The Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) is one step closer to having a working website to market its services— and Cedar Grove Business Park lots—to the Internet community. At the January 10, 2012 meeting, the EDA selected Northern Wilds Media, Inc. to develop and maintain its web presence.
The EDA received 10 responses to its second request for proposals. In October, the board met with Golden Shovel, a business that builds economic development websites and assists with marketing efforts. The EDA board liked what Golden Shovel had to offer, but balked at the price tag—$12,500 for development and $350/month for maintenance.
A committee was formed to create a request for proposals for a website developer in hopes that someone with a local connection would apply. The committee—EDA board members Bruce Martinson, Don Davison, and Mike Littfin and citizen-volunteer Jim Boyd—was pleased with the response. They reviewed the proposals and narrowed the choices down to two proposals, from Boreal Sites.com of Grand Marais and Northern Wilds Media, Inc. of Grand Marais.
EDA Chair Littfin said, “Both understand our community and the websites they have done demonstrate that.”
However, Littfin said his recommendation was to go with Northern Wilds Media. “Their entire business is promoting the community. I think it would be a good fit,” he said.
A unanimous motion passed to accept the proposal from Northern Wilds Media for design and development at a cost of $2,960.
Boreal Sites listed its estimated cost for development as $1,825 – $2,100.
Others who submitted website design proposals were Tom Glader of the Web Site Shop; Eric Peterson of Eric Peterson Galleries.com; the Gammon Group of Joliet, Illinois; Gold Bridge Partners of Winthrop, Maine; W.A. Fisher of Virginia, MN; Times Two Design of Grand Marais; Johnson Group of St. Cloud, MN; and Yfactor, Inc. of Toronto, Canada. Prices of other proposals ranged from $2,400 – $8,000.
Board Member Martinson said someone needs to be appointed to work with Northern Wilds on the website, to work on the “script” for the website. He said Jim Boyd has volunteered to oversee the website and the board agreed to take him up on the offer. EDA Director Matt Geretschlaeger expressed thanks to Jim Boyd for all his work for the EDA. “He is a tremendous asset to us,” said Geretschlaeger.
Housing program also making progress
Nancy Grabko of Community Fundraising Solutions, the EDA’s housing program coordinator, reported on some upcoming and potential new projects. A major project would be the demolition of the storage building adjacent to the Joynes Ben Franklin store in downtown Grand Marais. Nancy Grabko said she is working with Joynes Ben Franklin on pursuing Iron Range Resource Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) funding for demolition of the building. She said it is estimated that it will cost about $35,000 to complete the required environmental study, demolish the building, remove the footings, and place class 5 gravel down for a parking lot. Grabko said it is not near the start of a new IRRRB funding cycle, but she said she was told to go ahead and apply.
Director Geretschlaeger said when discussion of this demolition started, IRRRB told the EDA that businesses must have a redevelopment plan in place, however the criteria has changed to allow “blight removal,” so Joynes Ben Franklin can apply. The EDA board passed a unanimous motion to authorize Community Fundraising Solutions to proceed with the IRRRB application.
Steve Grabko of Community Fundraising Solutions gave an update on two other commercial rehab projects under way, at The Garage and the Grand Marais Senior Center. He said five bids had been received for the work at The Garage. He was meeting with owner Jill Terrill the day after the meeting. The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)-required wage determination studies, which were slowing the projects, have been completed. Steve Grabko said, “We should be getting shovels in the ground soon.”
Some good news for the EDA housing program is that it has been invited to submit a full application for 2012 DEED Small Cities Development Program (SCDP)funds. The EDA was required to submit a pre-application, which it did, requesting $334,000 for projects in Cook County. The pre-application met with DEED’s approval, so Nancy Grabko said she would work on the full application. She shared a letter from DEED cautioning that it is going to be a very competitive grant cycle.
The Small Cities program received 77 pre-applications totaling over $42 million. It is asking 60 applicants to submit full applications. Those applications total $33.5 million and the SCDP expects to award approximately $14 million. The EDA is seeking $334,000 for Cook County. Nancy Grabko said the EDA’s application would have to be modified. “Everyone has to go back to the drawing board and sharpen their pencils,” she said.
In other business:
Nancy Grabko presented a letter and monitoring report from the DEED Small Cities Development Program (SCDP). The EDA housing program not only had no negative findings, Patrick Armon, DEED’s business and community development representative, wrote, “Lake/Cook County is to be congratulated on its efforts to implement this project in a conscientious manner.”
Director Geretschlaeger reported on his discussions with Michelle Ufford of the Northeast Minnesota Office of Job Training about establishing a scholarship fund with the $10,000 in the 501c3 Resource Development Council account, which is overseen by the EDA board. The RDC was established to serve as a pass-through for funds going to Cook County Higher Education when that organization was created.
Geretschlaeger said there are many people in the community who are not eligible for traditional scholarships—people who are working multiple jobs, etc. He asked the board if it wanted to try to use the RDC money as “gap financing” for these people. The Office of Job Training would like to partner with the EDA on this idea. The EDA board directed Geretschlaeger to pursue the scholarship idea.
Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course Manager Bob Fenwick shared a copy of the letter he and EDA Chair Littfin sent to IRRRB Commissioner Tony Sertich, explaining the unique public/private partnership of Superior National at Lutsen and the economic benefit that it brings to the community. They asked for IRRRB support of the golf course as a vital northeastern Minnesota economic project.
Fenwick also presented a draft 2012 budget proposal. He said much of the proposed budget was based on recommendations of golf consultant John Wait. He said Wait’s proposed budget had more categories than the golf course currently has, for example, he said the current SNL budget doesn’t break down food service cost. Fenwick said he will be working with the EDA golf course committee to figure out what costs are for food, and what costs are for labor, food supplies, cleaning supplies, etc. He asked the EDA to wait for one month to approve the final budget to give him time to make these changes.
The EDA board noted that a board member is needed to replace long-serving board member Jim Hall, who went off the board at the end of 2011. It was agreed it would be good to have a representative from the West End of the county. Chair Littfin said, “If you know someone who would be a good addition to the EDA board, ask them to get their name in to the county board.”
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