ERIN – The town is turning to local business owners for ideas on how to best utilize $30,000 remaining in a reserve fund aimed at helping residents and businesses during the construction of the municipality’s wastewater treatment plant.
A staff report on the Economic Development Reserve fund was presented to council on June 13.
In March of 2023, council allotted the balance of $41,644 from the economic reserve account to assist residents and local businesses during the construction phase of the wastewater project.
In June of the same year, council set aside an additional $41,000 from the fourth quarter 2022 surplus, bringing the total to $82,644.
After marketing and promotion costs for the Dig Erin campaign between June 2023 and April 2024, there was a balance of $36,758.
The marketing costs went towards signs, banners, media ads, website construction and graphic design.
Staff plan to spend $6,000 modifying the Discover Erin website, ensuring it remains current, functional and effective.
That leaves around $30,000 left in the reserve to spend in 2024, and the town is turning to local business owners for ideas.
A software called Social Pinpoint is being used to gather community engagement. The third-party public engagement website designed for Erin has not yet been released to the public.
Insights from business owners will help the town understand businesses’ needs and the challenges related to ongoing construction.
Once feedback is gathered, solutions and a plan should be proposed in July.
By allowing business owners in the decision-making process, staff can create a more effective and responsive plan for fund allocation, officials stated in the report.
