Broadwater County Development Corporation Makes Lasting Community Impact
 | Author:
Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent |
Broadwater County Development Corporation Makes Lasting Community Impact Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent Deeply embedded in rural communities are a wealth of local organizations and non-profits. These volunteer-run groups help create a vibrant thriving community. Their work crosses the threshold from youth organizations to community events to humanitarian efforts to delivering vital services and more. According to the Montana Nonprofit Association, Broadwater County is home to 35 registered nonprofits which generated over $13 million in income in 2021. What an incredible value they bring to our community!
One of these nonprofit organizations that I have had the pleasure of working with is the Broadwater County Development Corporation (BCDC) where I have served on the Board of Directors since 2015. BCDC was established in 1980 and its mission is to attract, retain and expand businesses in Broadwater County and support infrastructure and beautification efforts. The focus of BCDC is economic and community development to create a friendly, small-town atmosphere that attracts businesses.
The past year has proven to be a busy one for BCDC with several large projects. Early in 2022, BCDC started the process of doing a community review. The last community review in Broadwater County was in 2004. Coordinated by the Montana Economic Developers Association and the University of Idaho along with a local planning team, the purpose of the community review was to identify local priority areas and develop action teams to address these needs. Last summer, every household in Broadwater County received a survey as part of the review process, and in October, a series of listening sessions were held. Data from the survey and input from listening sessions were combined to identify top-priority areas. The report from phase 1 is available at https://www.communityreview.org/assessment/broadwater-county-mt.
Additionally, BCDC just completed phase 2 of the community review. Three priority areas were selected: Housing & Planning, Emergency, Senior & Social Services and Internet, and Community, Recreation and Teen Center, and action teams were created to work on these areas. The teams met March 8-9 with outside resource people and involved public input to develop action plans.
Even though the community review was a big undertaking, it was not the only project of 2022. In January 2022, BCDC held an annual meeting, the first in many years. Storefront grants are a flagship program of BCDC and any local business in Broadwater County is eligible to apply to upgrade or improve their storefront. Since its inception, BCDC has given away $40,000 in storefront grants and many thousands of dollars to other community causes. This past year, BCDC provided funds to help the startup of Family Promise in Broadwater County and to Big Sky, Big Leadership in Broadwater County. BCDC also held a local grant writing class for the community last fall, which had 14 participants.
This past year, BCDC has also been actively engaged in creating dialogue around housing and internet service. They hosted a meeting focused on housing and the homeless in March. In November, Tory Richtmyer with Mid-State Consultants was invited to a meeting to discuss issues around communication networks and how BCDC can help increase internet capacity in the county.
Furthermore, BCDC strengthens community communication efforts by providing the https://www.townsendmt.com website, distributing a quarterly Community Connections Newsletter and maintaining an email listserv for local events, activities and announcements.
The board currently consists of Craig Vietz, co-President, John Hahn, co-President and Treasurer, and directors, Tina Homann, Adam Six, Renee Bauer, Vic Sample, Brian Obert, Laura Obert and Allison Kosto. Additionally, any local business and individuals can become members of BCDC. Contact Craig at 406-241-0042 or John at 406-202-1050, to inquire about membership, the email list or about serving on the Board of Directors. There are currently six openings for board directors.
Even if it's not BCDC, I encourage you to find a community organization that fits your passions. There are many organizations in the community that are looking for volunteers. A list of community organizations is available on https://www.townsendmt.com. You CAN make a difference!
