Members Present: Mark Crowl, John Richards, Kelly Hibbs, Ted Gerber, Steve Zelinski, Tom Berg

Others Present: Michael Kornmann, John Strochine

Press: Chet Newman, Nancy Jappe

CALL TO ORDER:

Meeting called to order by Steve Zelinski at 3:30 pm in Room 165 of the Burnett County Government Center on January 7, 2004.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Motion to approve the December 3, 2003 minutes made by Tom Berg; seconded by Kelly Hibbs. Motion carried.

VOUCHERS & FINANCIAL REPORT:

Motion made by Tom Berg to approve vouchers totaling $2,800 and a check written for 250 sets of inserts (Northern Edge Grant Project) in the amount of $686.08; seconded by Mark Crowl. Motion carried.

Michael Kornmann presented the Financial Report.

OLD BUSINESS:

Strategic Planning Session #2:
Kornmann facilitated the discussion on strategic planning. The board discussed stakeholders, reviewed the mission statement and completed a SWOT analysis. The board agreed that the current mission statement was too broad. Kornmann will bring some alternative statements based on comments from this meeting. At the February meeting the board will finalize a new mission statement and identify issues and action plans.

Internal Stakeholders
Board Members and the Organizations they represent
Burnett County Government
UW-Extension Burnett County
Northwest Regional Planning Commission

External Stakeholders
Villages and Towns
Residents
Grantsburg IDC
Technology Zone
4H and School Districts
Webpenguin
ITBEC
Forward WI
Employers
New Business Projects

What criteria do stakeholders use for evaluation?
· Board member participation
· Current projects and progress (success/failure)
· Health of Industrial Parks
· County Unemployment Rate
· Value of Property tax base
· Population Trends
· Annual gross income trends
· Participation in grant and loan programs
· Retention and Expansion of existing businesses
· Percent of "full" employment

Mission Statement Review:
Who are we?
A group of individuals, businesses, and governments promoting future growth, business retention, and funding programs.

What basic social and political problems do we seek to solve?
· Lack of jobs
· Lack of high paying jobs
· Resources and visibility
· Development/regulation issues
· Fractured county

How do we respond to our stakeholders?
· Cooperate with other groups
· Create visibility as a resource for the area
· Research economic development environment
· Facilitator to direct others to needed resources and tools
· Create new resources and tools
· Promote our organization and the county

What are our core values?
· Development benefits the entire county
· Cooperation between communities
· Cooperation between developers and government
· Environmentally responsible development
· Socially responsible development
· Cooperation between businesses

What makes us unique?
· Only development organization where government has final say on funding
· County wide representation
· Specific businesses represented including the St. Croix Tribe of Indians
· Relationship with UW - Extension Burnett County

SWOT Analysis
Internal Organization Strengths
· Collaboration
· Broad areas of expertise
· Stable financial situation
· Strong contractors

Internal Organization Weaknesses
· Participation by board members
· Lack of focus
· No project specificity
· Control of funding - "pass through"
· Public funding
· Open meetings law (inhibits discussion)

External Opportunities to the Organization
· Relationships with elected leaders
· Untapped resources (climate, growing resources
· Raise more funds
· Relationship with other economic development organizations
· Strong Financial organizations

External Threats to the Organization
· Changing demographics and political values
· Economy and its relationship to funding

NEW BUSINESS

A. Nomination Committee

A nomination committee needs to be created to nominate officers for 2004 and to designate the Webb Lake and Danbury. Motion by Berg for Richards and Gerber to serve as the nomination committee, second by Crowl. Motion carried.

B. Annual meeting date

The annual meeting will be held at the Pour House on March 3rd. Invitations will go out in February.

C. NWRPC Contract

The board reviewed the annual contract for services with NWRPC for $13,000. Motion by Gerber and second by Richards to approve the contract. Motion carried.

D. Birding Trail In-kind donation

Kornmann updated the board on the grant application for the Great Wisconsin Birding Trail Festival. Many community organizations are cooperating on the project. The first year of the grant, the state will pay 75% of the promotional costs. In-kind donations must be documented with letters. The event needs a web page and 15 hours totaling $750 is being proposed. Motion by Berg, second to give a $750 in-kind donation of web page development to the Birding Trail event. Motion carried.

E. Tech Zone

Kornmann informed the board of an upcoming Tech Zone meeting. Washburn County EDC is working with Streus on a Tech Zone application. The Superior Life Technology Zone must first vote to recommend approval to the Department of Commerce. The Superior Life Technology Zone had previously agreed to automatically recommend approval for each county's first $500,000 in tax credits. Motion by Richards, second by Gerber to have Kornmann vote in favor of recommending approval to the Department of Commerce. Motion Carried.

Set Next Meeting Date:
February 11, 2004 at 3:30 pm in room 165 of the Government Center

Adjournment:
Richards motioned to adjourn at 5:23 pm, second by Berg. Motion carried.