Yesterday we met with the Laurentian Chamber of Commerce to talk about their broadband projects. This group represents the cities of Eveleth, Gilbert, Mountain Iron, Virginia and surrounding northern Minnesota business communities. They came up with a scoring system to make sure that communities understood expectation of grant applications. We had some questions about some applications but the project funding has gone through.

To generate proposals, they visited with all communities and talked to them about the opportunity. We sent out a request form. We set a deadline and were pleased with responses. Here are some of the projects and project ideas:

• There’s a charter school that’s working on a tech program. Many at risk students are there so we’re trying to work on improved broadband access for the students and families.
• We want everyone to contribute to the feasibility study and we have raised most of it. We need only $1500 more. We have two communities that have yet to contribute.
• We’re working on a Small Business Saturday app – that will be a tool that they can use beyond the launch day.
• Right now the education-based grants are more for equipment and access than curriculum. They are hoping for more curriculum focused grants in the next round. This has opened the door to greater collaboration in several areas. A new school is opening in 3-5 years.
• There might be a fun project working with the Humane Society
• Working on public wifi access – there is limited to no public access now.
• Could look at collaboration through centralizing management of multiple public access locations
• Providing wifi in outdoor spaces is more difficult than you might think. You need someone to own it.
• They are looking info emergency stations off the bike trails
• There are some projects with the workforce centers. They are going to build a remote location for interviews. (So Delta or BCBS could interview candidates remotely.)
• PCs for People – they will provide transportation to folks who need computers
• Chamber will do tech updates – mostly improving the conference room with improved laptops, projector, phone system. They started with a tech audit.
• Doing technology and digital marketing project so businesses can improve their sales. We hope to work with 15 businesses in the first round. They will promote through the Chamber.
• We’re starting to look at a coworking space.
• A TEDx event is still on the wish list

It’s important to make sure that the people who are charged with doing the project, really want to do it. And we know that once the projects hit the ground that will build a greater interest.