Local economic groups urge Beltrami County to pursue 'shovel-ready' sites and multi-year incentives to spur housing and tax base growth

Representatives of Greater Bemidji, the Bemidji Chamber and the Headwaters Regional Development Commission urged the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners to prioritize housing and site readiness to grow the county tax base.

A Greater Bemidji representative noted the region has about $65 million in corridor development projects and stressed two recurring developer concerns: workforce availability and shovel-ready development sites. "If you have both those, shovel ready is the buzzword," the speaker said, arguing that a coordinated, multi-year strategy would make the county more attractive to employers and developers.

Scott Turm, president of the Chamber, said a lack of new housing is hampering employers: "We had 10 homes built in our city last year. You know how many homes we destroyed in our city last year? 10." He said there were no multifamily units built in the county last year and urged changes to local regulations and permitting to reduce barriers.

Cal, an HRDC representative, described a proposed three-year pilot with Affinity that would provide down-payment assistance and explore short-term interest-rate incentives to help first-time buyers convert renters into homeowners. HRDC also suggested the county inventory potential development parcels, simplify permitting and consider waiving fees over a multiyear window to stimulate building.

Commissioners supported the idea of a housing roundtable and coordinated outreach; no formal incentives were adopted at the work session. Presenters asked commissioners to stay involved in coordinated planning and offered to provide follow-up site lists and financing details.