Background: Evansville: Economic Development Plan: Final Report--draft of 7-17-2008

(Ed.note: This is the text of the Economic Development Plan that will be reviewed in the Economic Development meeting next Wednesday for final approval.)


WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
ãWhalen & Associates, Inc. - 1 - Evansville Economic Development Summit
Evansville Economic Development Project

DRAFT 7-17-08 (D4)dbw
Evansville
Economic Development Plan
Final Report
Prepared by:
Whalen & Associates, Inc.
June, 2008
www.whalen.com
judy@whalen.com
608-455-2090
15626 West Holt Road
Brooklyn, WI 53521
6084552090
Fax: 6084552087
Email: judy@whalen.com
www.whalen.com
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 2 Evansville Economic Development Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................... 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................... 3
BACKGROUND ................................................................................... 3
THE PROCESS .................................................................................... 3
KEY STRATEGIC ISSUES ...................................................................... 4
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ...................................................................... 4
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN ......................................................... 7
KEY STRATEGIC ISSUES ...................................................................... 7
ACTION PLANS .................................................................................. 7
OUTCOME MEASUREMENT ................................................................. 9
APPENDIX
Special recognition and thank you to Rebecca DeMarb,Evansville Economic Development Committee
and James Otterstein, Rock County Economic Development Manager for the their efforts in drafting
and editing this document.
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 3 Evansville Economic Development Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



BACKGROUND
The Evansville Economic Development Committee (“EDC”) contracted
Whalen & Associates, Inc. in June, 2007 to design and facilitate a process that
would result in an Economic Development Plan (the “Plan”). The project
fulfills an action item of Evansville’s Smart Growth Plan. The Smart Growth
Plan on page 133 states that Evansville “needs more commercial and industrial
development to permit the City to reduce its relatively high property tax rate
without reducing services.” (The related action item is #9 on page 213.) The
project’s planning team consisted of Mayor Sandy Decker, City Administrator
Dan Wietecha, Chamber of Commerce Promotional Director Bridgit Larsen
and consultant Judy Whalen.


THE PROCESS
§ EDC used a series of information gathering activities to provide data
from which the Plan would be developed including:


· Focus Groups – Five focus groups were conducted involving 26
representatives of agribusiness, manufacturing, retail, service and
construction/development.


· Phone Survey - 135 businesses were identified to be contacted by
the UW-Whitewater Small Business Development Center (SBDC.)
Thirty-three phone surveys were completed as of January 20,
2008.


· Summit – The Economic Development Summit was conducted
January 12, 2008 to provide business representatives the
opportunity to provide further input into the topics that should be
addressed in the Economic Development Plan. 94 people
participated in the Economic Development Summit. A total of 58
local businesses were represented. The Economic Development
Summit identified the strategic issues for the next step, the Task
Forces.
§ EDC appointed five Task Forces, composed of 32 community volunteers,
to develop the goal, objectives and action plans for the five key strategic
issues:
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 4 Evansville Economic Development Plan

· Workforce Development
· Downtown Revitalization
· Intergovernmental Relations (This topic was later changed to:
Business, Community and Government Relations).
· Marketing
· Entrepreneurial Environment

§ The Task Forces presented their recommendations to the Economic
Development Committee April 17, 2008.

§ The Economic Development Committee met three times to review the
task forces recommended action plans, met with selected task force
representatives to gain more clarity, and also met with representatives of
the Evansville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors before finalizing
the Economic Development Plan.
§ The Economic Development Committee approved the Plan on July 23,
2008.

KEY STRATEGIC ISSUES
Five key strategic issues are addressed in this Plan. These are: (no priority
assigned to order)
1. Workforce Development
2. Downtown Revitalization
3. Business, Community and Government Relations
4. Marketing
5. Entrepreneurial Environment

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goals and objectives for each key strategic issue are:
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 5 Evansville Economic Development Plan
§ Workforce Development


Goal: To develop and nurture co-operative working networks to secure
the resources to build an adaptable and skilled workforce with a positive
work ethic and a strong sense of personal responsibility.


Objective #1: Access and utilize existing business networks

Objective #2: Maximize the use of existing education-based networks

Objective #3: Maximize the use of community-based organizational
networks.

Objective #4: Maximize the use of government networks
§ Business, Community and Government Relations

Goal: To develop a cooperative, intergovernmental, straight-forward, and
clearly defined process to reach out, attract and retain a broad
economic base for Evansville.


Objective #1: Research options that would enable Evansville to form
a “stand-alone” Economic Development Alliance.


Objective #2: Improve Web internet tools for use by the members of
the Economic Development Alliance.


Objective #3: Expand outreach between governmental bodies, i.e.
local, county, and state.


Objective #4: Review city regulations so the regulations and process
of adhering to the regulations are streamlined, simple,
user-friendly and communicated in an easy to
understand manner.

§ Downtown Revitalization


Goal: To create a healthy, vibrant and walkable downtown by expanding
and attracting employment, shopping and social activities
Objective #1: Host a downtown retail start-up fair to connect
entrepreneurs with information on maintaining an
existing business and opening a new business and
acquiring funding.
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 6 Evansville Economic Development Plan


Objective #2: Develop a pilot business for the principle objective of
creating a template for new business start-ups.

Objective #3: Form a steering committee to develop a user-friendly
manual for city government and the public that lists a
menu of low-cost tools and strategies for revitalizing
Evansville’s central business district.


Objective #4: Create a green business initiative to form the “Allen
Creek Collective,” a green business mall in
downtown Evansville.

§ Marketing
Goal: To promote Evansville’s businesses, services and recreational
opportunities to residents, non-residents and businesses.


Objective #1: Improve marketing to local and surrounding
communities

Objective #2: Make Evansville a “destination location.”
§ Entrepreneurial Environment

Goal: To facilitate the interaction of entrepreneurial people, ideas, and
resources.

Objective #1: Create a better networking environment for local
businesses.
Objective #2: Develop greater access to high speed internet services
Objective #3: Create a Business Resource Center for the City (both
web and brick & mortar)
Objective #4: Develop incentives for existing and start-up
businesses
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 7 Evansville Economic Development Plan
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN

KEY STRATEGIC ISSUES
Five key strategic issues are addressed in the Economic Development Plan.
These are: (no priority assigned to order)
1. Workforce Development
2. Downtown Revitalization
3. Business, Community and Government Relations
4. Marketing
5. Entrepreneurial Environment
ACTION PLANS
The following action plans are the outcome of the work of the task forces and
the review and discussion of the Economic Development Committee.
One theme is common across the Task Forces and points to the obvious area
for the EDC to focus to accomplish the goals of the five Task Forces in the
most efficient and comprehensive manner. Evansville needs a funded,
centralized entity to direct economic development activity and move this Plan
forward.


EDC believes that its primary action must focus on creating the structure for
some kind of partnership with the City of Evansville, the Economic
Development Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, the Redevelopment
Authority, Evansville Community Partnership and/or others (identified as an
“Alliance”). The goal of the Alliance will be to reduce redundancy and
inefficiencies in the action being taken already within the community and to
focus community leaders on a shared vision for Evansville’s economic future.
This Alliance would include a person or, perhaps, entity who would be a
centralized resource and who would be responsible for implementing many of
the Task Force objectives. For example, the Alliance would coordinate retail
fairs, market Evansville’s economic opportunities, work as a conduit between
the City of Evansville and prospective businesses, work to promote
Evansville’s community development as a way to attract businesses and
develop incentives for businesses.
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 8 Evansville Economic Development Plan
Other communities have this type of centralized person or entity in place
including Main Street Programs, Economic Development Corporations, and
hybrid actions such as in Milton, Wisconsin. EDC does not have the
information necessary to decide what structure would work best for an
Alliance in Evansville. Therefore, EDC’s first action step is to explore and
identify various options and make a recommendation to the City Council by
December of 2008.
While researching Alliance structures, EDC will undertake the following
strategic actions immediately:
1. Workforce Development: EDC will work with the Evansville Community
School District to investigate opportunities for a RISE Grant program to
parallel the framework of the Department of Public Instruction’s
Framework for 21 st Century Skills program. EDC will prompt this
investigation by October 1, 2008.
2. Downtown Revitalization: EDC will work with the Chamber of
Commerce to collect an inventory of available store fronts downtown.
EDC will request that the Chamber of Commerce complete this inventory
by October 1, 2008.
3. Business, Community and Government Relations: EDC is taking on the
work necessary to make a recommendation to the City Council for an
Alliance, as described above. This process is central to achieving the
goals of this Task Force.
4. Marketing: Improved signage in Evansville, primarily “way-finding
signs,” is in progress. The signs are expected to be installed by October,
2008.
5. Entrepreneurial Environment: EDC will work with the Chamber of
Commerce to start an Inventors & Entrepreneur’s club in Evansville, with
the goal of holding the first meeting by October 1, 2008. In addition, the
Chamber of Commerce is working with the Eager Free Public Library to
inform the community of the business resources available at the Library.
A public meeting regarding these resources is scheduled for September,
2008.
These are the first steps for implementing the Economic Development Plan.
Full details are included in the Appendix. EDC expects to charge the
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 9 Evansville Economic Development Plan
Alliance, once it is active and empowered, with the primary responsibility for
implementing the full Economic Development Plan. EDC anticipates that the
Alliance will be composed of a variety of community organizations and that it
will operate with the assistance of EDC, as needed. The Alliance will be
accountable to the EDC for implementation of the Economic Development
Plan.
OUTCOME MEASUREMENT
The Economic Development Committee will lead the progress review process
of the Plan by:
§ Requesting quarterly progress reports on the various strategic issues.
§ Meeting with selected “champions” or others involved with
implementation of the goals, as needed, to more fully understand progress
or adjust action plans as needed.
§ Discussing the overall progress of meeting the Plan’s goals and objectives
at least once every six months.
§ Reviewing the overall strategy at least once a year.
§ Using the Action Plans as a guide for topics for agendas for the Economic
Development Committee meeting agendas.
§ Requesting measurement assessments from the appropriate parties.
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 10 Evansville Economic Development Plan
APPENDIX
§ Focus Groups Report
§ Phone Interview Report
§ Summit Report
§ Task Forces Report
▲ _______________________________________________________________WHALEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
©Whalen & Associates, Inc. 11 Evansville Economic Development Plan