Agenda - 05-16-2017 - 4-e - Resolution Supporting Triangle J Council of Governments Effort to Form an Economic Development District through the United States Economic Development Administration

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3 Attachment 1 MEMORANDUM To: Orange County Board of Commissioners Ms. Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager From: Lee Worsley, Executive Director Date: April 28, 2017 Re: Request for Resolution of Support Request The Board of Commissioners is requested to adopt the attached Resolution supporting Triangle J Council of Governments effort to form an Economic Development District through the United States Economic Development Administration. This request is supported by the Triangle J Council of Governments Board of Delegates. Summary The United States Economic Development Administration (EDA) works with regions across the United States and primarily executes this work through Economic Development Districts (EDD). In North Carolina, EDDs have been formed in every region, except the Triangle J region and the Isothermal Region in the western part of North Carolina (Isothermal is currently forming an EDD, meaning the Triangle region may be alone in not having an EDD in a short period of time). The formation of an EDD allows the region to have a more direct connection to US EDA and will allow TJCOG to assist member governments as they interact with EDA on grant projects and other initiatives. Formation of an EDD will not duplicate existing economic development efforts by local economic developers and is not meant as an economic development recruitment service. Rather, an EDD will allow TJCOG to provide enhanced services to its member governments in economic development coordination, capacity building and other needs as the member governments determine. An EDD is merely the administrative designation by US EDA for a formalized relationship with an organization and comes with a small source of funding from US EDA. There is no financial commitment needed from Orange County for this effort, only a Resolution of support. As mentioned earlier, the formation of the EDD will allow TJCOG to receive funding from EDA to staff effort on the region's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), which was last adopted by the TJCOG Board of Delegates in 2012 and is due for an update this year. A current CEDS document is a critical component for any local government to be competitive for US EDA funds, so it is imperative that TJCOG build staff capacity so that the CEDS can be updated on behalf of the region and its member governments. This effort will also allow TJCOG to enhance its successful Foreign Trade Zone Program and provide other economic development support services to our member governments through enhanced staff capacity. The additional opportunities will be developed following interaction with member governments, economic developers and other critical stakeholders. The Triangle J Council of Governments' Board of Delegates have unanimously supported pursuit of the Economic Development District. In addition, the Board of Delegates has consistently identified