Joint Powers

The Community Economic Development Joint Powers Board (Joint Powers) is an area-wide group that was established in 1998 to facilitate organizations and local units of government working for the public good in the area.  Members include the Cities of Ely, Winton, and Babbitt, Morse Township, Vermilion Community College, Independent School District #696, Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital and Ely Chamber of Commerce.

Joint Powers Mission

To provide an organization through which local units of government in the Ely area may jointly and cooperatively coordinate and facilitate future planning and leveraging of new monies and services for the community economic development of the area.

Joint Powers Benefits

Improve community economic development opportunities that benefit residential life and commerce in the area.

Two Organizations Working Together

Community Economic Development Joint Powers Board	Ely Area Development Association (EADA)
Addresses comprehensive area-wide issues including, but not limited to, economic development	Addresses Ely area economic development
Members and their contributions: City of Ely (voting) $52,450 Morse Township (voting) 28,623 City of Winton (voting) 4,388 City of Babbitt (non-voting) 1,000 ISD 696 (voting) 1,300 VCC (non-voting) 1,000 Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital (non-voting) 1,000 Ely Chamber of Commerce (non-voting) 1,000
Joint Powers Initiatives Hidden Valley Recreation Area Area-wide recyling located in Ely Area-wide library services in Ely Small Business Development Center Area-wide Emergency Planning Area Strategic Planning Highway 1 Corridor ($4 million)  Ely Area Development Association (EADA)	EADA Objectives Stakeholder Relations Business Expansion/Retention Homegrown Innovation Connection with Education
Budget $90,878 Other Initiatives $24,125 (see above) Operations $3,350	$71,566 to EADA Initiative

Board of Directors

Ely: Chuck Novak, representative, Heidi Omerza, alternate
Winton: Lee Tessier, representative, Ann Jackson, alternate
Morse: Bob Berrini, representative, Len Cersine, alternate
ISD 696: Ray Marsnik, representative, Bill Erzar, alternate
Babbitt: Pete Pastika, representative
Vermilion Community College: Dr. Mary Koski, representative
Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital: John Fossum, representative
Ely Chamber of Commerce:  Kerry Davis, representative

2007 Joint Powers Action Items

• Grow Joint Powers -Grow organization’s budget, numbers and effectiveness
  (Example: Fall Lake)
• Continue to seek opportunities to address Common Good/Common Goals in area, specifically related to:
  • Transportation Infrastructure
    • Highway 169
    • Highway 21
    • Ely Hoyt Lakes Roadway Extension
  • Housing
  • Hospital
  • Schools
  • Airport
• Work with MN DEED office to develop area enterprise network solution concept for Ely, Babbitt, Tower, and Cook
• Convene, coordinate and facilitate on-going emergency preparedness meetings
• Convene and coordinate on-going area-wide strategic planning initiative
• Begin preparedness planning for construction phase of new mining operations as per East Range Readiness Committee (Mesaba Project Citizen Advisory Group)