Airport, RCC projects to benefit valley
Josephine County commissioners were scheduled to consider a couple of matters intended to benefit Illinois Valley during their Wednesday morning, May 9 meeting in Grants Pass.
On the agenda is the approval of a site lease agreement with McSquared Design Corp. for county property at I.V. Airport. McSquared, involved in ultralight aircraft, already leases property there.
Commission Chairman Jim Raffenburg said that the new agreement only covers the airport’s restaurant, and is an extension of an existing lease that has expired.
Raffenburg said that the lease includes a reduction of McSquared Design’s rent in exchange for improving the facilities. They will not be used for a restaurant, Raffenburg said.
“Instead of the county putting money into the building, he’s going to do the work and get a break on his rent,” Raffenburg said. “It’s a five-year lease, and he’s going to have to do a certain amount of work, and we’ll be watching it. If he doesn’t, we can terminate the lease.”
Also slated for approval is a memorandum of understanding between the county and Rogue Community College for administration of a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business Economic grant. It will go toward the Illinois Valley Business Entrepreneurial Center in Kerby, and will be used to aid start-up businesses based in Illinois Valley.
“The latest version is a business incubator,” Raffenburg said. “We have a partnership with RCC, and we’re making them co-applicants with the county so they can administer the USDA grant. The idea is that RCC will then be responsible for running the center.”
Original plans to have the business center at the airport proved unfeasible, Raffenburg said. As such, the county had to ask USDA to extend the grant’s timeline over a year to make the arrangements that will be implemented.
“The plan for the airport wasn’t going to work, and it took a year and a half to sort it out and come up with an alternative,” Raffenburg said. “Now it seems to be moving. RCC is pumped about it. They wanted to do it, but needed a vehicle and we gave them the vehicle.”
Raffenburg said that the grant will benefit all involved.
“It’s good for the county, good for RCC and good for the people,” he said. “I’m glad it got to this point.”
The county has until September 2008 to spend the grant money. Raffenburg said that Commissioner Dwight Ellis was instrumental in making the project a reality.
“Dwight’s the one who really carried the load on this one,” Raffenburg said.
