MATR Newsletter – October 2, 2020
The state with the best education wins!

Corona Virus Information

• 1 House, 40 Roommates? During Covid, Co-Living Adds Up – Missoula City Council approves ‘Pod-style’ housing at Ponderosa Village

  The pandemic has driven people to shelter in place for months. A wave of housing startups argues you shouldn’t have to do it alone.

• WEAR A MASK!!! – Montana Sets New Record – The Mask Hypocrisy:  COVID memos contradict the White House’s public face; fines encouraged in Montana

  429 new COVID-19 cases marks new daily record in Montana as numbers surge

• North Dakota tries ad campaign, not mask rule, to stem virus

  COVID-19 can’t hurt me because I’m young and healthy. I’m so over it. Nobody tells me what to do.

City of Bozeman Economic Development

• Bozeman will again push Legislature for local sales tax

  “For us to lean so heavily on property tax … that really puts perhaps an undue burden on people who own property relative to other folks in our community who enjoy the benefit but don’t pay into it,” city manager Jeff Mihelich said during a recent city commission meeting.

Come Home Montana

• Montana Career Opportunity – Business Development Center Director – LAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (LCCDC)

  LCCDC is well established, continuously growing, community development and economic development organization with a 25 year history of success. We are located in beautiful northwest Montana. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of all the residents of the region we serve. We work to develop a sustainable local economy in communities which…

• Montana Career Opportunity – Incident Response Specialist – LMG

  Missoula based cybersecurity company is seeking a meticulous cyber security consultant with an emphasis in digital forensics, to keep us on the path to success. You will not get bored in our fast-paced work environment! Successful team members strive for excellence in their role and in their personal lives by meeting challenges with a can-do…

• Ski Resorts Struggle to Hire Amid Trump’s Student Visa Ban

  “We’ve experienced this for many, many years, but it’s become very critical now.”

• Montana Career Opportunity – Community Development Director – Lake County Community Development Corporation

  The Regional Community and Economic Development Director is responsible for managing the organization’s economic and community development activities as described in contracts and funding agreements related to the State of Montana’s Certified Regional Development (CRDC) program and the U.S. Economic Development’s Economic Development District (EDA) program.

• Montana Career Opportunity – Cooperative Development Program Manager – Lake County Community Development Corporation

  Lake County Community Development Corporation (LCCDC) is a non-profit community economic development organization serving Lake, Sanders, and Mineral Counties and the Flathead Reservation in Western Montana. Join a progressive, dedicated team of community and economic development professionals in advancing our mission to enhance the quality of life and sustainable economic well-being for all residents

Montana Department of Commerce

• State Receives Trade Expansion Grant to Help Montana Businesses Gain Exposure to International Markets

  “Montana’s innovative products are sought after,” Commerce Director Tara Rice said. “This STEP grant will support Montana businesses as they grow and thrive through global exposure, all the way from being a start-up business to becoming an international exporter.”

• Montana Housing Newsletter

  With all of these challenges facing us, Montana Housing will continue our mission to help Montanans have access to affordable homes. And along with our housing partners, we will make it through this with added resiliency and strength.

• Made in Montana Monthly October 2020

  Our logo is a badge of honor for artisans, growers, manufacturers and craftspeople working for something bigger than the bottom line

• Montana presses to finish census, eyeing 2nd House seat – Montana’s Self-Response Rate Reaches 60 Percent

  A complete count of Montana’s households could come with a big reward — a second seat in Congress and millions of federal dollars annually. But the 2020 census deadline remains in flux, making it uncertain if census takers will finish counting the vast, rural state.

Great Falls Development Authority

• GFDA (Great Falls Development Authority) secures $657,000 to help businesses in the Golden Triangle region

  “One of the nice things about this money is that is has fewer restriction than some of our other loan funds we have, so we can do a greater variety of projects,” explained Great Falls Development Authority president Brett Doney.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• USDA Launches New, Streamlined Process for Private Lenders to Invest in Rural America

  USDA is cutting red tape and streamlining private investment so we can be a better partner to America’s rural leaders in building prosperity, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

• States finding creative uses for CARES money to speed and sustain recovery including Broadband expansion

  Gov. Bill Lee announced Tennessee will invest $61 million in CARES Act funding on broadband expansion to support distance learning, telehealth and Tennesseans working from home.

• MEDA Montana Economic Developers Association October News – Lots of it!

  The MEDA October Online News has a lot of information for you, especially regarding the MEDA Conference on 0ct. 13-15.

• Bozeman, Montana based West Paw joins nationwide movement giving workers paid time off to vote – The Time to Vote movement

  “Businesses can be such a force for positive change and I think as a business owner we really look for ways that we can help our employees be more engaged in civil service,” CEO Spencer Williams said. “That might be their voting, it might be volunteering in the community and it’s a great opportunity to be able to share some paid time off for people to research the candidates and the issues and also have some paid time off to vote.”

• Library teams up with Great Falls Job Service to help job-seekers

  Workforce consultants from the Job Service are stationed at the library Tuesdays through Fridays from 2:00 to 4:45 p.m. They can help create resumes, cover letters, prepare for interviews and even apply for unemployment insurance, all in a private space. Consultants can also help navigate how to apply for jobs online.

Gov. Steve Bullock

• Statewide health information exchange to launch in Montana – Big Sky Care Connect

  Big Sky Care Connect was designated by Bullock as the statewide health information exchange in 2019, and will soon allow health care providers to share and have quick access to patient data, improve the quality of care and reduce health care costs.

Montana Business

• Billings-based Kampgrounds of America (KOA) sees business rise as nation turns to camping in pandemic

  “They’re looking at it as the safest way to travel,” said Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of Billings-based Kampgrounds of America. “That’s what we saw happen this summer.

• Merrill Bradshaw Carpentry Completes Two Beautiful Van Conversion Projects Using Reclaimed Lumber

  I used two exquisite reclaimed lumbers: ancient redwood from a water tank near Logan, MT, and quarter sawn douglas fir from a warehouse near Seattle.

Montana Biotech

• Register Now: 2020 Big Sky Business Insight Summit, October 6 – 8, 2020

  The Big Sky Business Insight Summit (Big Sky BIS) convenes cross-sector leaders to define big problems, identify Montana’s strengths to address them, and provide insights on how solutions can grow higher paying jobs, strengthen our statewide economy, and improve our overall quality of life.

Funding and Building your Business

• The biggest mistake you can make in a crisis? Letting go of young team members

  Many managers argue young hires aren’t worth the effort and expense to keep during the pandemic. Here’s why they’re so wrong.

• This is the most in-demand skill on job listings right now

  Soft skills have become more commonplace in job postings, but one is by far the most sought after.

• How to back up your computer to Google Drive

  Syncing with Google Drive is one of the easiest ways to safeguard your data. And you can even specify how much of your internet connection’s bandwidth to use.

• 6 experts on why performance reviews may be a thing of the past

  The annual performance review may finally be dead. Executives at Intel, Udemy, Nintex, and Keystone Partners on how their companies have shifted away from this formality and embraced processes that work now.

The Creative and Cultural Economy

• Yellowstone TV series films in downtown Missoula

  The series starring Kevin Costner was formerly shot in Utah but is now being filmed solely in the Missoula Valley and surrounding locations — including Hamilton.

2020 Montana Politics

• On health care, Cooney and Gianforte duel over their records, federal policy

  Montana’s candidates for governor, Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Mike Cooney, offer different visions on tackling health-care costs in the state.

• Gov race: Cooney, Gianforte lay out education priorities for Montana

  Democrat Mike Cooney says if he’s elected governor, maintaining and improving the state’s public-education system will be a top priority – including a college-tuition freeze, publicly funded pre-kindergarten and, if possible, higher teacher pay.

Government News & Events

• Missoula County, Montana to give preference to minority, women businesses; critics cite discrimination

  With rare public opposition, Missoula County on Thursday moved closer to passing a measure giving preference to procurement bids submitted by women and minority owned businesses, saying it was necessary to “level the playing field.”

Transportation

• Helena, Montana Police Department buys their first hybrid patrol car

  “We got a lot of police cars running around all day long, everyday and so one of our biggest expenses is fuel. So, anything we can do to cut down on that, saves us money, saves the taxpayers money.”

• Lynk & Co brings its Netflix-like subscription mobility service to Europe

  You won’t be able buy any of Lynk & Co’s vehicles at a dealership, with the company opting to build a community of subscribers to its mobility platform. Now that platform is due to roll out in European cities, starting with Amsterdam next month.

• Is It Time to Rip Out the Farebox? – Missoula, Montana’s Mountain Line Zero Fare Leads the Way

  Making public transit free might seem a crazy idea, but it has benefits that can outweigh the costs. It’s widespread in Europe, and more American transit agencies should give it a serious look.

• We’ll Have Flying Taxis by 2023 Thanks to Volocopter, Japan Airlines

  If all goes to plan with Volocopter and Japan Airlines’ new agreement.

• Utah Expands Connected Vehicle Project to Include More Autos

  A connected vehicle partnership project between the Utah Department of Transportation and Panasonic is moving into phase two, which includes more vehicles, roadside units and expanded data sharing.

Energy and Climate Change

• How to redesign a neighborhood for zero emissions

  “We have to be much more extreme in our experimentation.”

• There Could Be a Nuclear Reactor in Your Backyard Soon

  The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has just approved NuScale Power’s design for a small modular reactor, or SMR.

• The case for a national climate bank

  A national climate bank could spur private investment in clean energy and create millions of jobs—paving the way for a low-carbon future post-COVID-19.

• How you can weigh in on Bozeman’s climate plan

  A community-wide virtual workshop is planned for Thursday, October 1. This will be the second public meeting held by the city aimed at getting feedback from residents.

• California’s Interconnection Rules Open Doors to Flexible Solar-Storage, Vehicle-to-Grid Charging

  Revisions to Rule 21 could allow distributed energy resources to play a more active role on the California’s grid.

Privacy, Hacking and Virus Alerts

• Ransomware Victims That Pay Up Could Incur Steep Fines from Uncle Sam

  This advisory highlights OFAC’s designations of malicious cyber actors and those who facilitate ransomware transactions under its cyber-related sanctions program.

• Cyber First Responder 1-Day Class with LMG – November 5th, 2020 – Virtual

  Get hands-on cyber incident response training experience taking a forensics image, preserving volatile memory, and capturing network traffic. Designed for staff that are responsible for triage, evidence preservation and incident response. Bring your caffeine and be ready!

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