HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 12/13/2011 - UPDATE ON THE ECONOMIC HEALTH STRATEGIC PLANNING PDATE: December 13, 2011
STAFF: Bruce Hendee
Josh Birks
Pre-taped staff presentation: available
at fcgov.com/clerk/agendas.php
WORK SESSION ITEM
FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
Update on the Economic Health Strategic Planning Process with the City’s Consultant Team and
Staff.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Fort Collins’ Economic Action Plan was first developed in 2005 and has been updated
annually as part of the Budgeting for Outcomes process. Now, more than five years later, it is time
to re-evaluate the Economic Action Plan and develop a revised Economic Health Strategic Plan.
City Council approved $150,000 in one-time funding from the Keep Fort Collins Great funding
allocation for this project in 2011.
TIP Strategies from Austin, TX was selected to lead this process. TIP staff was present at the May
10, 2011 Work Session to present their overall scope of services and have an initial conversation
with the City Council about the project. TIP staff returned on July 12, 2011, to present the draft
Economic Assessment and sought input on a draft strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
(SWOT) analysis and potential list of benchmark communities. TIP staff is returning to present an
overview of the Draft Economic Health Strategic Plan. The Plan is intended to refine the mission
of the Economic Health Office and provide an action plan for the next five years.
GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
1. Does City Council have any questions or comments on the draft Economic Health Strategic
Plan?
2. Does City Council have any questions or concerns about the overall project?
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
The draft Plan is founded the guiding principal of “A Vibrant, Resilient Economy.” The Plan
proposes that such an economy contains three essential ingredients:
• Create more and better economic opportunity for the community
• Diversify the tax base to help insulate Fort Collins from economic fluctuations
• Preserve Fort Collins’ unique quality of place and culture.
December 13, 2011 Page 2
The draft Plan refines the Economic Health Vision for Fort Collins into a unifying thread / theme
that can span across the principle projects, collaboration, research, and City policies related to
promoting a vibrant, resilient economy in Fort Collins. The draft vision is:
“Fort Collins will be a living laboratory for the application and development of
innovative systems to support cities of the future.”
The draft Plan proposes a variety of action steps organized around four key objectives. These
objectives include:
1. A comprehensive, collaborative, and effective structure for managing economic
development in Fort Collins.
2. A robust innovation ecosystem and economy that supports companies at all stages of growth.
3. A complete system for talent management that meets the needs of current and future
employers.
4. High quality community assets and infrastructure necessary to attract and retain employers
and talent.
The complete draft Plan is attached for review (Attachment 1). In addition, a copy of the
presentation to be present by TIP staff is provided as an overview (Attachment 3).
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Economic Health Strategic Plan
2. Work Session Summaries, May 10, 2011 and July 12, 2011
3. Consultant Powerpoint presentation
106 East 6th Street, Suite 550 | Austin, Texas 78701 | 512.343.9113 | www.tipstrategies.com
ECONOMIC HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN
December 2011
ATTACHMENT 1
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 1
SUMMARY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3
FRAMEWORK .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
7
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ECONOMIC HEALTH .................................................................................................................................................
7
VISION ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................
8
OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................................................................................
8
OBJECTIVE 1 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
10
STRATEGIES ................................................................................................................................................................................................
11
OBJECTIVE 2 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
17
STRATEGIES ................................................................................................................................................................................................
18
OBJECTIVE 3 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
23
STRATEGIES: ...............................................................................................................................................................................................
24
OBJECTIVE 4 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
29
STRATEGIES: ...............................................................................................................................................................................................
30
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 2
SUMMARY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TIP Strategies, Atlas Advertising, and Isaac Barchas would like to thank the many individuals who
participated in the development of this plan. We are particularly grateful to the business and public
sector representatives who generously gave their time and input. Their knowledge and creativity
contributed greatly to our understanding Fort Collins’ development opportunities and our
recommendations.
We would also like to thank the leadership, staff, and the Economic Advisory Commission of the City
of Fort Collins for their critical guidance, support, and feedback.
Mayor and City Council
Karen Weitkunat, Mayor
Kelly Ohlson, Mayor Pro Tem, District 5
Ben Manvel, Councilmember, District 1
Lisa Poppaw, Councilmember, District 2
Aislinn Kottwitz, Councilmember, District 3
Wade Troxell, Councilmember, District 4
Gerry Horak, Councilmember, District 6
City Manager
Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Bruce Hendee, Assistant to the City Manager
Economic Health
Josh Birks, Economic Advisor
Claire Thomas, Marketing and Publicity Specialist
Megan Bolin, Planner
Urban Renewal Authority
Christina Vincent, Redevelopment Program Administrator
ABOUT US
TIP STRATEGIES, INC. is a privately held Austin-based
economic development consulting firm committed to
providing quality solutions for public and private-sector
clients. Established in 1995, the firm's primary focus is
economic development strategic planning.
Jon Roberts, Managing Director
Caroline Alexander, Project Manager
Kathleen Baireuther, Consultant
ATLAS ADVERTISING has helped 60+ communities in 35+
states lead and support economic growth and development in
their communities. They have helped organizations face the
national and prospect marketplace in ways they have never
done before, increasing inquiry levels, prospect activity, and
stakeholder engagement.
Ben Wright, CEO
Peter Brown, Creative Director
Keeley Sullivan, Senior Account Manager
ISAAC BARCHAS, executive director of the Austin
Technology Incubator, is a national expert in
commercialization/technology transfer and a global expert in
business incubation and entrepreneurial support. During his
tenure with the University of Texas, he has served as the
director of the Austin Technology Incubator and an associate
director of the IC2 Institute. In addition, Isaac acted as advisor
on incubation and commercialization strategy to teams from
multiple nations.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 3
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Fort Collins enjoys an economic, social, and environmental vibrancy that is the envy of
many communities its size. Economic engines that include Colorado State University,
Poudre Valley Health System, Hewlett Packard, and Woodward employ almost 13,000
workers and represent a diverse array of industry sectors. A burgeoning culture of
entrepreneurship has produced a number of home-grown companies whose products
now reach markets across the world. These include New Belgium Brewery, Otterbox,
and Envirofit. Furthermore, the city’s location at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains
along the Poudre River provides residents and visitors with access to a wide-array of
natural amenities. The lively historic downtown is yet another community asset. These
attributes have contributed to the growth of Fort Collins, which approximately 20% over
the last decade from 118,000 residents in 2000 to 143,000 in 2010.
The Challenge
Though the local economy out-performed the national economy throughout most of the
1990s, it has more recently tracked the national economy very closely. In addition, the
2000 and 2008 recessions put the economy and its health at the forefront of the city’s
mind, demonstrating that Fort Collins is not insulated from powerful economic shocks.
When the Internet bubble burst, Fort Collins’s unemployment rate doubled, reaching
almost 6%. More recently, during the Great Recession, unemployment peaked at 8.5%.
In comparison to the national economy, which reached a peak unemployment rate of
9.7%, Fort Collins fared well. Nevertheless, the effects of the economic downturn were
deeply felt by many in the community, particularly by the 7,000 unemployed residents.
The economic backdrop and business cycle have created an environment where
economic health is currently a concern, but the risk is that this concern is only
temporary. When a positive economic climate returns, the interest in the city’s economic
health program could wane. There are, however, compelling reasons for a sustained
interest in economic health. These reasons include: chronic underemployment, fiscal
sustainability, and economic diversification.
FORT COLLINS TOP EMPLOYERS BY EMPLOYEE COUNT
Company
Colorado State University
Poudre School District
Poudre Valley Health Care
Larimer County
City of Fort Collins
Center Partners
Woodward Governor
Hewlett Packard
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Avago Technologies
Source: City of Fort Collins.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES COMPARED
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 4
INTRODUCTION
Underemployment. Many residents of Fort Collins are significantly under-employed,
indicating a mismatch of skills between residents and the jobs available in Fort
Collins. Approximately 40% of the population age 25 or older has an advanced
degree. However, close to two-thirds of the jobs require only on-the-job training or
prior experience.
This poses a threat to the city’s ability to retain talent, especially if residents choose
to accept jobs for which they are over-qualified. If not, it creates a situation where
highly educated residents must commute to other communities for work and local
employers must recruit outside the city to find workers. This can cause additional
stress to regional transportation networks. Either way, bringing the skills of residents
and the talent requirements of employers into balance can greatly benefit the city.
Fiscal Sustainability. With a deep dependence on sales tax revenues, the city is
overly vulnerable to business cycles. During the most recent recession, sales tax
collections dropped from $77 million in 2007 to $71 million in 2009. By 2010, tax
receipts had recovered to $74 million, but three years of low sales tax collections
forced the city to make dramatic budget cuts. These cuts, however, were on top of
previous cuts in planned and existing expenses that had been made over the course
of the past 5 years. By 2010, the city had significant unfunded current and future
needs in areas such as street maintenance, public safety, and parks and recreation.
In 2010, there was a successful campaign to raise the sales tax rate by .85%, which
went into effect on January 1, 2011. This alleviated the current situation, but the city’s
fiscal situation remains vulnerable to further economic stresses.
Expanding the city’s tax base is the surest way to secure Fort Collins’s fiscal future.
Increasing the industrial and commercial tax base can help transfer some of the tax burden away from residents. In addition, this could result in more jobs in Fort
Collins, and keep employees and their dollars in the community. Finally, expanding the city’s retail offerings will also help bolster sales tax receipts.
While development is likely to occur organically in the community, the city’s participation in encouraging the expansion of its tax base should be careful and deliberate
to ensure that development is in line with its vision, culture, and values.
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ACHIEVED BY THE
POPULATION AGE 25 OR OLDER
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey, 2009)
THE THRESHOLD SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED OF THE MSA'S
EXISTING JOB BASE
Source: EMSI Complete Employment - 2011.2
no high school diploma
high school diploma or GED
some college but less than a 4-year degree
bachelor's degree or higher
Fort Collins City of
USA Colorado MSA Fort Collins
15%
28%
29%
28%
11%
23%
31%
36%
7%
20%
32%
41%
6%
15%
30%
49%
On-the-job training or previous experience
Vocational or 2-year degree
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 5
INTRODUCTION
Economic Diversification. The Fort Collins economy is relatively diverse, with 12 industry
sectors that employ over 5,000 residents. Of these 12 sectors, half pay less than the MSA’s
average wages and all but one sector pays less than the national average for those sectors.
In addition, five of the top employers are in the government sector. In fact, the government
sector is the MSA’s largest sector, accounting for 15% of all jobs. While the public sector
provides high quality jobs for residents, it does not directly add to the tax base of the city,
especially since their property is tax-exempt.
The city’s manufacturing sector, which accounted for 11% of the MSAs jobs in 2001,
contracted dramatically over the course of the decade and currently accounts for only 6% of
the jobs. Between 2001 and 2010, the sector lost almost 7,000 jobs. At the same time, Fort
Collins’s GDP for the sector rose from $1.1 billion to $1.7 billion, or 56%. This rise in
productivity has led to a transformation of the sector, leaving a significant portion of the
workforce either unemployed or uncertain of their future. This transformation has also created
opportunities for innovative models and technological solutions to address the new needs of
the sector.
These considerations highlight the importance of diversifying the regional economy. To raise
wages, expand the tax base, redeploy its production workers, and capture a part of the new
manufacturing sector, the city must be vigilant and creative on economic issues.
The Response
Since 2005, the City of Fort Collins has been actively engaged in promoting the economic
health of the city. Yet challenges persist. There are structural issues that will take decades to
address. The 2011 Economic Health Strategic Plan (EHSP) proposes to intensify the city’s
efforts both in the short term, and with an eye towards the more distant future.
One of the most important elements proposed in the 2011 EHSP is strengthening and
formalizing the city’s partnerships with local economic development stakeholders. This would
leverage the city’s resources devoted to economic health and increase the city’s overall
capacity for economic health programs. This will not be an easy step to take, but doing so
JOB BASE BY INDUSTRY SECTOR IN THE FORT
COLLINS MSA, 2010
Source: EMSI Complete Employment - 2011.2
MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN THE FORT COLLINS
MSA, 2001 - 2010
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 6
INTRODUCTION
could be the act that has the greatest impact on the overall vitality of the city.
Innovation should not only continue to play a central role, but should be an even greater emphasis. The 2011 EHSP proposes a variety of strategies to strengthen the
city and region’s innovation ecosystem. The goal is to create a more entrepreneurial culture, to better support entrepreneurs, and to enhance the city’s ability to retain
successful companies and talent. With numerous engines of innovation in the city, these programmatic recommendations hold great potential for growing and
expanding the tax and employment base of Fort Collins.
In addition, a talent management program should be initiated to ensure a strong pipeline of human resources to support existing and future employers. Putting in place
mechanisms for engaging employers will help synchronize workforce development programming and educational institutions with employers’ needs. At the same time,
specific outreach and education initiatives aimed at targeted groups will provide talent and employers with more opportunities to connect. Many of these initiatives
already exist, however, the better coordination of these existing activities with the addition of a few new programs will create a much stronger system that is more
responsive and dynamic.
Finally, strategic and catalytic projects will be mechanisms for improving the city’s assets and amenities. Here the goal of retaining (and, in some cases, selectively
attracting) businesses and talent can energize the innovation economy. The city can put in place the structure and process for moving these projects forward. A
collaborative approach that enfranchises the public sector, private enterprise, academia, and non-profits is essential. This partnership will be the key to the successful
implementation not only of the proposed catalyst projects but of the city’s economic health initiatives in general.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 7
FRAMEWORK
FRAMEWORK
The City of Fort Collins must have a clear vision for its economic health program to be
effective and successful. Such clarity provides guidance for programming as well as
investment decisions. It also provides a framework for measuring progress towards goals
and program outcomes. This creates a feedback loop that gives city officials and staff the
opportunity to evaluate initiatives and understand what is working and what is not. For
these reasons, we preface the Plan with guiding principles, a vision, and objectives that
serve as the foundation for the city’s economic health program.
Guiding Principles for Economic Health
The City of Fort Collins deliberately named its program “economic health” rather than the
standard “economic development.” This is an important distinction. It implies that the goal
of the city’s program is not merely to stimulate investment and growth but to ensure a
balanced and sustainable economy.
The economic health program seeks to create a vibrant, resilient economy. To
create such an economy, the programs of the Economic Health Office must promote
more and better economic opportunity for residents, diversify the tax base of Fort Collins,
and preserve Fort Collins’ unique quality of place and culture.
The city must leverage its resources and strengthen its programs by forging strong
partnerships with other public sector entities, academia, companies, and non-profits.
Collaboration between these groups is integral to the success of any economic health
program. It is a quadruple helix rather than the triple helix. Without it, the reach of the
city’s programs will fall short, resources could be underutilized, and returns on the city’s
investment in economic health will be lower. With it, the city’s economic health programs
can become both comprehensive and effective.
SUMMARY OF ECONOMIC HEALTH FRAMEWORK
Guiding Principles
A Vibrant, Resilient Economy
The collaboration of government, academia, companies, and non-
profits is the foundation of this approach.
1. Create more and better economic opportunity for residents
2. Diversify the tax base to help insulate Fort Collins from
economic shocks
3. Preserve Fort Collins’ unique quality of place and culture
Vision
Fort Collins will be a living laboratory for the application and
development of innovative systems to support cities of the
future.
The vision should be the unifying thread / theme across the principle
projects, collaboration, research, and city policies geared toward
promoting economic health in Fort Collins.
Objectives
1. A comprehensive, collaborative, and effective structure for
managing economic development in Fort Collins.
2. A robust innovation ecosystem and economy that supports
companies at all stages of growth.
3. A complete system for talent management that meets the
needs of current and future employers.
4. High quality community assets and infrastructure necessary
to attract and retain employers and talent.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 8
FRAMEWORK
Vision
A vision for economic health brings continuity and cohesion to the various initiatives aimed at promoting economic health across the city. It brings economic
development stakeholders together to operate under a single umbrella. It becomes the unifying theme across projects, collaboration, research, and policies
geared toward promoting economic health in Fort Collins. The vision proposed in this plan is as follows:
Fort Collins will be a living laboratory for the application and development
of innovative systems to support cities of the future.
This vision statement synthesizes the public input process and a review of what the city and its stakeholders are currently doing to promote economic health.
Many of the current initiatives are related to research on new ways of managing resources – these include Fort Collins Zero Energy District (Fort ZED), the city’s
waste analysis and spent grains project, the Mason Corridor bus rapid transit project, the research conducted at CSU’s Engine and Energy Conversion Lab
(EECL), and the Water Innovation Cluster’s Lake Canal Alternative Practices and In-stream Flow Demonstration Project. These new methods for managing
resources all have technology components with commercial applications and economic opportunities associated with them. These local innovations are both a
reflection of the culture of entrepreneurship in Fort Collins as well as an asset to the community’s economic and environmental health.
Innovation and entrepreneurship are foundational values in the Fort Collins economic model. Becoming a living laboratory requires intense coordination and
collaboration. It requires the participation of the City of Fort Collins as a large buyer and a distributor of public goods, the flexibility of its utilities who manage many
of the resources, the expertise of CSU researchers, and the openness of residents and the private sector to test new technologies. The concept of a “living
laboratory” can be a powerful economic engine for the local economy and a means of attracting investment to the region.
OBJECTIVES
To achieve the city’s mission of creating a vibrant and resilient economy, and to realize the vision of becoming a living laboratory, the city must establish objectives
to act as support. The four objectives identified as the pillars of this plan are:
1. A comprehensive, collaborative, and effective structure for managing economic development in Fort Collins.
2. A robust innovation ecosystem that supports companies at all stages of growth.
3. A complete system for talent management that meets the needs of current and future employers.
4. High quality community assets and infrastructure necessary to attract and retain employers and talent.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 9
FRAMEWORK
We have placed the objective of creating a better structure for managing economic
development first because we feel strongly that a well-organized, comprehensive
structure must be in place to implement the other three objectives. With that in place, the
city will be able to focus on its core initiatives. This will also allow existing programs to
move beyond basic business retention, expansion, and creation.
The vision and objectives laid out in this plan are meant to build upon what was
established in the city’s 2005 Economic Action Plan. The 2005 plan built a strong
foundation for the economic health program. The 2011 Economic Health Strategic Plan
(EHSP) aims to strengthen the foundation and scale up the economic health program
and increase its effectiveness.
As in the 2005 plan, the concept of the innovation economy still plays a central role in the
2011 EHSP. With the research and development capabilities present in Fort Collins
today, the city cannot afford to ignore this engine of economic prosperity. A stronger
innovation system for commercializing technologies, bringing products to market,
supporting entrepreneurship, and developing the resources and capital necessary to
cultivate businesses are the essence of the 2011 EHSP.
SUMMARY OF 2005 ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN
Economic Vision: A healthy economy reflecting the values of our
unique community in a change world.
Key Strategies:
▪ Diversify the economy
▪ Be proactive
▪ Form partnerships
▪ Balanced approach
Primary Achievements:
▪ Established a more robust economic health program within
the city
▪ Forged stronger partnerships with NCEDC and Chamber
▪ Launched industry cluster initiative
▪ Enhanced the city’s business incubation resources to
include physical space
▪ Developed Foothills Mall Redevelopment Plan
▪ Updated the buildable lands inventory
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 10
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
OBJECTIVE 1
A comprehensive & collaborative structure for economic development
The 2005 Economic Action Plan created a platform for a better coordinated economic health program within city
government. It created an economic lead team for implementing organization-wide. It also set the stage for
including economic health considerations in the city’s capital improvement plan and improving the business climate.
The city retained primary responsibility for managing basic economic development programs, including business
retention, expansion, and creation. It has partnered with other economic development stakeholders such as
Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC), the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce
(Chamber), the Small Business Development Center of Larimer County (SBDC), the Rocky Mountain Innosphere
(RMI), the industry cluster groups, and others, to assist with implementation. The city, however, has taken the
leadership role in managing and in many cases funding these programs. The city did cede the responsibility for business attraction to NCEDC.
The Economic Health Office (EHO), which is charged with managing economic health initiatives, includes
only the economic advisor, communications manager, and the redevelopment program administrator. This
is a lean staffing structure. In comparison, Fort Collins’ peer communities have a staff of 6 to 10
employees devoted to these programs. That said, the EHO has done a good job under the constraints,
but has less time available to focus on more strategic initiatives.
These basic programs are vital to maintaining a vibrant business community in Fort Collins and should be
continued and even expanded. While the current staffing pattern of the EHO does not support this, Fort
Collins is fortunate to have organizations who could potentially adopt these programs. There are 15 full-
time employees working in organizations related to economic development, including NCEDC, the
Chamber, RMI, and the SBDC. By forging stronger, formal partnerships with these organizations, the City
of Fort Collins can leverage its resources and free city staff up to focus on strategic initiatives. This move
would also have the added benefit of strengthening the overall economic development structure in Fort
Collins by unifying the efforts under a single vision and set of objectives. This in turn will expand the
capacity of the city to move its economic health program greatly beyond the basic “C.A.R.E. Model.”
PRIORITY PROJECTS
1. Economic Health Stakeholder Group
2. Contracts with service providers
3. Economic health toolbox
THE C.A.R.E. MODEL
CREATION. All local efforts to encourage the
formation of new business.
ATTRACTION. Traditional business recruitment
efforts such as community strategic planning,
industrial parks, tax incentives, and other
attraction strategies.
RETENTION. Activities targeted at existing firms,
such as job retention efforts.
EXPANSION. Encourage the expansion of
existing firms.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 11
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
The City of Fort Collins can better leverage its resources by contracting
with existing organizations to provide economic health services. The
NCEDC, Chamber, and RMI all have or can have additional funding
sources to supplement city funding. They can also build the general
expertise needed to create more robust basic programs. Contracting
these services out to service providers will allow the city to focus its
economic health program on strategic initiatives. Under this new model,
the city will need to clearly define its role and the role of its service
providers in administering Fort Collins economic health program.
STRATEGIES
1. Clearly define the role of the City in economic
health.
1.1. Manager: through policy, partnerships, and leadership ensure
the implementation of the EHSP and the provision of basic
economic health programs.
Create a concrete scope of work, procure services, and
structure a contract with service providers for business
creation, attraction, retention, and expansion services.
Monitor contracts and evaluate performance of service
providers.
Create an EHSP implementation team composed of city staff from relevant departments and representatives from service providers who will be
charged with responsibility for implementing specific strategies. Call the team together at regular intervals to report on progress, identify obstacles to
implementation, and jointly craft solutions.
Monitor the implementation of the EHSP through a set of discrete metrics (see Implementation Guide).
PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE
ECONOMIC HEALTH OFFICE
The new Economic Health Office will be one of three legs of the Sustainability
Services Area, along with Environmental Health and Social Sustainability. It will
have three divisions: Development Assistance, Business Assistance, and
Communications. These divisions will be assisted by the EHSP Implementation
Team, Catalyst Project Teams, and contracted service providers to manage the day-
to-day activities associated with the on-going economic health programs. The
Economic Health Stakeholder Group will provide input to the EHO to guide the
choice and prioritization of catalyst projects.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 12
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
1.2. Convener: Create an Economic Health Stakeholder Group (EHSG). This group would provide a platform for collaboration between parties that are
directly involved with shaping the economic future of the city. Membership would include:
1. private sector representation from the technology sector, healthcare, retail, tourism, and small business
2. foundations and non-profits
3. CSU and FRCC
Hold quarterly meetings to discuss collaboration opportunities, catalyst projects and initiatives needed to realize the economic health vision of Fort
Collins. The group should identify action items and assign responsibility to group members to ensure realization of priority projects. The city should
provide administrative support.
Identify and prioritize catalyst projects (See Objective 1, Strategy 1-1.3).
Create an online forum for continuous dialogue among the EHSG members.
1.3. Champion: advocate for policies and programs at the city that promote the economic health of Fort Collins.
Educate city staff and elected officials on the importance of the economic health program, through workshops and newsletters.
Seek economic opportunities related to city policies and
programs, particularly as they relate to sustainability.
Monitor the development process to ensure that it supports
business expansion, retention, and formation.
1.4. Catalyst: support projects through the economic development
toolbox.
With the Economic Health Stakeholder Group, devise and
maintain a list of priority catalyst projects with clearly
defined vision and goals for the project as it relates to the
city’s over-all vision.
Identify the appropriate partners for the project and form a
project team charged with moving the project forward.
Maintain a major projects list that tracks progress and
reports activities.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLBOX
Special Financing Districts
Tax Increment Financing
General Improvement District
Special Improvement District
Metropolitan Improvement District
Business Improvement District
Public Improvement Fee
Low-Interest Capital
Private Activity Bond
Section 108 Loan Guarantee
Tax Rebates
Use Tax Rebate
Personal Property Tax Rebate
For Low to Moderate Income Areas /
Individuals
New Market Tax Credit
Affordable Housing Fund
HOME Investment Partnership Grant
Community Development Block
Grants
Section 108 Loan Guarantee
Source: City of Fort Collins.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 13
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Cultivate connections with the developer and broker community to foster close working relationships.
1.5. Strategic Partner: assist developers and businesses to navigate the city’s development and economic assistance processes
(See Objective 4, Strategy 4-4.1).
Educate developers and businesses about services and programs available to them.
Serve as a resource for developers of projects in targeted development areas and for businesses expanding or growing in Fort Collins.
1.6. Educator: educate residents and elected officials about the importance of economic health programs.
Continue to use the Economic E-Newsletter to feature stories on various economic health initiatives within the city.
Create a module for Leadership Fort Collins to discuss the basics of economic development, how economic development is “done” in Fort Collins,
and why it is important.
Use the Coloradoan and local television news programs as communications partners for reaching residents and educating them about economic
development.
1.7. Reporter: report progress, performance, successes, etc.
Track performance metrics and outcome measures to understand the
success of the city’s economic health initiatives and the health of the city’s
economy, in general.
Create a standard report card to be updated annually that would make key
data and findings available to the general public that can be integrated into
the existing Community Scorecard.
Publicize successes from economic health initiatives as well as
entrepreneurial ventures to businesses and residents of Fort Collins.
2. Contract with local service providers to manage basic
economic development programs.
2.1. Create a detailed scope of work, procure services, and structure a contract
with service providers. The recommended division of responsibilities is as
follows:
PROPOSED RESPONSIBILITIES
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 14
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Chamber: BRE, workforce & education, young professionals, small business support system, advocacy
NCEDC: Business attraction, regional collaboration
RMI: Business incubation, industry cluster management, coordinator of innovation ecosystem
2.2. Monitor contracts and evaluate performance of service providers.
Include leadership of service providers in EHSP implementation team.
Through regular contact and communications with service providers, ensure the quality of the programs desired by the city.
Hold biannual updates from service providers to city council that includes output measures and program outcomes.
If the service providers fail to deliver the desired quality, re-issue a request for proposals (RFP) and award the contract through a competitive bidding
process to a new service provider.
3. Refine and improve foundational economic development initiatives: business creation, attraction, retention,
expansion.
3.1. Enhance Fort Collins’ business retention and expansion program.
City:
Establish and maintain relationships with major employers to keep a direct line
open to the business community.
Create a program for visiting the top 20 private employers in Fort Collins.
For those employers with headquarters located outside of Fort Collins, establish
relationships with the headquarters by meeting face to face with executive(s)
from the headquarters either in their home office or on a VIP trip to Fort Collins.
Establish and maintain a database of existing businesses in Fort Collins using
Sales and Use Tax licenses. Revise the application form to include information
useful for the BRE program, such as number of employees, email address of
contact, and applicable NAICS code.
Chamber:
Continue to expand the reach of the BRE survey and coordinate with NCEDC
BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION
As mentioned above, the City has focused its economic health programs
on a grow-your-own strategy. While innovation and business creation is
an important part of this kind of strategy, a robust business retention and
expansion program is more likely to pay higher dividends per dollar
invested. Existing businesses form the backbone of a thriving economy.
They typically represent the best opportunity for increasing the
employment and tax base of a community and the greatest economic
threat if they close or relocate.
The proposed strategies regarding the BRE program will strengthen the
City’s ties with its most important employers while expanding the reach of
the program. It will collect more information and provide resources to
synthesize, summarize, and distribute that information. It will also provide
a mechanism for responding to employers’ immediate needs.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 15
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
on the BRE survey to produce county-wide results.
Include questions on the survey for employers regarding their attitude toward the business climate, talent availability, and workforce quality in Fort
Collins. Also, ask employers what their primary challenge to doing business in Fort Collins is.
Conduct regular visits to at least 40 businesses each year; schedule in-person interviews to ask detailed questions about business needs.
Compile the results of the survey and key findings from the visits into an annual report on the state of Fort Collins’ businesses and the overall
business climate.
Create formal response mechanisms, such as a rapid response team, to address the needs of any employer facing closure or relocation outside of
Fort Collins. The team should be composed of representatives from the various economic development stakeholders that can directly address the
needs of the employer.
3.2. Coordinate with the Chamber to create stronger connections between components of Fort Collins’ small business support system.
Institute a more coordinated small business support network by fostering more interaction between small business service providers including the
Chamber, SBDC, the Poudre River Public Library Business and Non-Profit Center, Be Local Northern Colorado, Beet Street, and others.
Develop a shared information clearinghouse to provide sophisticated, high quality
industry and market information to small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Strengthen the capacity of the SBDC to provide the small business community
with one-on-one counseling.
Establish a more comprehensive technical assistance and training program that
offers workshops and training series for basic and advanced education for small
business owners.
Continue to encourage Fort Collins residents to support local business. Merge the
Shop Fort Collins First initiative and Be Local Northern Colorado initiative to avoid
duplication of efforts.
3.3. Work with NCEDC to recruit those companies vital to the success of Fort Collins
primary industry cluster initiatives.
Collaborate with the industry cluster groups to identify important components of
their industries missing in Fort Collins.
SAMPLE DATABASES TO PROMOTE
COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE
Company Information / Business Intelligence
D&B Million Dollar Database (www.dnbmdd.com/mddi/)
Hoovers (www.hoovers.com)
Demographic / Market Information
Demographics Now (www.demographicsnow.com)
ESRI (www.esri.com)
Nielsons Claritas (http://www.claritas.com)
New Sources and Web-based Research Tools
Ebsco Business Source Premier (www.ebscohost.com)
Factiva – Dow Jones (www.factiva.com)
IBISWorld (www.ibisworld.com)
Lexis/Nexis (www.lexisnexis.com)
Morningstar (www.morningstar.com)
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 16
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Actively recruit companies to fill those specific niches.
Be responsive to other prospects that mesh well with the culture and values of Fort Collins.
3.4. Collaborate more closely with Metro Denver to raise awareness of Fort Collins as an innovation hotbed in the region.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 17
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
OBJECTIVE 2
An innovation ecosystem that supports companies at all stages of growth.
With Colorado State University, federal research labs, and a
long list of innovative companies, Fort Collins has numerous
sources of innovation, intellectual property, and inventions
within its city limits. As a result, the city has one of the
highest rates of innovation in the US, producing 10 patents
per 10,000 residents. This fact coupled with the recognition
that entrepreneurship can be a powerful engine of economic
prosperity has led the city to identify innovation, in both the
2005 Economic Action Plan and the 2010 City Plan, as a cornerstone of the Fort Collins economy.
While having these sources of intellectual capital are essential to an innovation economy, it is not sufficient.
The city must also have a culture and support system that encourages this intellectual capital to be
commercialized, and for that commercialization (ideally) to take place in the city. In addition, it must provide
an environment that fosters business formation and expansion. Fortunately, Fort Collins has many of these
essential elements. There are, however, significant gaps in its “innovation ecosystem.”
The first is access to capital. In all of Colorado, 89 venture capital deals were funded in 2010, the large
majority of which went to the industrial / energy sector. Of these, less than 10 went to Fort Collins
companies. Fort Collins is not on the radar screens of most venture capital firms, even the ones in
Colorado. To foster the level of economic activity around the innovation occurring in Fort Collins, companies
must have better access to the capital needed to launch and grow their businesses.
The second gap lies in the culture of entrepreneurship in the city. The city and the university must
encourage innovators to spin-out companies around their discoveries and support entrepreneurs once the
companies have been formed. While Fort Collins does have an entrepreneurial spirit, its reach could be
greater, especially among CSU faculty and students.
PRIORITY PROJECTS
1. Expand RMI’s scope of services
2. Northern Colorado Angel Network
3. Raise awareness of Fort Collins as
innovation hotbed
TOP 20 CITIES FOR INNOVATION, 2010
Patents per 10,000 Residents
Metropolitan Area Patents
per 10,000
Residents
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 54.84
Corvallis, OR 29.21
Rochester, MN 26.45
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 26.41
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 24.21
Boulder, CO 20.33
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 19.59
Ann Arbor, MI 16.27
Boise City-Nampa, ID 15.38
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 14.51
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 14.27
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY 12.31
Ithaca, NY 12.11
Rochester, NY 12.07
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 11.78
Raleigh-Cary, NC 11.12
Trenton-Ewing, NJ 10.89
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 10.08
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 9.83
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 9.67
Source: US Patent Office, US Census, TIP Strategies calculations.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 18
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
The last significant gap is in Fort Collins’ ability to retain businesses once they have matured past the start-up phase. Fort Collins has three incubator facilities to
support start-up companies – the RMI, the Research Innovation Center (RIC), and the Engines and Energy Conversion Lab (EECL). It does not, however, have
many sites to accommodate those companies ready to graduate from these incubation facilities. Many of the communities surrounding Fort Collins do – these
communities include Loveland, Longmont, and Greeley – and some of those are willing to incentivize moves. This situation leaves the city at risk for subsidizing
start-up businesses and then losing them (once a return on the city’s investment would be realized). Furthermore, as important as retaining companies is,
retaining the entrepreneurial talent itself is more important.
STRATEGIES
1. Expand RMI’s role as the nexus for innovation in both Fort Collins and the Front Range.
1.1. Create an interface for continuous collaboration between academia, the private sector, the public
sector and non-profits to promote a more entrepreneurial culture and train entrepreneurial leadership
and talent.
Engage the leadership of organizations, enterprises and institutions that can move forward ideas
and projects to catalyze innovation in Fort Collins and the greater region.
Encourage innovation and collaboration through showcase events, speaker series, and
networking opportunities.
Continue to strengthen and expand RMI’s business incubation program.
Promote entrepreneurial education at Poudre School District, Front Range Community College,
and CSU by facilitating the creation of programs that focus on entrepreneurial training, technology
commercialization, and business formation.
Actively engage CSU students in entrepreneurial activities through student internships, capstone
projects, colloquia and conferences, and business plan contests that provide opportunities for
interaction with local entrepreneurs and innovative companies.
Interact with other innovative regions world-wide to stay informed of cutting-edge models for innovation.
The Quadruple Helix refers to
the interaction of four pillars in
innovation ecosystems:
1. knowledge institutions
2. enterprises
3. government, and
4. civil society.
- CLiQ
http://www.cliqproject.eu
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 19
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
1.2. Provide support for industry cluster managers.
Differentiate between existing clusters and growth clusters:
Emerging cluster – networking events, evaluation to determine sufficient
activity to warrant formal cluster organization.
Growth cluster – focus on R&D projects and collaboration,
commercialization and business formation, industry partners, supply chain
analysis, and strategic recruitment of key businesses and talent to enhance
support system for clusters.
Existing clusters – professional associations, no need to be 501(c)(3).
Incubate nascent groups through coordination of activities, outreach, and
information.
Provide administrative support for cluster groups that need less than full-
time support.
Serve as a resource for cluster managers on best practices and strategies
for cluster development.
In partnership with the city, coordinate a challenge grants program to fund
industry cluster projects.
For select industries, contract or hire industry experts to provide technical
know-how to support commercialization, business formation, and business
growth.
Periodically review industry clusters programs and economic data to identify
emerging clusters that need incubation support and to determine if existing
clusters have reached critical mass and no longer need incubation support.
A NEW RMI
The 2011 EHSP envisions an RMI that moves far beyond business
incubation and support. It becomes the centerpiece of Fort
Collins’s innovation economy. Its role would expand to coordinating
industry cluster groups, strengthening the innovation ecosystem,
and fostering a more entrepreneurial culture in the community.
To fulfill the vision, RMI will need additional resources, both
financial and human. Three service areas will be needed to fulfill
the mission. These are:
▪ Communications & Outreach. Engaging the community to
encourage a more entrepreneurial culture is essential. This
entails public relations to promote innovation-oriented success
in the community; communications with key audiences; and
engagement with potential investors. Working with volunteers
and mentors is an additional component of this task.
▪ Industry Clusters. This area will provide administrative support
for the industry clusters; provide information to cluster
managers; counsel small businesses in cluster areas; and
provide overall management of the cluster initiative.
▪ Business Assistance and Support. This area will continue to
provide technical assistance to entrepreneurs and also help
businesses secure capital. It will work closely with CSU
Ventures as well as interested students and faculty with the
goal of commercializing technologies and growing businesses.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 20
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
1.3. Continue to provide incubation services to start-ups with a renewed focus on
successful funding and exit.
Continue to provide networking and educational opportunities for
entrepreneurs through events such as Innovation After-Hours, and SAGE.
Raise the profile of RMI clients through a stringent application process and
initial screening.
Build a strong network of seasoned entrepreneurs, business service
providers, financing experts, and technical experts that are willing to
volunteer time to work with the most promising ventures.
Create a relationship map that provides entrepreneurs with access to Fort
Collins network of business services, technical know-how, capital sources,
and other resources.
Leverage existing training and technical assistance providers to educate
entrepreneurs in the basics of business (see Objective One, Strategy 3-
3.2).
1.4. Strengthen ties to innovation-driven communities.
Consider outside members to serve on local boards.
Actively develop entrepreneurial linkages with other incubators, institutes,
and businesses.
Organize visitations and exchanges to peer communities to share best
practices and lessons learned.
2. Attract, develop, and retain entrepreneurs and cutting-edge
companies.
2.1. Foster a nurturing entrepreneurial culture that anchors talent and companies in
Fort Collins.
Support RMI in its activities to promote an entrepreneurial culture (See Objective 2, Strategy 1-1.1).
CREATING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE
Involve entrepreneurs in leadership, strategy development as well
as policy development.
Engage students through leadership training, entrepreneurship
education, and incorporating elements of entrepreneurship in
general curriculum.
Celebrate successes to reinforce cultural change, build momentum
for entrepreneurship, and encourage innovation.
- Deb Markley, RUPRI.
CASE STUDY: CENTRAL TEXAS ANGEL NETWORK
The Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN) was founded in 2006
under the leadership of local entrepreneur Jamie Rhodes with
support from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. CTAN
provides funding from $200,000 to $2 million through its network of
SEC accredited investors. Each of its investors pay a membership
fee to encourage only serious investors to join. The executive
director of CTAN carefully screens deals to ensure that high quality,
investment-ready deals are presented to the network. In addition,
CTAN has created a larger network of other angel investment
networks in the state of Texas that it can syndicate its deals to and
vice versa.
For more information, visit: www.centraltexasangelnetwork.com
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 21
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Incorporate entrepreneurs in the Economic Advisory Commission and in Economic Health Stakeholder Group.
Use local media outlets to celebrate entrepreneurial ventures and stories.
Showcase local innovations and innovators in community centers including Old Town, the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, and Foothills Mall.
2.2. Build a robust capital network as part of NoCo Capital by formalizing access to the capital already present in Fort Collins and building better
relationships with the venture community outside of Fort Collins.
Establish a pre-seed fund through monetary and in-kind donations.
Formalize an angel network in Northern Colorado and form a syndication
network with other regional angel networks to bolster deal flow.
Actively market qualified Fort Collins-based start-ups to non-local investors
to get Fort Collins on their radar. Particularly, focus on Denver and Boulder
investors.
Encourage and support local entrepreneurs in tapping into federal funding
sources by applying for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants,
Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR) and other programs
available to entrepreneurs.
Expand the revolving loan fund seeded by the Section 108 HUD grant by
seeking funding from organizations such as the US Economic Development
Agency (EDA). Consider contracting with a Community Development
Financial Institution to manage fund.
2.3. Raise awareness of Fort Collins as a hotbed of innovation to catch the eye of
both investors and entrepreneurial talent.
Leverage CSU alumni network to communicate with alumni who are
entrepreneurs, looking to invest in Fort Collins, or looking to return to Fort
Collins.
Partner with entrepreneurship support organizations in the Greater Denver region to market opportunities in Fort Collins to a broader Colorado
technology-executive talent pool.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) provide
access to credit to underserved communities. Many CDFIs focus on
small business lending and venture capital investing in low-income
and minority businesses as well as start-ups.
CDFIs create funds through grants, donations, and low-cost loans
from a variety of sources. The two largest sources are the US
Treasury’s CDFI Fund and commercial banks who lend to CDFIs to
receive Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) credit. The EDA also
provides funding to CDFIs. Starbucks recently announced its Jobs
for USA program, which it will donate to CDFIs to be loaned out.
Venture-oriented CDFIs such as New Mexico Community Capital
and Pacific Community Ventures invest in businesses with high
growth potential that will provide market rates of returns will
improving the quality of life in underserved areas. Such models
could be excellent mechanisms for tapping into community capital
and expanding entrepreneurs’ access to credit.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 22
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Market what Fort Collins and CSU are doing regarding technology start-ups to the specialists and executives already in Fort Collins, especially those
at large firms.
2.4. Expand Fort Collins’s capacity to support technology commercialization and product development.
Work with local manufacturers and companies to create an asset map of the resources and services available in the region to support product
development and early-stage manufacturing.
Identify areas of the product lifecycle that Fort Collins does not currently (but should) support with local services.
Develop projects and strategies to address the above gaps.
2.5. Ensure that companies have the appropriate space to grow in Fort Collins’s city limits (see Objective Four, Strategy 2) and the appropriate talent (See
Objective 3, Strategy 3).
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 23
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
OBJECTIVE 3
A talent management system that anticipates employers’ needs
Fort Collins is fortunate to have a strong labor pool and a formidable talent magnet (CSU). The population is young
and well-educated, and is naturally attracted to Fort Collins. With almost 30,000 students and 1,500 faculty, CSU
creates a constant churn of young adults and university-related talent. Anecdotally, we heard that people so want to
live in Fort Collins that they are willing to move there without a job and accept employment for positions for which
they are over-qualified. At first glance it would seem as though under-employment is the only concern regarding
talent. Upon further inspection, however, major employers voiced a number of concerns. Issues such as skill
shortages in technical occupations, minority recruitment, and work-readiness of high school students are issues
worth addressing before they become
formidable obstacles to business retention and attraction.
Fort Collins’ high tech employers face nationwide skill shortages in technical occupations such
as engineering. While recruiting talent to Fort Collins is generally not a challenge, it is,
however, very difficult to attract minorities and even more difficult to retain them. This matters
to those companies who have stringent diversity requirements to meet. In addition, some
employers also commented that the work readiness of high school students was not sufficient.
None of these issues have a material impact on employers’ abilities to do business at this time,
but these are important trends to understand and monitor. These types of issues can be
detected and addressed early-on by developing a mechanism for greater interaction between
employers, education, workforce, and economic development.
In addition to challenges voiced by area employers, the available jobs do not necessarily meet
the skill level of the residents. Fort Collins boasts a young, highly-educated workforce that is
largely under-employed. Forty-one percent of the population in the MSA has earned a bachelor
degree or higher, yet only 25% of the jobs require that level of education. In fact, 65% of the
jobs in the MSA require only on-the-job training or previous experience.
PRIORITY PROJECTS
1. Workforce Development Program
2. Involvement of Colleges of Business
& Engineering
3. Conference Strategy
COMPARATIVE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
BY AGE
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey, 2009)
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 24
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
One contributing factor to the underemployment challenge is that the Fort Collins’s labor market does not always offer open access. According to focus groups
and interviews, young professionals in Fort Collins noted that the community “feels small once you’re in” but they also commented on the challenges of “breaking
in” professionally. Many young professionals who found jobs quickly in the community were able to do so by virtue of personal and family networks, and many of
the positions were either created for them or were not advertised to the public at-large. The risk of a tight-knit social network as a driver for employment is that
newcomers could be discouraged by their inability to break into existing professional networks. Creating a platform for newcomers, recent graduates, under-
employed workers, and relocated professionals to become engaged with the community is an important element of talent management. It gives younger people –
and people moving to the area in general – an opportunity to establish a social network in the community.
Ultimately, the success of an innovation economy lies in the strength of its talent pipeline. A coordinated effort to fill out the talent pipeline will greatly enhance the
region’s innovation ecosystem and entrepreneurial culture.
STRATEGIES:
1. Create and staff a workforce development program.
1.1. Work more closely with Larimer County Workforce Center.
Incorporate Fort Collins’ target industries into the Workforce Center’s set of target industries to bring about closer coordination of training programs
and emerging industries.
Promote the Workforce Center’s services to businesses and talent across Fort Collins.
1.2. Collect, analyze, and report workforce data to enhance the community’s understanding of its labor force, market, and industry issues.
Conduct an annual employer survey that collects current and localized information on Fort Collins’ labor force and labor shed.
On an annual basis, publish a Fort Collins workforce report that provides an overview of pertinent labor market information and highlights important
accomplishments, programs, and issues in workforce development
Update basic labor market information on a quarterly basis.
1.3. Create a taskforce comprised of employers, education institutions, workforce development, and the city.
Create programs to address the primary issues raised by the taskforce.
Meet on a quarterly basis to discuss on-going programs and initiatives as well as issues.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 25
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Engage employers through meaningful participation and support
in programs and initiatives aimed at resolving their specific
workforce issues and improving workforce training, including K-12
education.
2. Promote opportunities for leadership training,
professional development, and networking.
2.1. Facilitate greater levels of civic engagement.
Continue City Works, Leadership Fort Collins, and Envision:
Young Professionals as a means of training future leaders,
educating them about opportunities to participate in the
community, and engaging them. Coordinate the programs to
better define their distinct purposes and/or audiences to create a
more robust leadership development initiative.
Encourage emerging leaders to apply for seats on city boards and
commissions by hosting workshops on what the various boards
and commissions do and providing information on which seats are
available.
Work with local organizations, businesses, and institutions of
higher education to develop a volunteer clearinghouse to connect
emerging leaders with other opportunities to get involved with the
community.
Create an annual awards program to honor individuals making a
difference in the community.
2.2. Provide professional development opportunities.
Promote internship, mentorships and apprenticeship programs for high school students and university students.
Market CSU and FRCC continuing education programs to young professionals through relevant organizations.
Establish a mentorship program within the Chamber of Commerce.
TALENT ENGAGEMENT – COLUMBUS, OHIO
The Columbus Region has a median age of 34.7 and is home to
approximately 30 colleges and universities with a total enrollment of more
than 120,000 students and 20,000+ annual graduates. In 2006, the
Columbus Chamber, in partnership with public and private organizations,
launched a three-pronged initiative to engage and retain this significant local
talent base.
Columbusinternships.com
The Columbus Chamber created a website where college students can
obtain meaningful internships with local employers.
Young Professional Connectivity
Each week the Columbus Chamber collects events and activities from Young
Professionals' Organizations, corporations, philanthropic organizations and
community councils to populate an email newsletter. In addition to the
newsletter, the Chamber staffs a young professionals manager position and
its website lists approximately 60 different Columbus organizations for young
professionals.
Liveworkplaycolumbus.com
Working with the human resource and recruitment community, the Columbus
area Chamber has developed a comprehensive website to assist Columbus
region employers in "selling" the region to prospective employees.
For more information, visit http://www.columbus.org/business-
resources/workforce-development/
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 26
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
2.3. Enhance access to and awareness of local employment
opportunities.
Launch an on-line, Fort Collins-centric job and gig board to
increase connectivity between employers and talent. Link to
the board from other Fort Collins websites including the City,
Chamber, Convention & Visitors Bureau, RMI, and CSU
Alumni Network, and CSU Career Center. Indeed.com
provides a low-cost option for accomplishing this.
Encourage employers to post job and internship opportunities
on the Fort Collins job and gig board.
Create opportunities for newcomers and job-seekers to
network with local entrepreneurs and industry leaders in Fort
Collins area businesses.
3. Strengthen the talent pipeline.
3.1. Engage the CSU Alumni Network as a key source of talent.
Partner with the CSU Alumni Association to communicate to
alumni about the innovation and related events happening in
Fort Collins.
Make Fort Collins job and gig board available to CSU Alumni
(See Objective 3, Strategy 2-2.3).
Host alumni reception(s) at RMI with regional alumni groups
to showcase what Fort Collins is doing.
Sponsor a CSU Alumni entrepreneurs network to build a
strong connection between RMI and CSU Alumni
entrepreneurs, even if they are not currently located in Fort
Collins.
THE CSU ALUMNI NETWORK: BY THE NUMBERS
Approximately 30,000 students are currently enrolled at CSU, including resident
and non-resident instruction students. The university has approximately 1,500
faculty. CSU received more than $300 million in sponsored research in 2010,
ranking the university in the top 3 percent of institutions without a medical school
for research expenditures.
In addition to the significant assets flowing into the community on an annual basis,
CSU has 184,586 living alumni with 27 geographic alumni groups (4 in Colorado
and 23 out of state) representing 17 states and 16 common interest groups.
INDEED.COM: OPTIONS FOR JOB & GIG BOARD
Fort Collins can promote local employment opportunities by integrating job posting
and job search tools from Indeed.com into existing websites. This is a low-hassle
way for the Chamber, City, CVB, and other organizations to engage talent by
creating a portal for employers to post jobs and job-seekers to access those
listings. In addition to adding valuable content across multiple platforms, each
organization can also generate revenue by becoming an access point for job
postings.
Instant Job SiteTM. The Indeed Instant Job Site is a way to add a full job search
experience to a website, with job listings powered by Indeed. Employers pay a fee
to post jobs, and searching for jobs is free to users.
JobrollTM. The Jobroll can be added to a site to provide continuously updated job
links. The pay-per-click job links can be targeted to the interests and locations of
the audience.
Job Search Boxes and Text Links. Indeed.com job search boxes can be
embedded in the website.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 27
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Reach out to successful entrepreneurs and executives who are
CSU Alumni and invite them to join RMI’s initiatives.
3.2. Increase the involvement of CSU, in particular the Colleges of
Business and Engineering, as sources of entrepreneurial talent.
Strengthen the existing entrepreneurship program in the College
of Business and extend its reach across campus.
Introduce intensive business formation courses and events such
as Venture Labs and 3-Day Start-Up to generate interest in and
momentum for student-led entrepreneurial ventures.
Create a student internship program at RMI to prepare students
for employment in start-up and young companies.
Continue to explore ways of engaging faculty in technology
commercialization and business formation through the revision
of tenure policies to factor in such activities, by educating faculty
about commercialization, and by fostering a more
entrepreneurial culture at CSU in general.
Coordinate continuing education programs in partnership with
RMI and the SBDC to provide a full range of education opportunities to entrepreneurs.
3.3. Leverage the knowledge base of seasoned entrepreneurs in Fort Collins.
Continue to recruit volunteer advisors to participate in RMI.
Create networking opportunities for new entrepreneurs to interact with seasoned entrepreneurs.
Host a speaker series that features seasoned entrepreneurs talking about lessons learned and topics of interest.
4. Use tourism and visitation as a talent and business outreach strategy to support industry cluster development.
4.1. Update CVB Website to also serve as portal for talent and businesses interested in relocating to Fort Collins.
For individuals looking to relocate to Fort Collins, include links to relocation information on the Chamber Website and job searching tools.
For entrepreneurs, include links to RMI and www.FortCollinsInnovation.com.
SILICON VALLEY COMES TO THE UK
The Silicon Valley Comes to UK program is an invitation-only series of events
that bring together leading investors, iconic serial entrepreneurs, ambitious
students and successful angels from the UK with leading Silicon Valley serial
entrepreneurs and investors to discuss, debate, create and fund today's most
disruptive internet and green technologies that will change our world in the
years to come.
The objective is to inspire students and alumni to consider starting or joining an
entrepreneurial business at some point after graduation and to foster
relationships between the leading entrepreneurs, angels and investors from
Silicon Valley and Europe.
At the 2011 forum, the movers and shakers from Silicon Valley shared their
views about the new and innovative business models they see as the most
disruptive across the Gaming and the Consumer Internet sectors.
For more information, visit http://www.svc2uk.com/
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 28
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
For businesses, include links to Economic Health Office and NCEDC.
4.2. Coordinate a conference strategy that would bring key talent and businesses to Fort Collins.
Partner with industry cluster managers, the CVB and CSU Conference Services to identify conferences and events as well as groups of
professionals and businesses that would help strengthen Fort Collins’ industry clusters.
Recruit conferences to Fort Collins or plan conferences or symposia that would appeal to targeted groups of professionals and businesses.
Use these conferences as opportunities to showcase Fort Collins to these targeted audiences.
4.3. Support the development of a blue-ribbon hotel and conference center in or adjacent to downtown (see Objective 4, Strategy 1).
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 29
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
OBJECTIVE 4
A variety of high-quality amenities that reflect the values of the community
The City of Fort Collins ranks at the top of many lists, including: “Most Economically Vibrant College Towns;” “Best
Bicycle Cities;” “'Smarter Cities' for Energy;” and “Best Places to Live.” The city enjoys a scenic setting in the
foothills of the Rocky Mountains as well as a moderate climate that attracts avid athletes, entrepreneurs, students,
and retirees. The community also boasts amenities such as award-winning schools, a large research university, and
a thriving arts and music scene. These community assets and amenities are invaluable in creating the quality of
place that supports a vibrant economy.
The City of Fort Collins is committed to maintaining and improving it community assets
and amenities in recognition of its importance to economic health. The city’s investment
in the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is one example of this commitment. In addition,
recent capital improvement initiatives have enabled the city to build Gateway Park,
Edora Skate Park, the new city office building at 215 N. Mason, the Downtown Transit
Center and the Civic Center Parking Structure. Funds were also used for numerous
street improvements, to provide a second sheet of ice for Edora Pool and Ice Center and
to construct a new Community Horticulture Center. The city has also identified areas for
infill and redevelopment and continues to enhance the physical and natural environment
of Fort Collins. This continuous investment in community assets and amenities has paid
high dividends.
Amenities attract skilled, talented workers, and private employers locate and expand
where they can find the best talent. However, expanding and relocating in Fort Collins is
difficult, both because of the scarcity of larger commercial and industrial space and
because of the political nature of the development approval process. This poses a threat
to the tax base and ultimately to fiscal sustainability. Investment in a “grow-your-own”
strategy for economic development will only be rewarded if local employers possess
both the capacity and desire to grow within the city limits.
PRIORITY PROJECTS
1. Hotel Conference Center
2. Business Park Feasibility
FORT COLLINS HONORS & AWARDS
One of America's 20 Most Economically Vibrant College
Towns: TheAtlanticCities.com - September 2011
Ranked 5th Best Places for Business and Careers: Forbes -
June 2011
One of the Top 10 Cities Adopting Smart Grid
Technology: U.S.News and World Report - May 2011
Top Colorado City for Job Growth, Fort Collins-Loveland: 2011
Best Cities for Job Growth, newgeography.com - May 2011
Named 5th Most Educated City in the country based on
education level of the adult population: Portfolio.com - December
2010
One the Top 25 Best Places to Retire: CNNMoney.com -
September 2010
One of the Top 10 Best College Towns: Small-Sized Cities
Category, USA Today - September 2010
One of the top six 'Smarter Cities' for Energy: Natural Resources
Defense Council, (population 100,000-249,999) - August 2010
6th Best Place to Live in the Nation: Money Magazine - July 2010
Ranked 4th Best Places for Business and Careers: Forbes - April
2010
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 30
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
STRATEGIES:
1. Create a new model for a downtown conference
center
1.1. Identify uses for the space that will foster innovation,
collaboration, networking, and socializing.
Work with CSU and the CVB to identify programming
priorities and basic requirements for the conference
center.
Collaborate with existing public-private entities to
brainstorm unique uses for the space that would highlight
the character of the community.
Identify additional uses that could offer additional revenue
streams to support the space (i.e. weddings, family
reunions, corporate retreats, etc.)
1.2. Engage outside experts in the development of the concept.
Engage an Urban Land Institute Advisory Panel to assist
in creating a new model for a conference center.
With the “new model” in place, issue a Request for
Proposal that would encourage participants to translate
principles into a concrete conference center design.
Invite the community to vote on proposed designs for the
facility.
CONFERENCE CENTER STRATEGY
The conference center should be envisioned as a departure from traditional
conference and convention centers. It should reflect the spirit of entrepreneurship,
innovation, and collaboration in the community and should function as a major center
of activity. This would free-up academic space at the college and strengthen physical
linkages between the campus area and nearby downtown.
Such a facility would support the overall growth of CSU by helping to raise its profile.
In addition to the direct benefits typically associated with a convention center, such as
increased tax revenues and employment, a conference center can also have
significant indirect advantages. It can help establish a community identity, spur
additional development, and provide an amenity to local citizens.
Fort Collins should create a structure that reflects the goals of the community and the
range of uses the stakeholders envision for the space. Replicating existing structures
adds only marginal value; envisioning and executing on a new model for meeting
spaces and community engagement will set the city apart. Conference center
planners have begun embracing new concepts of “meeting architecture.” The result
has been facilities that feature uniquely designed settings, technical sophistication,
and specialized services geared toward gatherings of all types. In addition to hosting
conferences, for example, the space could bring the city and university together in
one downtown space. CSU could host executive education programs and academic
conferences with private sector partners. RMI could provide some of its services to
entrepreneurs in the same venue.
The goal should be to go beyond hosting conferences, and to instead create a
physical space where businesses, entrepreneurs, students, and visitors can convene
in Fort Collins’ historic downtown.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 31
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
2. Ensure that companies in Fort Collins have
options for expansion and relocation within the
city limits.
2.1. Conduct a needs assessment to determine types of space
that will most likely be in demand.
Collaborate with CSU, RMI, and the regional development
community to understand what types of commercial and
industrial space is available, what is currently in demand,
and what the most promising companies are likely to
need.
Work with the industry cluster managers to identify typical
space requirements needed to support industry clusters.
Survey clients of RMI, the EECL, and the RIC to
understand what their future needs will likely be.
Aggregate and present this information to the local
development community to inform them of the likely short-
term and long-term needs of Fort Collins’ businesses.
2.2. Work with the broker community to create and maintain an
inventory of available space in Fort Collins that meet the
above criteria.
Partner with Harmony Technology Park to market their
available space to companies looking to expand or
relocate in Fort Collins.
Assist the brokers in identifying promising tenants within
Fort Collins industry clusters.
Share information with prospects and business assistance
clients on what sites are available.
BIOPOLIS TECHNOLOGY PARK, SINGAPORE
Description:
International research and development center for biomedical sciences
University Collaboration:
National University of Singapore; Singapore Polytechnic, the Institute of Technical
Education
Strategic Partners:
National University Hospital; Singapore Science Park, Ministry of Education; INSEAD
Business School; Fusionopolis
Vision:
To position Singapore as a leader in the biomedical sciences. Home to public as well
as corporate research laboratories, Biopolis brings together over 2,000 scientists,
researchers, technicians and administrators in one location.
Outcomes:
Biopolis is considered by many to be the biomedical research hub of Asia. It has an
international reputation for successfully anchoring the development of Singapore’s life
sciences value chain, from R&D to manufacturing and healthcare delivery. Led by the
Agency for Science, Technology, and Research of Singapore (A*STAR), Singapore’s
leading public research agency, the research center has become a symbol of
Singapore’s ability to move quickly into cutting edge fields and attract top international
talent.
For more information, visit www.a-star.edu.sg
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 32
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
2.3. If available space is not adequate to meet long-term goals for business growth and economic diversification, evaluate feasibility of establishing a new
technology park or parks in the city limits.
Potential sites for parks include an Innovation Park that would connect the EECL and RMI and a Prospect Technology Park on the 100 acres of
university-owned land with I-25 frontage.
Preserve potential sites as future employment centers through zoning and land-use policies and possibly land banking.
3. Continue to encourage the development of vibrant business districts, commercial nodes, and commercial corridors
through infill and redevelopment projects.
3.1. Support on-going initiatives in the Downtown Development
District, Mason Corridor, North College Corridor, Mid-Town
Corridor, and Harmony Road Corridor.
Continue outreach to the developer and broker
communities to communicate the city’s vision for
those areas and how the city can participate.
Continue to assess the city’s regulatory framework to
ensure it is supportive of desired development.
Encourage the expansion or relocation of business in
targeted development areas to stimulate commercial
activity.
3.2. Identify areas of opportunity that can become important
development centers in Fort Collins over the next 10 years.
These areas of opportunity might be:
1. Lincoln Greens as a model of sustainability
2. River District to enhance the city’s connection between
the river and Old Town
3. Mountain Vista Area as an additional employment center
VAUBAN DISTRICT, FREIBURG GERMANY
In the South of Freiburg (DE), 90 acres of land has been developed to host more
than 5,000 inhabitants and 600 jobs. Planning for the “sustainable model district”
started in 1993 and by 2001, residents had moved in. The project’s structure
integrates legal, political, social and economic stakeholders from throughout the city’s
administration. From the project’s onset, all issues (mobility, energy, housing, social
aspects, etc.) were discussed in working groups which were open to residents.
All of the residences in the district are built to a low energy standard. Some buildings
are headed by a combined heat and power station burning wood chips, and many of
the buildings have photovoltaic cells. Residents walk or cycle within the district, and
can easily travel to the Freiburg city center by public transit.
The project was driven by population growth as well as the community’s commitment
to sustainability. The principle "Learning while Planning" was adopted by the city
during the process and has allowed flexibility for future developments. One outcome
of the project was a high level of engagement among the citizens moving to the
district. Since the creation of the Vauban district, the city of Freiburg has gained
notoriety as the green capital of Germany.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 33
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Ensure that land use policies protect the areas from “lower uses” and foster high-quality development.
Hold workshops with land owners and developers in each opportunity area to craft a common vision for the area.
Translate the vision into a viable blueprint that establishes a plan for achieving the vision.
Strategically identify anchors for each opportunity area that can bring in the type of traffic and uses needed to catalyze development in the rest
of the opportunity area.
3.3. Continue to support the development of the retail sector as an important amenity for talent and employers.
Continue the refinement of a retail strategy with outside assistance.
Prioritize redevelopment opportunities in targeted investments zones.
Continue to provide assistance to developers navigating the development process and financial support using creative financing mechanisms.
4. Continue to improve the business climate as a means of retaining companies and fostering their expansion.
4.1. Continue to ensure that the development and business assistance process is predictable and transparent.
Develop a clear incentives policy that outlines the use of the city’s economic development tool box.
Work with representatives of the local business and development community to gather input on the development review process.
Continue to benchmark the local permitting process against similar processes in neighboring communities.
Continue to shepherd companies through the development process as needed.
Work closely with the City Council to continue to help make the development approval process as predictable and transparent as possible.
Publicize the existing outline of the development process to brokers, developers, and the community-at-large and enhance the outline where
necessary.
4.2. Continue to advocate for economic health interests in government policies and programs that impact the business climate.
Educate elected officials on the importance of economic health (see Objective 1, Strategy 1-1.6).
Seek opportunities to integrate economic health objectives into city policies and programs.
DRAFT – City of Fort Collins, CO
TIP Strategies, Inc. Theory Into Practice 34
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
5. Continue to explore options for improving the delivery of high quality early childhood education to support working
families.
5.1. Work with the Fort Collins small business support network to tailor programs for childcare providers.
Prepare information in the form of a planning guide to educate interested parties on how to start a child care facility, applicable regulatory
requirements, funding opportunities, and links to other child care resources.
Introduce training programs and technical support services specifically for childcare providers and family child care homes.
Incentivize inclusion of childcare facilities in affordable housing, transit-oriented developments, and employment centers.
5.2. Make funding available to support childcare-oriented businesses.
Consider childcare businesses as allowable applicant for Section 108 Loan Program.
Allow funds in TIF districts to be used to provide loans for the development of childcare facilities.
Pursue other federal funding sources such as CDBG and HUD grants that could be used to provide capital to support the expansion and
development of childcare facilities.
Use overlay districts as potential tools to encourage the implementation of the opportunity area visions.
Identify state and federal programs that could be leveraged to induce greater private investment.
Economic Health Office
300 LaPorte Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6505
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: May 11, 2011
TO: Mayor and City Council members
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
FROM: Mike Freeman, Chief Financial Officer
Josh Birks, Economic Advisor
RE: May 10, 2011 Work Session Summary – Economic Health Strategic Plan
Update
This memorandum provides a summary of the discussion relating to the Economic Health
Strategic Plan Update, which occurred at the City Council Work Session on May 10, 2011.
Attendance: Mayor Weitkunat; Council Members – Ohlson, Poppaw, Horak, Troxell, Manvel;
Staff – Darin Atteberry, Mike Freeman, Josh Birks, and consultants John Roberts, TIP Strategies
and Isaac Barchas, Austin Technology Incubator
Presentation Overview
Staff presented an overview of the Economic Health Strategic Plan Update project, funded
with $150,000 from the Keep Fort Collins Great tax revenues
A brief overview of the history leading to this project and review of the previous Economic
Action Plan was provided by staff
The consultant team introduced their project team and reviewed the outline scope of work,
including the proposed public engagement process
Council Comments
Please expand the stakeholder list to include key members of the broader community: early
childhood education representatives, workforce representatives, arts and culture
representatives, environmental representatives, small business representatives, governmental
employment representatives (e.g. State and Federal agencies and institutions)
The definition of economic health needs to be clear throughout the project with clear metrics.
The definition should consider the inclusion of poverty rates, unemployment rates,
homelessness rates, per capita income, and an industry diversity index. The clear definition
should be used to form a baseline for use moving forward.
An outcome of the process should be clear metrics with targets. These can be used by City
Council to help determine policy relative to various economic health activities.
Please consider the use of a working group that meets more frequently than monthly to assist
the process moving forward.
ATTACHMENT 2
Economic Health Office
300 LaPorte Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6505
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: July 13, 2011
TO: Mayor, and City Councilmembers
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
FROM: Mike Freeman, Chief Financial Officer; and
Josh Birks, Economic Advisor
RE: JULY 12, 2011 - WORK SESSION SUMMARY:
ECONOMIC HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
This memorandum provides a summary of City Councilmember feedback related to the
Economic Health Strategic Plan Update item presented at Work Session on July 12, 2011. City
staff and consultants from TIP Strategies provided an overview of the Draft Assessment and
sought input on a draft strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis and
potential list of benchmark communities.
DRAFT SWOT ANALYSIS:
City Councilmembers suggested the following items be added to the SWOT Analysis:
Quality of life or place characteristics (Strength)
Local accolades/awards e.g. Forbes’ recent ranking of Fort Collins as 5th Best Place for
Business and Careers (Strength)
Local Healthcare Providers, specifically Poudre Valley Health System
(Strength/Opportunity)
Front Range Community College (Strength)
K-12 Education (Strength)
Early Childhood Care and Education (Weakness and Opportunity)
New and Renewed Corridors (Strength)
Weather (Strength)
Mason Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (Opportunity)
Proximity to NOAA Super Computer (Opportunity)
Proximity to Alternative Energy Activity (Opportunity)
Natural resources, especially local federal labs and CSU (Strength/Opportunity)
POTENTIAL BENCHMARK COMMUNITIES:
City Councilmembers shared the following thoughts regarding the potential benchmark
communities:
A multifaceted approach makes sense
The proposed benchmarks need additional consideration
Recreational Getaways may not be an accurate category to consider
Staff/consultants should mine the benchmarks used in previous analyses
1
ECONOMIC HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN
City Council Workshop
December 13, 2011
City of Fort Collins, Colorado
1
agenda
Project update
EHSP
Implementation tools
Discussion
2
ATTACHMENT 3
2
3 project update
progress to date
Austin Visit in October
Draft EHSP complete
Draft Communications Strategy complete
4
3
MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
Discovery
Opportunity
Implementation
Final
project timeline
Kick-off, stakeholder interviews, assessments, benchmarking, SWOT
Finalize strategies, action items, implementation, budget, measures, etc.
Guiding principles, preliminary opportunity identification, Austin visit
We are Roll-out
here.
5
next steps
Refinement and completion of draft plans
Complete benchmarking and innovation sector
profiles
Develop implementation tools and performance
metrics
Next trip
Dec: Isaac Barchas to meet with RMI board
Jan: Plan roll-out
6
4
7 2011 Economic Health Strategic Plan
Systemic Issue #1: Under-employment
Implications:
Talent retention
Commuting patterns
Transportation networks
Sales tax revenues
8
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ACHIEVED BY THE
POPULATION AGE 25 OR OLDER
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey, 2009)
THE THRESHOLD SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED OF THE MSA'S
EXISTING JOB BASE
Source: EMSI Complete Employment - 2011.2
no high school diploma
high school diploma or GED
some college but less than a 4-year degree
bachelor's degree or higher
Fort Collins City of
USA Colorado MSA Fort Collins
15%
28%
29%
28%
11%
23%
31%
36%
7%
20%
32%
41%
6%
15%
30%
49%
On-the-job training or previous experience
Vocational or 2-year degree
4-year degree or higher
2001 2011 2021
25%
65% 9%
27%
62% 11%
28%
12%
60%
5
Systemic Issue #2: Fiscal Sustainability
Implications:
Vulnerability of
revenues
Tax burden
9
The major sources of the city's revenue
SOURCES: City of Fort Collins, 2011-2012 Biennial Budget; Larimer County Assessor's Office
Systemic Issue #3: Economic Diversification
Implications:
Job quality
Tax base
Manufacturing sector
10
Job base by industry sector in the Fort
Collins MSA, 2010
Source: EMSI Complete Employment - 2011.2
6
The Response
11
A sustained and intensified economic health initiative
1. Strengthen & formalize partnerships to improve service delivery and
leverage resources.
2. Enhance innovation ecosystem to better support business formation,
retention, and expansion.
3. Create a talent management program to ensure a strong pipeline to
support local employers.
4. Catalyze development with strategic projects implemented in partnership
with private enterprise, academia, and non-profits.
The Plan
12
Framework
Objectives
Strategies
7
Framework: Guiding Principles
13
A Vibrant, Resilient Economy
The collaboration of government, academia, companies,
and non-profits is the foundation of this approach.
Create more and better economic opportunity for residents
Diversify the tax base to help insulate Fort Collins from
economic shocks
Preserve Fort Collins’ unique quality of place and culture
Framework: Vision
14
Fort Collins will be a living laboratory for the
application and development of innovative systems
to support cities of the future.
The vision should be the unifying thread / theme across
the principle projects, collaboration, research, and city
policies geared toward promoting economic health in
Fort Collins.
8
Framework: Objectives
15
1. A comprehensive, collaborative, and effective
structure for managing economic development in
Fort Collins.
2. A robust innovation ecosystem and economy that
supports companies at all stages of growth.
3. A complete system for talent management that
meets the needs of current and future employers.
4. High quality community assets and infrastructure
necessary to attract and retain employers and
talent.
OBJECTIVE 1
A comprehensive & collaborative structure for economic development
1. Clearly define the role of
the City in economic health.
2. Contract with local service
providers to manage basic
economic development
programs.
3. Refine and improve existing
foundational economic
development initiatives
(business creation, attraction,
retention, and expansion).
16
9
OBJECTIVE 2
An innovation ecosystem that supports companies at all stages of growth.
17
1. Expand RMI’s role as the nexus for innovation in both Fort
Collins and the Front Range.
2. Attract, develop, and retain entrepreneurs and cutting-edge
companies.
OBJECTIVE 3
A talent management system that anticipates employers’ needs
18
1. Create and staff a workforce development program.
2. Promote opportunities for leadership training, professional
development, and networking.
3. Strengthen the talent pipeline.
4. Use tourism and visitation as a talent and business outreach
strategy to support industry cluster development.
10
OBJECTIVE 4
A variety of high-quality amenities that reflect the values of the community
19
1. Create a new model for a downtown conference center
2. Ensure that companies in Fort Collins have options for
expansion and relocation within the city limits.
3. Continue to encourage the development of vibrant business
districts, commercial nodes, and commercial corridors through
infill and redevelopment projects.
4. Continue to improve the business climate as a means of
retaining companies and fostering their expansion.
5. Continue to explore options for improving the delivery of
high quality early childhood education to support working
families.
20 Implementation tools
11
Implementation tools
21
Implementation tools (cont.)
22
IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
Goal Status Count
Not Started 11
In Progress 0
Complete 0
On-Going 6
Not Started 14
In Progress 0
Complete 0
On-Going 3
Not Started 9
In Progress 0
Complete 0
On-Going 2
Not Started 9
In Progress 0
Complete 0
On-Going 2
OBJECTIVE ONE: A comprehensive & collaborative structure for
economic development
OBJECTIVE TWO: An innovation ecosystem that supports companies at
all stages of growth.
OBJECTIVE THREE: A talent management system that anticipates
employers’ needs
OBJECTIVE FOUR: A variety of high-quality amenities that reflect the
values of the community
12
Implementation tools (cont.)
23
Trendline
(2005-2008)
Metric
2008
Most Recent Year Performance Compared to Low and
High Figures (2005-2008)
Number of Private Establishments
2,428
Private Employment, All Industries
44,829
Manufacturing Employment, Private
11,755
Professional and Business Employment, Private
5,921
2,000
2,400
2,800
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019
40,000
45,000
50,000
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019
10,000
15,000
20,000
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019
4,500
7,000
9,500
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019
24 discussion
13
THANK YOU
TIP Strategies, Inc.
106 East 6th Street, Suite 550
Austin, Texas 78701
512.343.9113
www.tipstrategies.com
4-year degree or higher
2001 2011 2021
25%
65% 9%
27%
62% 11%
28%
12%
60%