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New Approaches to Economic Development: Looking Beyond the Norm: Gojkovich
- 1. 1Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments
- 2. Serve Four Counties in Southwest New Mexico Provide Technical Assistance Help Build Regional Collaboration Act as Fiscal Agent Act as a Partnering Non- Profit 2Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments
- 3. 3Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments •High Unemployment •Undiversified Economy •Declining Population •Brain Drain •Empty Business Corridors •Declining Tax Base/Budgets •Aging Infrastructure Rural Characteristics
- 4. •Senator Bingaman and staff recognized all four counties had similar goals and challenges when it come to energy efficiency and renewable energy. •2010: Green Energy and Jobs Taskforce convened •2013: The Southwest New Mexico Green Energy and Jobs Strategic Plan (“The Plan”) was created •2015: Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments (SWNMCOG) was awarded $250,000 to start the implementation of “The Plan” by EDA •2017: SWNMCOG was awarded a Power Ne Mexico grant to implement Virtual Business Incubator Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments 4
- 5. Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments 5
- 6. Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments 6 Implementation Funding Total Project Cost $ 512,700 EDA Investment $ 250,000 Local Governments Investment $ 67,500 Power New Mexico Incentive Investment $ 32,700 SWNMCOG/Partners In-kind Investment $ 62,500 388,000 Square Feet of Building Retrofits $91,400 Local Governments Annual Saving
- 7. Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments 7 Funded by PNM Shared Training and Services No Travel Times Virtual Business Incubator
- 8. Help with business basics Networking activities Marketing assistance Help with financial management Access to capital Links to universities/corporate partners Business training programs In-fill of vacant buildings and properties upon graduation Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments 8
- 9. Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments 9
- 10. Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments 10 Emily Schilling Economic Development Planner 1203 N. Hudson Silver City, NM 88061 (575) 388-1509 emily@swnmcog.org
Editor's Notes
- Hello, I am Emily Schilling, Economic Development Planner for the SWNMCOG.
- We serve Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, and Luna counties, all the municipalities, and special districts within those counties. We provide technical assistance in economic and community development, housing, transportation, capital outlay, and legislative. We also do grant writing and administration, project management within those key components but it isn’t to say we would not help in other areas. We are the only region in New Mexico where all 13 of our local governments have a signed Memorandum of Understanding to work collaboratively in economic development and work towards energy efficiency, renewable energy, and jobs within those two aspects. We act as a fiscal agent to 33 different contracts in our region under Executive Order 2013-6 We have recently added a non-profit arm to our organization and partner with local governments and other agencies that may need to have a partnering nonprofit in order to apply for grant funds.
- Luna County has the highest unemployment in the State and is ranked 24th in the nation The economy in Luna and Hidalgo are primarily agriculture, Grant County is mining, and Catron has relied on tourism as the timber industry has left the county. 2010 US Census, showed that all four counties population is declining Our four counties have been fighting brain drain for decades, our region has not done a good job on enticing young people to stay even though there is a University that serves all four counties. The downtown business corridors are empty, some are blighted due to sprawl, new highway bypassing the intercity businesses. Of course with declining population the tax base begins to suffer; and with the State’s budget in decline our small cities feel the crunch. As in all of the US, all of the infrastructure is aging and is very expensive to repair or replace.
- Began in August 15, 2015 Implementation measures include: Installation of lighting retrofits 17 local government facilities through our region. There was 388,000 square feet of building retrofits, now saving local governments $91,400 and 770,200kwh annually. Promotion of Power New Mexico, USDA, New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, and New Mexico Finance Authority’s energy efficieny programs at business fairs, trainings, and meetings. Creation of the Southwest New Mexico Renewable Technology and Sustainable Food Business Incubator Feasibility Study. Purchase of a bulb crusher-a complaint from local electricians at the beginning of the project implementation in order to be a Power New Mexico Trade Ally Contractor. Support of 2 electrical transmission lines through the southern portion of the region in order to allow more electrical capacity to establish more renewable energy projects. Promotion of vacant 20 acres of greenhouse operations. Working with local university and a New Mexico Community College to for the creation of trade certificates to fit the renewable energy sector. Co-hosted a Green Build Training Hosted a Storm Water Harvesting Training
- *Let me explain the virtual incubator space, this was recommended through a business incubator feasibility study that was done for our region. This would be a website that every public and private partner who should have contact with startup businesses would be available, there would be virtual trainings that would be mandatory for incubator business to participate in, would not only be good for a downtown business owner but also for home-based businesses. *If we are awarded $100,000 our local governments and partnering regional agencies would provide a physical space at low-prorated rents, free utilities and WiFi, shared services such as telephone and copier. Bad news first: Only 70% of all un-incubated businesses in the 1st 2 years will last, only ½ of them will last 5 years. In 2000, according to US Census 51% of business start-ups survived at least a decade. Good news: According to National Business Incubator Association, there is an increased likelihood of business success with 87% of incubated graduates stay in business, 84% of graduates stay in the community they were incubated, and the ROI is for $1 of public investment in an incubator there is $30 in local tax revenue.