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EDA coordinator outlines 2026 priorities: housing, renewable energy, childcare and local food among top initiatives
Summary
Coordinator Trisha Hess presented a 2026 work plan including five current loans, outreach to lenders to deploy remaining RLF funds, and a set of priority areas (housing, tourism, renewable energy, childcare, local food) for board ranking and further discussion at April's meeting.
Coordinator Trisha Hess presented the 2026 coordinator's report and a proposed work plan. She listed five current loans (Current Design Kayaks, Mutthouse Properties LLC, Z & A Country Market, Keeling LLC, and GC Partners) and reported that Z & A Country Market had already outgrown its space. Hess said the EDA lent $600,000 to three groups in 2025 and that the revolving loans have leveraged more than $4.5 million in total investment.
Hess outlined upcoming projects and collaboration opportunities: coordinating with the county attorney to reach out to SEMMCHRA about the Winona County Housing Trust and exploring lending RLF dollars to that trust; working with the local visitor bureau on tourism initiatives; connecting small businesses with renewable-energy specialist Paul Kreidermacher; and contacting Kelly Fluharty at the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation to address childcare as a workforce issue. The coordinator asked members to rank initiative priorities on a worksheet and submit feedback electronically ahead of the April meeting.
The board agreed to take the ranking sheet home for study and to return prioritized feedback, with an expectation that if no loan business appears on the April agenda, the meeting may focus on discussing these priorities.
