Town of St. Paul councillors say they want a clearer understanding of what the region’s economic development partnership is accomplishing and how its work is benefiting the community.

The conversation came up during a recent Committee of the Whole meeting while council reviewed reports from the St. Paul & Elk Point Economic Development Alliance (STEP).

While councillors said they support regional cooperation, several members said the reports make it difficult to explain STEP’s work to residents.

Councillor Maurice Brousseau said the information presented needs to be easier to understand.

“I’m looking at it and I says if somebody asked me to explain this, I would have to shrug my fingers because I couldn’t,” Brousseau said. “And I don’t want to do that. I want — you know, obviously it’s got to do something.”

Brousseau also said past tourism and regional initiatives sometimes lacked a clear direction.

“Yeah for a while it just nobody seemed to be going in a concentrated direction,” he said.

Questions about grant applications

Council also discussed how STEP applies for regional grants and which municipalities take the lead on applications.

Councillor Roger Routhier asked for clarification after noticing that only a handful of applications listed the Town of St. Paul as the primary applicant.

“As we want to focus as the region as a whole, of the 25 grant applications listed here four of them — only four of them — the Town of St. Paul policy applicant,” Routhier said.
“Is that because it just made more sense for one of the other municipalities to be the applicant with the Town of St. Paul as a supporting partner?”

Councillors said they would like a clearer explanation of how those applications are organized across the region.

Council asks for more regular updates

Councillor David Fodness suggested council could benefit from more regular updates about STEP’s activities.

“Can we see more monthly reports and the direction that STEP is leading and the minutes of those meetings?” Fodness asked.

The suggestion came as council discussed how to stay better informed about regional economic development work happening outside regular council meetings.

Keeping people in the community

Brousseau also raised a broader concern about ensuring the community continues to host events and activities that keep residents engaged locally.

“We’re taking off the events because we don’t have anything here,” he said.
“And so when we’re doing these things, we have to think of how do we keep people here and how do we get those from outside here?”

Mayor stresses councillors need to review reports

Mayor Glenn Andersen noted that councillors receive detailed information and encouraged members to review the materials provided.

“I do read, and that’s why the timeliness of us doing it,” Andersen said.
“I do read it. Even the director’s reports, much to their dismay, I did read them.”

No decisions were made during the Committee of the Whole discussion, but councillors indicated they want a clearer picture of STEP’s work and how it aligns with the Town of St. Paul’s economic priorities.