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Action Team Meeting Minutes IDC and JOBS 2020: Action Team Reports Present: Kelly Hain, Mary Ives, Peter McDermott, Tom Osborn, Steve Wilcox, Dave Marty, Ed Zabinski, Doug Learmont, Jim Hoolihan, Lucy Flessner, Rick Utech Jim Hoolihan opened the Report Back session and welcomed those in attendance. Representatives of the Action Teams were asked to report on their respective teams’ progress. ACTION TEAM REPORTS Team 1: Reduce production costs of manufacturing Doug Learmont reporting The Action Team continues to work on determining the economic impact of manufacturing on the Itasca area’s economy. Jim Wrobleski of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) attended an Action Team meeting on July 9th and provided a handout prepared by DEED providing preliminary information on the economic impact of the manufacturing industry in Itasca County. A new small manufacturer’s association in northeast Minnesota has been started and participants meet monthly to seek ways to improve costs and efficiencies. One of the issues being discussed is the lack of availability of workforce training in the area. The next meeting is scheduled for August 20th at 4:00 p.m. at Central Square Mall in Grand Rapids. Team 2: Tourism: Implement a county-wide lodging tax to promote the region’s tourism Kelly Hain reporting The Action Team has not held an official meeting since the lodging tax legislation passed through the House and Senate. Team members have, however, met with a few resort owners regarding their needs for marketing. The Team has been approached by Dan Erkkila of the University of Minnesota’s North Central Research and Outreach Center – Tourism Division, to seek their help in championing the Itasca County Tourism Study. An outcome of the Study, completed in September, 2002, revealed that a regional marketing effort is clearly needed in order to keep pace in the tourism industry. It was agreed at today’s Report Back meeting that the Action Team should focus on the marketing needs of the area and develop a work plan on how to proceed. No date has been set for the next meeting. Team 3: Become a Center of excellence to educate and sustain a professional healthcare workforce for regional rural communities. Mary Ives reporting The Action Team continues to move forward and gain support for the concept of a rural health science education center initiative model with proposed physical space on the new hospital campus. The Team’s focus is to build interest in health care jobs, assuring the availability of rural health care degrees and training locally, and the retention of a quality labor pool to service the local health care industry. Other issues the committee hopes to move on include:
No date has been set for the next meeting. Action Team 4: Help improve Blandin Paper Company’s chances of becoming a preferred UPM-Kymmene expansion site. Tom Osborn reporting The Team organized a letter writing campaign to legislators and letters to the editor regarding the captive rail issue. Blandin Paper Company is served by Burlington Northern rail only. Without rail competition, companies like Blandin pay more for rail transportation. The Action Team believes their campaign captured the attention of Burlington Northern officials as officials soon scheduled a meeting with Joe Maher at Blandin. The Team’s next focus will be National Forest planning. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 13th at 7:30 a.m. at Bixby’s. Action Team 6: Explore JOBZ (tax free) zones as an economic development tool for Itasca County. Rick Utech reporting The legislation establishing Tax-Free Zones is now law. The Arrowhead Regional Development Commission and IRRRA are in a position to submit a JOBZ application on behalf of local units of government within their region who wish to participate in the JOBZ initiative. ARDC has mailed surveys to every local municipality within the region to determine which units of government desire to participate and get a general idea of the acreage they would like to include. The deadline to return the survey is July 19th. A meeting is scheduled for July 25th with all potential applicants. By September 30th all JOBZ subzone applications must be received at ARDC for final packaging. The final application must be submitted to the Department of Employment and Economic Development by ARDC on behalf of the participating communities by October 15th. Action Team 7: Create efficiency, accountability and reduce costs in public services Steve Wilcox reporting Action Team members have divided up assignments in order to meet with different public officials. The Team is focusing on economic development spending at all levels of government. The Team’s goal is to identify strategies for a more efficient delivery of government services. Team members are gathering information and plan to develop a report describing current economic development spending practices and providing recommendations for improved performance. The next meetings are scheduled for July 29th and August 20th at 4:00 p.m. at the Grand Rapids State Bank Financial Services building. Action Team 8: Create a community-wide event David Marty reporting Plans for holding the first “Goods from the Woods” event are coming together. It is the intention of the Action Team that this will become an annual event. The event, planned for the week-end of September 27-28, will provide workshops, exhibits and marketplace for entrepreneurs, landowners and families. The event will offer the chance to learn from landowners, artisans, and entrepreneurs with resourceful approaches to earning supplemental income, while maintaining ties to their land. The event will showcase opportunities to increase the benefits enjoyed from the forests while protecting them for future generations. A website has been established at www.specialforestproducts.com The next meeting will be held Friday, July 25, 9-11:00 a.m. in the Extension Office of the Itasca County Courthouse. Action Team 9: JOBS 2003: Job creation and diversification Peter McDermott reporting The JOBS 2003 Action Team has identified the top businesses with the most job creation potential. Team members have made personal, on-site visits to the owners or managers of 29 of the identified businesses to begin the process of building a relationship with them.
The next JOBS 2003 meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 12th at 9:00 a.m. at IDC and JOBS 2020. The Report Back meeting was adjourned at 1:30 p.m. The next Report Back meetings are scheduled for the Tuesdays of August 19th, September 9th and October 14th. Each meeting will be held in the IDC and JOBS 2020 conference room from Noon until 1:30 p.m.
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