Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Before the coronavirus caused the world as we know it to come to a halt, the Dewey Economic Development Authority received an Economic Development Action Plan from the consultant and founder of Community Growth Strategies, LLC out of Osage Beach, Missouri.

Dewey City Manager Kevin Trease said the authority is still discussing the plan presented to them in March by Jim Fram.

Renaming the Industrial Park in Dewey is one of the next items that the City of Dewey will look at completing that was in Fram's report to the authority. They are also looking at installing wayfinding signage throughout the community.

Trease said the Economic Development Action Plan also calls for the Dewey Economic Development Authority to pursue a hotel for the city. He said this has been up for discussion for several years, but more so in the last year.

Having a hotel in Dewey would help the economic growth of the community, it would help with tourism and it would give people a place to stay in the city longer. This is something the community has wanted, but Trease said they have to find the right hotel. He said they need to find a franchise that wants to be in Dewey.

Part of Fram's Economic Development Plan for Dewey was for the city to establish its own Chamber of Commerce. Once upon a time, Trease said Dewey used to have a Chamber of its own. He said the authority has not touched this items in their discussions yet.

The Chamber of Commerce in Dewey eventually went away. The Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce currently works with businesses in Dewey.

Trease said the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce does a terrific job for Dewey. He said a Chamber of Commerce in Dewey may be a little more convenient, but he does not no how much more convenient it would be considering how close Dewey is in relation to Bartlesville.

The Dewey Economic Development Authority met last on Tuesday, April 14th. Trease said they were only able to discuss the renaming of the Industrial Park and the wayfinding signage for the community in their meeting. He said they have every intention of addressing all of the items in the Economic Development Action Plan that Fram with Community Growth Strategies, LLC had to offer in March.

For a full list of items in the plan that were presented in March, click here.