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EDC
COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES |
BRE/R
Technology Task Force
MEETING
SCHEDULE
Meets
monthly at 7:300 a.m. on the first Thursday at the EDC board
room.
TASK
FORCE MEMBERS
- Bob Bonawitz
- Jay Bosch, Blue Skies Unlimited
- Dean Bouta, Bennett Office Technologies
- Lee Byberg, Willmar Poultry Company
- Doug Dodge
- Ron Erpelding, EDC Operations Board Member
- Bill Fenske, Rice Memorial Hospital
- Bill Jagow, Affiliated Community Medical
Centers
- Jay Kroona, Kandiyohi County Data Information
Center
- Don McGrath, SCORE
- Jim Millard, Millards IT Services
- Ron Nelson, TDS Telecom
- Mike Nitchals, Willmar Municipal Utilities
- Charles Oakes, West Central Industries
- Marie Ostby
- Jeff Roiland, En-Tel Communications, LLC
- Steve Salzer, MinnWest Technology Campus
- Diane Schulte, Minnesota Department of Employment
and Economic Development
- David Sisser, West Central Communications
- Jean Spaulding (Chair), Spicer Economic Development
Authority
- Roy Stiff, KandiComp
- Jeff Tengwall, Charter Business
MEETING
MINUTES (PDF format)
| January
19, 2007 |
May
18, 2007 |
September
21, 2007 |
| February
16, 2007 |
June
15, 2007 |
October
19, 2007 |
| March
16, 2007 |
July
20, 2007 |
November
16, 2007 |
| April
20, 2007 |
August
17, 2007 |
December
6, 2007 |
| January
11, 2006 |
June
8, 2006 |
October
12, 2006 |
| February
24, 2006 |
July
13, 2006 |
November
9, 2006 |
| March
31, 2006 |
August
10, 2006 |
December
15, 2006 |
| May
12, 2006 |
September
15, 2006 |
|
2007
GOALS
Goal
1: Assess needs and access opportunities
a.
Assess needs and access opportunities for technology-based
industry recruitment and
expansion.
b. Identify locations in the area that have and do not
have high speed internet capacity,
telephone redundancy and cellular telephone service
and determine the needs for such type
of services.
c. Communicate to prospective businesses the technology
services that are available and
attempt to have those services provided to all
areas of the county.
d. Encourage businesses to complete a technological
needs assessment of the services
provided by their current provider and do a comparison
with alternative providers.
Action:
- Through grant, quantify services available
and unavailable in all parts of the county.
- Develop survey to accomplish goal.
- Meet immediately with Blandin to discuss
survey plans and ask for additions.
- Determine what we should have, what we have,
what others want that we have and identify who they are.
- Determine basic needs of prospective recruits
into Kandiyohi County.
- Provide assistance to EDC in recruitment
efforts as requested.
- In-service small businesses on technology
advancements to increase customer services.
- Using broadband grant, develop self-evaluation
survey for small businesses.
Goal
2: Infrastructure
a.
Identify and share with elected officials and public policy
makers the necessary technological
infrastructure to be included in new construction,
repairs and improvements to state
highways, county roads and city streets, especially
in the area of the new Willmar industrial
park.
Action:
- Recommend to city and county in the plat
review process a notification and opportunity for comment
be given to service providers.
- Develop a list of desired technical services
for new developments that is reviewed semi-annually.
- Encourage city/county planners to increase
easement capacity in addition to utilities to accommodate
current and future technical services and suggest joint
trench usage. It is noted that with more underground facilities
being provided, congestion may be an issue.
Goal
3: Educational Opportunities
a. Identify and implement ways to
support entrepreneurial efforts in technology by individuals
and companies.
b. Identify and implement ways to attract, retain and
support technologically-based educational
offerings.
Action:
- Facilitate educational offerings on “how
to” for entrepreneurial startups and expansions using
the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
(DEED), Ridgewater College and Community Education.
- Assist EDC in the recruitment and retention
efforts involving entrepreneurial technological companies.
- Education seminar through Blandin.
Get
Broadband Grant
Kandiyohi
County is the recipient of a $30,000 Get Broadband
grant through the Blandin Foundation. Click on the button
below to read more about the program.
2008
Greater Minnesota Technology Showcase
The
Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development
Commission and the Willmar Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce
are in the process of working with other regional resources
to develop and host the 2008 Greater Minnesota Technology
Showcase.
The
intent of the showcase is to highlight the technical capabilities
available in greater Minnesota. It is a regional event
hosted in the centrally located city of Willmar .
Read
more about the structure
of the 2008 Greater Minnesota Technology.
Showcase
Minutes
February
7, 2006
February
21, 2006
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