Stevensville, Montana has done wonders through the Community Assessment Program. Is your Community a Candidate?

Montana Resource Teams http://www.medamembers.org/resourceteams.php are a community based planning and assessment process involving interviewing a large number of people in the community, recording their suggestions and having a team of experts write-up implementation plans for community use. The critical focus is the community. The team of experts suggests ways of accomplishing the goals of the community.

Resource Team Assessments are sponsored by Montana Department of Commerce and USDA Rural Development in cooperation with MEDA

The assessment must be done in cooperation with the community’s Certified Regional Development Corporation and must be approved by the MEDA Board.

If you’d like more information, please contact Gloria O’Rourke

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Gloria O’Rourke

Montana Economic Developers Assoc.

Montana Economic Development Services

118 E. Seventh St.; Suite 2A

Anaconda, MT 59711

Ph: 406.563.5259 Fx: 406.563.5476

email: [email protected]

web: http://www.medamembers.org

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Here’s the Stevensville Update from their initial assessment in Sept. 2004. Much has been accomplished. If you’d like to see results like this in your community, please call Gloria.

Resource Team Community Update

Communities who have hosted a Resource Team are asked to submit a progress report twice a year.

City, County: Stevensville, Ravalli

Resource Team Date: September 27, 2004

Submission Date: January 20, 2006

Reporters Name: Mel Walters
Title: Secretary

Business/Organization: Stevensville Main Street Association

Address: P.O. Box 18, Stevensville, MT 59870

Phone: 406-777-3773

Fax: 406-777-3773

E-mail: [email protected]

Resource Team Follow-up Contact: Mel Walters, 406-777-2421

Planning that has occurred since the Resource Team visit:
Date: Jan 16, 2006:

Stevensville Community Plan has been developed from the results of the RTA.

Projects that have been implemented since the Resource Team visit:

Date: January 16, 2006

Goal 1.4 – A high school student is serving as a member of the Main Street board of Directors.

Goal 1.7 – Preliminary discussions have been held with the College of Technology regarding classes in Stevensville.

Goal 2.1 – Several new businesses have moved or are moving to Stevensville, including an ophthalmologist, optometrist, antique mall and the Missoula Federal Credit Union.

Goal 2.8 – The Main Street Association has implemented a Business Skills Education Program.

Task 3.3.1 – Work is underway to convert Veterans Park to a Blue Star Memorial Park.

Goal 3.5 – The Civic Club will assume planning responsibility for the Centennial Creamery Picnic.

Goal 4.2 – Planning is underway to build an affordable housing unit in Stevensville.

Goal 4.5 – Land has been purchased, additional land leased and a steering committee formed to construct the Performing Arts/Community Center.

Goal 4.6 – Land has been purchased and planning has started to construct a new Pantry Partners.

Goal 4.8 – A strategic planning committee has developed a long-range plan for library improvement.

Goal 6.8 – Funding is nearing completion and design work is underway to install the Jay Laber sculpture “Two Left Feet, Dancing Free.”

Goal 8.1 – The civic Club has changed its meeting structure to assume responsibility as a clearing house and information center for all Stevensville civic groups, non-profits and government agencies.

Goal 8.3 – A Stevensville Leadership Program will begin this summer.

Funding that has resulted from the Resource Team Recommendations:

Date: None to date.

Leadership growth and development that has materialized since the Resource Team visit.

Date: Jan 16, 2006:

The Civic Club has modified its mode of operation to take the lead as a clearing house for Stevensville groups.

A student/parent exchange program has been implemented at the Stevensville high School. Parents will attend students classes one day while students do community service work.

The Stevensville Main Street Association has established a Stevensville Leadership Program and will conduct the first classes starting this summer.

The Stevensville Main Street Association has implemented a series of educational seminars for businesses and individuals of the community.

Give an example of a positive impact that the Resource Team had on your community-at-large.

Community awareness of the various civic and non-profit groups and their work to improve Stevensville has increased dramatically. In addition, our efforts are more focused and outcome-oriented.

Give an example, if any, of an unintended impact that the Resource Team had on your community-at-large.

The Resource Team Assessment and the actions that have followed have significantly increased town government awareness of citizen desires and, to some extent, made them more pro-active. Having a plan, as a result of the RTA, will provide more access to grants (frequently a qualifying requirement).

Please give us suggestions of ways the Resource Teams could have more effectively served your community.

The Resource Team did an excellent job in a very short period.

The reality of it is there is very little more they could have done. A review and feedback of our plan developed as a result of the RTA would be appreciated.

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More success in Stevensville:

A blueprint for Main Street Revitallization http://www.matr.net/article-6598.html

Loan Fund, Stevensville, MT firm perfect fit – Poly Warehouse Inc. receives $250,000 to grow pipe-fitting business from the Montana Fund http://www.matr.net/article-15532.html

The business of art: Stevensville High art students get a chance to sell their work at a gallery http://www.matr.net/article-10870.html

Leading the way: Bitterroot Valley high school students unite to build teen center, develop leadership skills http://www.matr.net/article-10206.html

Bringing High-Tech Home To Montana- MTR Solutions launches operations http://www.matr.net/article-7940.html