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County economic developers urge Rushford Village to prioritize housing and child‑care
Summary
Fillmore County economic development staff told the Rushford Village council that housing and child‑care are county priorities; they outlined grant programs and constraints and asked the village to pick a focused goal for follow‑up and possible Tri‑City collaboration.
Jayme Longmire of Fillmore County CEDA and Allison Whalen of Fillmore County CEDA presented to the Rushford Village City Council on Aug. 5, 2025, urging the village to prioritize housing and child‑care in local planning.
Longmire delivered copies of the community comp plan and described county‑level initiatives including a Rural Child Care Innovation Program, regional tourism planning that is not trail‑based, and a seed grant fund to collect resident feedback that could seed projects. Whalen said the county has identified a critical shortage of child‑care slots and noted that in 2024 Fillmore County was short roughly 380 child‑care slots.
The council and CEDA staff discussed three landowner‑led potential development areas within Rushford Village. Longmire and Whalen said those sites could not connect to the South Rushford water and sewer district; developments would likely require individual septic systems and either shared or individual wells. Council discussion estimated well costs at about $20,000–$30,000 per lot, and both county staff noted that many state housing grant programs favor multifamily or manufactured housing and require applicants to demonstrate match funding or committed financing.
Mayor Dennis Overland asked whether Rushford Village’s MIF (revolving loan fund established after the flood via DEED funds) could be used for housing or infrastructure. City Attorney Joseph O’Koren said it might be possible in limited cases but would be constrained by the original DEED contract; Treasurer Judy Graham said the original contract prohibited CRV from buying land. Longmire offered to examine the village’s MIF account and to reach out to neighboring jurisdictions about resuming Tri‑City meetings to coordinate on housing and related projects.
Longmire and Whalen asked the council to pick one achievable goal for focused follow‑up. The council asked staff to investigate zoning and next steps with local planning and welcomed CEDA’s assistance in identifying funding and technical resources for workforce and affordable housing projects.
The council did not take formal action on funding or zoning at this meeting; CEDA staff will follow up with a roadmap if the council identifies a priority.
