The featured speaker at the monthly Gila Economic Development Alliance Roundtable on Friday was Tiffany Knauf, Grant County Community Health Council coordinator.
She began by listing the GCCHC priorities, which were developed in 2007. They are behavioral health, community safety, fitness and nutrition, family resiliency and economic development.
Knauf talked about the Community Enhancement Fund, funded by Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., to bring training to the area that otherwise would cost individuals and organizations money to send only a few representatives to training elsewhere. The CEF allows groups to bring a trainer to Grant County to provide training to many people in the area.
"Since 2007, we, through the CEF, have granted more than a quarter of a million dollars," Knauf said.
Another program of the health council is the Grant Writers' Guild, which meets on a monthly basis to find out about grant opportunities and to make sure that duplication does not occur. The latest meeting drew 35 people.
Freeport McMoRan is also developing a Community Investment Fund, which will grant more than $50,000 in Grant County.
"The Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments Abstract is also a great resource for data about the region," Knauf said.
The council develops several resources, including its plan and profile, which through assessment of a survey of a broad representation of the community gathers data to help those writing grants and seeking funding to know what problems in the area need to be addressed.
In 2012, the survey will be available on paper and online. The online version will greatly facilitate the input of data.
"My goal for beginning distribution of the survey is April 2012," Knauf said. "It will continue through September. It will begin when kids are still in school and will catch those we didn't get the first time in the fall when they return. We also want lots of adults to take the survey."
The survey will be available at the regular summer events that the council puts on, including Jump Into Summer, Red Hot Children's Fiesta and health fairs.
"We will have the survey on laptops to take to large events and meetings," Knauf said. "My forte is surveys, and I want your input. We want to keep it to two pages front and back on 11-inch by 14-inch paper. Priscilla Lucero, health council chairwoman, is in charge of the assessment. We got 10 percent return last time. She wants 30 percent this time."
Knauf said, in the 16 weeks since she took over as coordinator, the health council has managed 14 events and programs.
"One of my goals is to really help Western New Mexico University and the community to get together and work together," Knauf said.
In addition to the plan and profile, the health council develops several resource directories. The most recently completed Senior Resource Directory has ben distributed to 600 people and locations and is in its second printing. The Cancer Resource Directory will be completed within the next month, and the General Resource Directory will be finished soon.
More than 300 people attended the Mimbres Health Fair; more than 1,900 to the Red Hot Children's Fiesta.
Earl Montoya, Silver City resident, said he would like to see non-profit organizations become self-sustaining. He also pointed out that a goodly number of Hispanics never get past the fifth-grade reading level. He asked that the survey be available to them.
Knauf said the survey is generally geared toward the eighth-grade level or below. "We hope this time to insert pictures to make it easier to understand, and we will also have it in Spanish."
Lucero said, the last time the survey was given, she would translate it for those having trouble with the English and would mark the answers for them.
County Commission Chairman Brett Kasten said the commission received only one complaint on the survey, and "he was not Hispanic and was very literate. He thought some of the questions were too personal."
Montoya repeated that he wanted synergy among non-profits.
Knauf said the Freeport McMoRan grant program would promote sustainability of non-profits. "The Wellness Coalition is also working to make non-profits sustainable. Freeport recently hosted a capacity-building workshop and more than 80 groups attended."
"My goal, once the assessment is complete is to sit with the health council members and have us decide the priorities under economic development," she sad. "That will involve non-profits."
As is usual at the Roundtable, groups and agencies are invited to give updates on what each has accomplished and what events are upcoming.
Arlene Schadel, Grant County Economic Development coordinator, thanked Lucero and the COG for including her in a lot of things that happen in the community.
Schadel recently had lunch with a member of the Environmental Protection Agency out of the Dallas office, and they toured the brownfields in the area, of which there are at least 10.
"I attended a community development application workshop," Schadel said. "Grant County will apply for a planning grant in economic development."
She recently sent out a Gila EDA airline survey to determine the needs of the community for airline service to the county. "It is still on the Silver City Arts and Cultural District website for another two weeks."
Schadel attended an Intel symposium on space flight and teamed up with Sierra County to have brochures and business cards on the table.
She said the Spaceport is not yet open and technology is evolving so quickly that it may be almost antiquated by the time it is completed.
Scahdel met with John Clark of the New Mexico Partnership and met one-on-one with Steve Montaño of the New Mexico Economic Development Department.
Through the Southwest New Mexico Economic Development Partnership, she and others are trying to promote a business cluster, and "trying to make us a destination."
In her meeting with the New Mexico Film Office, she said the Lone Ranger movie is set to begin southeast of Silver City in February.
Knauf said the costumes would be stored at the County Business and Conference Center.
Schadel said three potential recruitment opportunities came in during the week. One is seeking a 20,000 square-foot facility for food product distribution. Another is a yogurt manufacturer who wants a 50,000 square-foot building. It needs 35 million to 56 million gallons of water a year and would create 65 jobs.
A printing and packing company would create 40 jobs.
"They all want incentives," Schadel said. "A solar company is coming in. It bought property on the border of Grant and Luna counties."
Part of the Faywood Hot Springs property was purchased by Ernie Wright, who wants to open the facility within three months.
Montoya asked if Schadel came back from the Spaceport with a list of specific skills needed, so WNMU can teach them.
Schadel reported the Spaceport is working closely with New Mexico State University and New Mexico Tech.
Skip Thacker, Gila EDA member, asked Schadel if she made sure those at the Spaceport know about the Grant County airport and industrial park.
Julie Morales, WNMU president's assistant, said the Truth or Consequences campus of WNMU usually works with the Spaceport.
Cissy McAndrew of the Green Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico local chapter said the group is working on a strategic plan.
Lucero said the Green Energy and Jobs Task Force has recently developed a relationship with the EPA.
McAndrew reported the Visitor Center, which the Green Chamber recently took over is being overwhelmed with visitors. One thousand eighty-four have gone through the center this month.
The Green Chamber plans to kick off a Buy Local campaign the first week of December.
December 10 will feature the Tamale Fiesta, with applications due by Nov. 11. The fiesta will take place on Broadway in downtown Silver City.
The chamber is trying to convince a green developer, who recently visited, that he would have plenty of work in the area. The green build for Habitat for Humanity "is going great." Last week's sprayed cellulose demonstration was well attended. "Gila Woodnet's Gordon West's crew has been trained in the procedure of manufacturing the cellulose insulation from cardboard recycled in town."
She said the Arts and Cultural District advertisements are going out and the teamwork between the Green Chamber and the ACD is going well. The Red Dot Studio Tour was a success. "The Weekend at the Galleries was OK. It may have run its course."
The rest of the meeting will continue in a following article.