"Our first mission is to create a revolving loan fund for economic development, so the Port Authority is focusing on projects for that through grants or partnering with other entities," said Jasen Bronec, director of the Glacier County Port Authority on Monday, Feb. 26. The director said the meetings held twice per month and alternating between Browning and Cut Bank have resulted in progress.
"As with any organization in starting mode, we are setting some policies with organizational structure and vision to tackle some local needs of Glacier County," Bronec said.
Thus far, the infant organization has enjoyed support from the towns of Browning and Cut Bank, as well as the Glacier County Commissioners. "So we have high hopes," said Bronec. "We have a line of funding sources. Because the Port Authority is a governmental entity it will get tax mill levies and we are asking for donations and contributions from Browning and Cut Bank."
Besides setting up a revolving loan fund, Bronec said the second mission of the Port Authority is to support "any projects with validity for the county." Bronec said he and Johnel Barcus of the Browning Community Development Corp. are slated to meet with Governor Schweitzer's task force March 6 in Helena, to see if some of the investment opportunities listed there would be available locally.
"Our role is to get all the entities together and pull together for combined efforts," said Bronec. He noted that each entity has access to its own source of funding, so groups like BCDC, Glacier Action and Involvement Now (GAIN) and the two towns' chambers of commerce "all have a place where we can have a clearinghouse of information for economic development." By seeking out all the players, Bronec said, it will be possible for everyone to be working in the same direction.
"Now, we're also working on getting an executive director or having another economic development entity provide the services," Bronec added. While the board of directors is sufficient for plotting the overall course of the Port Authority, day-to-day management is something best left to someone hired for the job, he explained. As Glacier County's Port Authority is likely to lack funds to pay a director, Bronec indicated the group would seek another entity to provide administrative services.
The Port Authority's last meeting was held in Cut Bank Feb. 22. The next one is slated for Browning's City Hall on March 8.
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