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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-023-02/16/1999-AMENDING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND RENAMING IT AS THE ECONOMIC POLICY OF THE CITY OF FORT RESOLUTION 99-21 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AMENDING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND RENAMING IT AS THE ECONOMIC POLICY OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS WHEREAS,on February 5, 1991,the City Council adopted Resolution 91-15,affirming the City's Economic Development Policy; and WHEREAS, the Economic Development Policy was revised on August 2, 1994, to better reflect the City's role in the community's economic development approach,and to express the City's intention to work in cooperation with other public and private entities to promote and encourage workforce training,human resources development,and basic and advanced skills enhancement;and WHEREAS,the Council believes that the economic strategy of the City continues to be best characterized as a partnership among the public and private sectors, and the citizens of the community; and WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Council to amend the Economic Development Policy, renamed as the Economic Policy, so that said policy better reflects the City's role in working to enhance the community's prosperity, in addition to stating the City's intention to work in cooperation with the other public and private entities to encourage workforce training, affordable housing, human resources development, small business and entrepreneurial activity, and business reinvestment; and WHEREAS,Council believes the proposed changes included in the Economic Policy are the best interests of the City. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the Economic Policy of the City of Fort Collins, attached hereto as Exhibit"A" and incorporated herein by this reference,is hereby adopted,and shall supersede the previously approved Economic Development Policy. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins held this 16th day of February, A.D. 1999. Mawr ATTEST: City Clerk EXHIBIT "A" City of Fort Collins Economic Policy The methods by which communities address the enhancement of their local economies vary widely. In some instances the responsibility for leading a community's economic development effort falls to a single entity, whether it be local or regional, public or private. There are many models across the counU'y ranging from government funded and directed programs, to privately sponsored programs with little or no municipal involvement, or collaborative models. In Fort Collins, economic development can be best characterized as a partnership among the public and private sectors, and the citizens of Dort Collins. This partnership is based upon a continuum of services to existing and prospective business in which the City facilitates the processes and procedures required for site development, provides data and demographic information, invests in municipal infrastructure, and considers other initiatives on a case-by-case basis. The private sector shares responsibility with the public sector for the retention and expansion of business or industry within Fort Collins. This may include marketing and promotion of the community, outreach to existing business, assistance in arranging project financing and small business counseling. This effort is supported directly and indirectly through the work of various entities identified below. The following outlines the partnership approach currently in practice in the Fort Collins community. As with any policy statement, this document should be reviewed in the context of current needs and relevance at least every two years. Role of City of Fort Collins The view held by the City of Fort Collins is that whether they are considering expansion or relocation, businesses are most concerned and interested in the community's overall quality of life. Those in the private sector responsible for corporate site selection most often cite the quality of both our primary and secondary schools, the skills of our workforce, the consistent quality and value of municipal services, and perhaps in many ways above all, the state of our natural environmcnt. Over the years, the City of Fort Collins has invested in its utility systems to ensure reliability and consistency of service. This has been cited by many firms as a critical element in their success, and a key reason why they chose Fort Collins for their initial location, or expansion. Additionally, City policies and investment in parks, trails, and open space and natural areas continue to be important influences to both business investment and citizen satisfaction. These are values to which the City Council and the citizens are deeply committed and serves as the cornerstone of the City's economic development effort. t ozi 16i99 Included in these values is a dedication to doing all the City can to encourage the development of housing for a variety of income levels, maintenance of a fair local taxation system, and attention to developing and maintaining a high quality, and state-of- the-art infrastructure. This also includes developing a fiber optic network, and other resources that may be available in the future, providing both internal and external linkages to other firms, research institutions, and support services. The City's primary role in economic development focuses on those areas which directly involve City process and procedure. The City's economic development program is based on City Council Resolution 87-49 and subsequent Ordinances in which Council adopted certain goals, policies, and programs related to economic development and economic opportunity. In general terms, the goals of the City of Fort Collins is to encourage and support economic opportunities which provide self-sustaining employment, increase private investment within the community and improve the quality of life for Fort Collins residents. Achievement of these goals is pursued through a series of policies adopted by City Council and outlined in the above referenced resolution. Among these are the following: • Commitment to maintaining and enhancing the City as a good place to live and work. • Emphasis on comprehensive, quality municipal services as the City's primary contribution to the community's economic development effort. • Creation and maintenance of a positive climate for both local and new business. • Assist and encourage small business retention and entrepreneurial activities as appropriate. • Encourage workforce training, retraining, education, and employee support services to assist in the creation and expansion of meaningful employment opportunities. • The City's role in dealing with prospective expansions or relocations focuses on planning and the provision of municipal services and facilities such as streets and utilities. • Encourage the development of a wide variety of business activities rather than focusing solely on one sector. • Awareness of the community's role in the global and domestic marketplace, and the importance of welcoming and assisting visitors from other nations, foreign firms, and tourists. 2 02/16/99 Action steps, which may be used to implement the aforementioned policies, may include the following: • The City will work with other public and private entities to promote policies and programs which encourage education, training, workforce development, and basic and advanced/technological skills enhancement. • The City will provide prospective businesses with information regarding municipal services, schools, recreational opportunities, health care, and other services available within the community. • The City will make existing and prospective business aware of opportunities available through Colorado State University and the private sector in the areas of product and process development. • The City will consider partnerships with other public and private entities such as the Fort Collins Virtual Business Incubator and Small Business Development Center to encourage entrepreneurial activity within a one-stop environment. • The City will continue to maintain and enhance utility and technological infrastructure and strive to provide consistently reliable and efficient service, at the best value possible. • The City will strive to maintain a municipal tax and fee structure which is both reasonable and equitable. • The City will provide assistance to business and industry with regards to City process and procedures. • The City will continue to afford new and existing business and industry the opportunity to seek specific assistance pursuant to Council adopted Ordinances and other programs enabled by state or federal legislation. • The City will monitor economic, community and environmental indicators on a periodic basis and consider actions that address a change in the local economy. • The City will evaluate all programs and policies that are suggested for Council consideration to determine if there are unintended impacts on the business community. Role of Private Sector The private sector plays a significant rote in the success of the overall economic development strategy. The mission of the private sector, is to work with the City and other public and private organizations to retain and expand basic industry and other businesses within the City and County. This effort requires the support of Fort Collins, 3 02/16/99 EDC, the Chamber of Commerce and other entities referenced below, as well as the Local banks, financial institutions and existing business and industry. The private sector role is characterized by its ability to work with new and existing business in a confidential manner. Issues such as real estate values, business climate, financing options, and site options are most appropriately addressed by the private sector. Role of Outside Entities The efforts of the City and private sector to enhance the economic prosperity of the community are directly and indirectly supported by several organizations and entities such as Colorado State University, Downtown Development Authority, business associations, Larimer County Convention and Visitors' Bureau, Poudre R-1 School District, Workforce Investment Board, and the Employment and Training Service. Though each has an independent focus, their work contributes to the overall quality-of- life and prosperity, enjoyed within the community. In this way, the network required to conduct an effective community-based economic development program is provided. 'Resolution 87-49 of the Council of the City of Fort Collins adopting the goals and policies related to Economic Development and Economic Opportunities in Fort Collins. 4 02/16/99