by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
At the Nov. 9 Sauk Rapids City Council meeting, Benton County Administrator Montgomery Headley presented the idea for an economic-development organization to the city. County Commissioners Jim McMahon and Spencer Buerkle of commissioner Districts 3 and 4 respectively, were also present at the meeting.
The idea behind forming an economic-development organization would be to help initiate and support economic growth throughout the county, similar to what the Greater St. Cloud Development Corp. does. The GSDC works to improve the business climate and economic base of the St. Cloud area, including portions of Benton, Stearns and Sherburne counties. This organization proposed by the county would benefit the whole of Benton County exclusively.
“Benton County had a full-time economic development director for about 15 years,” Headley said. “Then we went to a part-time consultant, and focused just on rural areas for about two years. It worked well.”
Headley said after the two years, the part-time consultant decided to move on. The county then had an opportunity to figure out what the future of economic development in the county would look like. They held a meeting in the fall of last year with business leaders and government officials from across the county. The consensus at the meeting was to do more, that a part-time position wasn’t enough to serve the needs of the county, that there needed to be one contact for all business things in Benton County.
“We lost Verso. We lost Coborn’s [headquarters]. We heard the message loud and clear,” Buerkle said.
Benton County then invited the group Community Development Morrison County down. The group is a separately, privately funded, non-profit corporation. Instead of having Morrison County direct community development, the county and cities have a partnership with the group and with other private parties.
“We put together a work group consisting of business leaders and members of government, including [City Administrator] Ross Olson and [Community Development Director] Todd Schultz,” Headley said. “The group has met three or four times to discuss creating a privately funded non-profit economic-development organization for Benton County. The organization would be governed and supported by members, of which Benton County would be just one.”
Headley said a good starting budget for the economic development organization in Benton County would be about $150,000. The county has budgeted $75,000 for the project for 2016, and they are looking for more private-sector partners.
“GSDC has a budget of approximately $150,000,” Headley stated.
The group is working on drafting bylaws and will have a different focus from GSDC.
“I think it’s time for Benton County to start thinking outside the box,” said Mayor Brad Gunderson.
Any proposal for Sauk Rapids to join the organization will need to go through the Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
