Three-phase power becoming closer to reality for airport area
Efforts of Extension Agent Kevin Chamberlain in obtaining CDBG grant funding could result in bringing three-phase power to county airport area.
Community Development Block Grant Extension Agent Kevin Chamberlain was on hand at the Friday meeting of the county commissioners to inform them on progress being made with getting three-phase power at the Mineral County Airport.
Chamberlain informed the commissioners that he is currently “going after” $165,000 in CDBG grant funds - $125,000 of which will go to the counties portion of the cost of the project, $12,000 for administration fees, and a $30,000 loan to Jerry Stroot for the purpose of paying for electricians to rewire the two Superior Meats buildings to use three-phase power.
“Missoula Electric Co-Op is still putting $75,000 in match,” Chamberlain said. “We still don’t have a one-to-one match and that is one thing that they do require so I don’t know. Supposedly we greased the rails and are ok with that as far as commerce (Montana Department of Commerce) is concerned we will see. It’s kind of unprecedented where the county will get a $120,000 grant to bring this three-phase in so there is no cost to the county. If I can get the $12,000 in admin monies we will actually be making money on this.”
Chamberlain said the project will bring three-phase power to “about the center of the airport” and the long-term “thought” is to go after a planning grant in order to get Superior Meats set-up correctly for three-phase power and eventually do a larger block grant which would be for up to $400,000 for a new building.
“He has estimated, conservatively in my opinion, up to 15 new jobs with that,” Chamberlain said. “With this project that I’m going forward with right now he is retaining three positions and adding three full-time positions. So there’s a tenth of a percentage point off of our unemployment.”
Numerous calls have been made to the Missoula Electric Co-op by Chamberlain in order to ensure everything is still secure on their end as well as working with the Department of Commerce.
“They continue to assure me that that is still the case,” Chamberlain said. “This is a tough one (the grant application) because it’s not one business that I am going in with, I am trying to explain both things to the Department of Commerce and make sure the county still comes out ahead and not liable for other things.”
Since there is no “immediate” business that will be utilizing the three-phase power at the airport, Chamberlain gave the Missoula Electric Co-Op credit for seeing the proposal as a market opportunity.
Chamberlain added in the future the Mineral County Airport Board could consider charging people who hook up to pay a fee that would go either into economic development or directly into the airport board.
“A fifty-fifty split would be a nice split,” Chamberlain said.
“A $5,000 fee to put up your building and access the three phase power we put in – for a new business coming in that’s not out of the realm of a loan – and then have $2,500 go into the board and $2,500 go into economic development. That would be a source of revenue for the county to continue in these efforts.”
After Chamberlain concluded his presentation he was thanked by the commissioners for his “due dillegence and hard work on the project.”