Waterville was selected to participate in Community Economic Development Associates'
(CEDA) Rural Capacity Program, which will focus on strengthening local businesses, supporting learning opportunities, and helping the community plan for future economic and business development needs.
This survey should take about 10 minutes to complete.
![Waterville_Business_Survey_Flyer_(3)-1[1].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d7047a_7ebb5289c1bc4fa4a58b84d14b8bfa38~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_312,h_399,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Waterville_Business_Survey_Flyer_(3)-1%5B1%5D.png)
Rural Capacity Program Starts in Waterville
As announced this past December, the Waterville Chamber of Commerce was selected as one of 20 communities across Minnesota to participate in the Rural Capacity Program. RCP is a statewide initiative focused on strengthening economic development in small, rural communities. Hopefully this program with active business involvement will provide some short and long range plan options to answer that question.
The RCP, created by Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA), provides hands-on technical assistance to Greater Minnesota communities with populations of 3,000 or fewer. The program supports communities in designing, implementing, marketing, and managing key economic and community development efforts. It is not a grant program for city buildings, properties, or infrastructure projects.
The Rural Capacity Program is funded by a special appropriation from the State of Minnesota. Through the program, CEDA will provide the Waterville with up to 135 hours of consulting time, along with a $13,500 cash grant to help support the costs of developing and pursuing a comprehensive program plan.
On April 14th, Macey Becker a Community and Business Development Specialist from CEDA kicked off the program meeting with the Waterville RCP Steering Committee. This event marked the start of a 12-week period of working together. At this first meeting Macey was able to get a foundational understanding of Waterville’s business environment. The group went through a SOAR exercise brainstorming: Strengths,
Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results as related to Waterville.
As a result of the meeting a survey will be created for all Waterville business leaders to respond to. It will provide a much broader view of Waterville than just that of the Steering Committee. It is important to note that the RCP is for ALL Waterville area businesses, not just Chamber members. Specifics on the survey will be released by April 23.
All surveys are to be completed by Monday, May 4th.
Finally the next most immediate action in progress is CEDA is creating a “First Impression Report” on Waterville. As in everyday life, the first impression that a person projects is very important and impactful. CEDA will generate a report on what they as a visitor with no Waterville experience senses. From that feedback, Waterville business leaders can evaluate what can be done to build on that impression or possibly improve it.
As this program moves forward, updates will be provided via the Waterville Chamber of Commerce Facebook page plus the LifeEnterprise newspaper. If you have any questions, please email info@watervillemn.com.
CEDA partners with small communities to help them achieve big goals. The organization works with cities, counties, organizations, and small businesses throughout Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, providing services that range from economic development staffing to special projects and grant administration. CEDA’s mission is to help communities be proactive and strategic in planning for long-term growth and vitality.