Leelanau Business Roundtable Quarterly Meeting - April, 2023

Leelanau Business Roundtable - Quarterly Meeting

Thursday, April 13, 2022 at 9am via Zoom

PRESENTERS:

Henry Wolf, Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, and Brenda McLellan, Traverse Connect

Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance (NMCA) is focused on policy, reforms, and budget investments at the state level to attract and retain talent here in Northern Michigan.

Advocacy and Government Relations

  • Childcare Reform and Housing Incentives Signed into Law

  • Office of Rural Development has been added, now fully staffed.

  • Just added Rural Readiness Grants designed to give funds to organizations to add capacity in rural areas to work on some initiatives.

  • Northern Michigan Budget Requests

    • Notified NMCA members to provide budget requests. Added requests to legislatures for investment in Freshwater Research and Innovation Center for “bluewater economy” for Leelanau and Traverse City.

    • Requesting a quota for investment in northern Michigan but also lowering the match requirements.

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Growth Model

Talent Initiatives

Roundtable Discussion:

  • Patricia Soutas-Little - Childcare

    • There are two groups working on childcare. One is a 5-county region (Child Care Now) with 7 teams including a substitution pool, training, and provider recruitment. PSL is heading the recruiting team. The other team is a 10-county region grant award to Networks Northwest. The goal is to put together a regional childcare plan, that also respects the work that is already being done in smaller regions.

    • Infant Toddler Childcare Start-Up ($318,000 grant) is going well with 2 providers up and running. Also getting ready to launch micro-center test case - Home-based provider offers childcare outside of the home. In 2024, rules that govern all childcare will be opened up for discussion. We will call upon businesses to participate.

    • Northport School is hosting the site for the first micro-center. The school has been a great supporter of the program.

  • Amy Peterson- Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce

    • Membership +30%, great collaboration, and participation

    • Including new programs to benefit businesses

    • New events in addition to existing events

    • Working with DDA and Village Council and Planning Commission to solve public restroom issues.

  • Chir Scharrer - LIFT

    • Point Broadband starting construction on Monday, starting at the south end of the county. The plan is to get done by this year - which equates to +5000 homes by the end of 2023.

    • The online county map will be updated with construction dates and zones that will be built out.

    • Monthly updates will continue to be sent by LIFT and LPEF. County Email address for questions or for requests to receive updates: broadbandproject@leelanau.gov.

  • Rob Dickinson - Northwest Michigan Works

    • The workforce arm of their services includes Hiring, Training, and Connections for Employers

    • Businesses can host onsite Job Fair at their TC office

    • Additional Training opportunities

    • Going Pro Talent Fund - nwm.org/goingpro

    • There is money available to assist businesses in preventing layoffs

    • Other grants available as well for equipment

  • Chris - DTE

  • Brayton Farr - Leelanau Chamber of Commerce

    • Leelanau Business After Hours is April 20th at Black Star Farms with Rob Dickinson from NW MI Works presenting.

The next quarterly meeting will be held on Thursday, July 13, 2023 at 9am via Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83652716214?pwd=N2x6NDlHTW1LZmpSYmw5N1I2OXpFQT09

Meeting ID: 836 5271 6214

If you are receiving these meeting notes, you are already included in our monthly newsletter. Please encourage others to participate by sharing this link to the quarterly meeting or emailing hello@leelanau4business.com.

Thank you.

Jamie Jewell