February 2024 WCMEDC Board Meeting Minutes

by | Nov 25, 2024 | Meetings & Minutes

West Central Mountains Economic Development Council
February 2024 Board Meeting Minutes
February 13, 2024 3:00pm
Idaho First Bank, McCall & Zoom
475 Deinhard Lane, McCall, ID

Board Members In-Person: Dylan Martin, Julie Good, Joni Osterman, Joel Ockunzzi, Delta James
Board Members Online: Belinda Provancher, Rachel Wessel, Vonna Torrey, Judith Nissula
Guests: Trace McKellips & Lindsey Harris (in-person), Melissa Hamilton (online)
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88412171046?pwd=QWhaZGlDaHo4MUl1cHk4aUZuVytzQT09

Executive Session 2:30 (Open unless otherwise specified)
Review agenda items
Board Meeting Called to Order at 3:04pm

  • Approval of February Agenda ACTION ITEM
    • Motion by Julie, 2nd by Joni. Motion passes.
  • Approval of January Minutes ACTION ITEM
    • Motion by Belinda, 2nd by Joni. Motion passes.
  • Treasurer’s report
    • Approval of January Treasurer’s Report ACTION ITEM
    • Motion by Joel, 2nd by Belinda. Motion passes
    • Belinda requested the EDC invoice Perpetua for their ED Pro annual contribution
  • Letter(s) of support – NONE THIS MONTH
  • Executive Director Update
    • Washington DC geothermal related conference invitation April 2–4th with City of Cascade. Opportunity to meet with other communities with same challenges and sharing of information. City of Cascade was awarded the grant for this event – 2 geothermal stakeholders invited; Lindsey will attend with Mayor Nissula. This is also a professional and community development opportunity for Lindsey.
  • Executive Items
    • Executive Board Elections ACTION ITEM
      • Slate proposed is the current Executive Board of Dylan as President, Joni as VP, Julie as Treasurer, Vonna as Secretary. All have agreed to continue on for another year.
      • Motion by Delta, 2nd by Joel or Belinda. Motion passes.
    • Community Action Teams Review – thank you to Board for signing up. Lindsey will be reaching out to schedule meetings.
  • Community Reports
    • Valley County – Sherry in DC currently for conferences.
    • Cascade – out for bid on three FEMA storm drain, pavement preservation, sidewalks. Bids are higher than the construction funds. Winter jamboree this weekend for Cascade chamber. “Before you chill, know the drill” Lake Cascade issues. Treasurer was hired.
    • Donnelly- Huckfest is getting bigger. Website is getting lots of traffic from out of State. Expecting a large festival. Will not be doing Easter event, but will prep Easter baskets for the school children.
    • McCall – downtown under 7% bid. Davis avenue phase II 25% over engineers estimate. Demand is high. City Manager has taken a new position in Sedona. Delta is sad to see her go. City will be hiring a recruitment company to conduct the national search. Interim manager will hold the space until the new hire can come onboard. They have not hired the interim manager. City Council approved a Tesla contract to install 4 chargers that can service 8 parking spaces at the 1st Street Parking Lot. They received a $1.6 million grant to reconstruct those blocks and parking lot through Economic Development Association. These will be a lease by Tesla for DC fast charging stations. ITD Region 3 people were here today to discuss rerouting of HWY 55 via the bypass. They will go out for RFP for that project. Wooley connectivity Federal Transportation Grant was awarded. Investigating opportunity to go for a water bond to support water storage, May Bond election timeframe.
    • New Meadows – new deputy clerk. Covered transit spot at the City Park next to restrooms for bus stop. Transit stop at the library as well. Intern arrived yesterday for planning and zoning commission to get back online via a program through the military. Crossroads townhomes have been approved, building permits obtained. The single-family homes are still conceptual at this time. Grocery store interest in New Meadows.
  • WCMEDC Updates
    • Early Childhood Education (Trace)
      • Attended the legislative session for early childhood. Collaborating with other early childhood organizations throughout the State to start to collect data and lobby together to show statistics for why early childhood learning and funding of program is important. Got to meet at-home providers in Cascade and was connected by Darcie. Thanks to Darcie for connecting Trace. Milestones & Kingdom Kids both have provided their requested learning materials up to $1,500. One of those items was a quad stroller, so Trace will learn if this is an allowable expense. School District, Creative Cubs, Donnelly Library for toddler programs at a smaller funding amount. These are one-time funds through IDAEYC. Trace also has started to volunteer at providers where their policies allow.
    • Payette River Scenic Byway (Cynda): will be setting up a first quarter meeting next month.
    • Community Development
      • Creative District Update (Delta)
        • Artrepeneur Program – EDC will promote. April 6,7 in Cascade, June 15, 16 New Meadows, September in
        • Little, local art galleries May 1st soft launch.
        • Social gatherings as well later in the year
      • YAC Adult Summit in spring: Lindsey has been sitting on this planning committee. Date is anticipated for May in conjunction with their youth summit.
    • CAT Updates
      • Housing
        • Regional Housing Assessment: 510 responses so far, hoping to get more. Board is asked to continue to share the link. Site visits next month with Agnew Beck to conduct our advisory group and focus group sessions that Lindsey has been working on.
        • WCM Housing Trust: continuing to get organized and through the auditing and internal organizations phase.
      • Infrastructure
        • Joint Water Advisory Committee with both City of McCall and Payette Lakes Sewer District – suggestion for Housing Analysis. They meet monthly. Administrative support
      • Transportation: no report
      • Business Retention & Expansion: workforce group will be meeting.
      • Broadband: James Elmore at Extension will be assisting the region with these efforts and digital literacy.
      • Communications: no new news.
    • New Business
      • Jerry Miller at Commerce: Makenzie Castor needs to be followed up with for Dept. of Commerce “pending” payment. May 1st & 2nd for Idaho Rural Success Summit. Urban Renewal District legislation on the horizon. Commerce was partially approved for budgeting by JFAC and will go ahead of JFAC end of February. Until budget is approved, Commerce won’t be able to open the rural ED Pro grant program application process. March deadline for final quarter of GEM Grants.
      • Report by Joni on attending the Watershed coalition meetings that were held in the last month through the Valley County Soil & Water Conservation District. Note to Lindsey to connect this interactive GIS map with the BSU mapping system currently being developed to perhaps be integrated.
      • Melissa Hamilton – Survey is open, seeking comments about our Trail Connectivity is about to close. Webinar with Cultivating Success for farmers – food related businesses March 14th. Lunch and Learn format.
    • Public Comment: none

Adjournment at 4:45pm