Our next meeting will be here in Anchorage the afternoon of May 6th at the corporate offices of Cook Inlet Regional Incorporated (CIRI).   During this meeting the committee will determine criteria for the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) open call for projects in Economic Development.

We also have set the date for a June 10th meeting the committee will address the policies at the Denali Commission and how they relate to this program.

Be sure to check out our database as many of our mini-grant projects have been completed during the past several months.   The reports, community planning, and photos of projects are posted in the database.

ARDORS TELECONFERENCE

I had the opportunity to visit the State of Alaska Office of Economic Development and sit in as a guest during their quarterly teleconference with all of the State Area Development Organizations (ARDORS).       What a great opportunity to hear what is going on around the State.   Steve Haagenson of the Alaska Energy Authority also presented a plan that he is pursuing to reduce energy costs in Rural Alaska.

Angoon Strategic Planning

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to travel to Angoon and take part in their strategic planning process coordinated by Tlingit Haida.   The community meetings were well attended and the community is engaged is planning for a difficult future with the high cost of energy.   A presentation was made by community members traveling from Fairfeild, Iowa on the creation of an eco-village made up of 15 homes that are "off the power grid".   The presentation was well received as many community members in Angoon are struggling with the high energy costs.   They are fearful that they will continue to lose community members to other Southeast communities where the cost of living is substantially lower.

The  mayor of Fairfield, Iowa made that statement that a dollar saved on energy costs looks the same as a dollar earned by economic development activities.  I also had the opportunity to present a power point showcasing projects that the Denali Commission is engaged in around the State.