Franklin County EDC 2012 Challenges & Opportunities

7/31/2019 Franklin County EDC 2012 Challenges & Opportunities

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Franklin County Economic

Development Commission In 2012Challenges & Opportunities

Prepared by Michael Hiles, VP Franklin County EDC Board


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This presentation is personal opinion based on discussions with multiple parties in Franklin County including:

EDC Board Members, past and present Government Officials Citizens & Business Owners Frank Thompson

This presentation does not represent the official position of the Franklin County Economic DevelopmentCommission. It is solely opinion.

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PART I: FCEDC Challenges

County Budget Challenges

Historically Weak Group Cohesion as EDC Board of Directors

No Cohesive Master Plan

Weak "PR" to Community About Efforts

Self-directed Director

Lack of Distributed Information Management About Current

Projects

EDIT Funds Hampering Economic Development Mission

Lack of Support and Representation Regionally

Myopic Focus of Local Groups Pushing Myopic Focus of EDC

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County Budget Challenges

Franklin County has budget issues like all counties

Public services cost more than residential tax base can

support (150-175% of residential)

State constitution caps tax revenue Public service delivery costs arent capped

Must supplement with commercial tax revenue to offset the

continuing erosion of budget

Economic Development is the sole functional means by whichlocal government can directly sponsor and foster business

growth and commercial tax base

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Historically Weak EDC Board of Directors

Self-directed Director and Board at arm's length

Fear of board for accusation of violating Sunshine Laws if

meeting and discussing outside of advertised official session

Passive board Disorganized effort lacking direction and focus

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No Cohesive Master Plan

Lack of defined service offerings of what FCEDC provides and

to who

Lack of defined mid-range and long-range objectives

No systematic approach to establishing and achieving goals Sporadic and biased involvement of outside groups

Weak PR and education to the public about Economic

Development and the efforts of FCEDC

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Weak "PR" to Community About Efforts

Website is not functional as an information distribution tool

Need an "economic development 101" blog and videos to

help promote Economic Development as a whole.

Need an email newsletter subscription to build database Need more proactive "marketing"

Virtually non-existent budget for marketing when organization

is a marketing entity

General education about Economic Development and why it isnecessary, what it does, what is the benefit to all involved

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Self-directed EDC Director

Seen by many in the community as pushing a personalpolitical agenda

Stuck in a tough spot with current situation

Lack of structure creates subjectivity - becomes political

lightning rod Without specific goals and objectives is viewed subjectively

Can't defend criticisms of activity

Board cannot adequately direct his efforts without better

approach Board cannot fairly evaluate his efforts without better

approach

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Lack of Distributed Information

Management About Current Projects

General disorganization and lack of systematic approach to

operations

Need a project management and tracking tool like Basecamp

Lack of a community education plan about EconomicDevelopment and FCEDC efforts

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EDIT Funds Hampering Economic

Development Mission

Efforts to increase and supplement commercial tax revenue

through EDC are hampered

County stuck paying for things that should be shouldered as a

municipal responsibility by unincorporated areas

Franklin County using economic development money to fund

general budget

The Way Things Have Always Been Done

Can't achieve a return on intended use of the investment fromassessment

State legislation gives broad flexibility and power to EDC for

business development

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Lack of Support and Representation

Regionally

Franklin County cannot compete alone as a tiny county

Regionalization efforts are already underway with Purdue

University and other area groups

Franklin County has weak representation

Lack of representation in regional master plan development

will give other counties the voice

Regional plan will sway state and federal spending based on

master plan

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Myopic Focus of Local Groups Pushing

Myopic Focus of EDC

FCEDC is pigeonholed based on lack of understanding and

awareness

Factions even discuss dissolution of EDC

Development brings risk of dilution of power bases

Small community politics as usual

Lack of transparency in much of local government operations

Not invented here syndrome

Personal politics at a personal level

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PART II: FCEDC Opportunities

Strengthen Board of Directors

Develop Local EDC Master Plan

Strengthen PR and Outbound Marketing of EDC Activities

Adopt a Regionalization Focus and Promote Local Involvementin Regionalization Efforts

Secure Full-Time Grant Writer

Develop Strategy to Secure Full EDC Funding

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Strengthen Board of Directors

Require more active involvement from EDC Board

Must participate in projects and activities as board, not just

rely upon Director to be the face and report back

Establish centralized cloud-based project management tool

(Basecamp)

Regularly meet to discuss operating issues and projects

outside of formal meeting

Adopt a stronger, regular communication strategy

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Develop Local EDC Master Plan

Establish succinct definitions of services and systematic

approach to service delivery

Establish specific goals and measurable Key Performance

Indicators to determine success

Create mid-range and long-range vision of community

development goals from with specific, measurable objectives

Educate and inform to prepare community for Economic

Development

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Establish Succinct Definitions of Services &

Systematic Approach to Service Delivery

Identify specific FCEDC clients who do we help and how?

What specific problem are we solving for what specific client?

Document specific value propositions to specific clients

what specific services does the EDC provide

Create marketing strategy for each value proposition

Implement marketing strategy for services

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Establish Specific Goals and Measurable KPIs to

Determine Success

Establish long range objectives and goals for economic

development

Establish incremental goals of FCEDC

Establish service delivery targets for each FCEDC service area

with measurement strategy

Establish PR and internal marketing targets with measurement

strategy

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Strengthen PR & Outbound Marketing of

EDC Activities

Publish full recordings of EDC meetings for full transparency

Develop annual marketing plan and associated budget

Secure EDC budget for marketing activities

Overhaul website to more professional appearance Add EDC blog and regularly publish informative content to

educate

Add email newsletter with subscription

Build internal EDC marketing databases Promote EDC efforts with proactive marketing strategy

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Adopt Regionalization Focus & Promote

Local Involvement in Regionalization

Must adopt regionalization approach to FCEDC activity as

much as possible

Participate in regional EDC initiatives as appropriate

Educate and inform local groups about the need to participate

in regional efforts

Require projects seeking EDC support to have a regional

aspect as appropriate

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Secure Full-Time Grant Writer

Hire or retain full-time grant writer for Franklin County to

research and apply for State, Federal, and private grants.

Leverage grant writer for cross-departmental efforts

Use proceeds of grant to help offset funding of grant writer

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Develop Strategy to Secure Full EDC

Funding

Identify alternatives to current budget appropriation

Assist County in creative solutions to budgetary issues seen

as a function and purpose of economic development

Develop medium and long range strategy to shift Economic

Development funding to EDC based on focused plan

Utilize funding to back capital pool as permitted by state

through bond placement, matching investment, bridge

funding, loan guarantees, etc

Develop business Capital access program used to attract

business entities to expand commercial tax base as offset to

Franklin County Government budget shortfall

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Contact:

Michael Hiles

[email protected]

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Franklin County EDC 2012 Challenges & Opportunities

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