Boyceville gets a vote on Regional Business Fund rep
By LeAnn R. Ralph
BOYCEVILLE — Because Boyceville contributed money to the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Business Fund, the village will have a vote on a representative to the fund’s board.
Eric Turner, director of the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation, spoke to the Boyceville Village Board Monday night about the Regional Business Fund.
The Regional Business Fund has been out of commission since April 1, Turner said.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had declared the money de-federalized, which allowed the Regional Business Fund to be created, but recently said the money is still federalized, which put a freeze on the Regional Business Fund.
Being de-federalized means that businesses borrowing the money do not have to follow certain federal rules, such hiring a person who is qualified under federal guidelines and paying for education or training for that person to learn how to do the job.
Nearly ten years ago, the Wisconsin Department of Commerce (now a public/private organization known as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation), launched the initiative to consolidate revolving loan funds regionally.
Communities in the region transferred current funds and loans in their community development block grant-revolving loan fund to the Regional Business Fund, Inc.
Counties in western Wisconsin that are part of the Regional Business Fund are Barron, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Polk and St. Croix.
With help from U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, the Regional Business Fund was reinstated, and the regional fund will be able to begin operating again after January 1, Turner told the Boyceville Village Board.
Because Boyceville contributed community development block grant money to the Regional Business Fund, the village will have voting rights on a representative from Dunn County on the Regional Fund Board, he said, noting that Dunn County and the City of Menomonie also will have voting rights for the representative.
The DCEDC Board will nominate a representative for the county, and then Boyceville will have an opportunity to sign off on the candidate, Turner said.
The Regional Business Fund acts as a secondary funding source for businesses, he said.
The Regional Business Fund provides a variety of loans, including Micro loans, Downtown Facade/Historic Reinvestment loans, Technology Enterprise loans and loans from the Revolving Loan Fund program.
Other business
In other business, the Boyceville Village Board:
• Learned that Pafko Park has been closed and winterized, the plaque has been taken down and cleaned, and planning has started for a new base for the plaque.
• Learned that the new “Welcome to Boyceville” signs have been installed.
• Learned that the village’s contribution to the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation will be $1,880 for 2016.
• Postponed until the December 14 meeting taking action on payment for Doug Hellendrung, the village’s building inspector.
• Postponed until the December 14 meeting taking action on security equipment for the community center that would automatically unlock the doors when the weather siren sounds. The cost for the system for the Community Center’s west door would be about $2,500.
• Accepted the resignation of Ray Cherney as a school crossing guard.
• Approved the 2016 salary schedule. A salary schedule was not included with the minutes of the finance planning and personnel committee’s October 20 meeting, and no information was given as to whether the new salary schedule would provide an increase in compensation for village employees.
• Adjourned into closed session with Patrick Beilfuss of Cedar Corporation to discuss a contract with AT&T to use the Boyceville water tower as a location for cellular telephone equipment. When the village board reconvened into open session, Gilbert Krueger, village president, reported that during the closed session, the board had instructed Cedar Corporation to draft a letter to AT&T. No explanation was given as to the nature of the letter.
