KRDC elects new board officers
The board of the Kootenai River Development Council elected the new board officers in a meeting held Thursday, Oct. 29. The board selected local businesswoman Kristin Smith to be the board president, Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program manager Nick Raines as vice president and businesswoman Jannelle Campbell as secretary-treasurer.
In addition to the new officers, the board also welcomed three new members, Kate Stephens of Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, Matt Skranak of Libby Auto Sales and Craig Barringer of Libby Public Schools. Also on the board are Jeff Brooks and Russ Barnes, the outgoing president. Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Peck was also a board member, but announced at the meeting his intent to resign from the board, citing the possibility of conflicts of interest should he be called upon to vote as a commissioner on matters pertaining to the board’s operations.
The board has lost five members, apart from Peck, since the organization’s tax return was filed Aug. 6. Those members are Troy Mayor Darren Coldwell, Superintendent of Troy Public Schools Dr. Jacob Francom, Lincoln County Clerk and Recorder Robin Benson, Libby city administrator Jim Hammons and Chris Hermes. The previous year’s filing, submitted Aug. 21, 2014, listed Barnes, Benson and Hammons as well as Commissioner Greg Larson, Robert Thompson and former commissioner Tony Berget as board members.
The board’s mission, as stated in the Internal Revenue Service filing, is to “promote and facilitate economic development in [the] economically depressed area of Lincoln County, Montana.”
The organization has worked on several projects aimed at stimulating new business in south Lincoln County, mostly in conjunction with the Lincoln County Port Authority. The most recent tax return indicated three major achievements, including working with a company to secure a community development block grant to assist a local business in the manufacture and marketing of electric lithium golf carts, securing a Big Sky Trust Fund grant to develop and improve the rail access at the Port Authority property and assist with a Big Sky Trust Fund grant to bring a call center to Libby.
The filing shows more than $1.2 million in grants and contributions being raised by the organization for the purpose of promoting economic development in south Lincoln County since 2010.
Raines said it is important to differentiate the mission of the K.R.D.C. from that of the Lincoln County Port Authority. The port is a quasi-governmental agency, created by the county commissioners to manage and develop the 400-acre piece of land given to the county from Stimson Lumber. The development council, on the other hand, is a private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting development throughout all of south Lincoln County, even though the organizations share staff and resources.
“The K.R.D.C. mission is pretty broad,” Raines said. “To boil it down, we are focused on supporting community and economic development throughout south Lincoln County. With the majority of the board being relatively new, a priority will be to define our exact role in the community by assessing the community’s needs with respect to economic development. We have already begun this process as we are evaluating ways K.R.D.C. may support and contribute to several marketing, recreational, and business expansion/retention projects. I look forward to working with the board as we strive to ensure Lincoln County is and continues to be a desirable place to live, work, and play.”
New board member Skranak said he hopes to see a new era of tranparency and cooperation from the organization, and looks forward to bringing more business and opportunity to south Lincoln County.
“Since I have been to only one meeting I am not sure that I am the best representative to speak for the K.R.D.C. the board chair would be a great resource for you,” he said. “However, I will say that I hope that the current board moving forward will be able to promote Libby and South Lincoln County as a positive environment for small businessess and their employees. I believe that the current board will change the public perception of the K. R. D. C. through hard work and an open door policy. I joined this board to help effect positive change in my community. I love Libby and I want nothing more then to see Libby and south Lincoln County thrive and not just survive.”
The new board’s first order of business was to pass a motion made by Raines to release the board’s 2015 meeting minutes in response to a records request from The Western News. The minutes were initially requested Aug. 14, along with copies of meeting minutes from the Lincoln County Port Authority Board. As of press time, the minutes have not been provided.