January 2023 Annual Meeting Minutes

by | May 10, 2023 | Meetings & Minutes

West Central Mountains Economic Development Council
Annual Meeting
January 24, 1-5pm
Zoom link below or In-Person
101 Commercial Avenue, Historic P & IN Depot, New Meadows, ID

In-Person: Joni Osterman, Cynda Herrick, Delta James, Kelly Hill, Linnea Hall, Jill Morris Chapman, Sherry Maupin, Dylan Martin, Julie Good, Vonna Torrey, Rachel Wessel
On-Phone: Belinda Provancher
Guests: Kim Glineski, Dept. of Commerce, Lindsey Harris, Trace McKellips

  • 1:03pm Call to Order
  • Approval of Agenda ACTION ITEM
    • Julie Motion, 2nd Motion passes.
  • Welcome of Guests – Kim from Commerce & Trace McKellips, new early childhood program manager
  • Introduction of Trace McKellips, new Early Childhood Development Program Manager: background information from Trace. South Dakota growing up, Nebraska for college, then Peace Corp in Africa. Wife was in medical school and residency for many years and they always wanted to settle down in a small town. Background in natural resource management and feels like there are a lot of parallels with his new role in early childhood development. Will be attending State Advocacy Day on February 6th. Meeting with Senator Schroeder and Rep. Bundy to discuss.
  • Executive Board Elections ACTION ITEM
    • Dylan, Julie, Vonna willing to stay on in their current roles.
    • VP Candidate discussion
    • Sherry Motion, Jill 2nd to accept Dylan as President, Joni as VP, Julie as Treasurer, Vonna as Secretary. Motion passes.
  • Approval of December Minutes ACTION ITEM
    • Jill Motion, 2nd Motion passes.
  • Treasurer’s Report
    • Approval of December and 2022 YE Treasurer’s Report ACTION ITEM. Vonna Motion, Kelly 2nd. Motion passes.
    • Approval of proposed 2023 budget ACTION ITEM
      • Julie wanted to highlight the financial contribution requests with cities and community partners to ensure we have clean lines of communication and processes in place for annual giving. Lindsey, Joni, Julie to work together to create a strategy for that. Budgeted 10K for 2023 for those contributions.
    • Future Reports – A/R etc to help with outstanding items.
  • 1:30 Guest presentation Kimberly, Idaho Dept. of Commerce
    • Business retention, expansion, and attraction traditionally is economic development. That looks different for each community in Idaho. Diversifying cash flow and all those elements that go into what impacts cash flow, such as housing, for example. Attracting investments, tax base, effective use of property and resources. Business attraction team. Business retention team, which is what Kim does. 18 other E.D. professionals across the State. Gem grants. Jerry has done some bonds. Idaho Rural Partnership is now under their auspicious. International team and Governor trip every year. STEP grant. iGEM products to market, ethical testing. Community development and block grants. Check out their interactive pin map. Just replaced Matt Borud. Kim, Jenny, Tatum, Jerry, and Karen are who we work with the most on the business retention and expansion side of things. ED Pro can apply for up to $30k. Idaho’s Main Street Program and cities can buy into this program that provides trainings, collaboration. Northwest Community Development Institute was suggested for Lindsey. Next conference in July. 500K available annually for the ED Pro program, competitive grant. CEDs discussion and Cynda asked where the State was at with that discussion.
  • 2:30 Board Member Expectations & Best Practices Discussion
    • Non-profit, apolitical organization. That although we have our own personal views, as an organization we are “Switzerland.” Please be advocates in your respective circles for our organization and let people know who we are and what we do.
    • Discussion of CATs moving forward & implementing chairs/leaders for each team: Dylan would like to see board members could chair each of these CAT groups. Delta brought up a point about our board perhaps overextending ourselves into too many areas. General discussion of who we are and what we want to tackle.
  • 2:50 Updates of 2022 initiatives with Lindsey Harris
    • Communications CAT Accomplishments: Updating the website, Ads run in Star News and Facebook, Meeting with City/County officials.
    • Business Retention & Expansion Accomplishments: Establishing relationships with Labor, BSU Community Impact Program, U of I Career Services, Geothermal Workforce Development, 2022 Economic Summit, WCM Creative District Participation
    • Workforce Housing Accomplishments: WCM Housing Trust board participation, Housing Needs Assessment preliminary work, Participation in McCall’s Housing Action Plan, Housing at 2022 Economic Summit, Continued support for regional developers.
    • Early Childhood Accomplishments: Workforce Development Grant for MDSD and Valley County, Bolstering representatives of our ELAC, Creation of Parent’s Advocacy Group, Paid Professional Development for existing child care centers, multiple community events (Down to Earth Dad, Kindergarten Readiness Kits, Etc), and Hiring of Trace to Program Manager Position.
    • Broadband Accomplishments: IRON Project Support for Middle Mile and WCM Fiber Network group participation
    • Infrastructure Accomplishments: City of Cascade Geothermal Grant support
    • Transportation Accomplishments: LHTAC/VAPP 2022 Meeting, Scenic Byways Group, Joined TVT Board of Directors

 

  • 3:00 Strategic Planning Session:
    • Ideas to discuss: Housing, Waste Management/Recycling, Recreation/Pathways, Creative District, Workforce Development, Broadband, Transportation, Early Childhood Education, Youth Leadership Academy, youth & food is a theme coming up for new meadows and Donnelly. Environment, growth, transportation. Environment/Climate bucket – wildlife, Firewise, drought resiliency, climate change, woody biomass issues/tub grinder, recycling. Youth
    • McCall Notes: transportation issues for Boydstun Loop and Deinhard – will need letters of support for their grants. Sidewalks on Third Street, trucks off main street. Sewer issues. Electric charging stations. Conservation, drought resiliency plan.
    • Cascade: infrastructure- well, geothermal, City Hall, bonds, main street revitilization
    • New Meadows: extended bus line to McCall, traffic in town when highways close. Open space, recreation, public land, youth
    • Valley County: housing, sewer capacity, water capacity, transportation, scenic byways/HWY 55

Overview:

  • Housing Trust & Regional Housing Needs Assessment
  • Infrastructure Remove/Hold: remain in the conversation, letters of support
  • Transportation: Scenic Byways, Extended Line, Master Transportation Line, VAPP/LHTEC
  • Broadband: WCM Fiber Group, IRON Middle Mile
  • Early Childhood Development/YAC Leadership Program/Youth Advisory Council/Cascade Teen Center
  • Economic Summit – futuristic focus, EV Charging, climate considerations, climate action plans, sustainability, roll outs/federal
  • Business Recruitment/Retention or Workforce
    • Readiness Team
    • Food Desert/WCM Food Coalition/Food Banks
    • Culinary School
    • Food Truck Regulations
  • WCM Creative District
  • Environment? Federal grant opportunities?
  • Question to each community: what is your dream business or biggest need?
  • What are ways we can make your business more efficient and environmentally friendly?
  • Motion to Approve proposed 2023 budget by Cynda, Kelly. Motion passes.
  • 5:00 Conclude

 

ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86942206735?pwd=Qi9TQUcxeFRMeE9lZFFMOVlTRHpBdz09