Minutes

Alliance of Champion Communities Meeting

Oct. 19, 2005

Conference Call Meeting

1-888-296-6500
     Guest code: 526748 (NEW NUMBER)

10am-12am

 

Call to Order

 

The meeting was called to order by Marcel Fortin

 

Members Present

 

Bob Johnson, Connie Lupardus, Dick Bartlett, Steve Reynolds, Andy Haynes, Jerry Edens, Kathy Brunty, Norvill Clark, Jim Anderson and Marcel Fortin

 

Guests Present

Mike Boggs

 

Partners Present

 

______________________________________________________________________.

 

Approval of Minutes

Motion: Bob Johnson Second: Connie Lupardus  All vote Yes

Correspondence

 

Unfinished Business

 

1.      05/06 Benedum Grant

Funds deposited into the Barbour County CDC account and the Mou and Contract for consulting services with Marcel Fortin have been completed. Please review the grant, so we can begin to implement the 2005 operational plan. Committee assignments are in place and committees need to determine what the consultant can do to assist.

Create a survey to be sent to active and inactive members on what is needed to get better participation at the local and Alliance levels. Be prepared to discuss ideas for this survey and who in your communities need to be contacted.

Reviewed the documents provided and discussion centered around conflict of interest and how to assure that anyone providing services identifies that issue to the group prior to the service taking place. Need to encourage members to offer their expertise and provide services when needed to our group and our communities.

           

           

            Mike Boggs and Andy Haynes have gotten permission to put wireless broadband equipment on a

            911 tower in Clay from the County Commission. They are awaiting climbing apparatus to begin

            putting the equipment on the tower. There was discussion about conflict of interest about a

            member provide service and how to deal with it. The solution was for anyone involved in these

            efforts should do whatever they can to make broadband happen, but shall notify the group of

            their involvement and what roles they would play.

2.      501c3 Status

Application has been processed as of Sept. 15th. Awaiting response from IRS. Do not

anticipate any problems. Will need to develop strategies for fundraising efforts – website, direct mailings & personal contacts.

            Discussed the status of the exemption certificate and that Marcel had received notice from the IRS

            of receipt of the packet and that they would contact him if any more information would be

required.

3.      The ARC “WV Distressed Communities Telecommunications & Technology Initiative

Have received notification of receipt of the grant application. Senators Byrd and Rockefeller have sent support letters. Delegate Steve Kominar and organizations from Mingo County are sending letters as well. Determination for the award should be around November.

Discussed the grant and how the Alliance would get management and outreach funds from the grant.

4.      Heritage Tourism Workshop followups Reports

Review the Workshop documents so we can determine what efforts the Alliance can provide.

            Discussed that Mary Hunt-Lieving from Benedum wanted the group to look for commonalties in

            all the reports and seek ways for the Alliance to assist in their heritage tourism efforts. Marcel

identified several common areas of need: organizational, product development, business

enhancement, marketing, infrastructure, stakeholder efforts, education and mapping. Bob Johnson

mentioned that he felt that the efforts of the group were best centered around organizational

development and that we should assist in ramping up organizations and providing assistance in

product development. Motion was made by Bob Johnson to create Heritage Tourism

Organization committee. Second by Dick Bartlett All vote Yes, Bob Johnson volunteered to Chair

the committee and Connie Lupardus would assist as time permitted.

            5.  AllianceWV.org Website

      Be prepared to provide input and ask questions on how to upload items to the site. We need

to begin to take advantage of the cost effective method of promoting the Alliance. Need ideas on

how promote the site.

Steve Reynolds discuss the need for members to begin to provide News and Photos from the areas

to make the website more user friendly. He commented that whenever a project is being done in

an area that a press release should go out with mention of the website. This would increase

visibility for the site and the Alliance. He also recommended that we begin providing community

reports on the site. Several members have included business cards on the site and others were

encouraged to do so. Any business can provide cards. Jerry Edens mentioned he was going to

mentioned that in their local paper to see if it creates more awareness of the site. Discussion

around a community organization resource area for links to other organizations providing names,

a brief summary and web addresses. Steve said he would work on that area and make everything

on the site extremely user friendly.    

5.      Reports

 

Heritage Tourism Committee Report

 

Broadband Committee Report

 

2005 Operational plan Committee Report

 

New Business

 

            Coal Connectivity Grant

            Marcel discussed the project being developed to provide towers throughout the state in a grid to

            support emergency services, 911, wireless telephone and broadband. Coal companies have shown

            interest in providing sites on reclaimed land throughout the state. Several partners have been

            identified for the project and preparation is being made to apply for an Infrastructure grant in

            November. Partners are Corridor G RDA, Coal Association, FiberNet, WV Coalfield Office, the

Alliance and others are being contacted. 3 sites are being researched for development (Whiteville,

 Madison and Harts/Chapmanville areas) as a pilot project. The Alliance is playing an active role

in this project and will be managing aspects of the project with the Corridor G RDA to create a

statewide effort. Details are being worked out and more information will be available soon.

 

            Verizon Grant

            Verizon, Frontier and the Benedum Foundation are working the Alliance and the Corridor G RDA

            to provide outreach to 7 Champion communities without broadband service. A grant is being

            developed to provide broadband assessments to unserved areas. Benedum has offered to match

            dollar for dollar any investment that Verizon or Frontier make. Verizon has offered $25,000 and,

            tentatively, Frontier may offer $10,000, so the project will be around $ 75,000 total. The providers

            see a need for groups like ours to seek communities that are not served and find ways to aggregate

            demand to make their investment feasible. Marcel has been working with the providers to be the

            conduit for discussions as to how to get broadband to our rural communities.  

                                   

                        Reports: Community Reports

The reports presented last meeting showed the progress from the champions in attendance.

We need to hear from the others so we can share experiences and best practices.

Clay:                  WV. Preservation Mitzi Miller has been meeting with the heritage tourism group monthly

and has provided assistance in created a theme and logo for the Clay area for outdoor activities.

There was an Art Class project for the Logo and the local bank offered a Savings bond certificate

for the winner. The group is excited and motivated.The have finalized the purchase of the railroad

for trips and have invited the Governor to see the project. The WVU engineering dept is working with them on several test sites for campgrounds in the area and has supplied some funding as well. River access points and boat ramps are being put in for float trips. Connie Lupardus mentioned that she had been hired a the exec. director for CAEZ to replace Jerry Sizemore who

is retiring on Dec. 31st.

Barbour:       The group has acquired Sugar Creek a children’s home for behavioral problems. Culture

 and social well being grants were used. A coal camp museum is in the works using a 1900’s

church on the Historic Landmarks registry at Century Camp and grave yard. Activity continues

on the rails to trails projects in the area.

 

 

Mountain Champion:    A Roundable discussion is being held in the area to continue work on ideas

            to improve the area. Acquisition for more miles of trails is in the process to extend the current

            trail 15 miles to Webster Springs. This would allow for Horseback day trips. Mitzi Miller and

            Scott Gerloff have continued to provide assistance in their Forest Heritage efforts. The broadband

            project is moving forward and signal should go out in November for testing. Bob Johnson is to
            be one of the testing sites.

Lincoln:         Marcel stopped in Hamlin and had a visit with Nona Conley at her consignment shop. She            is in the process of getting the building next door to expand her business. She has outgrown her

            current location and has others interested in occupying the space. She said things were beginning

            to happen in the town and was encouraged that the situation was improving for downtown. Marcel

            discussed the new 911 center and the industrial park. He discussed the Lincoln County levy and

            hoped it would pass for the betterment of the county.

No speaker

 

Next meeting:

Nov.16, 2005 Conference call meeting

 

 

Adjournment

Adjourned 11:35pm

Motion to Adjourn:  Bob Johnson  second: Connie Lupardus,  All vote YES.