Action Team Meeting Minutes

IDC/Jobs 2020
April 12, 2006 – 11:30 – 12:30 p.m.
Blandin Foundation Board Room

Present: Matt Romanik, Steve Arbour, Doug Hanson, Scott Thompson, Jim Woehrle , Peter McDermott , Kris Ferraro, Lucy Flessner

Today’s meeting was the first Action Team Report Back of 2006. Reports were given as follows.

Air Service

• Establish an economically viable scheduled air service at the Grand Rapids/Itasca County Airport

 Chairman Matt Romanik reporting

The Air Service Action Team will meet tomorrow, April 13 th. The Team’s goal is to continue to support the efforts of a private led initiative to return scheduled air service to the Grand Rapids/Itasca County Airport. The Team will also continue to converse with MAIR, the parent company for Mesaba Aviation, regarding options for resuming local air service.

Blandin Paper & Retention

• Help position the Blandin Paper Mill as a preferred expansion site for UPM

Co Chair Steve Arbour reporting

Action Team members provided public comment supporting the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for UPM Blandin Paper’s Thunderhawk project at the public hearing in February. Team members offered the following comments regarding the draft EIS at the hearing:

1. The EIS sufficiently answers the questions and areas addressed in the “scoping” document.
2. The impact on the community in terms of noise and traffic are acceptable.
3. The economic impacts on the community of the “build” option are significant. The benefits include approximately $96 million dollars in local construction benefits, the addition of 27 new good paying jobs and the continued employment of 250 present employees who could be shifted from paper machine No. 5 to No. 7.
4. The science and assumptions used in the modeling of fiber supply seem to be based on the best available information. Historical review of the previous Generic EIS demonstrates that those values are relatively close to realty and the findings are sound.

It is expected that the permitting process will be done near the end of May. The Blandin Action Team will continue to be available to support Blandin and the Thunderhawk project.

Housing

• Address issues of affordable workforce housing for the median income and below group for the purpose of providing quality of life, security and workforce development opportunities.

Chairman Doug Hanson reporting

The Housing Action Team is putting together a Power Point presentation to show to different groups that focuses attention on the issue of workforce housing. The presentation will feature a workforce family of four with two income earners employed full time to illustrate the financial aspects of living and affording adequate housing. The presentation will debut at the May 4 th Town Hall Meeting III at the Marcell Family Center scheduled from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Team members have met with City of Bovey and Taconite representatives to learn about their communities’ vision, planning and action that influence, affect and cause housing development within their communities. Bovey representatives provided insight into the sewage treatment systems for Taconite, Bovey and Coleraine which are operated by a joint public utilities commission.

An Enterprise Sub-team of the Action Team is examining what additional organization(s) capacity is needed to increase the production of workforce housing. Both KOOTASCA and Habitat for Humanity have indicated willingness to consider expanded development roles upon presentation of feasible proposals that fit within their mission and with approval of their governing boards.

The team is examining the potential use of a Land Trust as a component of housing ownership that would lower the cost of ownership now and in the future.

A report titled “Affordable Housing Solutions for Colorado ” which contains ideas and action items that could be very applicable to the housing concerns in Itasca County is being reviewed by Team members.

Lakes Management

• Promote collaboration among private and public entities from improved lake management as an essential strategy for economic prosperity.

Chairman Scott Thompson reporting

Team members have worked to broaden collaboration and participation on the Action Team by inviting specific user groups to join. Three ICTV programs have featured lakes management issues and have promoted additional membership on the Action Team. Articles submitted by Team members regarding the economic impact of lakes have been published in local newspapers. The Team continues to participate in North Central Lakes Project Education and Conservation Easement committees. Team members are participating on the South Central Itasca County Intergovernmental Planning Board Wastewater Initiative Team. The formation of a management district for a six-township area is being explored through this initiative. Community meetings are being planned to provide landowners information on the benefits of wastewater management districts.

Grant opportunities offering incentives for shoreland restoration projects are being explored.

Mesaba Energy

• Revitalize local economy by providing community support to Mesaba Energy project in building cleanest coal fueled power plant in the world.

The first meeting of the Mesaba Energy Action Team is scheduled for Thursday, April 20 th.

Minnesota Steel

• Revitalize the local economy by providing community support to Minnesota Steel Industries’ use of ore reserves to produce steel near Nashwauk.

Team member Peter McDermott reporting

Howard Hilshorst, Executive Vice President of Minnesota Steel, has met with the Action Team to provide updates. Minnesota Steel has announced that Lazard Freres, a prominent global financial advisory firm and investment bank, has been appointed as the lead investment banker in financing the $ 1.6 billion iron ore processing and steel making facility.

During March 2006 a number of initiatives were advanced through the Minnesota legislature by Senator Saxhaug and Representative Solberg on behalf of the project related to infrastructure and a required land exchange with Itasca County and UPM Blandin. A separate sub-group has been formed to advance the land exchange issues.

Poverty Reduction

• Implement a plan to reduce poverty in the Itasca economic region that shows a public/private partnership

Chairman Jim Woehrle reporting

The Poverty Action Team has formed five sub groups to work on different plans to reduce poverty. The work areas are:

• Forming business mentorships for people on public assistance.

• Developing a toolkit for small businesses to use in creating high value employees.

• Providing transportation assistance for people needing to get to work

• Team members will visit Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation (MMCDC) on April 28 th to learn about the Project Jump Start program. The program is designed to provide car loans to low-income working people in need of reliable transportation.

• Providing business incentives for employees to volunteer in the community.
• Team members are developing a resource packet for employers.

• Creating community leadership training around poverty issues.

• The Action Team held their first leadership training on March 23 rd with 77 people in attendance of which one third were in the low income category. The training was facilitated by KOOTASCA Community Action and Gary Stokes from Move the Mountain Leadership Center . Sponsors included Action through Churches Together, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank and the Blandin Foundation. Small break-out groups drafted key ways to include low-income citizens in community decision-making. The next training is scheduled for May 18 th from Noon until 4:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids .

Youth Retention

• Attract and retain young adults and families to the Grand Rapids area.

No report available.