Rural Communities Plan For Growth
A number of local communities are working together to plan their future growth and development.
It’s all part of a $1.5 million study paid for by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Madison, Fremont and both Teton County, Idaho, and Wyoming are partners in studying the best way to develop their future together.
“One of the things we haven’t done a good job of in the past is talking to our neighbors,” Fremont County Planning and Building Administrator Stephen Loosli said.
But that’s all changing, as these counties and communities take a look at how to improve their future.
Over the next three years the grant money will fund a series of studies to determine how county and city planners should best spend tax dollars to increase productivity and strengthen local economies.
“This is going to force us to talk to our neighbors and ask, ‘what are you doing and how is that better?’? Loosli said. ?Instead of rebuilding the wheel at great expense, we can adopt what our neighbors are doing.”
Executive Director of Yellowstone Business Partnership Janice Brown said it’s all about working together.
“Almost every county or city has their own economic development initiative. We want to see those initiatives work together to maximize their resource and make the best decisions for all four counties as a whole not just one city or county,? Brown said.
With tourism and agriculture driving the local economy, these studies will examine how to create jobs during the off season.
“It’s hard for families to make a long-term commitment when they can only count on income for part of the year,? Brown said.
?We have a lot of outdoors people here. Businesses that support them and build products for them would be an ideal fit for us,? Loosli said.
“If we tap into warm water for large industrial-scale greenhouse industrial were we can grow products year round,? Brown said. ?There are a lot of possibilities that we think we can do together with the benefit of this grant.”
After the plan is implemented, Loosli said the federal government is more likely to give future grants and taxpayer money will be spent more efficiently.
If you want to find more information on the studies you can visit http://sustainableyellowstone.org/.
