Economic Development WorkshopJuly 30, 2015

Agenda

Focus Group Areas:• Education & Workforce

Development• EDO Focus Areas• EDO Coordination• Quality of Life• Government Relations

Agenda, Cont.

Tasks:1. Determine Who the Stakeholders are in Each Area2. Assess where we are now3. Present Recommended Vision for Integration into

ED Work Plan

Focus Group Areas

• Sign-Up Sheets for Focus Group(s)• Handout Materials – Community Work

Program• Group Meetings on August 6th at 5:30 p.m. –

Staff Present• Group Scribe – Provides Information for Slide

Presentation

Education & Workforce Development

– Where are we now?– Why should education be involved?– What assets does education potentially bring?– Who are the stakeholders to be involved?– Recommend a vision of education involvement.

EDO Coordination– Where are we now?– Given the unique capabilities and limitations of each, Should all four

development authorities and other EDOs (Chamber, Convention & Visitors Bureau) work together in a unified manner to maximize job creation?

– Should the new economic development hire that is funded by the City/County work with all four authorities to see that efforts are coordinated to maximize job creation?

– Should tourism/Georgia Camera Ready (film & broadcast) jobs and/or private investment groups be included in this coordination?

– Are additional tools needed such as Economic Advisory Council, Industrial Advisory Council, etc.

– What assets does each entity bring to the table?– What are the limitations of each entity?– What are examples of possible coordination?– Who are the stakeholders involved?– Recommend a vision of how the authorities should or should not coordinate.

EDO Focus Areas– Where are we now?– What should be the focus of our job creation efforts

in each of these ongoing areas?• Industrial• Downtown• Agricultural/ Natural resources• Entrepreneurial• Tourism

– What assets do we have to support each focus?– Who are the stakeholders?– Recommend a vision of how this should work.

Quality of Life– Where are we now?– What are important quality of life issues?

• Cultural• Natural• Community facilities

– Are they important to recruiting business? If so, why?– Are they important to recruiting employees? If so,

why?– What are our quality of life assets? Issues?– Who are our stakeholders?– Recommend a vision of how quality of life is

important or not to economic development.

Government Relations– Where are we now?– Review the Service Delivery Strategy and Joint Services

Summary(Handouts)– Do they appear to be cooperating or not?– What assets do we bring to the table in intergovernmental

cooperation?– What are our issues?– Are new tools such as a citizen’s academy needed to educate

the public?– Should the Council and Commission reconsider a consolidation

study?– Who are the stakeholders in such a study?– Recommend a vision of where the city and county need to focus

on cooperation.