The Buzz Stop is shown on the left side of the photo at left. On the right side is Hamm It Up, which also has received a W’bago EDA facade grant in the past.

The Winnebago Economic Development Authority is getting close to finishing off a mission they started three years ago.

At a meeting this past Wednesday evening, the EDA board approved an Exterior Grant request from the Buzz Stop in an amount not to exceed $6,000.

The owners of the Buzz Stop, Amanda Johnson and Gary Osborn, plan on replacing both the front and back doors to the building located on Main Street, as well as replacing the front window and painting the front.

Total cost of the improvements is $11,907.78 and the EDA’s grants are for half the amount, not to exceed $6,000. Half of the amount is $5,953.89.

The EDA members voted in favor of approving the grant, with board member Amanda Johnson abstaining.

She thanked the board, and the Winnebago community, for their support of the Buzz Stop.

EDA specialist Jennifer Howard, of CEDA, reported that with this most recent grant, the funds in the SCDP Exterior Improvements Grants fund will be close to being depleted.

“We will have less than $1,500 left in the fund,” Howard told the board members. “We are starting to look for different places we could apply to for more grant funding.”

The current fund started off at $65,000 in April of 2020. In that first year of 2020, $17,007.86 was awarded to Winnebago businesses.

In 2021 there was $5,336.20 awarded and in 2022 it was $16,567.42.

So far in 2023, there was $12,000 in grants before this current one.

“It has done a lot of good for Main Street,” Winnebago mayor and EDA chairman Scott Robertson said. Other members agreed that it has worked well for what it was intended to do.

The EDA members also briefly discussed creating a housing incentive grant program, and Howard said she is looking for possible grant funds for that program as well.

Howard and others attended the Minnesota Housing Partnership Institute and were able to speak to developers and others who are interested in their concept of rehabilitation of owner-occupied homes.

Also under financial matters, the board looked over the other types of loans they have out into the community. All together, those EDA loans totaled $271,942, but now have current balances of $168,613.88.

Only one of those loans is in arrears and has past due payments.

The one the group had concerns about was to Flip ‘n’ Shake, which is 11 months delinquent and owes $10,586.

“There have been three different people who expressed some interest in buying the business,” Howard said. “But none of those three seem to still have interest in it.”

She added that she felt that even if someone did end up purchasing it, the EDA would have a difficult time getting their $10,000 loan back.

In other business, the EDA members received an update on plans for the Hall of Fame celebration to honor Norma Schmitt.

It will be held on Saturday, Aug. 19, from 2-4 p.m. with a program at 3 p.m.

The group learned that the owners of the former JM property in Winnebago have reached out to the city and may be interested in selling the property, which has been empty for many years.

There was brief discussion about any possible new ribbon cutting opportunities but none were set.

Howard also told the group that she will be out of the area for two weeks in August. She will be off on military service from Aug. 12-31 in both Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin and in Ft. Cavazos in Texas.

One EDA member questioned why there had not been a Business Spotlight Award recently, and the group agreed to give out a Business Spotlight Award next month.