At its June 12 meeting, the Mesquite City Council approved a new publicly-funded, private, non-profit organization that is charged with moving economic development in Mesquite "in a new direction."

"If the Council accepts this idea, we intend to go forward as a group, put the Board together and apply for the IRS status. We would put together a contract for business recruitment services and bring it back to you," George Gault explained to the Council. He along with five other community business leaders were part of the Economic Development Steering Committee that has been working on the issue since February. See Mesquite Citizen Journal story Econ Development Approved for Restructuring-Video

Gault and two other members of the Committee, Roger Ingbretsen and Dave Ballweg, met with the Mesquite Citizen Journal this week to lay out a road map for future actions associated with the new economic development function. All of them are serving as non-paid volunteers.

"We are filing the necessary paperwork this week to apply for a non-profit tax status. We have selected Mesquite Regional Business, Inc., as the name for this new organization," Gault explained. "The word Regional is really key in this. We want to reach out and have people look at this as development for the whole corner of the state."

"The State is talking 'regional' also," Ingbretsen added. "Virtually every area has economic problems in today's economy so we need to do a good job of defining our possibilities, those that have the best chance of being developed in our local region," he explained.

Governor Brian Sandoval is currently restructuring Nevada's economic development functions and processes as is the Nevada Development Authority based in Las Vegas.

"We have to find out what the community will support and what it will not support. What are the detractors and what are the attractors of the Mesquite region. We must develop a strong network of people who can help attract others to invest in our region."

"We've written the Articles of Incorporation. We have to write the By-Laws for the organization," Gault explained.

Ingbretsen added that "we need to prepare a list of all economic development resources. This will require building a database of the economic development agencies and services that are available, especially within the state and agencies outside the state that can assist in attracting new businesses."

"We've written job descriptions for Board members," Ingbretsen said. Eventually, new members on the Board of Directors that will guide the economic development function will be phased in over

time. "We want Board members who will devote the necessary time to this task," Ballweg commented.

That echoes the same message he gave the City Council when they approved the organization. "The Board is going to be the key to making this whole thing work. It's not going to be an honorary position. They will be expected to put in time and do some work. They are going to have to be active."

One of the long-term goals of the new organization is to serve as a 'one stop shop' for new businesses interested in moving to Mesquite. "If a business wants to come to Mesquite, we would meet with the owner and help him or her deal with all the paperwork and the City processes necessary to get started. We would walk them through and help them with any problems they might have."

"A private organization like this one has a major advantage over an organization like we've had that's part of City government. We can serve as advocates for a business when it's dealing with the City," Ballweg said. "We can stand up to the regulator like the City and resolve problems the new business may be having."

Ingbretsen says the private, non-profit organization "can operate like a business operates," rather than how a government-based office must operate. "We can have a meeting, decide what needs to be done, and then get it done. We won't have a meeting and then have another meeting and then burn up hours with nothing being done."

Ballweg also says the office will help screen new businesses to determine if they have a viable plan and adequate funding. "Sometimes these businesses don't have enough money to get started. We can work with them and make sure they understand everything they need before they get too far down the road. A City-based office can't do that."

"When a business appears before City Council for permitting approval, we would have helped them put together a whole package that has a business plan and a financial plan. Everyone can see it's a viable deal," Gault remarked. "We won't take a deal to the Council that won't work. We'll take them one that will."

"As a community, we need to set aside hidden agendas, quit talking and start doing. After all is said, we need visionary business leaders to step up and lead us into a sustainable and growing future, or we will continue to be just another exit on the Interstate," Ingbretsen commented.