Group gains support

SUPERIOR – A non-profit group calling itself Open Doors is gaining support for its plan to revitalize parts of Mineral County while some remain cautiously skeptical about the group who has been reluctant to release information about the organization in the past.

While a local representative for the group said they would be more forthcoming with financial information and county commissioners said they wanted to hear what the group has to say, county officials said at the their meeting on Friday, Aug. 8, they would proceed cautiously.  

Before recently, the group was unable to gather much support for their plan to start buying property in the area and bring businesses and jobs to Mineral County. Now, the group has the backing of at least one member of the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce.

Monte Turner told county commissioners in July during the public comment period of their meeting, he hoped they were open to hearing what representatives from the group had to say. Turner said the group was more willing to disclose information than they had been in the past.

“I think we should hear what they have to say,” Turner said at the meeting. “We’ve got nothing to lose by listening to their ideas. We’ve got all these ideas about economic development but we’ve hit dead ends with a lot of them. This group is asking us to believe in them. I believe they have answers.”

County commissioners said they have plenty of questions about the group. Without a website, there is very little if any information available about them. According to their local representative, Aggie Salisbury, the group is a non-profit specializing in economic development and employing veterans and other individuals on a low or fixed income.

While Turner remained enthusiastic about potentially working with the group, county commissioners expressed the need to move slowly and hear from the group directly about their plans and motivations behind their potential involvement with Mineral County.

Commissioners Laurie Johnston and Duane Simons agreed they were willing to listen to what the group has to tell them but they wanted more background information to judge the group’s validity.

“This group apparently has the money and they could’ve invested in something like Wall Street but instead, they want to invest in people,” Turner said. “The chamber is interested in bringing in jobs, increasing our tax base and promoting economic development. Why don’t we try something new?”

Salisbury said more information regarding the group’s plans would be available but did not specify a timeline or what information would be available. In an e-mail sent to the Mineral Independent by Salisbury on Thursday, Aug. 14, specific information about who comprises Open Doors and other information was released.

According to the document, Open Doors was incorporated on March 13, 2014 in Las Vegas, NV. The organization’s stated purpose is to function as a non-profit corporation to provide jobs, housing and job training primarily for veterans.

There were four primary individuals listed among the partners. M. Patrick McMahon of Roseville, CA is a self-employed federal contractor. Kent M. White of Pearland, TX is a financial specialist and according to the document, conducts business with financiers all over the world.

Salisbury is a researcher, communications specialist and has over 50 years experience writing grants and in public relations. The last listed partner, Dennis L. Krueger. has over 45 years experience in construction and “green” building.

Open Doors does have a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/help.opendoors. The document stated more information about the group would be forthcoming as their plans develop.

Turner said the reason he is supporting the group is, as a member of the chamber of commerce, he is interested in fostering economic development in Mineral County.

Turner said current efforts by other county entities have not been successful in creating jobs in the area and he said he thinks Open Doors could be a part of the solution to the depressed economy in the region.

“What we’ve been doing so far, isn’t working,” Turner said. “We might as well get behind Open Doors. I read about what’s going on in Missoula and Kalispell and they are booming. They are getting businesses to move into their area so they are doing something right. They are doing something we aren’t doing. Open Doors knows how to do this.”