Duane Hicks
While wanting to enhance economic development efforts for Fort Frances, town council said Monday it is more interested on working something out with the Rainy River Future Development Corp. than starting from scratch.
Following up on a request from the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) to explore the possibility of setting up an economic development commission (EDC) here, economic advisor Geoff Gillon outlined three possible models at a budget meeting Monday afternoon.
These included:
•A standalone commission
This is a not-for-profit entity which would be funded primarily by the town, but have the authority to operate independently.
Staff would work for the commission.
This would have a base budget of about $270,000.
•A commission created by municipal bylaw
The commission would be set up through a municipal bylaw which outlines its structure, board structure, remuneration, meeting times, etc.
Staff is directed by the commission, which has been given authority by council to spend development funds. Staff work for the municipality.
This would have a base budget of $270,000, but some costs could be reduced by integrating them with the general operating budget of the town.
•The current model of outsourcing services, like the town already does with the RRFDC, where economic development is funded through a contract between the town and a third party.
Staff works with council, the CAO, and EDAC as required.
The town is benefitted by the third party’s organizational structure, but there can be problems since staff are not part of the municipal structure and attention must be paid to ensure there is proper communications.
Fort Frances currently pays the RRFDC a base budget is $103,000 ($53,000 from Fort Frances’ per capita contribution and $50,000 for Fort Frances-specific projects).
But members of council felt the third option, or a blended model of some sort, would be best given the town just can’t afford the other two.
“I don’t think we can afford models one and two right now,” said Coun. Andrew Hallikas.
“I, myself, favour a blended model where we have more investment in a person who has more of an investment in Fort Frances,” he argued.
Coun. Paul Ryan said the first two options seems more applicable to a larger city.
Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft said he also would like to see the town at least somewhat involved in economic development decisions, and not have an EDC which is totally autonomous.
“I think the vision of [EDAC] is to have an economic development officer working out of Rainy River Future [Development] . . . a person that’s dedicated to doing economic development in the Town of Fort Frances,” echoed Coun. Ken Perry.
He later added there’s not enough dollars in the budget to go forth with a full-blown EDC.
“Going forward, we may have to spend some more money, we know that,” Coun. Perry admitted. “But when is the time, and how do we get started, to get some real good economic development thought and planning going forward in Fort Frances?
“Rainy River Future [Development] is doing a heckuva of job for the whole community,” he noted. “We want to focus on just one part of the community [Fort Frances], and that’s going to take another person. . . .
“I think it would be a lot cheaper, a lot less expensive, to go through [the RRFDC] than start out on our own,” Coun. Perry stressed.
“Being attached to the RRFDC is a very good thing. We can’t afford it by ourselves,” agreed Mayor Roy Avis, adding they need to see more figures to consider in the 2010 budget.
Gillon said it will take some work to determine how a person could work both for the RRFDC and the town.
“The hard part is to take that individual and have it specifically work for the Fort Frances or the economic development advisory committee, because who do they take orders from?” he asked.
“Somewhere in there, I have to figure out the benefit for both,” Gillon explained.
Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig recalled the request from the EDAC was born of its frustration of not having any budget or powers.
“Really, we have to admit the way we’ve been doing [it] the last few years, they haven’t been doing anything material at that committee, and that frustration has been enunciated to me on a number of occasions by various members: ‘What are we doing material in the Town of Fort Frances in terms of economic development?’” he remarked.
“I think you have to respect the fact it’s got to be a little bit different than what we have now, and maybe you are going to have to wrestle with the fact that maybe you have to relinquish a little bit of control,” McCaig added.
“You still have budgetary control year by year.
“I hope at the end of the day, if we do do something, we do something a lot different and better than what we’ve been doing,” McCaig later added.
Gillon said he would speak to the EDAC, get its input on a model where a town-hired employee would work out of the RRFDC office, and report back to council.
