| Whatz Inzide | |
JOBZ Tracker: The Tally To DateWith just a little more than a month to go, we're on track to hit our goal of at least 100 JOBZ projects in our first year of operation. As of today, there are 93 signed business subsidy agreements for JOBZ projects in communities around the state. These projects promise to create a bare minimum of 1,342 new jobs, retain at least 1,466 existing jobs, and pay an average wage-plus-benefits package of $11.86 per hour. The anticipated capital investment represented by these projects is more than $196 million. | |
Farewell To Louie Jambois
To many people around the state, DEED's Director of Community Development has personified the JOBZ program. From the very first day, Louie has been the all-around point man and go-to guy — the one everyone called to get the real story about JOBZ and all things related to JOBZ. “There's no doubt that Louie Jambois was the consummate public servant. In many ways, and for a long time, Louie has been the face of state government — and especially of the JOBZ program — for communities across Minnesota. His departure leaves a void that will be hard for anyone to fill,” DEED Commissioner Matt Kramer said. Please join us in wishing Louie the best of success in his new position. | |
Governor Pawlenty, Commissioner Kramer Attend Bushmills Ethanol GroundbreakingMinnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and DEED Commissioner Matt Kramer participated in a groundbreaking event last month for the new Bushmills Ethanol plant near Atwater. More than 200 spectators and dignitaries attended the groundbreaking for the $60 million plant, which is one of the state's most significant JOBZ projects to date. After it opens next fall, the Bushmills plant is expected to use 15 million bushels of corn annually to produce about 50 million gallons of ethanol. It will employ as many as 34 people and have an annual payroll of $1.7 million. Governor Pawlenty said the Bushmills plant represents a component of his plan to make Minnesota “the renewable fuels capital of the world.” He will promote legislation during the coming session that will include a mandate to double the amount of ethanol in gasoline, from 10 percent to 20 percent by 2010. His proposal also calls for the use of gasoline in state vehicles to be cut in half by 2015. If the proposal becomes law, Minnesota — currently the No. 4 ethanol producer in the country and closing in on No. 3 — will see even greater growth. Ethanol is “not only good agriculture policy, it's good environmental policy, good economic development policy,” the governor said. DEED Commissioner Matt Kramer added, “Ethanol is the new Saudi Arabia, right here in Minnesota,” saying the economic impact of an ethanol plant in Central Minnesota will be enormous to farmers of the area. | |
Technical Assistance Workshops Completed: PowerPoint Posted On JOBZ WebsiteA PowerPoint presentation containing detailed technical information on the JOBZ program is now available on the JOBZ website: http://www.deed.state.mn.us/bizdev/jobzWkshPrsntn/2004FallWorkshops_files/frame.htm The presentation describes important aspects of administering the JOBZ program at the local and regional level. It includes some new procedures and policies — as well as a review of such topics as business subsidy law, tax and revenue issues, relocation policies, property listings on MnPRO, zone and sub-zone modification, and others. The presentation draws from a series of five JOBZ technical assistance workshops that were convened in October in St. Cloud, Marshall, Bemidji, Rochester and Duluth. These workshops, developed by staff at DEED and the Department of Revenue, were scheduled in response to requests for JOBZ technical information from zone and sub-zone administrators. Several hundred people attended these sessions — and the overall response to them was very favorable. Thanks to the Small Business Development Centers and their staff for assisting in the planning and hosting of the workshops. | |
Cass County Economic Development Corporation Unveils New JOBZ Signs
A new MnDOT-approved highway road sign promoting Minnesota's JOBZ initiative was unveiled recently at the Cass County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) annual meeting in Walker. Cass County was the “pilot site” for the sign, which is now available to all JOBZ communities in two sizes: a 24-inch square sign for use beneath city population signs, and a 24x72-inch design that can replace current Star City signs. “I'd like to congratulate and thank our forward-looking economic development friends in Cass County for leading this effort,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Kramer. “I hope other JOBZ communities will take the opportunity to use these signs as a highly visible reminder of our state's most important development initiative.” Each community is responsible for producing and paying for its own sign or signs, which must be produced at MnDOT-approved vendors. The design and specifications have been distributed on disks to all zone administrators. Those wishing to post a JOBZ highway sign should contact their zone administrator for details or contact DEED's Brad Canham for additional information at 952-346-4006. | |
JOBZ Deal Calculator Coming In JanuaryDEED staff is continuing development work on the much-anticipated JOBZ Deal Evaluator. We anticipate releasing the tool early in 2005. This simple, online tool will help local decision makers gather information in order to evaluate and compare potential JOBZ projects based on a community's own priorities and preferences. The online tool will use a three-step process that allows local officials and JOBZ administrators to use state and local data to plug in JOBZ project inputs, evaluate projected outcomes, and determine whether a proposed project meets local needs and criteria for development. When completed, the Deal Evaluator will be announced via e-mail and through JOBZ Newz, and posted in the JOBZ section of the DEED website. If you have suggestions or other input regarding development of the Deal Evaluator, contact either Scott Moore, scott.moore@state.mn.us, or Neal Young, neal.young@state.mn.us. | |
The JOBZ initiative is a big program laden with detail and complexity. This newsletter can’t answer every question in a timely way, but here’s a list of key people you can contact if you have questions or comments about the JOBZ program. General information and details on
the JOBZ statute: MNPRO and Community
Profiles Marketing JOBZ Business subsidy policies, public
hearings, annual reporting Relocation Agreements and Zone Modifications East Central Job Zone (7E), Land of the
Dancing Sky (NW) Zone, Southern Minnesota Alliance Job Zone, and West
Central Job Zone, Northeast Minnesota (Arrowhead) Job Zone Headwaters Job Zone, Positively Southern
Minnesota Corridor Job Zone, and Region 5 Job Zone, Southwest Job Zone,
Brewster Ag Zone, and Upper Minnesota Valley Job Zone (6W) | |
We're sorry to announce that Louie Jambois has accepted a position
as executive director of the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities,
a service and lobby organization for cities in the Twin Cities
metropolitan area. After more than 30 years in state government
service, Louie's last day at DEED was Wednesday, Nov. 24.