Report of the Economic Development Focus Areas Group 9/03/15.

Report of theEconomic Development

Focus Areas Group

9/03/15

Fitzgerald Ben Hill Office of Economic Development

• Jointly Funded• Director Hired by FBHDA• Director Reports to FBHDA• FBHDA Assures City. County,

Chamber Participation

Industrial Advisory Committee

• Three Members • Chosen by FBHDA from Local

Industries• Meets with FBHDA During Project

Discussions• Non-voting• Presents Authority with Industry

Perspective on Issues up for Vote

Economic DevelopmentDirector’s Duties:

• Coordinate all Economic Development Activities in Fitzgerald & Ben Hill County

Director Will Coordinate With as Lead agencies on:

• Development Authority of Fitzgerald & Ben Hill County – Industrial Recruitment

• Ben Hill County Development Authority – Entrepreneurship & Small Business

• Downtown Development Authority – Downtown Projects

• Ben Hill Irwin Development Authority – Millennium Tech Park

(Coordination Continued)

• Fitzgerald Area Convention & Visitors Bureau – Tourism, Advertising, & Promotion

• Fitzgerald/Ben Hill Arts Council – Quality of Life , Special Events

• Fitzgerald/Ben Hill Chamber of Commerce – Small Business Relations, Staff Support

(Coordination Continued)

• All Other Economic Development Activities of the City, County, & Their Agencies

Autonomy of Agencies

• Each Agency Will Maintain Its Existing Governance, Boards, & Staff

• ED Director Will Understand Focus and Abilities of each Agency

• ED Director Will Support, Coordinate, & Seek Synergies Across Agencies

Autonomy of Agencies (cont)

• ED Director Will Coordinate Agency Capabilities In the Manner Appropriate to Given Projects

• ED Director Will Coordinate With Agencies Through Their Designated Chairman &/or Staff

ED Project Funding

• ED Director Will be Aware of Various Funding Available to Each Agency and Work to Leverage These Funds

• ED Director Will Work With Private Sector Investment Vehicles to Leverage Their Capacity With Public Monies

• ED Director Will Coordinate ED SPLOST Efforts to Insure Funding is Available Where Capacity for Action is.

Strategic Focus Areas(Plan Elements)

• Business Retention & Expansion• Small Business & Entrepreneurial

Development• Education & Workforce

Development• Tourism Development

Strategic Focus Areas (cont)

• Quality of Life• Industrial Development• Real Estate Development & Reuse• Competitive Utilities

Competitive Utilities

• This Issue is under Ongoing Study But Should Maintain a place In the Plan

Business Retention & Expansion

• Work With Existing Business to Determine Issues

• Work to Assist on Potential Expansions

• Develop Target List of Supporting Vendors to Help Competitive Edge of Existing Businesses

• Insure Existing Industries Are Treated As Well or Better than Prospects

Small Business & Entrepreneurial Development

• Develop a Program & Roadmap for Small Business Expansions and Start-ups

• Maintain a Network of Advisors to Assist Them In Decision Making

Education & Workforce Development

• Coordinate Community, Schools, & Industry to Address Workforce Issues

• Work on Local Solutions Despite the Knowledge of This as a Societal Problem

• Education & Workforce Group Will Report Further

Tourism Development

• Coordinate Tourism Across Agencies to Develop a Community-wide Plan

• Focus on our Assets – History, Arts, Special Events, Broadcasting, Film, etc.

• Leverage Individual Draws Into a Day Trip Agenda Marketable to Bus Tours, Etc.

Quality of Life

• Create an Environment Where People will Want to Live & Work

• Actively Market to Retirees• Quality of Life Group Will Report

Further

Industrial Development

• Focus on Prospects of 10-50 Employees• Target Prospects Based on Our Resources:– Available Land– Available Water– Financing & Other Agency Capabilities– Local or Native Expertise and Networks– Food Waste Disposal System– Timber– Agriculture– Value added Food, Ag, & Timber

Real Estate Development & Reuse

• Assess Need for Speculative Building

• Assess Need for Participatory Warehouse

• Fully Develop Infrastructure on Existing Sites for Immediate Use

Real Estate Development & Reuse (cont)

• Develop a Plan for Rail Access &/or Expansion

• Develop an Overall Transportation Plan to Facilitate Community Growth

• Pursue Four Lane to I-75

ED Work Program Tasks

1. Study & Implement Construction of a Multi-tenant Food-grade Warehouse

2. Adopt an Industrial Growth Strategy Based on Existing Industry Clusters, Food Processing, Value Added Timber & Agricultural Products

3. Coordinate on a Long-term Solution to Utility Rate Issues

ED Work Program Tasks (cont)

4. Define an Incentive Package for New & Existing Industries Based on Investment & Job Creation with aggressive incentives fro expansions

5. Develop a Plan & Prospect Requirements for Delphi Tract

6. Develop & Implement a Plan to Get our Best Sites Shovel Ready

ED Work Program Tasks (cont)

7. Clear Blight Between !07 & American Blanching

8. Develop “Best Use” Scenarios & Recruitment Packages for Existing Buildings

9. Develop a Long Term Transportation Plan to Accommodate Our Economic Development Goals

ED Work Program Tasks (cont)

10. Vigorously Market MTP to Determine if its Original Concept is Still Viable

11.Contract for Representation in Atlanta & Tech Sector

12.Poll Existing Businesses to Determine How Agencies Can be More Business Friendly

ED Work Program Tasks (cont)

13. Develop a Strategic Tourism Plan14. Develop a Downtown Master Plan15. Complete , Adopt, & Implement a

Community-wide Strategic Economic Development Plan to Effect These Recommendations & Define the Interrelationships of all Local EDOs

Local EDOs

• Development Authority of Ben Hill County

• Ben Hill County Revolving Loan Fund

• Development Authority of Fitzgerald & Ben Hill County

• Fitzgerald Downtown Development Authority

Local EDOs (cont)

• Fitzgerald Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

• City of Fitzgerald Revolving Loan Fund

• Ben Hill Irwin Development Authority

• Fitzgerald Ben Hill Arts Council• Fitzgerald Ben Hill Chamber of

Commerce

Development Authority of Ben Hill County

• O.D. Netter, Chairman• Jim Casper, Vice Chairman• Ronny Branch• Herbert Jones• Delene Clark• Charles Graham• Dwain Parrish• Toni Sawyer, County Attorney• Courtney Whitman, Executive Director

BHCDA Structure

• Statutory Authority Under O.C.G.A. Section 36-62

• Powers per Statute• Members Appointed by Ben Hill

County Commission to Staggered Four Year Terms

Ben Hill County Revolving Loan Fund

• O.D. Netter, Chairman• Cam Jordan, Vice-Chairman• Scott Downing• Constance Manley• Roffie Sheppard • 2 available positions• Toni Sawyer, County Attorney• Courtney Whitman, Executive Director

BHCRLF Structure

• Members Appointed by Ben Hill County Commission

• Operational Guidelines per GA Dept of Community Affairs

Development Authority of Fitzgerald & Ben Hill County

• Ron Paulk, Chairman – County Appointee

• Mark Turner, Vice-Chair – City Appointee

• Mark Massee – Ex Officio, Mayor• Philip Jay – Ex Officio, County

Chairman• John William Mooney – Ex Officio,

Chamber Chair

DAFBHC Structure

• Exists via Amendment to the State Constitution

• Powers solely as Listed in the Amendment and Subsequent Revisions Adopted by State Legislature

Fitzgerald Downtown Development Authority

• David Griffin, Chairman• Art Anderson• Melissa Burgess• Amanda Renfroe• Jack Paulk• Gerald Thompson• Louie Harper

FDDA Structure

• Statutory Authority Under O.C.G.A. Section 36-42

• Powers per Statute• Members Appointed by City Council

to Staggered Four Year Terms

Fitzgerald Revolving Loan Fund

• Mark Massee, Mayor• Eric Stone• Mark Turner• Jason Holt• Rick Jones

FRLF Structure

• Members Appointed by Fitzgerald City Council

• Operational Guidelines per GA Dept of Community Affairs

Fitzgerald Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Mark Massee – Ex Officio, Mayor• Vacant – Ex Officio, City

Administrator• Louie Harper – City History

Representative• Randy Anthony – Arts Council

Representative

Fitzgerald Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

• David Griffin – Ex Officio, FDDA Chair

• Neesa Williams – Ex Officio, Chamber Director

• Susan Smith• Jason Holt• Albert Webb

FACVB Structure

• Enabled under OCGA 48-13-51• EX Officio Members Gov’t and

Tourism Promotion Related• Three At Large Members Appointed

by Council

Fitzgerald Ben Hill Arts Council

• Margaret Chasteen - President• Becky Powell – Vice President• Sherry Massee – Past President• Abby Holt - Secretary• Jon Durkovic - Treasurer

Fitzgerald Ben Hill Arts Council (cont)

• Susan Hogan, Jalee Wilson, Kathy Taylor

• Maurisa Paulk, Jonathan Kelly• Erin Maloy Dixon, Neesa Williams• Christina Mooney, Betty Bishop• Jeri Gilleland, Steve Pair, Susan

Hughes• Al Johnson, Kathy Stone

FBHAC Structure

• The FBHCAC is a Privately Structured Organization