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Regional planning commission and business fund brief Barron County supervisors on projects, loans and grants
Summary
The West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission gave its annual update and the Regional Business Fund reported lending and local impacts; the commission highlighted Safe Routes to School, a safe-room FEMA application and local crash-reporting work.
Scott Allen, executive director of the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (WCWRPC), and Amanda Veith, lending specialist for the Regional Business Fund (RBF), presented an annual update to the Barron County Board on Aug. 18 covering planning services, recent projects and small-business lending activity.
Allen told supervisors the WCWRPC serves seven counties and provides technical assistance in economic development, transportation, community development and conservation and mapping. He highlighted ongoing and recently completed projects that affect Barron County: an updated county crash report and heat map, a completed county bike-and-pedestrian plan, and an update this fall to the Rice Lake Area School District Safe Routes to School plan.
On hazard mitigation and FEMA grants, Allen said the commission helped the Village of Almena apply for a FEMA-funded safe-room project. He said the grant application is preliminarily approved and that the proposed safe room would have a capacity of about 317 people as part of a multiuse pavilion at Shadyside Park; WCWRPC prepared the county hazard mitigation plan update that helped make the grant eligibility possible. The commission also described ongoing work on a county outdoor-recreation-plan update and a surface-water resources clearinghouse for the region.
Why it matters: The commission provides planning staff and grant-administration capacity many small towns and villages lack. Allen said levy funding from member counties comprises part of the commission—s budget and helps match state and federal grants.
Regional Business Fund lending: Amanda Veith described the RBF, a nonprofit lending program staffed by WCWRPC, and outlined lending activity affecting Barron County. Veith said the RBF has provided more than $7.9 million in financing to businesses in the region and that those loans are projected to create or retain about 526 jobs in Barron County; she also said the RBF leverages private capital, citing roughly $48 million in private funding leveraged by RBF activity. Veith gave examples of recent local loans for a dance studio renovation, a façade loan in downtown Rice Lake and a childcare provider expanding into a licensed group care facility.
Board questions and next steps: Supervisors asked about the commission—s budget makeup and administrative costs; Allen said levy funding made up about 17% of the WCWRPC—s 2025 revenue and that the commission uses those local funds to support matching requirements for federal programs. Supervisors also asked about tourism and housing work; Allen said the commission partners with local economic-development and tourism entities and conducts housing needs assessments and planning support, but typically does not directly operate tourism programs or build housing.
No formal board votes were taken on the presentation. Allen and Veith told supervisors they would continue coordinating with county staff on Safe Routes to School and local grant applications and that the RBF will continue to accept and review local loan proposals.
