Services
What Can Region Five Do For You?
Transportation Initiatives
Jake Huebsch
Transportation Planner
Email:jhuebsch@regionfive.org
TAC meetings: regular meetings of five county transportation professionals
MnDOT grant administration, provides transportation planning & assistance to Dist. 3
Promotion of engineering assistance for small towns and townships
Safe Routes for School
Economic Development (ED)
Lee Miller
Economic Development Director
Email: lmiller@regionfive.org
Ann Hanson
Economic Development Assistant
Email: ahanson@regionfive.org
NCEDA GAP funding for new and expansion projects. Revolving loan fund.
Net 5 meetings: regular meetings of five county economic development professionals, (which is open to any regional ED groups)
Regional JobZ administrator
CEDS: Comprehensive Economic Development Study (your regional ED plan)
Economic Development liaison (when applying for federal ED grant funding) just received
$650K for Long Prairie Business Incubator project
ENSA: Enterprise Network Systems Analysis
NEW! R5DC is a Small Business Development Center – SBDC for Todd and Wadena counties. (Business planning, financial projections, financial packaging, other)
“Wadena County Economic Development Coordinator” feasibility study.
Regional Broadband Survey for the UofM EDA Center
Grant/Loan & Contract Administration
Cheryal Lee Hills
Executive Director
Email: chills@regionfive.org
Low Impact Development Work – BUILD SMART SUMMIT www.mnbuildsmart.org
Resulted in the award of a $2,888.00 grant for LID education.
ISTS Loans: Individual Sewage Treatment Systems, (Cass, Crow Wing, Wadena)
Micropolitan Planning efforts, received $50K USDA grant to hire consultant
Regional Energy Study
Received $50K grant to coordinate Central Minnesota Alternative Energy Regional Collaborative (CMAERC)
Local Foods Vista with U of M Central Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership
Other
Nicole Scheler
Office Specialist
Email:nscheler@regionfive.org
Fiscal agent for grants and loans
Regional Administrator meetings
Quarterly Regional Township Newsletter
Attend other regional meetings in areas of Arts and Aging
Community Surveys (Pequot Lakes, Bay Lake, Nisswa Chamber)
- Hosted Financial workshops for townships and small cities
- Coordination of Multi-County Weed Inspection Training for Townships
- Coordination of Multi-City discussion regarding adoption of MN Building Code and shared enforcement options.
- Hosting upcoming meeting for Cities “The Impact of Fiscal Hardship on LUG’s”
WHAT CAN Region Five Development Commission DO FOR YOU?
Economic Development:
- Research capabilities: market research, industry research, cluster analysis.
- Strategy Assistance: creating an economic development plan
- Contractual needs: if a specific area (not covered by a county EDA coordinator) needed an EDA person for a specific purpose.
- Entrepreneurial coordination
- Community group alignments to address common issues: units of gov., chambers, schools and non-profits
Transportation:
- Access Management Technical Assistance for State Hwy and Local Roads. (will develop access management plans &/or provide technical assistance)
- Safe Routes for Schools Technical Assistance: grant writing, convening partners, education of program.
- Transit planning analysis
- Technical assistance of roadway expansion issues: transportation research, lessons learned from other regional roadway expansion projects and economic development research as it relates to the expansion areas.
- Education to communities regarding any transportation issues: roundabouts, Access Management, how to best utilize MN Dot funding, ect.
- Parking lot and walkway studies
- Transit Needs assessments (Staples & Long Prairie Transit are results of Todd County assessment)
- Trails planning
- Coordination Plans
- Education to communities on how to apply for Transportation Enhancement Program funding
- Functional Classification
- Hazard Mitigation Planning
Region Five is available to provide technical assistance and grant writing in other areas upon request.
Community Gardens Information:
Resources
U of M Extension Community Garden Tool Kit
Twin Cities Start Up Guide
American Community Garden Association Information:
Starting a Community Garden
10 Steps to Start A Community Garden
10 Tips for Kids Gardening
10 Tips on Local Garden Advocacy
If you would like more information on Community Gardening with in Region Five please contact Cheryal Lee Hills or Nicole Scheler at 218-894-3233.