Rice County
R
working for growth and opportunity
ice County encourages economic growth by identifying development opportunities, supporting the efforts of Rice County communities, building programs and providing tools to compete for quality jobs, leveraging programs offered by our economic development partners, and building relationships and coalitions with organizations that can support the economic momentum and overall county vision. It is the role of the Rice County Economic Development Department to identify and execute steps to take advantage of the County’s assets, respond to opportunities and Guest Columnist challenges, and promote economic Kathy Feldbrugge development countywide per the direction and support of the County Board while balancing goals with realistic resources. The county administrator leads the department with assistance from the economic development coordinator. Responsibilities include increasing the commercial/industrial tax base, encouraging the retention and expansion of existing businesses, recruiting and creating quality job opportunities, and promoting the county as a place to grow business. This year the COVID-19 pandemic brought about additional challenges and new priorities for Rice County and the Economic Development Department. An important priority has been the development and review process of a new Rice County Small Business Grant. With CARES Act funding, Rice County was able to provide a Small Business Grant Program to assist businesses impacted by COVID-19. The maximum grant amount available per applicant is $3,000, and businesses must have 50 or fewer employees to qualify for the grant. In mid-September, the County had received 131 Small Business Grant applications, and continues to accept grant applications until further notice. Information regarding the Rice County CARES Small Business Grant is on the Rice County website, www.co.rice.mn.us. The county is also researching other possibilities regarding financial assistance that could potentially include grant funds for farming operations, as
well as funds for employment training needs for individuals and businesses. A priority for several years has been broadband service in rural Rice County. The County Board and staff understand the importance of broadband service and its connection to quality of life and economic development, and is why continued communication with several broadband providers has occurred regarding the need for service to the unserved and underserved areas of the County. This year Rice County received requests from Nuvera Communications, BEVCOMM and Access Networks asking for the county’s support of their broadband initiatives that would benefit Rice County. The County responded by providing official letters of support, and approving financial requests from BEVCOMM and Access Networks. Many of the Rice County Economic Development priorities and goals are ongoing, and inviting guests to Rice County for special presentations and/or tours happens occasionally. Steve Grove, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, accepted the County’s invitation and spent a day last fall learning more about Rice County. The purpose of the invitation and visit was for the commissioner to see and hear about the many Rice County success stories, to share with him the county’s vision, priorities, challenges and opportunities, and to discuss how the county and community partners can work together with DEED to ensure future growth and success. Economic Development success stories often happen because of willing partnerships, and this has been the case in Rice County. At the request of businesses and with the collaboration of city and other financial partners, Rice County has provided financial assistance for several economic development projects…three recent tax abatement projects include Daikin Applied, SteinAir and Trystar. Over the past few years, Rice County has provided Tax Abatement for five other projects in Faribault and one project in Lonsdale, and approved five revolving loans for four projects in Northfield and one project in Faribault. Some additional priorities for the Economic Development Department include maintaining an inventory of available commercial/industrial properties; evaluating marketing opportunities; coordinating business retention and expansion visits and economic development meetings; and communicating with key individuals at local and state levels regarding policy, legislation, plans and programs that could have an impact on future economic development in Rice County.
PROGRESS Kathy Feldbrugge is the Rice County economic development coordinator.
Fall 2020
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