Agenda - 04-29-2004-6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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Appendix B summarizes the priority strategies from each work group, to allow the interested reader to see the richness of each group's way of packaging the ideas. Sectiox 3: Next Steps after tl~e Saouxit The Orange County Economic Development Commission's intention for this ED planning process is that it will be focused and limited to six monthsZ and therefore be done and ready for implementation by July 1, 2004. The State of the Local Economy Breakfast on March 9 represents an interim opportunity to report progress on the development of the plan. During the summit, the breakout group facilitators analyzed the key themes from the priority strategies each breakout group developed, and they used these to suggest four initial work groups to continue work on developing the new economic development strategic plan. Strategies to Create a Friendly Business Climate These include regulatory issues, outreach to existing businesses, and marketing to new companies that meet the county's desired criteria Strategies to Support the County's Workers Especiallythe Working Poor These include issues of training and education, access to transportation and child care, affordable housing, living wages, and health care.. Strategies to Plan the Necessary Physical Infrastructure and Land Use These include water and sewer, especially to the northern county; transportation, including alternatives to passenger cars; information networks; and roads. It also includes consideration of the physical infrastructure issues for the Economic Development Districts and for Carolina North. Strategies to Develop and Sustain a High Quality of Place These include issues of tolerance, diversity, strong downtowns, open space/recreation, excellent public schools, and hipness, These are all needed to attract and retain "the creative class" of innovators, artists and civic leaders that will drive the desired economy, Summit participants divided themselves anrong these groups to get organized and think further about the priorities they would address. Each group considered its scope and next steps, and the notes from each group are included in Appendix C to this report. For example, the Infrastructure group listed as its next steps: Create a plan that can realistically be implemented Restrict the focus of the plan o Determine what the county has,jurisdiction over o Look at the region and county's lists of the types of businesses that will be targeted and supported o What infrastructure is necessary to support the targeted companies? 2 It should be noted that at least one work group did not see this short time frame as realistic.