helps guide our community forward towards common goals. The timing of this survey is deliberate, as it will help collect data during a period when unity around community development is especially important.
To understand its significance and where we’re headed, it’s essential to know where we’ve come from. Back in 2015, Ottawa voters approved a one-cent sales tax to help fund public safety, economic development, and other essential services. For the last decade, this tax has gone to work. Today, that one cent helps keep our streets safer, our infrastructure stronger, and our property taxes lower by about 30%. It was a way to invest in our community without placing the entire burden on property owners.
In less than a year, this one-cent sales tax is set to expire (July 1, 2026). Conversations are now underway as the city asks the public what should come next. This anonymous survey is an opportunity for the public to help shape the future of the community. It’s also a chance to be transparent about the challenges that face our families, neighborhoods, and businesses. Vocalizing these challenges in a productive way gives direction for City staff to strategize and for the community to rally behind. All this climaxes this fall, as the city is preparing to place an extension of the existing one-cent sales tax on the November 2025 ballot. An important decision that everyone can play a part in. I hope you’ll take the opportunity to share your thoughts on how to best grow together (survey here).
Stronger Together: Regional Chambers & Small Biz Resources
This week, Chambers throughout the NE region came together in Holton, Kansas to learn from one another, celebrate accomplishments, and empower each other through challenges. This is an ongoing effort by our local SBDCs to support our organizations. We had the opportunity to start the meeting with Christian Hopkins and Katrina Campbell from the Kansas Small Business Office, a newly launched division within the Kansas Department of Commerce. This office was created in response to a growing need for centralized, accessible support for entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state. Recognizing that small businesses account for more than 99% of all companies in Kansas, the state established this office to connect business owners with the tools, programs, and guidance offered throughout the state that can help nurture success.
During our meeting, Christian kicked things off with a walkthrough of ConnectKS, the office’s new online platform that makes it easier for entrepreneurs to find and filter resources based on their business’s needs (direct link here). This website is brand new and continues to grow every day. But whether a business is in the idea stage, or already established and looking to expand, ConnectKS hopes to serve as a one-stop shop for funding programs, mentorship opportunities, events, and technical assistance—all searchable by region, sector, or business stage. Katrina followed by highlighting the certification program for minority- and women-owned businesses, which opens doors to procurement, grants, and contracting opportunities that eligible companies might not be aware of but can have access to (portal for this certification here). She explained that this certification process isn’t new, but has sometimes felt complex in the past. Their office is working to streamline it and make the benefits more widely known. That’s where we local Chambers come into play! Both Christian and Katrina emphasized that Chambers can play a key role in amplifying these resources at the regional level, enabling small business owners in our communities to know what’s available and how to access it. For more info, this office is easily accessible via email (view that here).
Your Weekly Dose of Community Connection
The Chamber was recognized in a recent Ottawa Herald segment they’re calling, Free in Franklin County. This piece is designed to highlight an amenity in town that citizens can engage in without breaking the bank. This article highlighted our regular networking events: Chamber Coffees and Ribbon Cuttings (article here). These ever-present events are one of my favorite parts of each week! The ability to learn something new while experiencing fellowship with community members is hard to beat. Though I realize that, as a self-proclaimed extrovert, my form of fun might be better categorized as nightmares for others… I get excited about attending crowded events, whereas my wife gets anxious just thinking about it! With that being said, I’m thankful that we have an inclusive business community that rallies around newcomers. I appreciate the Herald highlighting our Chamber Coffees, and I hope that we can continue to grow engagement as others discover this hidden gem.
From Home-Based to Main Street: KC Appliance’s Big Move
Speaking of Chamber events, this morning’s ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by the new downtown business, KC Appliance Repair (pictures here). Chantel and Keith Dougherty are the owners and operators of this service and retail company. This business is new to downtown Ottawa but isn’t new to them, having eight years of experience before opening this shop in March. Following their success as a home-based business, they knew the next step for their growing company was to find a brick-and-mortar location.
This step in a business's lifecycle is a significant accomplishment due to its growth and for the fact that it’s pretty challenging to find the right commercial space that meets a business's needs. If you’re unaware, our community does not have a lot of empty commercial spaces lying around unoccupied (which is a good sign of economic health!). As a result, many businesses have to adapt to what spaces are available, or in the case of KC Appliance, make the space fit their needs. Chantel shared that there was a significant amount of excitement when they signed their lease at 216 S Main Street. But that excitement was replaced with anxiety pretty quickly, as she was hit straight away with a big challenge. The back doors that they were planning to use for loading and unloading large appliances were too small. But that didn’t keep her down! It took a couple of months to remedy, but they were able to replace the doors to fit their needs.
We learned this morning that, along with repairing appliances, they also sell scratch-and-dent washers, dryers, fridges, stoves, and more. After opening this past spring, Chantel shared that it took one week to sell all of the stoves and washers on the floor! The response blew her away, and she was excited to tackle the next challenge, finding the right amount of inventory for the store. If you buy from KC Appliance Repair, you get a couple of key benefits. One is that they’ll deliver to you, wherever you may be! If you need to get your old appliance picked up, they work with a group that will help with that too. The other key benefit is that even though most of their items are scratch and dent, you can still receive a full warranty. Though you might be able to save a few bucks by finding an appliance through Facebook Marketplace, if you buy from KC Appliance and something goes wrong in the early days of ownership, the Doughertys are there to catch you.
Whether you need parts, repair, or a new appliance, check out KC Appliance Repair. If you want to stay tuned to what’s happening in their world, check out their Facebook page here (click here). Along with seeing products that they have in store, you can also catch posts highlighting their friendly “Mousescot” (a mouse mascot). The Chamber is excited to see this locally owned business flourish here in our community. I hope you stop by and check them out!
As Wellsville Grows, So Does Access to Quality Healthcare
We’ve celebrated with AdventHealth Ottawa on several occasions over the last few years, as they've made numerous investments in existing and new healthcare facilities. This momentum has not slowed down! This morning, they cut a ribbon to unveil their most recent venture in Wellsville, showcasing their updated clinic (pictures here). Although this clinic is not in Ottawa, it falls under the AdventHealth Ottawa network, which shares resources across all Franklin County locations. This clinic and partnership is helpful for multiple reasons. Having the overhead support from a stable hospital allows this location to operate efficiently. It also provides this growing town with a much-needed amenity and resource. As the metro continues to expand, Wellsville is experiencing unprecedented residential growth. With expanded space and offerings following this remodel, they will be able to expand their care and treat all of Wellsville's bumps and bruises.
To help commemorate the day, a host of speakers help kick off the event. Wellsville City Council, Wellsville Chamber of Commerce, and even Congressional Representative Sharice Davids attended the event. Sharice had the opportunity to speak and reinforced the importance of health care access regardless of your zip code. She’s spot on! Rural communities throughout Kansas struggle with sustaining facilities to treat their citizens. I feel very lucky to live in an area that takes the health of its community seriously. AdventHealth’s investment in facilities, offerings, and personnel are all examples of this. Congrats to AdventHealth and Wellsville on this fantastic new clinic!
~
This weekend, family and friends will gather around Makayla as we celebrate her birthday weekend! Pictures and stories to come next week. Talk to you soon!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
