FAIRMONT – Martin County Economic Development Authority (EDA) looked through next year’s priorities during its meeting Monday.

Currently, broadband, housing and business retention and expansion are listed as the highest priorities. EDA Chairman Wes Anderson said he lost two weeks of service and could not reach the broadband provider until this morning.

“This morning I said, ‘What’s the deal? You guys shut down in the cities, and wouldn’t allow other services to come into our area. Wouldn’t answer me,” Anderson said.

Under broadband, the current goals are to complete the FCC broadband challenge and continue work on the Martin County Broadband Partnership Program. The housing focus looks to center on developing a housing trust fund and completing housing studies for Truman and Granada.

Conducting business visits, supporting business and succession planning, bringing in additional retail and grant writing for the Career Launch Program were cited as a focus for business retention and expansion.

The program, meant to aid kids who don’t plan to attend college with career prospects, was recommended to receive more than the $140,000 allocated to it in the 2025 budget at the June EDA meeting.

Consultant Amber Patten asked Commissioner Jaime Bleess if the program was still in the budget for 2025. Bleess said it is, but not much discussion has happened since June.

Childcare, EDA marketing and business retention and expansion are listed as medium priority. Of those, childcare had the most discussion. Only one item is listed, the Lakeview Methodist/Building Blocks Child Care Expansion.

The EDA is currently considering giving the project $100,000. Commissioner Tim Terfehr asked if the project was counting on the EDA’s money. County Coordinator Scott Higgins said he did not know and had not received any updates from the expansion team. Currently, Higgins said they’re working through how the funding would work, saying a grant outright would be tricky.

“There was that discussion about EDA authority to just give a grant for such a project,” he said. “If it was a loan or something to that degree, we might be able to do a loan program. That’s where we’ve left it off at this point. It could be a program we would open up where Lakeview could also apply.”

Because it was a discussion-based subject, no motions or approvals were made.