Willmar City Council voices displeasure over EDC name change – West Central Tribune | #citycouncil

WILLMAR

— The

Willmar City Council

is not pleased with the name change for the

Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission,

which excludes “Willmar” from the name, and let their thoughts be known during the City Council work session Monday, Dec. 11.

The discussion concluded with Councilor Audrey Nelsen asking City Administrator Leslie Valiant to ask the city attorney to review the name change and what it would mean if the city were to want to establish its own economic development authority.

EDC Executive Director Aaron Backman was presenting the name change to the council for informational purposes and not seeking council action — the

EDC’s Joint Powers Board

authorizes actions of the EDC. That board is comprised of three elected city officials and three elected county officials.

The EDC plans to begin using the new name when it launches its website in January 2024.

The

EDC was established in 2003 as a joint powers authority

between the city of Willmar and Kandiyohi County through special legislation by the Minnesota Legislature, according to Backman. He said that the special legislation was needed due to having the joint powers between the city and the county.

Valiant noted that she thought this approval by the Minnesota Legislature was needed due to counties not being given the power by Minnesota statute to have economic development authorities and that only cities are given that authority.

Backman countered that, stating that there are counties that have economic development organizations. Both agreed that the joint powers of the EDC were established under

Minnesota State Statute Chapter 469.

Noting that the Minnesota Legislature approved a joint powers authority between the city of Willmar and Kandiyohi County, Valiant said, “I think, personally, too, without the name Willmar in the title, it doesn’t show that it’s a joint powers action.”

The

EDC’s Joint Powers Board in November approved the new name of Kandiyohi County Economic Development

after several months of deliberation by the EDC’s marketing and public relations committee. The committee sought input from numerous stakeholders, and a survey that was sent to all the members of the different EDC committees and the Joint Operations Board.

The Joint Operations Board has seven appointed members, chosen by the Joint Powers Board. The operations board meets monthly. Its actions are ratified by the Joint Powers Board at its quarterly meetings.

The new name of the EDC is only for marketing purposes and the legal name will remain Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission. A legal name change would require permission from the Minnesota Legislature, according to Backman.

When informing the council about the name change, Backman noted the EDC’s mission statement is, “To be a catalyst for economic growth in the greater Kandiyohi County area.”

“The EDC’s mission statement has not inhibited me from working very closely with the city of Willmar. The EDC, I believe, has been a good partner for the city of Willmar,” he said.

He noted that in his 44-year career, 33 years have been in the economic development field. “I’ve learned a few things over the years — remember your audience, customers come first, clarity of message,” Backman said. “If you think about brand names, it should communicate who we are and cultivate a positive image.”

During his eight-year tenure with the EDC, it has played a significant role in six of the top 10 construction projects in Willmar, which resulted in more than $75 million in construction, $666,000 in permit revenues to the city and land sale proceeds deposited with the city, according to Backman.

Noting that names are important for identity and a name change is not easy, Backman said communities throughout Kandiyohi County have felt excluded by having “Willmar” in the EDC’s name.

“Each city and town plays a role in our collective success as a county and as a region,” he said.

He also explained that it is the Joint Powers Board of the EDC, not the County Board of Commissioners or the City Council, that decides and sets policy for the EDC, adopts and revises the EDC budget, approves loans to businesses and hires the employees.

In her arguments for including Willmar in the new name, Nelsen pointed out that Willmar, not Kandiyohi County, is what stands out when looking at a map. She also questioned whether Willmar will need to start its own economic development authority like other cities in Kandiyohi County with a name change.
She said she appreciates and supports all the work that the EDC does for Willmar and the county, but wondered what might happen five or 10 years down the road when the current EDC staff may no longer be there.

Councilor Rick Fagerlie agreed with Nelsen’s arguments and asked about the funding for the EDC. He also noted that “as Willmar goes, so goes the county, it’s not as the county goes so goes Willmar. We’re the driving force here, I believe.”

Backman explained that 85% of the EDC’s funding is from the property tax levy, so roughly half of that would come from the residents of Willmar.

Councilor Mike O’Brien also noted the regional recognition of Willmar as opposed to Kandiyohi County. O’Brien is a retired conservation officer.

“When I was stationed here back in 1988, I was not stationed in Kandiyohi County, I was stationed in Willmar, Minnesota,” he said. “All of our stations where I was working went by cities, not by counties. The county was my boundary, but it was not my station. So I had no idea where Kandiyohi County was, but I did know where Willmar was, and that’s why I chose it.”

Councilor Justin Ask questioned if there had been any consideration to renaming the EDC using “Willmar Lakes Area” or “West Central.” Backman said they had been considered, but were discarded. Specifically, “West Central” was discarded due to wanting something more specific to the area.

“I feel like what our administrator has been telling us is that there is a special role that Willmar plays in the EDC in its founding and in its current reality today,” Ask commented. “I’ll echo Council Member Nelsen’s concerns about the future, too, and in no way does it reflect how I feel about you and the work of your staff.”

Councilors Julie Asmus and Vicki Davis, who both sit on the EDC’s Joint Powers Board and voted in favor of the name change, explained that they were at first reluctant to remove Willmar from the name, but changed their minds.
“When we first started discussing this … I was pretty adamant that it should be ‘Willmar area.’ Again, just for that regional recognition,” Asmus said. ”After getting more information and discussing it with other people, I understand the inclusiveness of the other communities and I still think the EDC will be recognized and found.”

Davis said she saw the thorough work done to find out what people thought, noting she also felt like Asmus did at first until she saw the survey results.
“We pick citizens to be on those committees … and for us to come and say, ‘No, we want to vote ourselves, we don’t like what you’re saying’ — I have a hard time with that,” Davis added.

Nelsen was adamant that she would not change her mind and that she believes “Willmar” should be left in the EDC’s name, noting Willmar and greater Kandiyohi County are equal when it comes to the population and the funding for the EDC.

She also asked if Willmar were to decide in the future it needed its own economic development authority, would Willmar have to disassociate from the EDC joint powers due to how it was established.

“How do we get our name recognition back in? How do we get Willmar back in?” she asked.

After being asked by Fagerlie where the EDC has found time to think about name changes with all the work it has done in the last two years, Backman concluded, “This is not a new topic, it’s been ongoing for years. As we’re looking at a new website, as we’re looking at a few other things, it seems to be apropos to consider that and to make that change. It’s not intended to undermine or diminish or to be critical, it’s meant to ‘can we get our message out as effectively as we can in terms of economic development and be successful going forward.’”