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Action Team Meeting Minutes IDC and JOBS 2020: Action Team Report Back Meeting Present: Kelly Hain, Jim Hoolihan, Mary Ives, Doug Learmont, David Marty, Ed Zabinski, Peter McDermott, Rick Utech, Bud Stone, Lucy Flessner Chairman Jim Hoolihan called the meeting to order. ACTION TEAM REPORTS Action Team 1: Reduce production costs of manufacturing Doug Learmont reporting At the request of the Action Team, the Department of Employment and Economic Development prepared a report providing some data on the impact of manufacturing jobs on the economy of the Itasca area. The results show that the economic contribution of manufacturing jobs and value added activity from those jobs is significant. Action Team members are preparing an article for submission to the local newspaper that would outline those benefits and, hopefully, encourage local support for area manufacturing jobs. Action Team 1 has served as a review committee for the workforce needs and training survey prepared by Action Team 5 and the Chamber’s Education Committee. The survey, sponsored by the Work Force Development Project, will be sent to area employers to try to determine what their future workforce needs will be. The survey will be sent out by the end of September. Action Team 2: Tourism: Implement a county-wide lodging tax to promote the region’s tourism. Kelly Hain reporting The next step for the tourism action team will be to draft a plan on how a lodging tax, if adopted by the county, would be structured for developing an area-wide marketing plan. Representatives from each commissioner’s district, the University of Minnesota’s Tourism Center and local banks, as well as others, will be recruited to work with team members on the plan. A draft of the plan will be reviewed at the next Report Back meeting on October 14th. Acton Team 3: Become a center of excellence to educate and sustain a professional healthcare workforce for regional rural communities Mary Ives reporting The Team’s focus has been to build interest in health care jobs in order to assure the availability of rural health care degrees and training locally. The recent layoffs at Grand Itasca Medical Center and the news that the new medical campus will not have classroom training space available has been discouraging news for team members. Good news is that Itasca Community College (ICC) has expanded nursing programs and started a fast track nursing program. A cooperative effort between ICC and Hibbing to deliver an RN program on-line is being planned for next fall. Team members met with the Chamber’s Education Committee to build support for health careers curriculum. The results of the survey going out to all area employers regarding their anticipated future skills and training needs will be reviewed by Team 3 to evaluate future employment needs in the healthcare industry. The Action Team supported the joint grant application made by Hibbing Community College and Itasca Community College for the “Career Ladder for Education and Advancement of Nursing Programs for Rural Minnesota” through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant would provide funds for a coordinator to guide students through clinical experiences and provide direction to move the students from one level of nursing education to another. Members are very hopeful that the grant application will be successful. Action Team 4: Help improve Blandin Paper Company’s chances of becoming a preferred UPN-Kymmene expansion site Peter McDermott reporting The Team continues to track the status of the captive rail issue following the committee’s letter-writing blitz to legislators regarding the cost disadvantage companies such as Blandin have when they are served by only one railroad company. A second letter-writing campaign to provide comment regarding the Forest Plan Revision for the Chippewa and Superior National Forests has also been completed. Blandin Paper Company is included in the JOB Zone district. There are some unanswered questions regarding how businesses currently paying taxes, such as Blandin, will fit into the JOBZone tax exempt status. No government entity is interested in losing any existing tax base. A joint effort between the timber and tourism industries has resulted in a proposal for a new ATV trail. The proposed trail will run from Park X in Hill City to Ruttgers Sugar Lake Lodge. Action Team Five: Align workforce skills to match regional employer needs This action team has joined forces with the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee. The committee is working on the Work Force Development Project. Action Team 6: Explore JOB Zones as an economic development tool for Itasca County Rick Utech reporting Eleven cities and townships are now preparing their JOBZ applications and maps for submittal to the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC) by the September 15th deadline. IDC and JOBS 2020 will receive the applications the week prior and make any needed changes or revisions. Cities and townships in need of help with the GIS map will be able to get technical assistance from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Agency (IRRRA). The ARDC, with help from the IRRRA, will complete the full application and submit all zone documents to the Department of Employment and Economic Development by October 15th. The Northeastern Zone will use the total 5,000 acres allowed for each application. Area governmental units involved in the JOBZ program include Bigfork, Bigfork Township, Calumet, Cohasset, Coleraine, Deer River, Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Township, Nashwauk and Warba. Action Team 7: Create efficiency, accountability and reduce costs in public services The Team’s goal is to identify strategies for a more efficient delivery of government economic development services and support public officials who need to make difficult decisions. Team members have been meeting with representatives of different government entities and asking the following questions:
The Team’s challenge once the information is gathered will be to develop an easy-to-read, understandable report based on their findings. Action Team 8: Create a community-wide event David Marty reporting “Goods from the Woods” is scheduled for September 27 and 28 and the event has received a lot of media coverage. The most recent progress made includes:
Action Team 9: Grow Itasca: Job creation and diversification Peter McDermott reporting Bud Stone, Steve Arbour and Peter McDermott attended the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s recent one-day training session on Grow Minnesota! JOBS 2003 has collaborated with the State Chamber’s program to localize the State’s Grow Minnesota program into a local Grow Itasca program. Grow Itasca and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce are in the process of expanding coverage of businesses they will assist from 40 businesses up to 100. They also plan to expand team membership. To date, team members have visited with owners or managers of 30-plus area businesses that have the greatest opportunity of job growth and retention. The Team has set a goal for 2004 to meet with the 100 top employers and establish a relationship with them. The team will be proactive in gaining an understanding of the business issues facing each company. Community resources that can help with those issues will be identified and utilized. All 100 employers will be surveyed at the end of the year for progress results. OTHER Each Action Team will prepare, on a rotation basis, an article for the Herald Review’s business section on the actions and progress of their respective Action Team. The first article will be submitted by Action Team 1. The next Report Back meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14th from Noon until 1:30. It was agreed to invite the entire IDC and JOBS 2020 board to that meeting. The meeting was adjourned. Submitted by Lucy Flessner
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