As the old saying goes, you have to spend money to make money and so it is that the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners hope to be able to fund the startup of the newest incarnation of a countywide economic development initiative.
County Commissioner Dennis Giese has been at the forefront of the push for an economic development program that doesn’t fizzle out like so many before it. Giese explained the evolution of the project and its key players in an interview with the Citizen. While the fledgling economic development organization is not yet officially registered, for the purposes of this story, it will be referred to as Chaffee Economic Development Corporation (CEDCO).
Earlier this year, the county spent $50,000 to explore the possibilities and mechanics of establishing an economic development corporation modeled on what many consider to be a shining example of such a public-private partnership in Pueblo. The study and resulting report was coordinated by Jim Spaccamonti, founder of Pueblo based SpacGroup LLC, who was an active, veteran member of the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation (PEDCO). The report was commissioned by the county with financial contributions from the towns of Poncha Springs, Salida and Buena Vista as well.
Giese identified those leading the local charge as Buena Vista realtor Wayne Lovejoy, Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort General Manager Tom Warren and Salida realtor Jeff Post. Using a list of prospective board members assembled by the ad hoc group of businessmen who had been quietly working to create an economic development organization, last month the county commissioners appointed CEDCO’s first board which, in addition to Lovejoy, Warren and Post, included Collegiate Peaks Bank chief executive Charlie Forster, Paul Moltz, owner, ACA Products; Ken Leisher, Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center CEO, Scott Martinez, Waste Management District Manager; Karin Adams, realtor; Dale Enck, attorney; and Mike Allen of Apex Development Services. The board was appointed by a 2-1 vote of the Commissioners. Commissioner Tim Glenn had concerns about the makeup of the board and voted against the motion.
Giese was quick to explain that once the organization gets off the ground and begins to establish a membership base, it will be up to CEDCO members, not the county commissioners, to elect future CEDCO boards of directors. Giese said ultimately, the keys to success for CEDCO would be threefold: local business support, a good director and tangible results.
Giese is hoping to fund the startup of the group with $30,000 tentatively proposed in the county’s 2010 budget. He pointed out the city of Pueblo contributes about half of PEDCO’s $1 million annual budget. The rest of PEDCO’s budget comes from a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 1984 for the purpose of bringing jobs to the city. Dues from PEDCO’s 300-plus member businesses are also important to the organization’s bottom line. Giese said the local group still has a lot of details up in the air but had been considering annual membership fees somewhere around $750 per business. PEDCO has four membership levels ranging in price $250 to $5,000 per year. On its website, PEDCO takes credit for saving and creating thousands of jobs in Pueblo.
Giese said the group is stuck in a chicken and egg situation where the organization needs money to operate but needs to be operating in order to generate revenue. Next month, Giese said the county will consider a proposal for a three-month business plan and budget to get CEDCO off the ground. He said the plan is being drafted by Mike Allen and one of the co-owners of Global Garage in Buena Vista. Allen is probably best known locally for his work with the controversial Cottonwood Meadows smart growth community and as the local liaison to Nestle Waters North America in that company’s bid to harvest springwater in Chaffee County. Cottonwood Meadows was shot down by local residents. The Nestle project recently was awarded conditional approval by the county commissioners.
During budget deliberations with his fellow commissioners, Giese explained CEDCO is in a state of flux due to the imminent departure of Lovejoy, who Giese credits with a lot of the heavy lifting necessary to get the effort off the ground. Lovejoy has accepted a job in Texas and is relocating there. When contacted by the Citizen at Giese’s urging, Lovejoy said he didn’t want to talk about CEDCO. He asked the effort be put in a positive light because “we just want to bring jobs to the county.”
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