Oct. 26—EAST GRAND FORKS — East Grand Forks on Thursday held a forum with local businesses and city leaders, seeking input about how the future of economic development in the city should look.
The city is in the process of updating its five-year economic plan. On Thursday afternoon, business and city leaders met at the Fraternal Order of Eagles building to discuss how the city should move forward and what should be included in the plan. The conversation touched on a variety of topics, ranging from how East Grand Forks fits into the larger Greater Grand Forks economy, marijuana legalization and how to market the city.
The event was hosted by the East Grand Forks Economic Development Authority and Chamber of Commerce. The economic development authority will take the input from the forum and use that to create a five-year plan. That plan will then guide the economic development authority and the city when creating policy and making decisions.
"Why are you going to choose Minnesota?" Mark Schill, of Praxis Strategy Group, asked rhetorically during the meeting. Schill was hired as a consultant to help facilitate the discussion and help create the updated plan.
East Grand Forks and Grand Forks are in very different positions when it comes to economic policy and also where they fit into their larger state economics. Minnesota and North Dakota also have very different policy focuses for businesses and some of the conversation also revolved around how East Grand Forks could potentially capitalize on those issues.
"Minnesota programs tend to be employee-based," one participant said. "Minnesota also has many more and different programs than North Dakota for businesses."
Additionally, the group listed other differences, such as preschool opportunities in Minnesota, free college opportunities, and the surplus taken in by the state. The latest estimates have the Minnesota state budget surplus at $2 billion.
The group also discussed how the city should address the legalization of marijuana and the potential to capitalize on the money it could bring in. The city is waiting for the state to set up its Office of Cannabis Management before it starts the process of amending city codes to allow businesses ranging from dispensaries to manufacturers to conduct business within the state.
In addition to all those conversations, they also touched on infrastructure. One of the city's priorities is improving roads in the industrial park to facilitate economic development in that area and potentially attract more industry.