Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»â€™s economic development professionals work hard to help communities attract entrepreneurs and developers. We also work to address the underlying barriers to community growth and strength. For instance, the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» is happy to collaborate to tackle housing shortages, childcare gaps, and other challenges.
Whenever possible, we also help communities connect with federal, state, and private grant opportunities that will help them fund their goal achievement. If needed, we can also assist them with the application process.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» staff members are part of initiatives aimed at improving quality of life and increasing resources throughout our four-county region.
Please contact us if you are interested in working with the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» to further your project or initiative. Current Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» initiatives & collaborations include:
| Initiative or Collaboration | Focus |
|---|---|
| Collaborate and educate to secure broadband services throughout Kandiyohi County | |
| Increasing childcare slots in Kandiyohi, Meeker, and Renville Counties | |
| Bird Island Chalkboard Collective | Repurposing Bird Island’s former elementary school building |
| Promoting, preserving, and expanding the economy of Olivia | |
| Integrate the arts into the community while reflecting the community in the arts and the historic preservation of the Tinnes-Baker House | |
| Pursuit of a MN Department of Agriculture grant to give a Buffalo Lake grocer more capacity to offer local, healthy food | |
| Pursuit of a MN Department of Agriculture grant to add a commercial kitchen to be used by regional producers | |
| Encourage developing community leaders in the Willmar Lakes Area | |
| Promote financial literacy, college and career readiness, and entrepreneurship education to k-12 students | |
| Collaborate with farmers and ag-related industries to sustain, identify, and develop agriculture, agribusiness, and renewable energy opportunities | |
| Support business retention/expansion and recruitment throughout Kandiyohi County | |
| Willmar Bikes Initiative | Promote changes to foster bike-ability throughout the City of Willmar |
| Encourage commerce and improve safety by supporting improvements to transportation in the southwestern Twin Cities Metropolitan area, with a focus on US Highway 212 and MN State Highway 5 | |
| Encourage commerce and improve safety by supporting improvements along MN State Highway 23 | |
| Reduce traffic fatalities through education, engineering, enforcement, and emergency medical and trauma services | |
| Improve pedestrian safety, reduce traffic, and improve air quality for near schools | |
| Protect the viability of volunteer driver programs in Minnesota | |
| Provide input into decisions surrounding the use of federal highway funding throughout Southwest Minnesota | |
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