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Fergus Falls committee approves $15,000 for Small Business Development Center
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Summary
The Committee of the Whole recommended that the council allocate $15,000 from economic development funds to the West Central Minnesota SBDC; staff said the city contribution would be matched by SBA funding and support one consultant and outreach services.
The Committee of the Whole voted to recommend allocating $15,000 from the city’s economic development budget to the West Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
Andrew Brimseth introduced the request and said the money is available in the economic development account set aside by the tax levy. “I think the time is now to pull the trigger on this,” he said. Ian Carlstrom, regional director for the West Central Minnesota SBDC, told the committee the center has supported 105 unique businesses in Fergus Falls over the past five years and that clients helped through the SBDC have accessed more than $3,000,000 in capital from local and regional lenders and programs. Carlstrom said the $15,000 would typically cover the cost of one consulting resource in the city, and the SBDC’s federal SBA funding matches local contributions.
Councilors asked about tiers of service and how people access the SBDC; Carlstrom said the program is flexible and can range from one meeting to multi‑session, individualized assistance and added that the SBDC has an online presence and responds to signups within 24 hours. Staff and council members discussed adding the SBDC as a resource on the city’s account‑development web page and providing brochures at city hall.
The committee approved the recommendation by voice vote. The transaction was presented as a planned budget allocation; staff said the SBDC funding is intended to complement, not duplicate, existing local economic‑development work.
