BCC Visioning Economic Action Workshop – Feb. 1, 2011 – DRAFT TWO - some revisions
Source: KellyLaFollette – Lake County staff
Introductions – Leslie Campione & Facilitator Alan Winslow
· Define Commissioners and residents role in economic development
· You, the resident are responsible for the outcome of what comes from today’s meeting
· Start with the basics – what role, who do we want to be, our vision, our mission (how we get there), defining scope, what are the impediments, resources needed, urgency needed, management style, environment we want to create, priorities, attitudes, expediency, how will we convey image, brief objectives (hit the ground running – making progress), keeping citizens fully engaged.
· Get your hopes and frustrations out in the open
Start
· Why do we need economic development?
o Jobs / unemployment
o Income
o Quality of life
o Tax base
o Spread Support of infrastructure
o Growth within
o Property values
o Ensure consistency with the way business is handled
· Jobs is the most important, followed closely by income
· Why come to Lake County
o It’s not Orlando
o Lakes
o Lifestyle
o Quality of life
o Well paying jobs
o Low cost of living
o Transportation
o Healthcare
o Quaint towns
o Antiquities/historic
o Weaker hurricanes
o Art community
o Advanced education
o Central location
o Low crime
o Votech – public schools, college
o Great people
· Why not to come
o Can’t find it on the internet
o Lack of jobs
o Uncertainty for investors
o B schools not A schools
o Tough pay rates
o Undereducated workforce
o Outsourcing
o Lake of high pay jobs
o Excessive taxing districts
o Levels of professional education
o Reliance on impact fees alone
o Lack of work ethic
o Cities are difficult for small business to start up in – overregulated (hard to work with)
o Walk-ability – lack of (transportation)
o Lower pay jobs have no transportation (public)
o Bureaucracy
o Lack of university – 4 year
o Too many vacant homes
o Very few a-class business buildings
o Bad comp plan
o Small shop owner rental rates (high rents)
o Airport – lack of (limited service)
o Young people have to leave for professional jobs
o Sprawling subdivisions
o Lack of coordination between cities and county (no central point for utilities, etc.)
o Long drawn-out state highway construction programs
o Lack of economic incentives
o Promoting local business
o Wasteful spending practices for the county (maybe city)
o Underutilization of rail – lack of it (industrial)
· If you had a business to relocate here, or expand, what would be the red flags that might scare you off?
o Schools – poor quality
o Uncertainty with how you would be handled by government
o Workforce
o Conflicting land use
o Lack of incentives – not competitive enough
o Impact fees
o Takes too long to permit compared to surrounding counties
o Transportation routes
o Negative population (negative environment)
o General facelift – how the appearance of towns, etc. run-down conditions
o Access to major markets
o Attraction of community to employees – type of employees you want to attract, and how to attract them.
o History and reputation
· Break-out session (20 minutes) - Image we want to present ourselves as – what and how to portray ourselves. How can a bold goal be attainable? What do we want to look like? How do we want to sell ourselves?
o Group 1 comments
§ Sell ourselves as business friendly –
§ Positive attitude in dealing with customer service – local gov.
§ Industry is welcome
§ Planning 2050
§ Economic gardening
§ Local incentives
§ Your kids will want to stay here
§ You can get everywhere from here
§ Exception and unique natural beauty
o Group 2 comments
§ Forward moving community that is sought after as a place to live, work and play, with a knowledge-based workforce and the programs to retain, attract and nurture business development.
o Group 3 comments
§ Proactive and balance of environment, recreational resources, etc.
§ Attract and grow
§ Utilize what we have –
§ quality of life
§ option rural vs. city – use assets appropriately
o Group 4 comments
§ All businesses are welcome – ambassadors
§ Interlocal cooperation
§ Marketing by all citizens
§ Accessibility to transportation, medical facilities
§ Quaint historic communities
§ Education – primary level then secondary level
§ Quality of life
§ Natural resources – eco tourism
o Group 5 comments
§ Business friendly, community that is family friendly – build on heritage of local small towns and atmosphere
§ Facility of business prosperity
§ Highly visible internet presence
§ Promote lakes and eco-tourism
§ Excellent school system – corner stone of any good ecomomic devel. Process
o Group 6 comments
§ First impressions
§ Attitude
§ Change culture in government and businesses
§ We need to like ourselves – when people encounter us, we brag about ourselves, our accomplishments, businesses, hospitals, great schools, airport
§ Better image
§ Streamlining
§ Attitude
· General discussion by facilitator
o How big do we envision this program to be, will we be successful at 100, 1000, 100,000 jobs?
o Whatever it takes to go from 13 to 3 percent unemployment – how many jobs would that be?
o 30K to 40K unemployed and underemployed
o What are we going to be satisfied with, what are we expecting? Commissioners and EDC need to know.
· What are the available resources – how do we capitalize on them?
o Industrial park
o Infill properties
o Downtown businesses
o Several machine and electronic companies that are
o Underutilized Manufacturing
o Vacant homes
o Almost every city provides central water/sewer
o Workforce
o Land is cheaper than Orlando
o EDC
o Three hospital campuses
o Chambers
o We have not begun to capitalize on transportation potential
o Available re-training
o Business incubators
o Great people – mentoring potential
o Quality of life conditions – properties that are public lands
o Opportunities where abandoned train tracks are located – railroad right-of-ways
o Airport
o Community college – branch of larger university
o Fiber optic network
o National training center
· Who are the players
o Counties and cities – local government
o Chambers
o Business community
o Business ambassadors
o College - UCF
o School board
§ trained workforce – produce a better product
§ Join with counties and cities
§ Internships – connect businesses with students
§ Better marketing and advertising of programs
o Financial institutes
o Government as a consumer
o Young minds involved
o Tourist development council
o Community – retirees
o Trade associations
o Unions
o Property owners – tax payers
o Investors
o Agricultural sector
o Non-profits
o Community organizations, service clubs
o Churches – religious organizations
o BBB
· Group Break-out Discussion (20 minutes) – How are we going to get there – who will organize it all? What part is the county playing, how to get everyone involved. How do we get to Eden? What is our approach – aggressive vs. passive? How will we recruit the players involved? Is there too big a goal? Do we have a limit of how many jobs we want to bring in? Where do we get the talent and people? How do we share success with surrounding counties?
o Group 1 comments
§ Enhance support local business to attract new business
§ Networking economic gardening
§ Cooperative purchasing
§ Keep local money local
§ Committee of 100 – to be a group of business men to talk to prospects to get their perspective
§ Business friendly
§ Comp plan and ldrs review with business friendly spectacles
§ Build relationships – reach out to local business
§ Regionalism – look at region, not only county
§ Sell availability – sell resources that are available now.
o Group 2 comments
§ Consolidation – central data resource
§ Countywide council
§ Common goals
§ Establish and communicate brand – niche
§ Don’t compete – city vs. county – one government
o Group 3 comments
§ Get creative
§ Outside entity to look objectively, what are our resources, what will be available tomorrow
§ Technology wizards – keep youth involve
§ Kids are the future
§ Subject matter experts involved
o Group 4 comments
§ Cut red tape
§ Red carpet committee
§ Capitalize on EDC
§ City and county join for marketing
§ Workforce clearing house
o Group 5 comments
§ Number of jobs 40K
§ County, public/private, partnership
§ Who paying? How much needed? County paying $600K – how much money should be put into the effort?
o Group 6 comments
§ Class A Office space
§ Shovel ready sites – with utilities, etc.
§ Workforce development – internships, public/private
· More advanced learning
§ Resources for entrepreneurs
· Available data
· Marketing assistance – teaching them how to do it.
· Development of strategies
§ Workshops
§ PR firms
§ Job ready seminars
§ Headhunters
§ Advertising firms
§ Chamber get together
§ Expos and conferences
§ Trade shows
§ Job fairs
· General discussion
o Who is represented here today? Education, Tavares, Clermont, Sorrento, Mount Dora, business community, retirees, health, government, agriculture, environmental, construction, transportation, Science/tech, retail
o What is going to be different about this group?
§ More receptive leaders
§ Accountability
§ Feedback
§ Recent elections
§ Ownership
§ Communication
o The bigger the job, the more you need focus, priority, environment, inclusion and accountability
· Group Break-out Discussion (15 minutes) - How do we create culture/environment? What is going to be the difference? How do we take what we have and make it stick, make it happen? Do we have the right environment in Lake County, how do we change if we don’t have it, do we have the right organization? What is County Government’s role – lead, coordinate, where do they fit in with municipalities? The organization that needs to be in place. What are the short-term objectives? What are your expectations for County and self? What should be invested in Economic Development? Where is the money coming from?
o Group 1 comments
§ Public / private organization with sufficient resources – someone has to be put in charge to coordinate – visioning without implementation is hallucination
§ Several of cities are working on uniform permit that can be implemented – make it happen
§ Cities and county need appoint representatives to meet with private sector – concrete implementation plan with a budget. – someone with clout
o Group 2 comments
§ Easily accessible economic database – countywide
§ Each commissioner get to know business owners
§ Dump comp plan and start over
§ Committee of 100
§ Reach out to EDC network groups
§ Division of labor
§ Countywide advocate to work through issues with permitting, on-budsman, facilitator, etc.
§ Pick a vision – bedroom community, urban center, sprawl vs. density
§ Raise perception of education environment.
o Group 3 comments
§ What resources to we currently have (need to identify – how much money)?
§ County comes back with a plan
· Within 45 to 60 days, with timeline
§ Name the leader
§ We got to do it
§ Use marketing with media
§ Mindset? – the county’s role
§ Be realistic with the goal
§ Investment
§ When people from outside come here, they will like what they see, and come back.
o Group 4 comments
§ Streamline permitting – e-permit
§ Business intelegance
§ Create and pass resolution for action plan
§ Review staff resources and distribution
§ How will communication will be handled between bcc, economic development, and community
o Group 5 comments
§ County should be facilitator
§ Promote intergovernmental relations
§ Public / private partnership
§ Bring in business community
§ Defined timeframe with measurable
§ What is Lake County’s front door? Where would you bring them to first?
§ We can frame a resolution today – that the commissioners will take responsibility and accountability for establishing initiative to define an economic development program for Lake County as outlined by the people of this county today.
§ The County will keep this group informed of plans, progress and problems
§ This group will continue to provide input and support to the best of our abilities.
o Group 6 comments
§ Identify red tape problems that we can correct immediately – staff working with commissioners
§ Start dialog with cities in creating consistency for start up or expanding businesses
§ Identify available sites for targeted industries, coordinate with cities on infrastructure – meet with cities, what we need to do together
§ Marketing using existing staff, partnering with business community and cities
§ Having a point person – take prospect through the process – a point-person
§ Develop a new ED plan in the next three months
· Group that would be from cities, business, trade, county, etc. (stake holders) to develop plan – meet weekly.
· General discussion
o Have this group as an on-going body – accountability group
o Need someone in charge – who?
o Cities and county develop plan together. We can’t afford to not be focused.
o Dynamic leader.
o We have to be passionate.
o Showcase the county
o Define a timeframe
o Meet with cities and market together
· Where do we go? Comments by Commissioner Hill & Facilitator
o February 25 – Retreat will discuss all of these points at Cooper Memorial Library.
o We will stay in contact with this group.
o Commissioners will get back a report to the group in 45 days.