MACKINAC ECONOMIC ALLIANCE Director’s Report January 17, 2017
MEA was very pleased to learn that the Mackinac County Commissioners approved our request for 2017 funding. MEA will receive the full amount ($85K) of funding requested in four quarterly installments. A letter thanking the Commissioners included reference to MEA accomplishments and the priority it is giving to the critical economic development challenges facing Mackinac County in 2017.
MEA was successful in reviving efforts to secure grant funding from the Sault Tribe for Portage Township and funding is now in place for the preparation of a Non Motorized Transportation Plan by EUP Regional Planning. Once complete this plan will provide Portage Township greater access to DNR and other grants to help advance their recreation goals.
MEA continues its “Bridge the Tech Divide” initiative through concentrated efforts to solicit surveys from residents in Portage, Brevort and Clark Townships. Recent activities have included requests of the Les Cheneaux, Curtis and St. Ignace Chambers of Commerces to include a survey link in their e-newsletters. MEA has also attempted to identify and connect with at least one community champion in each township to facilitate survey distribution. In addition, the ISD has suggested engaging school students in these communities to distribute and collect surveys. To date response has been greatest in Clark Township where over 500 surveys have been completed. Parallel to the survey effort MEA continues to facilitate discussions between the ISD and Mackinac Straits Health System to make application for a USDA telemedicine grant. If awarded this grant would contribute to costs associated with the infrastructure necessary to generate broadband upgrades.
MEA applied for a Sault Tribe 2% grant to cover costs associated with teleconference equipment for the Snowmobile Museum. Unfortunately the grant was denied. This is the 3rd grant application MEA has submitted to the Sault Tribe that has not been awarded. MEA is committed to securing needed teleconference capability for the Snowmobile Museum and is now underway to seek alternate sources of funding.
The Great Lakes Boat Building School has contracted with MEA to apply for a USDA Rural Business Development grant. If awarded funds will be applied to develop a feasibility study to expand school enrollment. Caroline Crecelius is preparing this grant application with input form Boat School Board Chairman, Ken Drenth.
On behalf of MEA Caroline is also taking steps to apply for a grant from US Department of Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI). In order to be eligible for this grant, communities must 1) share a common goal of expanding economic opportunity in low-income communities by providing access to financial products and services for local residents and businesses, 2) strive to foster economic opportunity and revitalize neighborhoods through resources such as loan funds and 3) bring together private and public sector investors to create economic opportunity in low income communities. Funding from this grant will be applied to the technical assistance MEA requires to effectively administer its business assistance programs. MEA has almost completed its series of face-to-face meetings and presentations to all loan officers at the banks and credit unions that serve our community. Each officer received a Reference Guide, recently developed by MEA, setting forth the parameters of the Revolving Loan Fund and requirements applicants must meet. MEA has also furnished the Mackinac County Clerk with its own supply of these Guides attached to MEA business cards for handouts to those prospective business owners requesting DBA applications. A copy of this new Guide will be distributed to MEA Board members at our January meeting.
In an effort to formalize an MEA Business Assistance program that provides the most benefit to both start up and expanding businesses, MEA has taken some important first steps. Informational pamphlets describing MEA’s business assistance offerings is now in the works and will be distributed to each of the three Mackinac County Chambers of Commerce offices. The MEA website has an added “Business Assistance” category in the drop down menu under Resources. There businesses can have access to business plan templates, connect with traditional and non traditional lenders in the region and schedule an appointment with MEA to evaluate business proposals and make appropriate recommendations. In addition, MEA has begun negotiations with Tip of the Mitt SCORE, located in Petoskey, to explore the possibility of opening a SCORE branch in Mackinac County. In administering this program MEA will have the opportunity to offer sustained professional counsel to MC businesses and bring the many and various resources MEA has already cultivated to bear upon a growing number of small businesses in Mackinac County.
With assistance from the local staff of MI Department of Environmental Quality MEA has completed and inventory of contaminated commercial properties in Mackinac County. This list will be added to the commercial real estate property listings already uploaded on the MEA website and will serve as a useful guide for real estate developers wishing to consider brownfield properties for redevelopment. Special thanks to Dean Reid for his hard work in coordinating this effort.
A Career and Technical Education (CTE) Mileage request will be put before voters in Chippewa Luce and Mackinac counties in May 2017. Central to MEA’s Mission is its commitment to increasing employment through the support and advancement of career and technical education opportunities. MEA has been communicating with the EUP Intermediate School District to obtain pertinent information about this mileage in order to actively campaign for its passage.