County board gets SMIF update, Oks Extension staff, CIP plan

An update from Southern Minnesota Initiative Fund (SMIF) CEO Tim Penny, Extension support staff hiring and the Five Year Capital Improvement Plan were all on the agenda for the Dodge County Board of Commissioners earlier this month.
Penny briefly reviewed the activities of SMIF, which include three key areas. Early childhood, entrepreneurship and supporting small towns are the focus of the organization that serves 20 counties in southern Minnesota.
He said that for every $1 donation from Dodge County, $35 has been invested back into Dodge County communities.
In the early childhood area in Dodge County, he said, SMIF has provided assistance to childcare providers, and recently provided 100 English books and 100 Spanish books to Dodge County Public Health for them to distribute to families during home visits. The books were donated by local publishing companies Capstone and ABDO. Books were also distributed recently to Kasson-MantorvilleCommunity Education.
Entrepreneurship loans have also been provided to local companies including Clean Plus in West Concord and Chaotic Good Brewing Company in Kasson.
Small Town Grants have also been given to the city of Claremont, Mantorville Restoration Association, Hayfield EDA, and the West Concord Historical Society.
Penny also thanked the commissioners for a $1,600 donation in May of 2023 and asked them to consider making a donation in 2025.
Commissioners also discussed the hiring of University of Minnesota Extension support staff with Lisa Dierks, the Regional Director, Southeast Minnesota.
Dierks said that due to the resignation of the Dodge County administrative assistant for Extension she would be posting for a replacement. Support staff positions, she said, can be either county employees or University of Minnesota employees.