Butte Citizens brainstorm economic revitalization goals – Butte on the Move

Nearly 70 Butte and southwest Montana citizens involved in economic development brainstormed common goals to revitalize the regional economy Tuesday morning.

The session is the first step in a new public-private effort called Butte on the Move. It focuses on moving the local economy forward through citizen action while joining the other, larger Montana cities — called Montana on the Move — as a political force to lobby the upcoming Legislature.

By Gerard O’Brien of The Montana Standard

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2004/11/17/newsbutte/hjjfiiicjbgdgj.txt

Not surprisingly, common themes emerged during the five-hour session at the Thornton Building in Uptown Butte.

The groups narrowed the themes to three key goals: Set a vision for southwest Montana to plan for the future while prioritizing projects to be accomplished; promote Butte by active marketing; improving its infrastructure and look at becoming more of a regional center; and develop the workforce to help diversify the economy through education.

On the last item, Allen Ellmaker, chief executive officer of Synesis7, said during an earlier panel discussion that he may be in need of 50 to 100 new employees in the next six to nine months. A trained workforce in Butte is essential, he said.

Ellmaker’s computer software and networking firm is located in Butte, partly due to the warm reception it received from local officials, he said.

"We will need access to trained people, be able to recruit the higher-end technical people to Butte and need access to financial equity," Ellmaker said.

He said Butte should not overlook making the city more amenable to women — a cleaner looking town with varied shopping opportunities.

Montana Tech

Susan Patton, vice chancellor for academic affairs at Montana Tech, said that Tech receives three to four calls a day for mining engineers or related fields of study. Internationally there’s a shortage of 400 jobs annually, she said.

"We just can’t fill those jobs graduating 80 students a year," she said. "If only we had the jobs here for those graduates."

Tech’s south campus has evolved to fill the needs of the community, as well, instituting a radiology degree, informatics degree and a full-blown nursing program to better serve St. James Healthcare.

Dan Kemmis, former Missoula mayor and director of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West (a sponsor of Montana on the Move), said that "cities that work well attract entrepreneurs."

Butte is in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, a "third coast" and locale for the most growth in the next 15 years.

He pointed out how important communication is among the economic development entities.

"People are hungry for solid information. If they can get that, they can act on it," he said. "They can create an opportunity for creative action."

Tuesday’s participants will regroup in early January to hammer out specific goals and objectives.