June 2025 Board Meeting Minutes

by | Feb 27, 2026 | Meetings & Minutes

 

West Central Mountains Economic Development Council

June 2025 Board Meeting Minutes

June 10, 2025 3:00pm

Cascade Public Library, 105 N Front St, Cascade, ID 83611
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88234961292?pwd=nSUrhBKZK9aumQR7GdPECJcnE0PDTl.1

 

Board Members In-Person: Sherry Maupin, Dylan Martin

Board Members Online: Cynda Herrick, Vonna Torrey, Rachel Wessel, Kelly Hill, Belinda Provancher

Guests:  Lindsey Harris, Noe Ramirez-USDA, Trace McKellips, Tiffany Dobbs (St. Luke’s McCall)

 

Board Meeting 3:03pm meeting called to order.

  • Call to Order, Welcoming of Guests
  • Approval of June Agenda
    • Motion by Vonna
    • 2nd by Cynda
    • Motion Passes
  • Approval of May Minutes
    • Motion by Vonna
    • 2nd by Cynda
    • Motion Passes
  • Treasurer’s report
    • Approval of June Treasurer’s Report
      • Motion by Sherry
      • 2nd by Kelly
      • Motion Passes
    • Letter(s) of support: None this month
    • Executive Items
      • New Board Member Interest – Ron Coate of McCall is retiring end of June and is interested in serving the WCMEDC as a board member. Background as a financial advisor and interest in our organization and our mission. We will invite him to a future meeting.
      • WCMEDC Bylaws – Issue with the WCMEDC being unable to locate fully-executed amended bylaws during COVID and May 2021 when they were reviewed and approved by the Board. Board discussed options moving forward. Everyone felt we should review at the July meeting and retroactively sign them. Board was sent minutes from that time period reflecting they were approved, but a signed copy somehow was not in our files. It was a hard time with everyone being remote.
      • (Trace) Dolly Parton Imagination Library Funding Allocation, the plan to extend outreach to New Meadows, requesting updated amounts as follows: $1,500 to McCall and $600 to Cascade, total of $2,100 as a one-time funding opportunity.
        • Motion by Vonna
        • 2nd by Sherry
        • Motion Passes

 

  • Executive Director Contract – Discussion regarding planning a strategy meeting to move to an employer / employee structure as opposed to the current contract.
  • Dylan will meet with Julie and we will put together the options for current salary with a 3% increase and for Employer/Employee options with a benefits package.
    • Motion by Sherry
    • 2nd by Belinda
    • Motion Passes
  • Executive Director Update
    • May grant application roundup
      • Applied for the City of McCall LOT, applied Stibnite Advisory Council – $2,500 funding, Idaho Commerce Rural ED Pro Grant, Applied for 35K for this year. The State had the option to apply for $35k, versus the historical $30k option.
    • June 23rd presenting to New Meadows City Council
    • June 26th Dept of Commerce Connect Event scheduled in the McCall Library, we will run an ad in the paper to educate the community on their event. EDC has been helping promote/support.
    • July 21-25 Attending the Northwest Community Development Institute event.
    • November 2025 Economic Summit requests for support for the event, focus on Infrastructure and Workforce Development emphasis, as well as Final Resiliency review from BSU.
    • Other Updates
  • Early Childhood Education (Trace)
  • Community Reports
    • Valley County
      • Budgeting time, firewise emphasis, preparing for fire activity, positive activity.
      • Lost our funding back in November, road funding issue – meeting in the next 30 days about a road levy. Need to stop relying on the FEDS.
      • Cascade Annex Building improvement in process
      • 3 housing units in Raven Ridge, happening in the next 30 days.
      • County ordinance updates are pending.
      • Hired a Facilities Director for the County.
      • Interviewing for a new Recreation Director – 20 applicants from all over the country.
    • Cascade
      • Fire update plans, appear to be 1 month in advance based on current weather.
      • Cascade is interested in supporting the planning of the Economic Council event.
      • Insurance challenges for local homeowners.
      • Business owners seeking mentorship opportunities.
      • Veterans Stand down event was successful on Veterans Day.
      • 2 Tiny homes that will be complete in the fall, CTE programs are working on building these.
      • Ignite is looking to put a childcare building in Cascade.
    • Donnelly
      • New business son Main Street, Western Larch Interiors.
      • Farmers Market is starting soon.
      • Medical Clinic added a prescription machine.
      • Donnelly Fitness Gym is 24/7.
    • McCall
      • LOT tax collections are currently meeting the 5-year average
      • City Council will be reviewing the LOT allocations on June 27th.
      • Airport Open House June 21st, helicopter rides – $60
      • ITD will be starting public outreach re: Deinhard/Boydston alternative route.
      • Housing Planner has been hired – Bri Zack
    • New Meadows
      • The City has moved into the new City Hall at the P&IN Railway depot.  Loving the space, already had people stopping in to visit the museum.  We are still working on getting the audio visual set up in the auditorium on the south end of the building, but once we are completely settled, it will be an awesome space for the community.
      • The Mehen Memorial Skate Park is due to begin construction this month.  They have already started staging equipment and supplies.
      • The New Meadows Youth Center is entering its final stages of completion with a projected opening date in July.  We will be doing a grand opening of that facility in the near future as well.
      • The Farmer’s Market will begin their 2025 season on June 28th and we have some awesome activities planned for Saturdays in the park.
      • The Summer Sack Lunch program will begin next week in New Meadows.  This is completely volunteer and donation driven.  We plan to hand out over 1000 sack lunches this year.  Children can pick them up between noon and 1 Monday through Friday at the library.  Many children pick up 2 lunches – one for lunch and one for dinner.  It is an extremely successful program and we are continuing to fundraise due to the increased food costs this year.
      • A quick report on the shuttle that was put in place during the Hwy 95 closure – We had 309 riders on that shuttle over the several weeks it was in place and 429 riders on the Gold Line during the month of April.
      • The Public Utilities Commission reached out to me a couple weeks ago concerning issues with Ziply Fiber and encouraged me to comment on open cases the PUC has with Ziply.  Since we are having issues getting right of way permits for work Ziply wants to do and having to send contractors away that try to start work in our community under Ziply’s direction without proper permits being filed, I was glad to see the PUC is looking into these issues.  You can see the open cases at https://puc.idaho.gov/case?util=2&closed=0 and comment at https://puc.idaho.gov/Form/CaseComment.
    • Partners in Attendance
      • Tiffany Dobbs: requesting more responses from the male community to respond to the
      • Community members in need of free or reduced costs with food, training coming up in July at the hospital
      • Safe-sitter class is July 10
      • VCORP grant application out in partnership with Ignite, YAC and AHEC that would support future Behavioral Health workforce.
      • SL is working on creating opportunities for the High School MA program to be able to get their hands on hours at the hospital. All TBD.
    • WCMEDC Updates:
      • Creative District Update (Delta) – no updates, meeting schedule in fall.
      • Community Action Team (CAT) Updates:
        • Community Development (Lindsey) Senior Center has some federal funding opportunities and they are looking for a match in support to pay for transportation for seniors in the local area – to and from appointments. $8,500 is the amount.
        • Housing (Kelly)
          • Volunteer work was high, cleaning and getting ready for the tenant who is moving in this week.
          • Looking for families to move into the existing properties.
          • Qualifications of the participants change and they may no longer qualify for the program.
          • Refund from the IRS in the amount of $7,500.
          • MHP Grant looks probable
        • Infrastructure
          • USDA held their rural water program workshop a few weeks ago.
          • Sherry requested that it would be important to know what the number of water Hookups are by each community.
        • Workforce Development
          • Potential grant opportunity for funding a truck in the local area for CDL training.
        • Broadband (Lindsey)
          • Ziply has been more communicative re: local updates.
        • New Business
          • General board discussion ensued regarding replacing our open board positions. We have a few candidates interested in joining the group.  Invites will be sent for one-on-one meetings with Lindsey and/or Dylan.
          • By-Laws were modified prior during covid regarding proxy votes in 2021, the by-laws were adjusted and approved prior, currently requesting updated review of the by-laws and signatures on the documents by the board.
          • Perpetua is moving forward, approved, set aside funding for construction and will be looking to get into construction this year.
          • Lots of activity forthcoming.
          • Setting up a communications package – keeping people in the loop.
          • Stibnite foundation support with workforce development, potential partnership with schools.
        • Public Comment
        • Adjournment