FAIRMONT – Though they could not vote due to lack of a quorum, the Martin County Economic Development Authority (EDA) heard out a potential grant pivot on Monday.

The Martin County EDA, along with other counties in region nine, had submitted requests for federal disaster relief grants due to the flash flooding that occurred from June 15-24 of 2024. Unfortunately, none of them were approved, including Martin County’s.

“It wasn’t just ours that did not get funded,” CEDA Consultant Amber Patten said. “None of region nine got funded. Region 10, they also did not get funded.”

Given all the hard work put into this application, Patten said she found a way to pivot this work into a different process.

“Following a debriefing call that we had last week with region nine, they suggested the Martin County EDA consider flipping the Disaster NOFO application basically into the nearly identical Economic Adjustment Assistance application.”

The request of $320,000 would stay the same. However, instead of a cash contribution, Patten said they could use local in-kind staff time to match instead. Ideally, Patten said all nine cities in region nine could come forward to help.

“Using an average staff rate of $80,000 per year, including fringe benefits, 1,800 work hours per year, the participating city would need to commit an average of about two hours per week,” she said. “I think that would be doable, or roughly 100 hours per year over the grant period of the two years.”

This would allow each participating city to avoid putting in any funds at all. Patten said they have not reached out to the other cities yet, as she wanted to bring this in front of the county EDA and gauge the temperature before moving forward. Patten said there is no urgency on this, as this is a continual grant process.

Board Member Billeye Rabbe put her early support behind the project, saying she saw no downside in what’s being presented. This potential project will be brought up at the next County EDA meeting, where a vote can be presented.

In other news:

— A retail store has officially been approved to move forward in the Five Lakes Centre Mall. Patten said this is a huge positive step not only for the mall, Fairmont and Martin County, but also for all the people who visit Fairmont on a regular or irregular basis.

— Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation reached out regarding childcare data in Martin County. After reviewing the situations in Martin and Faribault counties, SMIF will be sending appreciation gifts to childcare providers throughout both counties as appreciation gifts.