County considers economic development proposal

By BRENT SHRUM Western News Reporter

The Lincoln County Commissioners are considering a proposal to grant $100,000 per year for two years to the county's port authority for subcontracted economic development activities.

Under the terms of the proposal, roughly hashed out during a January port authority board meeting, the port authority would use the money to contract for services now being provided by the Kootenai River Development Council. The KRDC is currently operating on $35,000 granted by the port authority board in January and had been supported for the past four years by a grant from the city of Libby's economic development fund.

During a Wednesday meeting with the county commissioners, port authority board member Amy Guth presented a proposed contract through which the port authority would hire out for economic development services. While the port authority board envisioned contracting with KRDC for the services, representatives of that organization suggested that the port authority advertise a request for qualifications before making a decision, Guth said.

"There may not be anybody else who applies, and there may be," said Commissioner Marianne Roose, who also holds a seat on the port authority board. "You don't know until you put it out there."

To maximize grant opportunities, the port authority should seek a registered non-profit organization rather than an individual, Guth said.

Services to be provided under the contract would include management and administrative duties for the port authority and for the industrial district — governed by a subset of the port authority's board — that oversees the former Stimson mill property, along with countywide economic development activities. Members of the port authority board who aren't from Libby want to make sure that the money is not spent strictly for efforts at the mill site or in Libby, Guth said.

"I think there's some strong feelings there," she said.

Roose said the commissioners don't want to micromanage economic development efforts but do want to be kept informed of how the money is spent.

"That is the purpose of the contract, so that there is a report made to us on a regular basis as to what is happening," she said.

The commissioners plan to review the proposal and make a decision next week.