An economic development specialist with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association says he believes Duchesne County has "wonderful potential" when it comes to spurring commercial growth and development.
Dan Kamerman, manager of the Economic Development Division of the association's Government Relations Department, told members of the Duchesne County Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development Committee that "the area isn't in bad shape.""I'm saying to you this community has great potential. For one thing, people are friendly to strangers and that's a good sign," he said.
Kamerman was in Roosevelt recently to lay the ground work for "Basin West 2000," a process that organizers hope will bring to fruition economic development projects such as new-business incubators, community development and the retention and expansion of existing businesses.
The first step Kamerman urged in economic development for rural Duchesne County is the establishment of a resource team composed of specialists in different areas at both the state and local levels who will consult with residents of the various communities in the county.
The resource team would act as intermediaries and help balance out priorities, he said. "Based on the information they receive from residents, they can pinpoint major problems in the community and short- and long-range goals can be determined. Specific plans with step-by-step implementation of goals can then be formed."
"It's important to simplify the project, Kamerman said. That's why you bring in someone who knows how to do it. Then you have to ask the right people. The people in the community will determine your projects. Too often the process is backward. The `gurus' decide what to do, then they tell all the little people. Well, it shouldn't work from the top down. You tell us what to do. We'll tell you how to do it."
The method outlined by Kamerman has already been proven in some 300 communities with rural utility co-ops such as the Roosevelt-based Moon Lake Electric Association.
Because Duchesne County is served by a rural electric cooperative, federal money is available for a variety of economic development projects "if you know where to look," said Kamerman.
"We have direct contacts in Washington, D.C., to push funding for these projects."