The Koochiching Economic Development Authority Board Thursday heard a presentation from Kootasca Community Action Inc. about its grant writing services.
Kootasca recently started offering the grant-writing services of employee Amanda Vogel to non-profits, schools and government units for a per-hour fee.
“We understand that there are quite a few opportunities in the area that we are missing. We all get busy, we don’t have time to find the grants, we don’t have time to write the grants,” Vogel said.
KEDA Director Paul Nevanen said that the KEDA has never completed a grant application, despite looking at opportunities.
Kootasca could fill that gap, its staff said. The price for these services is $40 per hour for foundation grants and $50 per hour for federal grants.
Cynthia Jaksa, Kootasca site manager, said she gets grant opportunity information on a daily basis, including some that would be relevant to the KEDA.
Jaksa explained that the average grant takes 65 hours to complete. Payment to Kootasca is not dependent on the grant being approved. In the last quarter, Kootasca has received three of four grants for which they have applied.
Nevanen noted that grant requirements often dictate whether a grant would be a good match for the KEDA.
The board followed up on the Boise Inc. conversation that began at the January KEDA meeting regarding a potential Boise distribution facility. Boise officials later told The Journal that no such projects were pending.
Previous board chair Wade Pavleck crafted a letter dated Feb. 5 to Boise Mill Manager Bert Brown expressing “regret for the recent miscommunication.”
“Be assured that, as a board, we understand and appreciate the role that Boise plays in being the economic driver for the city and all of Koochiching County,” Pavleck wrote to Brown.
The motion approved at the January meeting asked for Boise officials to be invited to speak to the KEDA Board.
“And although the letter is a reassurance to Boise of our cooperation, I really think that’s really what the motion was about. We’re trying to be of assistance to them in any way that KEDA could,” board member Allen Rasmussen said. Rasmussen made the original motion to invite Boise officials to speak to KEDA.
Pavleck, who oversaw the January conversation, said that he would like to see closer adherence to agenda items and not have new items introduced without prior notice.
“It’s just my observation that ... we have really strayed from the way we do meetings by not having agenda items that are clearly visible to the public and, this is an example, to a business that is going to be the object of discussion. It’s not presented in the agenda,” Pavleck said.
He added that in other boards, agenda action items are initiated by requests for proposals and are specifically mentioned on the agenda. “That’s just good government. It’s good for the public and it’s good for, especially here, for any business that we may be discussing.
“Maybe in the future we could just be more diligent if a member has something, it could be spelled out on the agenda what those items are that we’re going to be looking for action on,” Pavleck continued.
Board member Tim “Chopper” McBride, who was among those, along with fellow Falls City Council representative Gail Rognerud, to bring the Boise issue to the table, agreed with Pavleck but noted that this topic was what he considered further discussion of an issue already being addressed, that being the foreign trade zone.
“I think those things happen all the time, spinoffs of things that are being discussed at the table,” McBride said.
KEDA News Notes:
• Nevanen gave the board an update on the Renewable Energy Clean Air Project plasma gasification facility. Employees of Coronal, the project partner with the KEDA, will be speaking at the March International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Brown Bag Lunch to update the community on the project.
Nevanen said the final chapter of the ongoing feasibility study would be sent to engineering firm RW Beck for review. In addition, rewording of language in the state bonding bill regarding the project is currently awaiting approval. The change would open up state funds for preconstruction design work, and the state funds would match recently awarded federal money.
• Rognerud was appointed chair for the year and took control of the remaining portion of the meeting from outgoing chair Pavleck. Rognerud had previously been vice chair. Board member Mike Hanson, who was not in attendance, was elected vice chair. Board alternate Penny Strongman was reelected treasurer.
• Board member McBride recommended that the KEDA cold weather testing facility undergo a mock Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection to ensure it meets all safety requirements. Nevanen agreed that it was a good idea. “Safety is No. 1 out there,” Nevanen said.
• The board voted to give $500 to the Community Resource and Job Fair to be held at the Backus Community Center on March 17. Nevanen noted that the money would be used for promotion of the event in local media and would help support one of KEDA’s goals in job creation.
• Rasmussen and Nevanen presented the board information on two Arrowhead Regional Development Commission loan programs. The first is for businesses in the region for which credit is not otherwise available. The second is specifically for funding renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. For more information on these ARDC loan programs, contact Nevanen at the KEDA office, 283-8585.
