The governmental relations director for Kansas Farm Bureau described Sedan’s application for a Broadband Internet Center to be a promising one.

“I really believe these funds, totaling more than $2.2 million, will be approved and that we’ll be start with construction in the Bradford Hotel by January,” said Harry Watts who was largely responsible for writing the application.

Watts spoke during the annual meeting of the Chautauqua County Farm Bureau on Tuesday night.

Other entities involved in the application are the Sedan Area Foundation, SKT Telephone Company, the Southeast Kansas Education Center at Greenbush, the Hometown Prosperity program and Quad County Enterprises.

The Kansas Farm Bureau is taking a lead role in this application because of its experience in grant writing and connections with state and federal agency leaders.

The proposal calls for the second and third floors of the downtown hotel in Sedan to be made into a regional internet center which would serve the region in promoting the installation and use of broadband internet for medical, educational, industrial, business and economic development purposes.

Watts said he expects to hear within the next 30 days if the application made it past the first sorting which was to take place in Washington, D.C.  Then the decisions regarding the selection of a Broadband Internet Center will be made at the state level.

Watts said the application package has the full support of all six members of the Kansas congressional delegation in Washington, and the solid support of Gov. Mark Parkinson.