The Crookston Housing and Economic Development Authority (CHEDA) Board’s advisory committee for Epitome Energy met on Tuesday morning to review an invoice from Industrial Process and Management 
Consultants (IPMC) for $7,000. CHEDA Board Chair Kurt Heldstab made a motion to recommend paying the invoice, but the motion died for lack of a second.
CHEDA Executive Director Craig Hoiseth said the invoice was for work on Epitome’s environmental worksheet for permitting. “The invoice was for work on feasibility study updating for the EAW,” said Hoiseth. “What we want to do is (approve) this under that $250,000 loan for Epitome Energy.”
Even without the recommendation of the advisory committee, the CHEDA Board could still discuss the invoice during their meeting next Tuesday. “Certainly, it’s going to weight in that the advisory committee did not act on it today, but the CHEDA Board reserves the right to do that,” said Hoiseth. “There were some questions regarding Epitome Energy and where they are at with their equity drive, so maybe we need to make sure we interface a little bit more with Epitome.”
Leon Kremeier, who also serves on Epitome Energy’s advisory board, said there was a recent meeting discussing the Epitome Energy equity drive. Epitome Energy’s board had considered putting the equity drive on hold but ultimately decided to continue the drive with letters to producers and radio ads. Craig Buness asked if the advisory committee would be able to get an update from Egan on what is going on because he’s hearing the average farmer is unsure where the project currently stands.
Hoiseth said that Egan was unable to attend the meeting Tuesday either in person or virtually, but Hoiseth hoped that he’d be providing an update to both the advisory committee and CHEDA Board in the near future. He added that the local farmers need to get the feeling that they are going to have a good crop this year to feel comfortable in participating in the equity drive for Epitome Energy. “There is no doubt with everybody going into a standstill mode that a local equity drive was going to be problematic,” said Hoiseth. “We have our producers out here now trying to scratch the ground. It’s been cold, still damp, and seeds aren’t in most of the places. We need to have our farmers have some good news, have their crop in, and growing as a sign for a good harvest, and I think things will open up again. Until we see that there is a lot of uncertainty there, and that goes with the local equity drive as well.”
Hoiseth also shared Egan emailed him thanking CHEDA and the City Council for their work on the land option agreement that was approved Monday night by the City Council. Crookston Mayor Dale Stainbrook asked whether Egan had accepted the land option as it was written or if he had any changes as the City Council had moved on the document to assist with the equity drive. According to Hoiseth, Egan hadn’t communicated any changes to him via email, and Hoiseth was hopeful the land option would be signed shortly. “The land option agreement now has been finalized,” said Hoiseth. “It’s been through Ways & Means, and now the City Council approved that last night by resolution, so it’s in a form the city administrator and mayor can sign it. Then, it can be signed by Epitome Energy as well, so we’re hoping in the next few days to have that signed option agreement.”
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