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Chamber presents scorecard as council weighs shifting contract to fee‑for‑service
Summary
The Marshall Area Chamber outlined a scorecard to quantify its contribution to local economic development while regional partner Synergy described constraints on statewide business attraction; council asked staff for ROI data and will consider a fee‑for‑service contract next year.
City staff and chamber representatives discussed whether the city’s long‑standing cost‑share arrangement with the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MACI) should shift to a fee‑for‑service model for 2027. City Administrator Steve Barr said the city currently pays about $47,000 toward salary and benefits for the chamber‑held economic development position and that council member Tompkins requested staff examine a vendor‑style, fee‑for‑service approach.
Sierra (Chamber staff) presented a scorecard designed to quantify the Chamber’s contribution in four categories — business retention, recruitment, marketing and community impact — and highlighted 28 new businesses and 21 ribbon cuttings this year. She described programs such as a job board, youth apprenticeship and health‑career connections and asked for council feedback on metrics the city would find useful to measure return on investment.
Angel Laidlaw, president and CEO of Synergy (a five‑county regional economic development organization), told council that nationally and at the state level business attraction inquiries (RFIs) have declined and that developers and companies are increasingly preferring existing buildings to greenfield sites. She encouraged pre‑planning and site‑readiness to improve the community’s competitiveness and offered regional tools including a shared website (centraltosuccess.com) for sites and incentive information.
Council direction: Council members asked staff to return with an ROI review and additional data during the December committee meeting and to consider whether a fee‑for‑service contract for 2027 would better align deliverables with city priorities.
Next step: Staff will work with Chamber and Synergy representatives to present ROI metrics and a contract proposal to the finance committee in December.
