Tom Becker, representing the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, urged more than 40 people attending a Community Funding Forum on Wednesday night in Benld to focus on community development as an avenue toward economic development. The forum was sponsored by the Macoupin County Mayors Association and Macoupin Economic Development Partnership. The purpose, according to Courtney Wood, MEPD, was to bring community leaders and small business owners together with representatives of public agencies and institutions equipped to help with funding issues for various projects.

In addition to DCEO, other agencies represented included the Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Arts Council, Representatives from First National Bank and United Community Bank also were on hand, along with representatives from Ameren, West Central Development Commission, Frank Bertetti Benld Public Library and PGAV Planners.

Becker cited the Build Benld program as an example of how local community efforts can spark economic development. “We talk about community development and economic development as if they are two different things,” Becker said. But, he pointed, community development can take place even in tough economic times, fueled by volunteer efforts and donations. The resulting improvements in the quality of life then stimulates economic development.

Community development, Becker said, involves building and improving parks and other public facilities, improvements to a community’s infrastructure, beautification and other efforts to improve the quality of life in a community. Economic development’s focus is on attracting new residents and new businesses. As such, it requires greater financial commitments, and the outcome of economic development efforts can be contingent upon current market trends and fluctuations in the national economy. “Community development is more independent from the economy,” Becker said. “Community development and economic development efforts feed off each other and they propel each other.”

A common pitfall among those responsible economic development if to focus too much on attracting new businesses at the expense of community development. “It’s more cost effective to focus on the businesses and resources you already have in place,” he said. In lieu of tackling a project to build a new factory, he suggested, it might be more practical to pursue a housing rehabilitation project. “If you make the town better for the people who already live here, then your residents become your biggest cheerleaders,” Becker said. Local residents visiting other towns are likely to tell friends and family members how their own community differs from the one they are visiting.

Becker set three priorities for community leaders involved in community/economic development. The first priority, he said, is to create a plan that clearly defines what the community wants to accomplish and how those goals can be reached. A critical step in the planning stage, he said, is to perform a community assessment gauging the community’s strengths and weaknesses. “Build on the good,” he advised. “Don’t get bogged down with the negatives.”

The Build Benld Committee engaged in such a community assessment early on in its formation. “Build Benld is a great example for other communities to follow,” he said. The development plan created by Build Benld, he noted, is easy to read and understand, and it;s posted on the internet so anyone can review it.

His second priority is to build “organizational cooperation” enlisting civic groups and church groups to work on community improvement projects.  “Not everyone will be onboard,” he said. But a community group like Build Benld can build upon its successes to attract more supporters. “As Build Benld gains traction, you’ll see politicians coming on board.”

Third, he said, community development groups have to find or create a funding mechanism. One possibility, he said, is to create a Community Foundation, similar to the many educational foundations that currently supplement the efforts of local school systems. “It creates a mechanism for people to share their wealth with the community,” he said. “We see this in school districts all the time; communities need to do the same thing.”

Advertisement

The final component, Becker said, is leadership. “Someone or even several people have to champion the effort,” he said. “You have to find leaders who are willing to be public about their support.” One of the most difficult aspects of leadership, he said, is for current leaders to consciously groom the next generation of leaders to maintain sustainability of the community development efforts. He urged those attending the meeting to get involved in community development and economic development activities in their communities. “You can have a long-standing impact on your community if you get involved,” he said.

Following Becker’s keynote address, representatives from each of the participating agencies briefly described the types of financial programs they offer communities and, in some cases, small businesses.

• Brian Ury of First National Bank compared the business leaders and entrepreneurs in attendance with golfers on a golf course. “You are the ones on the green hitting the shots,” he said. “As your bank, we are like your caddy. We help you with the next shot, and give you an iron or a driver. We ask a lot of questions because we need to identify what the next shot should be, and how to help you take it.”
• Christine Steelman of the Illinois Arts Council noted that arts grants to individuals, schools and communities can spark economic activity by attracting art patrons to galleries, art shows or performances of community theater groups.
• Macoupin County Chief Financial Officer Gabe Springer briefly described the county’s revolving economic development loan fund, and how it can help small businesses bridge the gap between available resources and traditional forms of financing.
• Carol Kulek with DCEO spoke about the agencies Energy Efficiency program, which pays rebates to public entities for implementing energy conservation measures.
• Jeff Graham with Ameren described a similar program run by the utility, but directed at small businesses and homeowners.

“I think it went well,” Wood said of the gathering after the meeting. “People said the Funding Forum was so beneficial last year, we decided to do it again this year and to add a small business component. We thought this would be a perfect fit for that, and I think it was utilized tonight.” The purpose of the event, she said, was to let community leaders and small business owners learn about financial programs that are available to them. While those attending may not access funding resources immediately, Wood said the Funding Forum gave them to tools for finding financing for future projects. “Down the road, these people will know where to go for help,” she said. “They have a starting point.”

Comments

comments