The Koochiching Economic Development Authority Board will send a letter supporting the operation of a quarry on an 80-acre site near Clemetson by Bowman Construction.
The Koochiching County Board has twice rejected the proposal, despite a recommendation by its Planning Commission to proceed. Carl Bowman, owner of Bowman Construction, said he will make a third attempt at approval by the county board.
Mike Hanson and Wade Pavleck, county board representatives on the KEDA Board, respectively made and seconded the motion, despite their earlier denial of the project.
“We’re wearing this hat today,” Pavleck joked, referring to the economic development portion of the quarry proposal.
“What a change from a year ago,” Pavleck quipped after the vote was made.
Hanson replied, “I always wanted to see it happen, I just couldn’t find any compromise.”
Bowman told the board that issues with the Sustainable Forestry Incentive Act program, which had affected the county’s decision, were not regulated by the county and should have no bearing on his zoning request. He also said that he had signatures of support from most of the nearby Clemetson residents.
KEDA goals
The KEDA Board reflected last week on goals of the organization.
Of the three main goals of the organization, the board focused on the first goal of “Promote increased employment opportunities for Koochiching County residents.”
About a dozen specific projects and areas of interest were discussed, including: marketing the foreign trade zone; obtaining qualified projects to use the JOBZ Zone; seeking projects for the county’s business parks; supporting developers of a Big Falls peat project; supporting the cold weather testing facility; continuing to work on the Renewable Energy Clean Air Project plasma gasification facility project; supporting the local college in creating a technology training program; partnering with and gathering information from area agencies and businesses; promoting the Littlefork Business Park with wetland delineation and business opportunities; supporting efforts to develop Voyageurs National Park headquarters; working with International Falls to support development of waterfront property; and working toward development of an all-terrain vehicle trail in Big Falls.
Nevanen marked two of the goals for deletion — working to establish a Homeland Security training center locally and locating a geriatric prison facility in the county. He explained that a similar Homeland Security training center was sited in West Virginia.
Board member Soren Olesen suggested the KEDA provide more outreach for small businesses, talking specifically about the “ma and pa” types of companies outside International Falls. Several members discussed the work of the Small Business Development Center’s Jenny Dougherty, who has been traveling to the county’s smaller communities and talking with their business owners.
KEDA News Notes
• The foreign trade zone status for the site east of International Falls has been reenacted. Its FTZ status lapsed due to inactivity.
• The Koochiching Economic Development Authority Board authorized Nevanen to purchase a used skid steer for $22,000 that the KEDA cold weather testing facility and the airport can use. The CWT has previously rented such a machine, and Nevanen has been looking to purchase one for use by its customers.
• A biomass working group has been formed including in its members Eldon Voigt, Steve Earley, Jim Miggins, Chuck Hughes, Steve Stokke, Dennis Wagner, Craig Halla and Dennis Hummitzsch; spanning all sectors of forestry and related backgrounds. The biomass working group will serve as a source of information on the natural resource, and to keep up with emerging trends and serve as a point-of-contact for companies interested in biomass projects.
•Commissioner Wade Pavleck mentioned a carbon credit program for counties that he had heard discussed as a member of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission. The ARDC discussion does not lock the county into any project, but is a first step in exploring the topic, he said.
