The main topic at the Thursday afternoon meeting of the Grant County Economic Development Coalition for Progress was updates from County Economic Development Coordinator, Arlene Schadel.

She has answered three potential recruitment opportunities with what the community can offer companies, such as a food packaging operation, a printing and packaging company and a European company looking to market and distribute solar panels.

“A solar company purchased property on the Hidalgo-Grant County line off Highway 90,” Schadel reported. “They are set to begin on the Grant County side and have scheduled a site visit with members of the Gila Economic Development Alliance.

She reported on the Stronger Economies Together process and said the memorandum of understanding, among the municipalities and four counties of the southwest region of New Mexico, lacks only two signatures indicating cooperation among the entities.

The Southwest Energy and Green Jobs Task Force is supporting the Sapphire Energy algae demonstration plant to create renewable energy sources. The company is seeking employees. A wind farm is up and running near Hatch, and a solar field will also be installed in the same area.

Schadel said the contractor for a county economic development plan visited last week. “We told him we want an action plan that is a working plan, not one to sit on a shelf.” He will return Dec. 13-16 and will speak to the Gila EDA Roundtable on Dec. 16.

“I am working with the Gila EDA airline survey, tallying results,” Schadel said. “We received about 170 completed surveys.”

She attended a luncheon with a representative of the Environmental Protection Agency, who was looking at the area's brownfields. The representative indicated funding might be available for reclamation.

“The new owners of 715 acres of Faywood Hot Springs want it to be open by Christmas,” Schadel reported.

Bayard Mayor Charles Kelly asked if the area were to remain open to the public.

“Yes, I think it will be open to the public, and they will rent cabins and spaces in the RV Park,” Schadel said. “They do want to use it as a hot springs site.”

She talked to a representative of Sandia Laboratories, who indicated that assistance of their scientists could be offered to eligible applicants and inventors.

Schadel has recently attended several conferences, including a two-day Community Development Block Grant conference, an infrastructure conference and a workshop on available funding opportunities.

She participated in the International Symposium on Space Flight and was able to put brochures in and share a booth space, paid for by Sierra County.

Schadel toured the La Esperanza Vineyard and Winery, and proclaimed it “a fabulous place, that is truly economic development.”

Brochures on Grant County are at the printers.

Coalition Chairman Alex Brown, who represents Silver City Mayor James Marshall on the coalition, addressed the second item on the agenda, which was to appoint a film liaison.

“Mayor Marshall has been getting requests from the New Mexico Film office wanting to know who the go-to person is,” Brown said. “I would like to appoint Arlene as the film liaison and point of contact for the film industry.”

Brown said Schadel is working on an inventory of county facilities, and she works with the Arts and Cultural District to promote the arts.

County Commission Chairman Brett Kasten said he and County Manager Jon Paul Saari have been running people about the county for the film that is set to start soon. “It would be nice to have a single point of contact.”

Kelly asked if it might turn into a full-time job.

Kasten said it seems like when a film is about to be in the county, it's a busy few weeks, and then there's nothing.

“She can't do all the things we did like connect the film people with the Sheriff's Department, but she could basically be a wrangler to get people together on what is needed,” Kasten said.

Schadel said she already works with the ACD and Faye McCalmont, who would also be able to work with her on films and getting volunteers where needed.

Schadel was approved as film liaison.

There was no public input, but in coalition updates, Kasten said January marks the end of the first year of Schadel working with the coalition and the Gila EDA. He asked that an evaluation be done on the cooperation between the two groups. “We could talk about it at our December meeting and have the evaluation in January,” Kasten said. “I would suggest a couple of us from the coalition and two or three from the Gila EDA be on the committee.”

The next meeting will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, immediately following the Southwest Solid Waste Authority meeting, which has the same members the mayors and the County Commission Chairman.