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County EDA gets broadband update

Board also presents the Business Spotlight to Elmore Nursery

By Kevin Mertens - Staff Writer | Nov 26, 2023

EDA specialist Amber Patten, left, and EDA board member Lars Bierly, right, present Elmore Nursery owner Frank Haag, middle, with the November 2023 Business Spotlight Award.

The Faribault County Economic Development Authority met in Elmore on Tuesday, Nov. 21, and worked through a lengthy agenda.

Bevcomm CEO Bill Eckles attended the meeting and provided an update on the progress of installing broadband in Faribault County.

“The cities of Kiester, Frost, Delavan, Bricelyn and Elmore are pretty much done and Winnebago is getting close also,” Eckles explained. “We are applying for a Minnesota Broadband Grant which, if it is awarded to our company, would allow us to serve 101 locations with dedicated fiber optics in the rural areas surrounding Minnesota Lake.”

Eckles shared that if Bevcomm receives the grant that construction would begin in the late spring or early summer of 2024.

“The total cost for this project will be between $1,400,000 and $1,500,000,” Eckles said. “The grant would cover 30 percent of the total project cost with Bevcomm contributing the remaining balance.”

As part of the application process, Eckles was seeking a $5,000 contribution from the EDA to bolster Bevcomm’s chances of being awarded the grant.

“Additional points are awarded to applicants if a local unit of government commits to providing a portion of the funding,” Eckles added. “The $5,000 would only need to be paid should Bevcomm be awarded the state grant.”

The EDA approved the request.

Eckles ended his presentation by saying the remaining rural areas around Blue Earth and Wells which do not yet have broadband will be next on the list.

“Once those are done, everyone in Faribault County that Bevcomm is responsible for should have access to broadband,” he concluded.

A portion of the meeting was also spent honoring Elmore Nursery with the November 2023 Business Spotlight Award.

Elmore Nursery owner Frank Haag said workers at his company have been very busy since Oct. 1, making garlands and wreaths for the Christmas season.

“Everything we make the first month goes to the Twin Cities or Chicago where it is put in cold storage,” Haag explained.

According to Haag, at the height of the holiday season, Elmore Nursery will have as many as 45 employees making the Christmas decorations.

Regarding the Business Spotlight Award, EDA specialist Amber Patten informed the board that staff is planning on expanding the benefits of the Business Spotlight Award.

“We plan on creating a section on our website to highlight the award winners,” Patten shared. “We will also add the winners in the EDA newsletter and submit press releases to the Connect Business Magazine.”

Patten also reported that the new EDA website is now operational and can be found at www.fceda.net.

EDA specialist Celia Simpson reported that EDA attorney David Frundt has been directed to proceed with foreclosure proceedings against the owners of Miller’s Corner in Bricelyn.

“They are nine months past due on payments and they still do not have any property or liability insurance,” Simpson commented.

Simpson also reported that a representative from Durascreen, which was the successor to Fly Away, a company which defaulted on their loans with the EDA in about 2003, has reached out to both the Blue Earth EDA and the Faribault County EDA regarding payoffs for their loans.

“Durascreen is now waiting for a response on steps to pay off their Faribault County EDA loans,” Simpson said. “Staff is recommending a request to pay off the principal balances only, which is what the Blue Earth EDA is doing.”

The two remaining balances are $8,693 on a $15,000 loan and $10,654 on a $30,000 loan.

The EDA board approved the staff’s recommendations.

Action was also taken to modify a Childcare Grant awarded to Connie Stanke of Wells for her Little Rebels daycare facility.

Patten told the board members Stanke’s original project plans were to install a sprinkler system.

“She has had some unforeseen setbacks from the state of Minnesota and that has prompted her to reconsider the project’s focus,” Patten told the board. “She is now redirecting her focus to making flooring improvements. Connie would also like to request the timeline of the project be extended as the original application was for the project to be completed in six months.”

The board approved the changes to the grant request.

In other business, the board:

• Voted to approve the EDA’s lease at the Ag Center at an annual cost of $2,935.

• Learned Faribault County will be receiving affordable housing funding in the amount of $90,527 on Dec. 1, of this year, and the same amount in 2024.

• Conducted a preliminary review of the 2024 priority plan which will focus on business retention and expansion, housing, childcare and regional planning.

• Decided to return to a monthly meeting schedule. However, if there is no business to conduct, a meeting may be cancelled.