West Central Mountains Economic Development Council
Meeting Minutes
November 7, 2019, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Meadows Valley Library
Members in Attendance: Sherry Maupin (President), Cynda Herrick (Secretary, VP), Lindsay Harris/Jill Chapman, Linnea Hall, Gene Tyler, Nicole Musgrove, Dylan Martin (telephonically), Patty Wold, and Andrew Mentzer (Executive Director).
Members Absent: Dave Bingaman, Heather Soelberg, Thom Sowers, and Julie Good (Treasurer).
Welcome visitors & guests:
Bill Cole with Syringa – Syringa Networks owned by rural phone companies. Working on regional fiber and attended to learn more about what WCMEDC does.
Pat Trainor with Weiser River Trails – President of the Weiser River Trail – trying to get into New Meadows – the last 2 miles.
- Bingaman resignation due to not being able to have 2 commissioners on the board (ACTION ITEM): Gene moved to accept the resignation. Jill seconded. Motion carried.
- Treasurer’s report (ACTION ITEM): Nicole moved to approve financials for September. Dillon seconded. Motion carried. Gene moved to approve the financials for October. Linnea seconded. Motion carried.
- Approval of September minutes–NO MEETING IN OCT. DUE TO SUMMIT (ACTION ITEM): Jill moved to approve the minutes. Dylan seconded. Motion carried.
- Shore Lodge invoice $6952.46 (ACTION ITEM): Nicole moved to approve payment of the Shore Lodge Invoice for $6,952.46. Gene seconded. Motion carried.
- Letters/requests (ACTION ITEMS)
o Valley County code amendment letter of support (ACTION ITEM): Andrew introduced the three ordinance amendments that are being proposed by Valley County. Cynda explained the ordinances: STR, ADU, and RV. Linnea moved to send letters of recommendation. Gene seconded. Motion carried.
- Community reports: Cascade, Donnelly, McCall, New Meadows, Valley County
Cascade: Patty reported a new chamber office with a P/T person (Julie Crosby). The pool cover should be repaired by tomorrow. Great turn out for haunted barn. Will have Winter Jamboree this year. Christmas lights are up. New restaurants are the North Fork Café and Thunder Mountain Burgers. Andrew has met with Thunder Mountain Burger.
Donnelly: Gene reported that the Huckleberry Festival went well. There are no new permanent buildings permits. Will have Christmas in Donnelly at the school, chili cookoff, and Santa. No new businesses. Perch 55 is very good.
McCall: Leadership Academy started. New restaurant is Jasmine & Ginger and the Broken Horn Brewery has food truck service regularly now..
New Meadows: Lights are up and Mac is back ☺.
Valley County: Road levy did not pass. There is now a single public entrance into the county building. We have a new Commissioner – Sherry Maupin was appointed by the governor.
(Tina called in to report on the REDI EDD discussion).
CEDS – the lost regional management (ICOG) so we lost the ability to apply for federal funding. Western Alliance approved last year for Owyhee, Canyon and Gem counties. Received a grant for a Train the Trainer program.
Have up to 7 counties for CEDS: will need to attend 2 workshops, use their data and put into template for CEDS; if have a grant writer can access funds.
Western Alliance is NOT ICOG or umbrella type of organization.
The ask is to allow Andrew time to be a participant in January and March meetings. Will fold into our 2020 strategy.
- Regional co-working space update: CUB McCall will have grand opening on November 15 from 4 to 7:00 p.m. We did not get the ICF sustainability grant, but it only costs EDC $75.00 to participate – was approved by a proxy vote to go ahead with membership.
- Economic Summit debrief and 2020 location discussion: Discussed location. We have a profit for next year. Our budget was within $13 of actual expenditures. Looking at Shore Lodge again.
- Thank you letter team – Andrew and Nicole are working on this.
- Boise State request to engage on board–ad-hoc or voting: discussed at length. Have asked to engage in WCMEDC. Need to maintain a quorum at meetings, so an ad-hoc position makes sense. BSU wants to expand extended studies. Will make ad hoc member as soon as Andrew has a chance to coordinate game plan with BSU..
- Annual meeting discussion–location, meals, budget (ACTION ITEM): Will be on December 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Will try to have at Tamarack. If not there then at the EOC in Cascade. Will have board elections and go over the strategic plan.
- Housing brainstorming session: converting STR’s to LTR’s and possible OZ projects in McCall: Incentives and trying to convert STR to L/T rentals. More detailed discussion at Dec. meeting.
- 2020 strategic work session:
o strategic plan
o budget
o Marketing and outreach (LinkedIn, youth, etc.)
o funding structure
o board leadership
o REDI EDD discussion
o Business attraction and BRE
o City of McCall contract request for 2020–Civic Campus analysis/facilities review that could be
used for CTE/CTS and data for use by city and nonprofit partners:
▪ buildings/occupancy/use
▪ hardware/tools
▪ human resources
▪ partnerships etc.
- Packer John Tree update: will plant in the Spring
- Grants
o Packer John revitalization TBD
o NPS recreational/trails assistance – awaiting official announcement, but likely granted technical assistance award. There are a dozen recreation groups that can join in regional planning.
o Yellowpine – will complete next year. Difficult getting a contractor.
o Northlake – their sewer board approved an MOU to go to the county.
o Shelton Foundation–not successful
o Weiser River Trail GEM request for feasibility (ACTION ITEM): Pat Trainor would like to pursue a GEM grant to complete the last 2 miles of trail to New Meadows; can we authorize Andrew to write the grant application for the city and county. Grant is through the Dept. of Commerce. Nicole moved to approve Andrew’s time. Patty seconded. Motion carried.
o Idaho Women’s Charitable Fund grant app (ACTION ITEM)- higher dollar grants. Will talk about at strategic planning meeting for 2020 application..
- Strategy 1 – JOBS
o Cascade SBDC training in April – Business Planning 101
- Strategy 2 – EDUCATION
o Game plan for engagement with schools and industry–need to work on this.
- Strategy 3 – INFRASTRUCTURE/ASSETS
o Broadband opportunity in New Meadows – potential fiber line through or adjacent to Meadows Valley. The key for improving the broadband is getting infrastructure to and from–middle mile.
o Recycling update–single use plastics: Meeting at the Bistro on November 14 from 3 to 4:30.
- Strategy 4- PROSPERITY
o Business engagement update
- Round Table, Upcoming Events & Public Comments
Adjourn