Had a great opportunity to meet with the mayors from Inkom (Max Shaffer), McCammon (Karlene Hall), Lava (Jon Thompson), Arimo (Lonnie Gunter), and Downey (Rex Nielsen) this week. What a great bunch of individuals working hard in their communities.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the economic development opportunities they saw within their communities. With some of the changes going on with Bannock Development, we thought it was a good opportunity to visit about the needs of the South end of the County.
It was interesting listening to each of the mayors and the concerns and issues they faced in their communities. Each recognized the need for growth in their area. One of my favorite parts was hearing them recognize that each community benefited from growth in the area.
Another interesting thing to hear was the exchange of ideas and a willingness to work together to solve some common problems. As I spent time listening, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful for the future of the county.
As we talked, each mayor was able to identify some potential areas for economic development. We briefly discussed some of the tools available from the State and the tools the County could provide.
In the end, everyone left with the assignment to visit with individuals and businesses in their area to find areas of opportunity. It was a great meeting and exciting to be able to put faces to the people I have been visiting with on the phone each week.