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• Keep the plan simple at the beginning <br /> • Identify communications team - include commissioners <br /> • Team should include departmental staff members who are already pushing info <br /> out <br /> Following this discussion among Commissioners, Michael Talbert outlined a general <br /> timeline and process that he envisions at this time. He is thinking of coming back in a <br /> fairly quick period, possibly 1-3 months, with a still fairly broad outline. He would <br /> involve the Public Affairs Director Carla Banks and what he perceives to be the team, <br /> get their input in terms of all the different target audiences we are trying to reach. They <br /> would identify all the different outlets we could use and start categorizing to see how <br /> we could put those together. This would still be a fairly high level outline that the Board <br /> could approve and tell the team to go find strategies to make it work. Almost all the <br /> plans you have seen are homegrown. There is not a consultant who does this. They <br /> arrive out of necessity at the local government. <br /> Discussion ensued about the timing of when the strategic communications plan item <br /> would come back for further Board consideration, taking into consideration the <br /> "cascading" of work session topics that would be taking place over the next several <br /> months, as discussed earlier in the day. Commissioner Gordon advocated that the item <br /> come back at the April 8 work session. A majority of the Board members agreed to <br /> have the Manager make recommendations about which outstanding work session <br /> topics, including the strategic communications plan, should be addressed at which work <br /> sessions over the next few months. <br /> The Board took a 15 minute scheduled break. <br /> 3. Economic Development Incentive Guidelines <br /> (Steve Brantley- Presenter& Rod Visser) <br /> Rod Visser drew the Board's attention to PowerPoint slides (Attachment 3a) and <br /> spreadsheets (Attachment 3b) that Economic Development Director Steve Brantley had <br /> provided for inclusion in the retreat agenda packets. The stated objective for <br /> this segment of the agenda was that the Board review and discuss Economic <br /> Development Incentive Guidelines and provide direction to staff. <br /> Steve Brantley said that he and his staff had spent 5 months researching what other <br /> parts of North Carolina do with economic development incentives. Their research was <br /> focused primarily on business recruitment, encompassing corporate headquarters, <br /> research & development (R&D), warehousing, and the like, on par with the recent <br /> Japanese success. <br /> He said that most large projects like Morinaga include an incentive component in the <br /> decision-making process, whether with the company or site selection consultant. The <br /> prospect of incentives (or not) can affect a decision even to make a first visit to a <br /> potential site. People's reactions to incentives range from repugnance to ambivalence <br /> to acceptance as a part of doing business. The reality is that when trying to put <br /> businesses in the County's economic development districts of the caliber of Morinaga, <br /> it's a normal part of the site selection process. <br /> Steve Brantley discussed various aspects of State incentives, including matching <br /> requirements. He explained that incentives have a number of uses, including providing <br />