Lamont, Oakesdale only applicants for .09 funding

Lamont and Oakesdale, the only two applicants for funding this year, were awarded a total of $79,600 from the county’s .09 economic development grant funds last Tuesday, April 20.

The citizen Blue Ribbon Advisory Task Committee unanimously approved the grant applications from both towns.

“What happened here?” asked committee member Ron Wachter of Pullman. “We have $100,000 to give away and only two applicants. Why don’t people know about this?”

Historically, the .09 grants have brought forth several applications. The blue ribbon committee has then had to judge each application and award funding based on a project’s potential for boosting the county’s economy, both in job creation and in business recruitment.

Committee members were shocked at seeing only the two applications when they first met April 13. To find out why that is, the board summoned Dick Watters, county economic development agent, to its April 20 meeting.

Watters told the committee he did not even know it existed.

“Nobody ever told me about you guys,” he said.

Watters, hired in 2008, was employed as the county’s business recruiter through the Port of Whitman County until earlier this year.

Port officials, said Watters, employed a philosophy that de-emphasized the development of small town economies in favor of bringing in big business to the Pullman area.

County commissioners in February decided to cut out the port as middle man and contract directly with Watters.

Watters said he is now charged with finding projects that have more countywide benefits, which means more contact with the leadership of towns around the county. That contact should add to next year’s list of .09 applicants, he said.

The .09 funds awarded last week will be used to finish the remodel of Oakesdale’s business incubator space above its library and to build a library at Lamont.

Oakesdale used .09 money to remodel half of the incubator building last year.

Mary DeGon, Oakesdale clerk, told the committee they had spoken about renting the space with First Wind, a Massachusetts wind power company that has been eyeing the area for potential wind farm development.

That rental, she said, could help offset gaps that are beginning to crop up in the town’s commercial base.

“We have businesses that are starting to leave us,” said DeGon. “So it’s nice to have a little hope.”

Dale Miller, board member from Uniontown, said he was happy, and a little surprised, the space was being rented.

“I was skeptical about you being able to rent the space,” said Miller.

“Like I said before, if you build it, they will come,” said DeGon.

Lamont Mayor Steve Lacy turned an envious eye towards Oakesdale’s open office space.

“Our town’s been burnt down several times over the years, and nobody took the time to build it back up,” said Lacy.

Lamont will use the $52,000 granted the town to construct a building that will house a branch of the county rural library system and provide an office space for county deputies.

Lacy said the public space will also allow the town to seek other grant funding to build up infrastructure that could be used to lure in employers.

Miller noted a library does not fit into the general economic development guidelines, but said this project could be a kickstart for Lamont’s economy.

“But if you can get one thing that sparks a town… things can start to happen,” he said.

Wachter noted Lamont has a new water system, freeway access, new roads and buildable lots – all making the town more attractive to businesses.

The county receives the funds from a portion of the state’s share of Whitman County sales tax revenue. They are to be spent on projects that will generate more tax revenue for both state and local governments.

Whitman County received almost $438,000 in .09 funds last year. As they have done for the past several years, county commissioners withheld all but the $100,000 for competitive use.

The withheld funds, along with the unspent competitive money, will be held by the county and used to guarantee bonds commissioners expect to issue for infrastructure development at Hawkins Companies’ proposed stateline stripmall.

The county currently has about $1.164 million in .09 funds, with $161,000 dedicated to pay off the 2002 courthouse improvement bonds.