MATR Newsletter – October 7, 2022
The state with the best education wins!

Come Home Montana

• Montana employers take creative measures to recruit qualified candidates

  “There’s not enough candidates in the valley, and there are plenty of people wanting to come here, but there’s just not enough housing,” LaFontaine said.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Missoula Economic Partnership Annual Meeting – 10/19 – UC Ballroom – University of Montana

  Now, more than ever, Missoula needs informed, engaged, and agile leaders. Join MEP’s board of directors for our Annual Meeting featuring economist Bryce Ward, ABMJ Consulting.

  We’ll discuss the dynamic economic climate and strategies to build a robust regional economy.

• The governors of North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Wisconsin have signed an agreement to develop a regional clean hydrogen hub.

  The governors said Heartland Hydrogen Hub will incorporate clean hydrogen projects from various energy sources across the participating states.

• Upcoming State Workforce Innovation Board (SWIB) Meeting – October 18-19: Great Falls, MT and Zoom

  The Board advises the Governor on statewide workforce development strategies that maximize the state’s education, training, and employment resources in support of economic development.

• Montana Governor Greg Gianforte proposes higher exemption for business equipment tax

  Gianforte spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said the governor’s office has not proposed a new exemption level and is still crunching numbers. The governor plans to roll out additional policy priorities over the coming year, she said.

• Fintechs to Start Issuing 7(a) Loans Up to $5 Million If New SBA Rule Change Is Approved

  The change, if greenlighted, would lift a 40-year moratorium to expand the SBA’s lender base.

• Butte officials discuss tourism business improvement district work plan, budget

  Their priorities this year include increasing overnight stays from September through May and bringing another flight to the Butte airport.

Montana Businesses Seeking Investment or For Sale

• Consumer Direct of Missoula to become publicly traded company

  Consumer Direct Holdings and DTRT Health Acquisition Corp. said the newly combined company will become Consumer Direct Care Network once the transaction closes. It will be listed under the Nasdaq symbol “CDCN” and headed by Ben Bledsoe, who currently serves as Consumer Direct’s president and CEO.

Montana Business and Govt. Agency Collaboration Success

• Announcing the 2023 Montana Master Hunter Program

  The Master Hunter Program (MHP) is an advanced education program for hunters who want to improve and hone their knowledge and skills, build relationships with landowners to aid their wildlife management goals, and be advocates for conservation and wildlife. By creating opportunities for landowners and sportsmen to connect to each other, the MHP helps to deepen knowledge and understanding about ranching and agriculture, and ultimately works to increase access opportunities for future generations.

Senator Jon Tester

• In Bozeman, Tester Fields Questions From More than 100 Montanans at Public Town Hall

  “Hosting town halls and hearing directly from Montanans is a basic part of my job that all elected officials should do,” Tester said. “There is nothing better than hearing directly from folks in their community. At a time when too many politicians hide behind phony photo ops, I’m thrilled to be on the ground, hosting another public town hall to ensure Montanans’ voices are heard.’’

Housing

• Single-family zoning helping fuel Montana housing shortage, according to new report

   In Montana’s most in-demand communities more than 70 percent of residential areas either prohibit or penalize the building of multifamily housing, a zoning regulation fueling some of Montana’s housing shortage, according to a preliminary report released Monday by the Governor’s Housing Task Force.

• Opendoor’s iBuyer Model Is a Canary in the Economy of Housing Coal Mine

  The company is losing huge sums of money on cookie-cutter homes—suggesting a fundamental weakness in the US housing market.

Incubators and R&D

• Smart contacts monitor eyes for sign of glaucoma 24/7

  Smart contact lenses could help stop glaucoma-related blindness, researchers report.

Come Home Wyoming

• Employee exodus hits Wyoming state agencies

  The state’s ongoing retention problem has accelerated, despite Gov. Mark Gordon and lawmakers prioritizing the issue.

Government News & Events

• Colorado.gov Downed in ‘Suspected Foreign’ Cyber Attack

  Other state government services and websites across the United States were reportedly targeted by the cyber attacker as well. The state launched a temporary homepage to replace the downed site.

• These Supreme Court cases could have a big impact on businesses and the workplace

  From affirmative action to LGBTQ rights, here’s a roundup of cases we’re watching

Government Technology

• Montana Dept. of Agriculture updates policies after $340K cybertheft

  “This is highly, highly prevalent,” said department director Christy Clark, during a meeting of the Legislative Audit Committee Wednesday. “Although I don’t enjoy being made an example of, I’m very hopeful that people will be more cognizant of how extraordinarily good these fraudsters are and how vulnerable we really are.”

American Prairie

• Protecting bison is critical to Native American ecosystem, culture

  Bison were once near extinction. Now, they’re coming back.

Transportation

• The Complicated Legacy of America’s First Car-Oriented Shopping Center

  It was also a reflection of racism and exclusionary practices that never quite disappeared.

• What Is a Woonerf? – Every City Planner Should Know.

  The woonerf, a type of road design that encourages multimodal transportation and blends pedestrian and vehicle space, was born as a reaction to the car-centric development that began dominating American and European city planning in the mid-twentieth century.

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