November 2022 Meeting Minutes

by | May 10, 2023 | Meetings & Minutes

West Central Mountains Economic Development Council
Board Meeting Agenda
November 8, 2022 3:00pm
City of Donnelly Community Room
Zoom Available: Link Below

Executive Session 2:30 (Open unless otherwise specified) – No Executive Session this month

Present (In-Person): Kelly Hill, Belinda Provancher, Sherry Maupin

Present (Zoom): Judy Nissula, Cynda Herrick, Dylan Martin, Rachel Wessel; Jill Morris-Chapman; Johanna Osterman; Vonna Torrey

Guest: Matt Spelberg (BSU Community Impact Program Student), Darcie Lacroix, Tiffany Dobbs (St. Luke’s McCall), Lindsey Harris

 

Board Meeting Called to Order at 3:08

  • Approval of Agenda
  • Motion by Vonna
  • Seconded by Cynda, motion passed
  • Approval of Past Minutes
    • Motion by Belinda
    • Seconded by Sherry, motion passed
  • Treasurer’s report
    • Approval of Treasurer’s Report
      • Motion by Sherry
      • Seconded by Kelly, motion passed
    • Letter(s) of Support Requests: None this month
    • Community Reports
      • Cascade (Cynda): new restaurant the Whistle Stop is open and has good food. Facelift completed. Cascade has a bond today to make improvements to the water system. Also, the fire department has a proposed levy as well. Post Four Corner fire challenges for the Cascade community re: potential mud slides and impacts to drinking water. Citizens are being encouraged to look into insurance coverage for the next 7 years that live in the area to cover those potential disasters. 450 people were displaced from the fire.
      • Donnelly (Belinda): 450 kids participated in trunk or treat, all positive. Christmas in Donnelly scheduled for December 3rd – 18 vendors.  Roseberry plaza is filling up again.  Roseberry Coffee is doing great as a new business and has drive-thru.  They are interested in what is happening in the local area and trying to get connected, check it out. BBQ trailer across from the hat shop has great food. Long Valley Hotel was bought by a construction company and they will be converting the rooms into long-term housing for employees.
      • McCall (Lindsey & Sherry): Downtown Tree Lighting scheduled for 1st Friday in December. 4th of July Fireworks discussion on who owns that for 2023. Library under construction, hospital is moving along, planning on a January opening, but occupancy would be several months later.   McCall Donnelly School District purchased the Crestline building.  Looking at 0 – 14 ages to be supported there in addition to office space for administration.  Planning on an Associates Degree as an option there as well through higher education partners.
      • New Meadows (Sherry): Difficulty with hooking up their Air Bridge access because of Ziply, who owns the fiber, holding off on approving use of their line. Broadband is still a major conversation. Skate Park fundraiser was successful in the amount of 41K, with corporate match from Idaho First Bank. Brundage was not able to get the driveway completed prior to the snow coming on their “schoolhouse” project that they are naming the “Meadow Haus.” Brundage is anticipating occupancy starting Dec. 1st that will hopefully house up to 15 employees. The Hartland Inn will not be operating as a hotel and B&B for this winter, but there will be people helping run it to hopefully be seasonal housing for local employees.
      • Valley County
        • Final draft of the waterways management plan – asking for all to review and comment, trying to balance economic and environmental impacts, trying to make good, informed decisions. Two Commissioner seats up for grabs for elections today. ARPA funds current as well as 3.25m coming next year for a total of 8.8m to invest in our community – these are one-time funds to use.  Sherry is pushing conversations along for housing.  Seeking a partnership with the existing housing trust. It is time to move toward self-sustainable local housing – emphasis on this prior to the end of the year.   Looking at establishing an improved fairgrounds in Cascade, additional building improvements for the future, as well as expanding seating in the arena. Broadband is a much larger conversation. Current potential plans to connect fiber from Meadows Valley to Emmett would cost 20m and would require partnership with Idaho Power to make that happen. Clearwater Financial has been hired to conduct a Masters Facility Plan that will look into what is happening in our region and what those impacts are for County facilities, they will advise based on findings. Master Transportation plan has just been reviewed and seeking input.  Volumes of strategic planning activity now.
      • WCMEDC Updates
        • Early Childhood Education update from Darcie and Dylan
          • Darcie’s Departure –Resignation letter received
          • Motion to accept her resignation by Vonna
          • Seconded by Kelly, motion passed
          • Creative Cubs – Forest Service is going to be seeking a director for their program – connecting with U of I in an effort to fill that position. Possibly partnering with Brundage, St. Luke’s for childcare. Current Crestline Building – providing early childhood spaces as well by new owners, the McCall Donnelly School District. Cascade Library had their official re-opening – added mental health services. Teen Center activity is booming at the school in Cascade, it is open really late, seeking some help with that.  Food after Football Games. Has been some frustration with the community center in Cascade, petition is generating different understandings of the intention of the childcare discussion and sharing the facility owned by the County, but leased to the senior center. Tiffany says with regard to the early learning facility at the Crestline Academy to get a lease in place until they find a space to move into.   Luke’s community grant is pending as well. Dylan is working on a job description for Darcie’s position with Lindsey, he will submit to the board for review and then we will post publicly. Already has been a couple of interested applicants, informally.
        • Grant(s) report
          • None at this time
        • Payette River Scenic Byway (Cynda)
          • 10/27 meeting – no status on grants yet through LHTAC. Looking to keep the board representation to be across all areas.  Improvements being made.  All scenic byways are getting a refresh on-line through new media by State tourism, and also hopefully with the National Travel Center.  Lindsey has joined the board as the administrator. Group discussed standardized responses to proposed developments they receive notices for that would encourage landscaping and other aesthetic improvements that could keep the byway scenic. Overall, group is seeing positive activity and seeking more participation from Boise County and Ada County, as well as potentially Chambers.
        • Community Development
          • Creative District Update (Delta) – Delta was absent. No update this month.
        • CAT Updates
          • Housing
          • Infrastructure
            • Meeting plan on the 10th; Infrastructure map need for the region will be an idea proposed to the team by Lindsey.
          • Transportation
            • Meeting on the 22nd. LHTAC/VAPP meeting took place a few weeks ago – Regional participation was good. Reviewed applications from municipalities.  Cascade and New Meadows projects were determined to be priority by the VAPP group. Lindsey is now on the Treasure Valley Transit board. TVT was looking to move to an old F&G building in Nampa for their headquarters. Discussions for Meadows Valley to McCall connectivity are tabled due to low staff, but will be picked up again come spring.  McCall Donnelly school district applied for a grant to purchase electric school buses. Sherry mentioned ITD is planning to conduct a transportation study of our HWY 55 corridor, which communities have been asking for. Will provide an update as she learns more on when this will be happening.
          • Early Childhood Development. (Covered above)
          • Business Retention & Expansion
            • Lindsey has been discussing opportunities for businesses with both Boise State University and University of Idaho and hopes to implement some classes and programming after the New Year.
          • Broadband
            • Meeting held last Friday. Statewide conference on Broadband to be held Nov. 15-16 in Boise. Lindsey will be attending, as well as Chris Curtain from the WCM Fiber group.
          • Communications
            • Lindsey is updating the website. Planning on quarterly email blasts to provide important information and get our name out there more. Lindsey created a Mail Chimp account. Additional emphasis on marketing on who we are, what we do.
          • Transportation – LHTEC & VAPP meeting recap covered above.
        • New Business
          • Tiffany shared spring Mental Health series coming up. “Crucial Conversations” and “Be Here Tomorrow” scheduled. Not awarded the  new grant, but granted an extension with existing grant to spend funds through the end of May 2023. Ponderosa Center and St. Luke’s are partnering for next  year on some programming.
          • Lindsey is representing our area on the Idaho Community Foundation SW Idaho Regional Council Board
        • Public Comment – none
        • Adjournment at 4:39pm

ZOOM MEETING LINK

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83483669588?pwd=ZHl6US9SaGZoWms4R2tjS3lDSEhCdz09