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2025-04-22 MINUTES 1 <br />COMMISSIONERS' MINUTES <br />KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON <br />CONFERENCE ROOM <br />SPECIAL MEETING <br /> <br />TUESDAY 1:30 P.M. APRIL 22, 2025 <br /> <br />Board members present: Chairman Laura Osiadacz; Commissioner Brett <br />Wachsmith; Excused: Vice-Chairman Cory Wright. <br /> <br />Others: Shelise Smithgall, Administrative Assistant; Amy McGuffin, <br />Chief Executive Officer - Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce. <br /> <br />SPECIAL MEETING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMISSIONERS <br /> <br />At 1:30 p.m. Chairman Osiadacz opened a Special Meeting to receive a <br />quarterly update from the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce <br />CEO/ADO. <br /> <br />Amy McGuffin, Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive <br />Officer, provided and reviewed a handout consisting of the Q1 2025 <br />Washington SBDC & ADO Partnership County Activity & Impact Report <br />for Kittitas County. <br /> <br />Ms. McGuffin reviewed what the Chamber has been working on as the <br />County’s ADO. She mentioned that as the County’s ADO, a lot of <br />projects are put on the Chamber’s plate, and that they have staffing <br />and resourcing/funding challenges regarding accomplishing those <br />tasks. She said she would like the expectations of the ADO for the <br />next two years to be very clear: what they will and will not be <br />expected to do. She said she would like the opportunity to ask for <br />personnel funding because she needs more resources to achieve the <br />things the Chamber has been asked to do. Ms. McGuffin said they <br />were able to hire two consultants who are helping with branding, <br />communication of economic development and agritourism, but they also <br />need additional administrative personnel. <br /> <br />Ms. McGuffin stated that the Chamber is launching microgrant <br />programs and is continuing to work on their 10-year strategic plan. <br /> <br />Ms. McGuffin explained that the role of the ADO is economic <br />development and discussed the upcoming Economic Task Force meeting. <br /> <br />The Board and Ms. McGuffin discussed businesses in Ellensburg, <br />including future possibilities. Ms. McGuffin recommended they take <br />a tour of the Tenino Agricultural Park to get an idea of what it <br />looks like and how it works. She suggested that the Chamber of <br />Commerce could help implement the public side of a program like that <br />in Ellensburg. <br />