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County weighs funding to sustain local business advising after CET dissolution
Summary
Presenters asked Columbia County to commit funding to a rebranded Columbia Business Alliance—housed in Scappoose—to preserve advising, trainings and promotional programs after the Columbia Economic Team dissolved; presenters cited lost grants and a proposed county contribution (initial ask near $75,000; later framed as a $40,000 minimum) to keep services running while pursuing additional grants.
Ben Gardner asked the Columbia County Board of Commissioners on March 25 to support a rebranded local business-support program he said will preserve advising, training and promotional services after the Columbia Economic Team (CET) dissolved in December. ‘‘We don't want these stories to end,’’ Gardner said, urging the county to continue the funding that underwrote those programs.
Gardner described a plan to house the program in the City of Scappoose as the Columbia Business Alliance to lower overhead while keeping services available countywide. He said the city would provide administrative support and that advising would be delivered primarily by contracted business advisers while a countywide coordinator (Sierra Trapp) would continue navigator and program duties.
The presenters told commissioners that local advising previously increased Columbia County client counts from roughly eight per year (when advised regionally) to about 100–150 when CET provided localized service. The executive director of Main Street (speaking to the board) said sustaining the program is important because ‘‘74% of people that live here work outside the county,’’ and local business support can help retain economic activity.
Gardenr asked the county to include a contribution for the next fiscal year; he framed the eventual sustainable level at roughly $75,000 to match prior support but later said that a lower near-term minimum of $40,000 would allow the program to start while leaders seek grants and partner funding. Gardner said some federal funding (USDA) did not transfer to the city and noted that certain advising services lack an immediate funding source.
Commissioners asked for more detail before committing. One commissioner asked for a staffing and budget plan; Gardner said the model is intentionally lean and relies on contracted advisers and existing city administrative capacity. The county's budget officer said she could not commit to a funding level during the current budgeting process and asked for detailed cost figures.
As next steps, presenters agreed to deliver budget and program numbers to commissioners by April 13 to inform budget committee deliberations; the board's first full budget committee meeting is scheduled for May 1. The presenters also asked the county to provide interim storage for program assets and to work with legal counsel on an intergovernmental agreement to formalize the arrangement.
The commissioners did not vote on the funding request at the March 25 meeting; they said they would consider the information during the county budget process.
