County Commissioners
WCI execs break down numbers for Clay board
Dan Haglund
Two West Central Initiative executives presented a comprehensive update of recent funding as well as anticipated state infusion dollars to the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, June 27, in Moorhead.
Greg Wagner, WCI director of business and economic development, explained how the recent pandemic has changed funding directives, as well as how the recent Minnesota legislative session will help in this region.
Wagner said the last 18 months, WCI administered 66 Covid-19 relief grants totaling $660,000 from Jan. 22, 2022, to just this past week. He cited the two rounds of Covid relief grants, in addition to Covid emergency loans, as major catalysts.
“Our lending programs have provided six loans to Clay County businesses in the last 18 months for $250,000,” Wagner said. “We do have a joint fund, a Clay County loan fund that we’d like to couple with our loans, and have the WCI loans and Clay County loans work together. However, because of the nature of the funding we received, we had some timelines where we had to get those dollars out as fast as we could. So we’ve been doing projects in Clay County, but we haven’t tapped the loan fund on the shoulder for some support because those were federal funds, we needed to get them out. But now our eyes are on any future projects. Now we’re in some more normal times, we can definitely get those dollars out and working again that are in the Clay County loan fund.”
Wagner said the latest project his staff has been working on is the Main Street Economic Revitalization Program grant dollars. The state of Minnesota has earmarked $80 million for this program, of which $40 million is going to greater Minnesota. The investment is a response to overall Covid economic impacts statewide.
“WCI applied for that, and we received $3.5 million (of the $40 million available for greater Minnesota). We had requested twice that amount for projects in our region,” Wagner said.
Wagner said the economic infusion from the state has allowed WCI to created three investment corridors within the region: Browns Valley, Morris and along Highway 10. WCI has allocated, on a pro-rated basis, $1.8 million to the Highway 10 corridor.
“We received 44 applications along the Highway 10 corridor,” Wagner said. “And projects will be started in Moorhead, Hawley, Dilworth … at least a dozen projects. That is a competitive process, it’s a 30 percent grant rate so if the project is $100,000, they have to come up with $70,000 match, and if approved there’ll be a $30,000 grant for that construction project.”
Wagner said WCI has also done some aging work in partnership with the Department of Human Services, and Artists on Main Street, specifically in Hawley.
WCI development director Rebecca Petersen added that between Jan. 1, 2022, and June 22 of this year, WCI has reinvested $1,834,104 in this region of Clay County through grants, specifically deed grants.
Petersen did speculate that additional funds will be infused into the region after the most recent state legislative session.
“In Clay County, our early childhood folks are working with the Jasmine Project here,” Petersen said. “And also doing a lot of work in Barnesville with staffing. We know that child care is not only an issue in providing child care, but finding people to work in the industry.”
Petersen mentioned that the Clay County partnerships WCI has are robust.
Clay County Commissioner Kevin Campbell, Dist., 4, inquired to Wagner about the six Clay County businesses which received funding, and whether their dollars were federal or local. Wagner said it was a mix, but that the Clay County loan fund was not used in this instance because the federal dollars needed to be expedited.
Campbell also asked how many total Clay County businesses requested such funding, and Wagner said there were no businesses denied, so the six requests were also the total number which applied.
Wagner said the federal dollars are now gone for loans, but there are still funds available through Clay County and WCI.
Commissioner Jenny Mongeau, Dist. 3, passed along her thanks to Wagner and WCI for helping various rural fire departments with additional dollars in the recent months, as those entities do not always have an easy time getting the funding they need.
WCI was founded in 1986 to help small business owners in the west-central block of Minnesota (nine counties) launch or expand, and to encourage those who want to make a positive difference within their wider communities through fund-raising and economic coordination.
From the vision statement on the WCI website, “We envision a future where all people feel welcome, appreciated for their unique attributes, and connected to their neighbors, communities, and natural environments. Where our regional economy sparks the imagination of entrepreneurs and bolsters vibrant, prosperous, and growing communities. Where our planet is respected, sustained, and recognized as paramount to our existence.”