FERGUS FALLS ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION

2016 Annual Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 Development Highlights

04 Board of Directors Activity

06 EIC Staff Activity

10 Forward Fergus Falls

11 Appendices

DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Growth and Expansion Fergus Falls witnessed a burst of new development in 2016 with notable projects such

as the building acquisition and expansion of M-R Sign Company, Inc., the expansion of

TAG UP by Richard Marketing, LLC, and the construction of a new facility for Aura

Fabricators, Inc. all taking place or beginning during the 2016 calendar year. Additional

projects such as the Lincoln Crossing development, River Oaks Landing development,

and Unique Construction, LLC housing development, added new commercial suites and

housing units to Fergus Falls. Aldi and Thrifty White Pharmacy completed new builds.

M-R Sign Company, Inc. expanded its operations with the purchase of an adjacent

building at 1624 First Ave. The expansion gives M-R Sign more capacity for its highway

sign manufacturing operations and will allow for the addition of new jobs. M-R Sign

utilized local Revolving Loan Funds through the City of Fergus Falls to help finance the

acquisition for its expansion. Senator Amy Klobuchar visited the facility in November.

Aura Fabricators, Inc. of Dalton, MN broke ground on a Fergus Falls facility in 2016.

The new 34,672 sq. ft. facility will be located at 1011 Weyrens Rd and will add nearly a

dozen jobs to the company. The project is an investment of $3.76 million and received

funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s

(DEED) Job Creation Fund as well as local tax increment financing (TIF).

Elsewhere in the Fergus Falls Industrial Park, TAG UP by Richard Marketing, LLC broke

ground on a 7,200 sq. ft. expansion of its existing facility at 831 Industrial Park Blvd and

the former Army Reserve Center located at 1814 First Ave was purchased in November

through a Federal Government (GSA) Auction.

1

Commercial Development In 2016, Fergus Falls saw the addition of new commercial

businesses as well as a large relocation project for an existing

business. Aldi, a global discount supermarket chain, opened a

new store in Fergus Falls in June. The new 18,168 sq. ft. store

located at 1802 Lincoln Ave W was built by Shingobee Builders of

Loretto, Minnesota.

Other new stores were added when the Lincoln Crossing

development was completed in December. Lincoln Crossing,

located at the corner of College Way and Kenney Park Rd now

includes a Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Caribou

Coffee/Einstein Bros. Bagels. A new Great Clips hair salon and

relocated AT&T store will soon open in the development as well.

Roers Development of Fargo, North Dakota built Lincoln

Crossing, which had one remaining commercial unit available for

lease as of the end of 2016.

Another commercial new build project in 2016 relocated Thrifty

White Pharmacy from its location in downtown to a new 3,584

sq. ft. facility at 1484 Lincoln Ave W. The new location, built by

Shingobee Builders, was completed in August. In total,

$3,252,390 of commercial and industrial building permits were

filed for the 2016 year.

Residential Development Two new multi-family housing projects in 2016 will result in at

least sixty new rental units added to Fergus falls with just over to

two-hundred units possible if all phases of the projects are

implemented.

River Oaks Landing, a twenty-four-unit, senior oriented housing

development on Westside Dr was nearly finished by the end of 2016.

The housing complex was developed by Platte Properties, LLC and

includes a new trail connection between each end of Westside Dr. A

number of open-houses were held in the fall of 2016 drawing a large

interest from the region for the senior oriented housing units.

Across the Otter Tail River from River Oaks Landing is another housing

development being constructed by Unique Construction, Inc. of Fergus

Falls. This housing complex will be constructed in phases, with the first

thirty-six unit phase started in 2016.

Housing sales increased by 15% in 2016 with 277 homes sold during the

year compared to 242 sold in 2015, however, a very short supply of

single-family homes, townhomes, and condos continues to plague the

housing market due to high costs for new construction.

Fergus Falls Residential Home Sales

Price Range Total Sales 2015 Total Sales 2016

0-$49,999 16 20

$50,000-$99,999 78 84

$100,000-$149,999 69 81

$150,000-$199,999 41 53

$200,000-$249,999 21 19

$250,000-$299,999 9 16

$300,000-$399,999 7 4

$400,000-$499,999 1 0

Total 242 277

2

2016 2 Permits/ 60 Units

$5,300,00

2016

13 Permits

$3,549,000

2016

8 Permits

$3,252,390

Multi-Family Residential

2016—2 Permits ($5,300,000)

2015—4 Permits ($3,080,000)

2014—6 Permits ($5,100,000)

2013—0 Permits

Single-Family Residential

2016—13 Permits ($3,549,000)

2015—14 Permits ($2,699,000)

2014—6 Permits ($1,819,007)

2013—8 Permits ($1,921,000)

Commercial / Industrial

2016—8 Permits ($3,252,390)

2015—5 Permits* ($2,461,724)

2014—8 Permits ($1,240,000)

2013—1 Permit ($300,000) *Lake Region Healthcare Clinic project permit was handled by the State of Minnesota and not included in the 2015 local permit statistics for this report. 3

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Meeting Highlights Throughout the 2016 year, the Board of Directors met monthly,

with the exception of August. A number of special presentations

were made to the Board of Directors highlighting projects in the

community that will have an impact on the local economy.

M|State Workforce Development Solutions

Staff from Minnesota State Community and Technical College’s

Workforce Development Solutions team presented their services

to the EIC at the April 6 Board of Directors meeting. Workforce

Development Solutions is a rebrand of M State’s former

Customized Training Programs and offers on-site, on-campus,

online, or mobile training options customized to individual

businesses.

Joint EIC Board/Chamber Board Visioning Session

The May 4 Board of Directors meeting was held at the Fergus

Falls Public Library and included a joint discussion between the

Board of Directors for the EIC and Fergus Falls Area Chamber of

Commerce. During the discussion, attendees brainstormed ideas

for what is needed in Fergus Falls to better support business

development. Responses were recorded and presented to both

groups at subsequent board meetings. See next page for a list of

responses.

Strategic Planning Session

In September 2016, the Board of Directors participated with EIC staff in

a strategic planning session. The strategic planning session offered an

opportunity for the EIC Board of Directors and staff to discuss current

and future priorities for the EIC.

Future priorities identified included: completing a comprehensive

business survey, developing a relocation packet, planning a “State of the

City” event, and continuing to focus on childcare, among others.

Otter Tail Power Company Hydroelectric Plant Relicensing

Michael Olson, Principal Engineer at Otter Tail Power Company provided

an update on the hydroelectric relicensing process to the EIC at the

November 17 Board of Directors meeting. The license for five

hydroelectric plants on the Otter Tail River operated by Otter Tail Power

Company will expire in 2021. The process to renew this license began in

2016 with many meetings conducted by Otter Tail Power Company and

the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Fergus Falls Public Library Renewal Project

Erin Smith, Fergus Falls Public Library Director, presented to the Board

of Directors twice in 2016. Smith updated the EIC on design and

fundraising progress. As of December 2016, over $2.4 million in private

commitments had been raised. The successful half-cent sales tax

referendum will take effect after a one year sunset period for the half-

cent Community Arena sales tax.

4

Measurement

Dashboard

Business

Survey

Relocation

Packet

Formal

networking

with peers

State of

the City

Improve EIC/

City Council

communication

Childcare Resident

Survey

Strategic Priorities

2016 EIC Board of Directors

Leon Keller, Chair Don Hurley

Ron Spangler Jr., Vice Chair Dr. Greg Smith

Mary Walth, Secretary Gary Spies

Anthony Hicks, Treasurer Hal Leland, Mayor

Andrew Bremseth, Ex-Officio

What does Fergus Falls need to do to support

business development?

Talk about what’s good/

happening

Support out unique local

shops and assets

Emphasize the

“Community” feeling we

have here

Promote to 5,000 people

to move here, understand

why they don’t

Give young families a

reason to move to Fergus

and stay

Teach businesses how to

be ambassadors

“Shop here first” Attract tourism Support the City

- support change

Promote the benefits of

“smaller” town lifestyles

Provide ways/encourage

employers to allow

employees to telework

Infrastructure/fiber

enhancements

Promote/grow amenities

-retail, pool, library Networking for spouses Quality of life/amenities

Provide balance to

Provide balance to

compensate for Dakotas

tax advantage

Find/develop ways for

employers to help lift

people out of poverty

Change image of Fergus

Falls to be more forward-

thinking, progressive

Bust previous perception -

don’t stop trying to

change

Encourage the right

people to take leadership

positions

Reasonable/available

housing RTC is elephant in the City

Better amenities for

Millennials

Decisions need to be

made more quickly

Visionary Master Plan is

lacking Be open to change

5

STAFF ACTIVITY

Projects Downtown & Riverfront Master Plan

Planning work for a future Fergus Falls Downtown & Riverfront Master

Plan kicked off in the summer of 2016. The Fergus Falls Economic

Improvement Commission and the City of Fergus Falls joined forces to

hire Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. (HKGi), a planning and landscape

architecture firm based out of Minneapolis, to lead the planning process

for developing the plan. A review committee selected HKGi as the

planning consultant. Bolten & Menk Inc. (BMI) was selected as a project

partner for transportation and utilities engineering. Miller Dunwiddie

Architects (MDA) was selected as a project partner for heritage

preservation and architecture planning.

Initial steps in the planning process included establishing a Project

Management Team (PMT), composed of staff from the City of Fergus

Falls, EIC, HKGi, BMI, and MDA, as well as a Citizen Advisory Committee

(CAC), composed of representatives from across the community

including downtown businesses, the Fergus Falls School District, Otter

Tail Power Company, local artists and art groups, the Fergus Falls

Farmers Market, Otter Tail County, and other key stakeholders. The

CAC also includes three Fergus Falls High School students.

The master planning process is designed to build upon current and past

initiatives related to downtown and the riverfront, facilitate collabora-

tion with citizens and groups who are already engaged in

improving downtown and the riverfront, and inviting

participation from all who have an interest in making downtown

and riverfront areas of Fergus Falls a better place.

Hoot Lake Power Plant Land Use Study

The EIC received $55,000 in Federal EDA funding to begin the

process of studying the future of the Hoot Lake Power Plant site

in Fergus Falls. Matching funds were contributed by the EIC, City

of Fergus Falls, Otter Tail County, and Otter Tail Power Company.

The goal of the Hoot Lake Power Plant Land Use Study is to

identify direct and indirect financial, economic, engineering, and

environmental impacts that will take place once the coal power

plant is decommissioned after 2021. A project team began

working on an RFQ for engineering studies in 2016.

Otter Tail County Rural Rebound Initiative

A partnership between the Fergus Falls Economic Improvement

Commission and Otter Tail County received $140,000 in grants

from West Central Initiative, the Blandin Foundation, the Otto

Bremer Trust, and the Frank W. Veden Charitable Trust for the

Otter Tail County Rural Rebound Initiative. The Initiative is

designed to improve the region's ability to attract, hire, retain,

and advance workers in careers that pay family sustaining wages.

6

The primary goal will be to develop and implement short and

long term strategies that assist in attracting, developing,

retaining and expanding the workforce in Otter Tail County with

an additional goal to energize youth in the area and offer

perspective on the opportunities that exist in their own back

yard. Erik Osberg was recently hired as the Rural Rebound

Initiative’s Program Coordinator. Erik has an extensive

background in marketing and was most recently the host and

producer of the Outdoor Report on Fox Sports North.

Glacial Edge Trail Master Plan

In addition to the Downtown & Riverfront Master Plan, HKGi was

selected by the City of Fergus Falls to facilitate the development

of the Glacial Edge Trail (GET) Master Plan. The GET is a planned

14.7 mile paved multi-use trail extending from the terminus of

the Central Lakes Trail. The City of Fergus Falls submitted an

application to the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails

Commission (GMRPTC) to designate the proposed trail as a

regionally significant trail. In the summer of 2016 the GMRPTC

rated the proposal as “high.” With this ranking, the City

proceeded to the master plan development stage, which is

needed in order to apply for funding for the trail’s development.

Business Survey

One of the primary strategic priorities identified during the

September Board of Directors Planning Session was a to conduct

a business survey. The intent of the survey was to identify

current issues and needs within the business community. Staff

hired the Morris Leatherman Company, a market research firm

based in Minneapolis, to facilitate the survey process. Over 220

surveys were completed during November and December 2016.

General Activity In 2016, EIC staff executed a number of general economic development

activities and projects and participated in many partnerships, events,

and marketing opportunities.

Staff recently began the process of maintaining and updating a list of

available properties and a list of businesses located within the City of

Fergus Falls. The available properties database adds a necessary tool

that allows staff to quickly relay information on available land, office

space, warehouse space, etc. to prospective users and was frequently

utilized for site-selection requests. The feature was added to the EIC

website. Larger properties are also uploaded to the LocationOne

Information System (LOIS) property search database.

7

Survey Question #34

How would you rate the business climate in

Fergus Falls—excellent, good, only fair, poor?

Trainings and Conferences

Staff participated in a number of conferences and training opportunities

in 2016 including:

2016 EDAM Winter Conference

2016 Upper Midwest Regional Planning Conference

2016 MN Broadband Conference

Governor’s Freight Council - Economic Development Working Group

IEDC Real Estate Development & Reuse Course

Lakes Country Service Cooperative - Economic Development Symposium

MN DEED Workshops and Webinars

Transforming Local Government Conference

U of M Extension - Business Retention and Expansion Course

Partnerships and Committees

Staff participated in a number of partnerships and committees:

Econ. Dev. Association of Minnesota - Legislative Committee

Economic Development Professionals Group (WCIF)

Fergus Falls Chamber Workforce Committee

Fergus Falls Downtown Riverfront Council

Greater Minnesota Partnership - Board of Directors

Otter Tail Power Company Community Board

West Central MN Labor Force Development Council

West Central Housing Group (Minnesota Housing Finance Agency)

Marketing Focus on Business Newsletter

The business list database was developed in order to begin distributing

an EIC newsletter, which was mailed to over five-hundred businesses

along with an electronic version sent via MailChimp to over two-

hundred seventy businesses. The Fergus Falls Focus on Business

newsletter is the EIC’s most recent mass communication

platform. In September 2016 the first version was released with

a focus on recent development activity in Fergus Falls along with

information on upcoming community participation opportunities

and local business advising, financing, and training services. Two

newsletters will be mailed throughout the year with electronic

updates sent quarterly between mailings.

Live Wide Open

The Fergus Falls EIC partnered with West Central Initiative as a

matching partner for the Live Wide Open marketing campaign.

The EIC’s match included the use of the City’s billboard on I-94,

which was used to display a Live Wide Open advertisement.

8

Minnesota Marketing Partnership

The Fergus Falls EIC is a new partner member of the Minnesota

Marketing Partnership, a public-private partnership organization that

promotes Minnesota and its business economy at local, regional, and

nation venues.

Tri-State Manufacturing Association

The Fergus Falls EIC continued its partnership with the Tri-State

Manufacturing Association (TSMA.) Green Plains, Otter Tail Inc. and

Otter Tail Power hosted TSMA meetings in Fergus Falls in 2016.

Other Marketing Activities:

Chamber Golf Scramble

Business Exchange

The Daily Journal Progress Edition

The Daily Journal Innovation Edition

Fergus Falls Visitors Guide

Table Tents/Resort Brochures

Events Business Summit

The Fergus Falls Business Summit was held on March 16 at the

Bigwood Event Center. The Business Summit included presentations

from Amy Baldwin, Jean Bowman, Lisa Workman, Nick Leonard, and

key-note speaker Ben Winchester discussing the “Rural Brain Gain.”

Small Business Breakfast

The 2016 Small Business Appreciation Breakfast was held on May 3 at

the Bigwood Event Center. The breakfast was held during National

Small Business Week.

Workforce Solutions Summit

In 2016, the Fergus Falls EIC partnered with West Central Initiative to

plan the Workforce Solutions Summit. The May 12 event was identified

by the West Central Labor Force Development Council as an opportunity

to discuss strategies for local and regional workforce challenges. Held at

the Bigwood Event Center, the event included keynote speaker Gardner

Carrick of the Manufacturing Institute as well as a number of sessions

such as: Innovative Partnerships, Nontraditional Employees, Healthcare

Crunch, Manufacturing Recruiting, and Organizational Culture.

Enterprise Minnesota also held their regional State of Manufacturing

presentation just prior to the Workforce Solutions Summit.

Manufacturing Breakfast

The 10th Annual Fergus Falls Manufacturers Breakfast was held on

October 6 at M-State Legacy Hall with seventy-five attendees. The

event was held in conjunction with Minnesota Manufacturing Week.

This year’s breakfast included presentations from Amy Baldwin and Nick

Leonard (Otter Tail County) discussing the Rural Rebound Initiative,

Brad Barth (West Central Initiative) discussing the Live Wide Open

marketing campaign, and key-note speaker Josh Teigen (Protosthetics

LLC.)

Career Exploration Day

The Fergus Falls Career Exploration Day saw a major change in 2016

with seniors given off-campus site visits to Shoremaster, LLC, Lake

Region Healthcare, Otter Tail Power Company, or Otter Tail County

Government Services Center, based on each student’s career

preferences. Career Exploration Day was held on October 6.

Business Resources Information Session

The EIC and West Central Initiative partnered to host a business

resources information session held at West Central Initiative on

December 6. The event provided an opportunity for area banks and

funders to discuss options for financing business development projects.

9

FORWARD FERGUS FALLS

Forward Fergus Falls met nine times in 2016 with monthly meetings

held January - May at Keller Williams Realty and September - December

at the Workforce Center. Major Forward Fergus Falls activities in 2016

included the annual Community Celebration and a new downtown

event—Shop, Move n’ Groove.

The Forward Fergus Falls Community Celebration was held on June 16,

2016 at M -State Legacy Hall. This year’s event included an introduction

from new City Administrator Andrew Bremseth, as well as a goodbye to

outgoing Executive Committee members Larry Schulz and Jerry Ness.

Shop, Move, n’ Groove, a new downtown event, was planned and

implemented by Forward Fergus Falls. The motivation for planning the

event was to develop a new and energetic downtown event to replace

the former Crazy Day’s. As the name suggests, the focus of the event

was downtown shopping (Shop), active living (Move), and arts (Groove.)

The inaugural Shop, Move n’ Groove event was a success, although

inclement weather shortened the event. The Fergus Falls EIC

participated as an event sponsor while also helping plan portions of the

event. Forward Fergus Falls hopes to plan the event for a second year.

2016 Forward Fergus Falls Executive Committee:

Erin Smith—Fergus Falls Public Library

Dennis Lipp—Fergus Falls YMCA

Greg Wagner—West Central Initiative

Rick Schara—Fergus Falls Workforce Center

Amy Baldwin—Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission

Forward Fergus Falls - Top Priority Drivers for 2016

Ongoing support and efforts help establish a healthy,

vibrant business and workforce environment.

Support continued efforts to engage the community in a

discussion of the library’s expansion and funding.

The development of family oriented activities/aquatic

facility enhances community livability.

Leadership growth continues in Fergus Falls with new and

renewed leadership development and participation.

Help promote the preservation and enhancement of our

historic downtown and riverfront.

10

Appendices

A Tax Statistics

B Employment Statistics

C Lending and Grant Activity

11

Appendix A—Tax Statistics Local Market Value, Tax Capacity, TIF Trends

Property Tax Data - League of Minnesota Cities - http://www.lmc.org/page/1/property-tax-reports.jsp

Property Tax Data - League of Minnesota Cities - http://www.lmc.org/page/1/property-tax-reports.jsp

2016 Market Value, Tax Capacity, TIF—Peer City Comparisons

Other 2016 Peer City Comparisons

Property Tax Data - League of Minnesota Cities - http://www.lmc.org/page/1/property-tax-reports.jsp

Total Market Value

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Alexandria 1,021,499,402 1,125,271,982 1,141,260,658 1,167,618,478 1,237,578,567

Bemidji 646,506,702 688,592,811 689,910,289 705,626,624 723,305,138

Brainerd 598,168,835 546,873,827 553,857,304 556,231,696 578,684,958

Fergus Falls 718,663,078 719,073,038 730,614,800 728,913,638 745,381,744

Marshall 774,210,907 788,579,920 796,902,260 826,937,940 852,417,309

Worthington 460,469,780 461,957,302 485,289,542 503,318,493 505,764,191

Property Tax Data - League of Minnesota Cities

Total Tax Capacity

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Alexandria 13,469,619 14,492,724 14,739,830 15,131,115 15,937,209

Bemidji 8,758,012 9,251,982 9,346,652 9,578,945 9,794,988

Brainerd 7,562,122 6,983,106 7,205,889 7,189,711 7,290,502

Fergus Falls 9,258,977 9,261,994 9,531,069 9,415,994 9,634,856

Marshall 10,199,611 10,511,528 10,745,360 11,153,868 11,506,382

Worthington 5,675,643 5,729,053 6,124,267 6,337,572 6,360,923

Property Tax Data - League of Minnesota Cities

Average Total NTC Rate

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Alexandria 117.29% 119.19% 120.46% 117.918% 115.94%

Bemidji 124.56% 126.22% 124.31% 128.450% 132.23%

Brainerd 111.27% 118.11% 125.60% 132.322% 134.07%

Fergus Falls 113.18% 118.88% 112.25% 118.150% 120.49%

Marshall 120.90% 116.06% 106.13% 106.842% 112.27%

Worthington 121.88% 115.96% 101.10% 100.300% 112.47%

Property Tax Data - League of Minnesota Cities

Tax Capacity Per Capita

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016*

Alexandria 1,003.27 1,055.68 1,114.93 1,105.58 1,194.69

Bemidji 652.83 839.34 721.84 698.32 654.35

Brainerd 490.76 484.28 564.59 481.23 533.28

Fergus Falls 722.32 694.64 728.65 732.94 725.08

Marshall 716.17 894.93 806.24 829.95 834.22

Worthington 473.70 470.74 523.30 527.65 481.60

Tax Base Per Capita - Coalition of Greater MN Cities

Captured TIF Tax Capacity

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Alexandria 747,092 854,138 895,076 931,321 950,894

Bemidji 350,836 348,223 320,995 328,658 349,900

Brainerd 366,929 332,005 335,229 343,013 283,031

Fergus Falls 159,891 98,742 115,568 114,954 89,236

Marshall 594,484 598,146 545,463 597,760 570,850

Worthington 92,052 91,115 115,366 184,409 163,032

Property Tax Data - League of Minnesota Cities

TIF Captured as a Percent of Total Tax Capacity

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Alexandria 5.55% 5.89% 6.07% 6.16% 5.97%

Bemidji 4.01% 3.76% 3.43% 3.43% 3.57%

Brainerd 4.85% 4.75% 4.65% 4.77% 3.88%

Fergus Falls 1.73% 1.07% 1.21% 1.22% 0.93%

Marshall 5.83% 5.69% 5.08% 5.36% 4.96%

Worthington 1.62% 1.59% 1.88% 2.91% 2.56%

Property Tax Data - League of Minnesota Cities

Property Tax Data - League of Minnesota Cities - http://www.lmc.org/page/1/property-tax-reports.jsp

Tax Capacity Per Capita - Coalition of Greater MN Cities - http://greatermncities.org/cgmc-tools/antcpc/

*2016 Tax Capacity Per Capita is estimated

Appendix B—Employment Statistics Employment and Wages by Industry as of 2016 Quarter 2

Employment

Man

ufactu

ring

and

Co

nstru

ctio

n

Trade, Tran

spo

r-

tatio

n an

d U

tiliti

es

Info

rmati

on

Finan

cial Acti

vities

Pro

fessio

nal an

d

Bu

sine

ss Services

Edu

catio

n an

d

Health

Services

Leisure an

d

Ho

spitality

Oth

er Services

Pu

blic

Ad

min

istratio

n

Total

Alexandria 2,435 3,100 172 595 853 3,762 1,420 520 445 13,843

Bemidji 412 3,481 N/A 439 725 4,709 1,668 281 979 13,472

Brainerd 884 1,609 213 344 1,089 4,655 733 423 981 11,312

Fergus Falls 954 2,362 131 260 370 3,557 807 323 923 10,070

Marshall 1,590 2,410 101 790 1,370 2,784 1,175 220 637 11,519

Worthington 2,687 1,674 96 386 286 1,853 601 326 286 8,343

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)

Average

Weekly

Wages

Man

ufactu

ring

and

Co

nstru

ctio

n

Trade, Tran

spo

r-

tatio

n an

d U

tiliti

es

Info

rmati

on

Finan

cial Acti

vities

Pro

fessio

nal an

d

Bu

sine

ss Services

Edu

catio

n an

d

Health

Services

Leisure an

d

Ho

spitality

Oth

er Services

Pu

blic

Ad

min

istratio

n

Total

Alexandria $1,274 $632 $1,015 $1,043 $699 $827 $274 $369 $936 $803

Bemidji $809 $621 N/A $748 $777 $929 $259 $513 $967 $734

Brainerd $828 $612 $924 $832 $524 $846 $295 $369 $1,082 $749

Fergus Falls $913 $788 $629 $976 $807 $767 $263 $357 $1,076 $766

Marshall $989 $612 $516 $971 $879 $870 $242 $489 $826 $768

Worthington $911 $601 $691 $1,086 $716 $867 $277 $493 $954 $774

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages - DEED - http://mn.gov/deed/data/data-tools/qcew/

Annual Establishment Totals

Fergus Falls

2012 639

2013 626

2014 610

2015 588

QCEW, DEED

Annual Employment Totals

Fergus Falls

2012 10,101

2013 10,042

2014 10,093

2015 9,980

QCEW, DEED

Annual Weekly Wage Totals

Fergus Falls

2012 $700

2013 $712

2014 $738

2015 $761

QCEW, DEED

Appendix C—Lending and Grant Activity 2016 Loan and Grant Activity for City of Fergus Falls/HRA/Port Authority/West Central Initiative

New Loans in 2016

Loan Description Loan Value

IRP $21,832

MIF $200,000

Sub Total $221,832

ED Loan $10,000

ED Loan $50,000

ED Loan $5,000

ED Loan $4,324

ED Loan $16,037

Sub Total $85,361

Façade Loan $10,000

Façade Loan $5,054

Façade Loan $10,000

Façade Loan $10,000

Façade Loan $2,995

Façade Loan $3,200

Sub Total $41,249

New City Loans Total $348,442

New WCI Loans Total $33,500

Outstanding and Paid Off in 2016

Loan Description Loan Value

IRP Paid Off Early $150,000

IRP Paid Off Early $99,000

IRP Satisfied $74,909

IRP Outstanding $17,806

MIF Outstanding $188,613

EIC Outstanding $53,735

ED Outstanding $576,300

Façade Outstanding $67,346

PA Equipment Loan $35,099

CFD Vine Street Prop. $151,147

City Outstanding Total $1,090,076

WCI Outstanding Total $1,088,119

EIC Grants Received in 2016

Grant Description Grant Value

Mn Bus. Finance Corp. $1,500

Federal EDA $55,000

Blandin Foundation* $4,447.18

Total $60,947.18

*Blandin approved the repurposing of the Broadband Grant

fund balance for the Otter Tail County Rural Rebound Initiative.

Joint EIC/County Grants Received in 2016

Grant Description Grant Value

West Central Initiative $40,000

Otto Bremer Trust $40,000

Blandin Foundation $40,000

Veden Charitable Trust $20,000

Total $140,000

All EIC/County Total $200,947.18

*All joint grants were awarded for the Otter Tail County Rural

Rebound Initiative.

EIC Staff:

Amy Baldwin, Executive Director

Ryan Miller, Development & Planning Specialist