Minutes - 20091114 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Partnerships can help us retain and support businesses—need to work with the universities and with other city/county governments. 5. Build on the STRENGTHS and ASSETS Orange County already has: • Attitude: the Board is talking about ED in a new way: focusing on what they want rather than what they don't want. • Location—proximity to highways, universities, UNC healthcare system, etc. • Highly educated population • We're already doing "place-making" strategies well: lots of cultural assets • Agriculture • High quality of life here that is attractive to residents and businesses • County has some big parcels of land set aside yet undeveloped • Public education system, universities, community colleges VI. Understanding the role of the board, moving forward Questions that need to be answered: • What other partners do we need to engage for economic development? (talks are underway at the ED-staff level) • What is the next step for water and sewer w/ Mebane and Durham to EDD? (Board is ready to invest money—what needs to happen next?) • Which types of businesses/industries do we want to attract? There's general consensus on the following next steps: • Direct staff to begin working on improving infrastructure. This is a long process. Let's start now. • Find ways to make the regulatory process easier for businesses. Establish an "advocate" who helps guide businesses through the process. • Focus on retaining and supporting existing businesses. Broad agreement that this is an important strategy for Orange County. • Orange County already does a good job with the place-making strategies (amenities, etc.) We need to stay strong in that way, and add in these other strategies at the same time. • Continue to work on defining a more proactive, deliberate strategy: still need to answer the question of: what kinds of businesses do we want to recruit? • Communicate with the public about the Board's ED plan and discussions. Need to create a synopsis for the press.