April 2024 Board Meeting Minutes

by | Nov 25, 2024 | Meetings & Minutes | 0 comments

West Central Mountains Economic Development Council
April 2024 Board Meeting Minutes
April 9, 2024 3:00pm
Cascade Public Library & Zoom
105 N. Front Street, Cascade, ID 

ZOOM MEETING LINK:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88412171046?pwd=QWhaZGlDaHo4MUl1cHk4aUZuVytzQT09

Executive Session 2:30 (Open unless otherwise specified)

  • Review agenda items
  • Career Fair funding allocation discussion
  • Guest Speaker protocols in the future. We will bundle in the June fundraising session, along with

Guests: Trace McKellips, Lindsey Harris, Carrie Ruth (Cascade Fire), Erika Vinson (Cascade Fire), Victoria Simms (Cascade Fire), Robin & Tali from Olive & Cooper, Travis Smith (McCall Fire), Amanda Keaveny (McCall Fire), Tiffany Dobbs (St. Luke’s)
Board Members In-Person: Dylan Martin
Board Members Online: Delta James, Kelly Hill, Joel Ockunzzi, Cynda Herrick, Vonna Torrey, Sherry Maupin, Julie Good, Joni Osterman, Rachel Wessel, Belinda Provancher

Board Meeting

  • Call to Order at 2:58pm
  • Guest Speaker: Update from Valley County EMS District – Amanda Keaveny and team. November 2023 was the County wide EMS fire district was formed by vote. Representation from Cascade, Donnelly, and McCall fire districts and Valley County. Funding for the EMS district to form. Bond measure to increase levy rates did not pass by a small margin, but they are going for it again this May.
  • Guest Speaker: Olive & Coop Homesharing (oliveandcoop.com) – guest speakers ended at 3:51pm
    • App: https://rent.oliveandcoop.com
    • Web-Page: https://www.oliveandcoop.com
  • Approval of April Agenda ACTION ITEM
    • Motion by Joni, 2nd by Belinda. Motion passes.
  • Approval of March Minutes ACTION ITEM
    • Motion by Sherry, 2nd by Dylan. Motion passes.
  • Treasurer’s report
    • Financial conversation after recent invoices paid the current amount is $2,480 in preparation for WF Development Funding Conversation. Expecting more funds incoming.  Clarification regarding 2023 expenditure reimbursements for Lindsey’s training.
    • Approval of workforce development funding for Career Fair at Cascade Schools ACTION ITEM
      • Motion by Belinda for up to $200 to be available for each school district & Heartland High School to be used on career fair programs, 2nd by Sherry. Motion passes.
    • Approval of March Treasurer’s Report ACTION ITEM
      • Motion by Joni, 2nd by Sherry. Motion Passes.
    • Sherry asked about checks from Valley County for the $35k. We did receive the $15k for the 2nd half of 2024 ED Pro Grant.
  • Letter(s) of support – see most recent LTR for WCM Fiber Coalition planning grant attached in packet
  • Executive Director Update: Met with Forest Stanley regarding his presentation and received some great data specific to the McCall / Donnelly areas, looking forward to receiving some additional information from him. DC Update, it was a great week. Representation of rural America
  • Workforce Development
    • School districts – Cascade Career Exploration Day and hoping to work with other schools on resume building and mock interview preparation
    • SBA in McCall & Cascade – working on a summer readiness small business workshop to partner with chambers to host in both McCall & Cascade in May.
  • Executive Items – nothing new to add
  • Community Reports
    • Valley County – “lights on for safety campaign” was pitched by Vonna to Valley County and they are no working with ITD on this project. New signage for that to encourage light uses on cars. Waterways plan updates to increase awareness of shore. Shooting ordinances are being assessed for health and safety. Issues at Green Gate in particular. This ordinance would be specific to those identified areas off Warren Wagon road. Recreation plan and will want WCMEDC input. IDL ground initiative to work collaboratively on a solution/plan for IDL grounds. Encouraging the State to purchase Wilks brothers land as it becomes available. Waste management discussion for a regional landfill collaboration with Idaho County potentially. Roads working group letter of resignation. New Engineer coming on aboard later this spring/early summer that will help with road issues and making improvements.
    • Cascade – Mayor is out today. Dylan met the new Treasurer. Rural emergency hospital change from a critical access hospital designation is being discussed by Cascade Medical Center Board. Chamber annual yard sale later this month. Community gardens need some maintenance in Cascade and also in McCall. Tiffany added that there is actually an internship opportunity for this project. https://uidaho.peopleadmin.com/postings/43857 [uidaho.peopleadmin.com]. Library expansion will be starting when the weather allows
    • Donnelly – Cascade Medical Clinic is opening a location in Donnelly. Cascade Hardware opened a second location at the Donnelly Hardware store right on main street. Donnelly Chamber is working on Huckfest. For the first time ever, they had to turn off their vendor application on their website. They will have 70 vendors, a record! City of Donnelly’s comprehensive plan will be adopted at next week’s Valley County
    • McCall – LOT applications collected through February and levels look about that they were in 2019. LOT application for this upcoming year is open through April 30th. The process has changed due to the lower collections and the shortfalls they experienced. They will be using more conservative estimates for their benchmarks to help alleviate this issue. They will also be consolidated funding and keeping City LOT applications and funding separated. Several construction projects in the works that will include Mission Street reconstruction. They just received the State funding allocation for that from a grant cycle that was in 2017. Downtown core on 1st street and access to businesses will be open. Funding for corridor planning project commence, which will be the final phase. ITD discussion ongoing for highway rerouting and rights of way on the bypass. A consultant was selected and begin that process this summer. The new construction for the library is nearly completed. They will be started to move in their things over the coming weeks. Great meeting space, Delta noted. City of McCall is seeking a waterbond for $16 million that will include fire mitigation flows. Climate action/resiliency process beginning. Phil Kushlan is the interim City Manager. Application is out there. Hoping to interview for that for
    • New Meadows: Julie is persuing Early Childhood. Mural City Hall is moving forward. Skatepark grand opening is forthcoming and they have almost reached their fundraising goal of $600k but short about $80k. Conversion of the recycling center, advisory board forming for that project.
  • WCMEDC Updates
    • Early Childhood Education (Trace)
      • Trace has U of I here this week and meeting with all three school districts on their early childhood CTE program. Julie asked Trace to sit on their early childhood committee as the recycling center conversions begins. Trace helped on a Rotary grant for the McCall-Donnelly Early Childhood Center playground.
      • Early Learning Symposium ACTION ITEM
        • Asking for $440 total, including registration and hotel for 1 night, asking for 2 additional to attend with him. Under the AEYC Grant there is budgeted numbers for continuing education. Clarification requested on attendees that would benefit from this program. Motion by Sherry, 2nd by Dylan.
      • Housing
        • Regional Housing Assessment: Needs assessment is moving forward. Recommendations from our advisory meetings being reviewed and implemented.
        • WCM Housing Trust: Cody Draper for Ravens Ridge units in Cascade being built– getting their final approval, expected completion hopefully by the end of the year. Kelly is working on the audit.
      • Community Development
        • Creative District Update (Delta): Statewide Creative District Program is being established. A core group that meets monthly – Artpreneur Workshop education for artists is up and running, only 6 registered, but finding it positive, rotating in locations throughout the region in conjunction with Idaho Arts. Books on street corners, kiosks are under construction. Hosting the website and Directory, Idaho Commission on the Arts, we were the guinea pigs for this – sharing what we have learned. Looking at some sort of social gathering for the group. Artisans in the mountains tour is scheduled July 20-21, =25 artists.
        • Payette River Scenic Byway (Cynda): Signs along the byway will be refreshed, but no timeline yet. Community presentations, Avimore has a private school coming in. One of our members put together a letter regarding Nuisance Ordinances. Next meeting set for the end of June.
        • YAC update (Lindsey) – youth summit as planned in May. Hoping for up to 200 students from the region. Adult summit has been rebranded for more of an adult-centered workshop and educational day that is not a fundraising event and will be held in September and held on a Friday. Next spring potentially for an official adult summit to focus on mental health and substance abuse. Concern vocalized from Board that there will be 2 summits very close to each other if held in the Fall. Saving the dollars, wanting to have it as an education day – not a fundraising emphasis and hopefully host in conjunction with youth summit in the spring.
        • Infrastructure: CAT team met, finalizing the planning document, adding contact information. Next steps to disseminate to governments for approval.
        • Broadband: Fiber Coalition submitted a funding grant, attached in the packet. Community agreements that are being worked on.
        • Workforce: Cascade Chamber liked the idea of doing a summer readiness, soft skills, customer engagement workshop. McCall Chamber Coffee Chat as well.  Resume building with students.
  • New Business – Idaho Power townhalls to be held first week of May in New Meadows, Cascade, McCall, Riggins, and Donnelly.
  • Public Comment – None
  • Adjournment at 5:09pm