The International Falls Economic Development Authority this week named members to its advisory board.
Members were selected from area residents involved in business and finance.
Members of the advisory board include Mike Katrin, Tim Wegner, and Joanne Dornhecker for two-year terms; and Gary Potter, Lori Lyman, and Mike Ward for three year terms.
The EDA president, a position now held by Councilor Gail Rognerud, will also serve on the advisory board. The board will report to the city’s director of economic and community development, a position now held by Shawn Mason.
Rognerud said the terms of all board members will be two years after the first terms expire. The board will meet regularly, she added.
“We had a lot of interest expressed,” she said of seeking members. Some people, Rognerud said, were interested in the board, but unable to serve on it at this time. Several of those people have volunteered to be resources for the board until they are able to serve as members of the board.
The board’s first task will be to develop a strategic plan for the EDA. That process is expected to begin at the end of this month, said Rognerud.
The board was created based on the 2008 recommendation of a steering committee.
In other EDA business, Mason reported that a second visit to the community by Apex, an organization that “is the private sector’s economic development force,” according to the website at www.apexgetsbusiness.com/, occurred Oct. 2 at the EDA’s invitation.
“Their job is to help us create jobs,” said Mason, inviting EDA members to visit the website to learn more.
“Their board members are in business and want to see business in our area grow,” she said, referring to Apex board member Nancy Norr, who serves as Minnesota Power’s director of regional development. Apex was also represented in the visit by Elissa Hanson, business development director.
Mason said she hoped the EDA and its advisory board would meet with Apex representatives when they return in December.
“They will give us ideas about where we can go from here,” said Mason.
Mason encouraged the EDA to take a stand on the proposed Main Street Fairness Act now before Congress.
The act would attempt to level the playing field between bricks and mortar businesses and catalog and online businesses regarding sales tax receipts.
At issue, she explained, is that the purchaser of items online and through catalog businesses are responsible to report sales tax to the state.
However, she said, “compliance is nilche.”
“What does that mean for Minnesota? It means $394 million of lost sales tax receipts,” she said.
Mason asked the International Falls City Council’s Finance and Legislation Committee to consider taking a position on the act and asked the city to encourage the Koochiching County Board to do the same.
“This could help the state of Minnesota and could help the local community,” she said.
The act, which she said is surprisingly supported by Amazon and Sears, would create a nationwide tax collection solution.
