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5 <br />large wholesale and mmrufactru-ing businesses, one, for small retail and sen~ice <br />Gusinesses, and one for designers/developers. All participants identified bm r•ier-s <br />related to efforts to start or expand their operations a- develop their projects, <br />As a result of these findings, Economic Development Commission staff Iras <br />incr•easirrgly assumed a more active role in bzzsiness facilitation. Wl~erz the <br />Economic Development Specialist position was vacated last Jame, we ach~ertised <br />for° and selected an indiviclzral with strong planning skills to assznne razor°e <br />responsibility in the facilitation role.. <br />When the Town of Chapel Hill was considering hir°ing arr economic development <br />professional, on-focus group results were identified as pm tial justification for the <br />position. The Chapel I-Till Clranrber also arranged for an additional, CTtapel Hill <br />only,, focus group that included some of those saute individuals. <br />C) Provide outreach, recognition and/or expedited service to new and existing <br />businesses that meet the development criteria <br />T/te Econonti'c Development Conunission has been bringing resolutions for~war°d <br />to the Board of Cornrty Conrnrissioners to puGlicly recognize local Gusinesses for <br />their° cor poste citizenship. Exmrrples during the.year included: Piedmont <br />Minerals, recognized for significantly reducing its water usage by adopting new <br />technology, Sports Endeavors, r°ecognized for developing a clrcar°itable re-use <br />program drat distributes used soccer eyuipnrent to needy organizations <br />throzzghout the world; and Arnracell, r°ecognized for waste reduction practices. <br />The Economic Development Conunission has also br°ought together all r°egulator~y~ <br />entities to expedite services to a variety of businesses, most notably the <br />purchasers of the Or°ange County Speedway. We have also worked closely with <br />prospective clients and existing Gusinesses that meet tlae profrle of the desired <br />businesses. <br />D) Form partnerships both within and outside the county to create a stronger <br />business climate and market the changes to existing and potential employers <br />We have worked collaboratively »~itlr the towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and <br />Hillsborough to alter the image of all units ofgovernment as increasingly <br />business fi°ierully, We have also tried to convnunicate these changes to external <br />economic development orgmzizations. And we have met with some success; <br />during the year, we worlred on a major° project r°eferred to us by the North <br />Carolina Department of Commerce, and (rave Irad nznnerorzs other referrals from <br />state mrd regional agmrizations. <br />E) Focus public education efforts on sustainability issues, looking at the social, <br />economic and environmental contributions of local businesses. <br />To cfate, the workgroup has not emphasized this effort. <br />