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Vernon County committee approves Round 2 community development grant recipients; housing survey and larger grant bids underway
Summary
The committee approved recommendations to award $56,000 in Round 2 community development grants to 10 applicants (from 16 applicants requesting $112,000). Staff also reported a new housing task force, a county housing survey, and plans to apply for a $400,000 Pre-Disaster Flood Resilience grant and roughly $2 million in recycling infrastructure funds.
The Vernon County Economic Development Committee on Nov. 7, 2024, unanimously approved recommended recipients for the county—s Round 2 Community Development Grant program and heard updates on housing work and upcoming grant applications.
Amy Oliver, from the county—s Grants and Community Development office, told the committee there were 16 applicants requesting a total of $112,000 while the committee had $56,000 to award; by the committee—s recommendation, 10 applicants were selected to receive awards. Nathaniel Slack moved to approve the recommended Round 2 recipients; David Strudthoff seconded the motion, and the committee approved it unanimously.
Oliver also briefed the committee on housing efforts: the newly formed Housing Task Force met Oct. 30 with full attendance, and the county will publish a Vernon County Housing Survey from Nov. 8 through Dec. 8 to gather resident input. Oliver said the county plans to submit a $400,000 application for the Pre-Disaster Flood Resilience Grant (due Nov. 30) and is working with staff to apply for approximately $2,000,000 under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant to enhance the county—s recycling program. She noted the Village of Coon Valley has closed out its 2023 and 2024 Community Development Grants.
In staffing and operations notes, Oliver said she will be on medical leave from Dec. 9, 2024, through Jan. 19, 2025, and that the Grants Assistant position will be posted after her return.
Separately, Larkin Breckel, the county—s Economic Development representative, reported she attended the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. conference and submitted a $150,000 Small Business Development Grant application to WEDC to fund a county small-business grant program. Breckel said she is using Locate in Wisconsin to market county business parks, noted about 200 people were registered for the Vernon County Awards Banquet on Nov. 13, and announced a ribbon-cutting for Birch Point Distillery at Westby Business Park on Nov. 19. Hannah Altimus, UW-Extension Community Development Educator, said the Vernon County Housing Study is expected to be completed in May to align with a Regional Rural Housing Summit on May 6.
The committee asked that staff evaluate the grant program—s purpose and the definitions of "economic development" and "resiliency" before the 2025 application period. The minutes record no dissent on the grant awards and show the committee set its next meeting for Dec. 5, 2024, at 9:30 a.m.
