Grants available to county
SUPERIOR – Regional resources from as far away as Lake County are joining forces with Mineral County resources to foster economic development in western Montana as demonstrated by a visit to the county commissioner meeting Friday, Aug. 29 from a representative of a state program.
The representative, Billie Lee of Lake County, of a state Certified Regional Development Corporation (CRDC) told commissioners and those in attendance about a wide variety of economic development assistance programs that are available.
From community development block grants, special events grants, tourism investment programs to agriculture grants and loans, Lee said there was no shortage of opportunities for counties like Mineral County to take advantage of.
Kevin Chamberlain of the Montana State University Extension Office said the presentation by Lee was an annual first step before applying for assistance programs.
He said the programs have been utilized many times in the past with varying degrees of success.
“This was about informing the public about what is out there so if they have any ideas or things that they want, they understand what these funds are and how they work,” Chamberlain said. “In order to apply for these funds we have to hold public meetings which are informational in nature.”
In 2003, the Montana state legislature created the CRDC program with the purpose of encouraging a regional effort to fostering economic development by providing financial and technical assistance to communities.
According to information on the state Department of Commerce website, CRDC programs “facilitate the identification of priority needs of local communities and acknowledge that local strategic planning is critical in developing local economies.”
CRDCs are intended to encourage collaboration, bringing together business leaders, stakeholders and elected officials such as the Mineral County commissioners to work on developing strategies for supporting economic development.
Chamberlain said the presentation by Lee was just the first check mark off a long list before money can start flowing into Mineral County.
He said there will be another meeting in a few weeks which will include a description of a project the county has in mind.
After that, he said, comes the hard part. Chamberlain said he has been trying to get a certain project funded through this system for years.
“We’ve tried many times to get funding for this project,” Chamberlain said. “It all hinges on the application process. It’s an extensive process that requires a lot of work. We are hoping that within this fiscal year, it might come to fruition but I’ve learned the hard way not to forecast when something could start based on the whims of a state or federal governmental process.”
According to the Department of Commerce website, CRDCs “leverage financial resources from a variety of sectors that include government, the private sector, the philanthropic community and academia to aid in the expansion of their region’s economy. For example, CRDCs manage Revolving Loan Funds that are designed to assist new and/or expanding businesses.”