Silly Economic Planning for Allegan County

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DISTRICT 1Terry [email protected]

DISTRICT 2 Steve [email protected]

DISTRICT 3 Paul [email protected]

DISTRICT 4 Mark DeYoung616-681-9413 [email protected]

DISTRICT 5 Dean Kapenga269-751-8586dkapenga@allegancount DISTRICMax R. Thiele269-673-4514mthiele@allegancount DISTRICT 7 Don Black269-792-6446 [email protected]

DISTRICT 8 Tom Jessup269-637-3374tjessup@ allegancounty.org

DISTRICT 9 Fritz Spreitzer

[email protected]

DISTRICT 1 0 Jon C. Campbell269-694-4632

[email protected]

DISTRICT 1 1Larry “Casey” [email protected] Mission Statement

“The Allegan County Board of Commissioners shall plan, develop, and evaluate thenecessary policies and resources to ensure our county continues to progress and prosper”

A l l e g a n C o u n t yB o a r d o f C o m m i s s i o n e r s

County Services Building3283 – 122 nd AvenueAllegan, MI 49010269-673-0203 Main Office269-686-5331 Main Faxhttp://www.allegancounty.org

Larry “Casey” Jones, Chairman Mark DeYoung, Vice Chairman

BOARD PLANNING SESSION–AGENDAThursday, August 6, 2009 – 9:30 a.m.Board Room – County Services Building

9:30 a.m. CALL TO ORDER:

OPENING PRAYER: Commissioner Campbell

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

ROLL CALL:

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: July 9, 2009 & July 23, 2009

ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS:

APPROVAL OF AGENDA:

DISCUSSION ITEMS:y.org

1) McKenna – Economic Development PlanT 6 2) General Updates

3) Courthouse Entrance

4) Downtown County Servicesy.org

OTHER ITEMS:

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:

ADJOURNMENT: Thursday, August 20, 2009 @ 9:30 A.M. @ BOARD ROOM –

COUNTY SERVICES BUILDING, COUNTY SERVICES COMPLEX .



Allegan CountyEconomic Development Organization Plan

July 28, 2009

Prepared for Allegan County, MI

Prepared by:

235 E. Main Street, Suite 105Northville, MI 48167TEL 248.596.0920FAX 248.596.0930



Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the support and contributions of the following individuals, without whom this

planning effort would not have been possible.

Economic Development Project TeamNora Balgoyen-Williams, Manager, Business & Employment Services, AAESA

Cathy Burton-Snell, Director, Technology Employment and Community Services, AAESAJulie Cowie, Casco Township ClerkRob Hillard, Allegan City Manager

Valdis Kalnins, Allegan County LIS DirectorKevin Ricco, Allegan County Parks, Recreation & Tourism

Laurie Schmitt, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, AAESAFritz Spreitzer, Allegan County Planning Commission & County Board of Commissioners

Erik Wilson, Plainwell City ManagerPaul Wylie, Director, Allegan County MSU Extension

Allegan County Board of CommissionersLarry “Casey” Jones – ChairmanMark DeYoung – Vice Chairman

Don BlackTerry Burns

Jon CampbellTom Jessup

Dean Kapenga

Steve McNealFritz SpreitzerMax Thiele

Paul VanEck

County AdministratorRobert Sarro

Workshop ParticipantsWe would like to thank all of the participants who graciously donated their time and energy to attend the April

21 visioning workshop. Your input and contributions were critical in developing the goals and objectives andrecommendations of this economic development organization plan. We would also like to thank the AlleganArea Educational Services Agency and the NAXOS Group for their work organizing the workshop.

Economic Development Organization Plan | July 28, 2009 i



Table of Contents

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................................................................................I TABLE OFCONTENTS..............................................................................................................................................II

1. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1

2. BACKGROUND CONDITIONS.........................................................................3

RESOURCE ANDPROFILEANALYSIS......................................................................................................................... Population.....................................................................................................................................................................................3 Workforce...................................................................................................................................................................................... Industries.......................................................................................................................................................................................

Geography and Natural Areas................................................................................................................................................6

Transportation.............................................................................................................................................................................7 Entertainment and Culture......................................................................................................................................................7

ORGANIZATIONBESTMANAGEMENTPRACTICES................................................................................................... 8 Legal Basis for County Economic Development Planning ............. ............. ............ ............. ............ ............. ............ ...8 Statutory Authorities for Economic Development Programs......................................................................................8 Short History of County Economic Development Programs ........... ............. ............ ............. ............ ............. .......... 11 Post-Recession Best Strategic Management Practices ............ ............ ............. ............ ............. ............ ............. ........ 12

3. VISIONING WORKSHOP: DEVELOPING A WORLD CLASS COUNTY ..........13

ASSETMAPPING....................................................................................................................................................

Assets....................................................................................................................................................................................... Limitations ...............................................................................................................................................................................

FOCUSED TOPICGROUPS......................................................................................................................................1 Group Reporting Results.......................................................................................................................................................16

VISIONINGWORKSHOPGRAPHICRECORD...........................................................................................................19

4. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.............................................................................21

Goal: Coordinate Economic Development Programs and Services........................................................................21 Goal: Support Allegan County’s Agriculture and Tourism Sectors ............. ............ ............. ............ ............. .......... 21 Goal: Support Business Retention and Development.................................................................................................22 Goal: Workforce Education and Training.........................................................................................................................22

Goal: Enhance Quality of Place............................................................................................................................................22 Goal: Develop 21 st Century Infrastructure.......................................................................................................................23

5. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM RECOMMENDATION ...................25

Recommendation for an Economic Development Commission.............................................................................25

MEMBERSHIP ANDS TRUCTURE OF THEECONOMICDEVELOPMENTCOMMISSION............................................26

S TAFFING ANDFUNDING THEECONOMICDEVELOPMENTPROGRAM................................................................29

ii Allegan County



Funding.............................................................................................................................................................................. Staffing the Economic Development Program..............................................................................................................29 Organizational Location of the Economic Development Staff.................................................................................30

RELATIONSHIP OF THEECONOMICDEVELOPMENTCOMMISSION TOEXISTINGCOUNTYBOARDS AND

DEPARTMENTS.................................................................................................................................................

Relationship of the Economic Development Commission to the County Planning Commission ............. ..31

Recommendation................................................................................................................................................................ Timeframe..........................................................................................................................................................................

FUNCTIONS ANDEVALUATIONMETRICS.............................................................................................................. Functions............................................................................................................................................................................ Evaluation Metrics ............................................................................................................................................................

6. IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN...............................................................37 IMPLEMENTATIONACTIONS BYCATEGORY..........................................................................................................

Organization Development.................................................................................................................................................. Community Development...................................................................................................................................................

Business Retention & Expansion........................................................................................................................................

Market Development.......................................................................................................................................................... Workforce Development.....................................................................................................................................................

IMPLEMENTATIONMATRIX.................................................................................................................................

APPENDICES................................................................................................... A.1

APPENDIXA: SWOT ANALYSIS FORALLEGANCOUNTYECONOMICDEVELOPMENT..................................... A.2

APPENDIXB: VISIONINGWORKSHOPPARTICIPANTMAP ................................................................................. A.

APPENDIXC: TOPICGROUPDISCUSSIONS- S TRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, ANDACTIONS................................ A.6

Economic Development Organization Plan | July 28, 2009 iii



1. Introduction

Strategic Economic Development planning and leadership has always been an important factor in the successof communities, but never before has it been more important than today. Right now, states, regions, counties,and communities are supporting organized and sophisticated economic development efforts in greaternumbers than ever before. The speed of technological advancements is increasing, which in turn increases

the pace of change within the global business marketplace. Developing an efficient and effective organization to coordinate economic development efforts in response to the new global business dynamic is imperative for the future success of Allegan County.

The challenge of economic development today is establishing a fundamentally sound economic developmentframework while maintaining flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and to take advantage of opportunities as they appear. The effective modern economic development organization must be nimble andproactive, because economic development today requires a simultaneous focus on numerous issues:

Creating a business environment that allows companies to be more profitable relative to competitors. Sustaining quality of place improvements to attract skilled workers and employers.

Providing a value-added environment for businesses.

Workforce development to continuously provide an employment-ready pool of workers.

Infrastructure that allows businesses to import and export goods and services throughout the globalmarketplace in a timely manner.

Coordination of key stakeholders for collaborative action.

Most regions or counties today maintain an economic development organization. This means that regions orcounties that do not support an economic development organization are today at a competitive disadvantagecompared to their peers who do have an established economic development framework in place. In places

without an organization, economic development efforts will be piecemeal at best, and nonexistent at worst.

The purpose of this report is to examine Allegan County’s current situation and to identify the properorganizational format for a County-wide Economic Development Organization to allow Allegan County tocompete for economic success on equal footing with other state and national regions and counties. As part of

this process, the Economic Development Project Team hosted a visioning workshop to bring together importantcounty stakeholders to identify a shared vision for Allegan County, and to develop a set of goals and objectivesfor economic development in the County.

Economic Development Organization Plan | July 28, 2009 1



2. Background Conditions

Resource and Profile Analysis

Population

PopulationFrom 1980 to 2007, the population of Allegan County increased by 50%, from just over 81,000 people to more

than 112,000. By 2020, the total population is projected to increase by another 29%, to more than 144,000.Allegan County is one of the fastest growing counties in Michigan – a fact made even more notable by thestate’s projected population increase of just 4.8% by 2020.

Population CharacteristicsAs of the 2000 Census, the median age of Allegan County residents was 35.5 years, with higher proportions of school-age children and adults age 35-44 than the state overall. The county contained more married-couplefamily households (as a percentage of total households) than either the region or the state, while residentsbetween 18 and 34 were proportionally underrepresented. These data suggest that there may be fewopportunities (e.g., employment, entertainment, and housing) for young single adults and recent college grads.

EducationAccording to U.S. Census American Community Survey data, 19.5% of Allegan County residents held bachelor’sdegrees or higher in 2007, compared to 27% in the United States as a whole.

Workforce

Table 1. Allegan County Workforce, February 2009

Category MeasureTotal Workforce 53,748Number Employed 46,932Number Unemployed 6,816Unemployment Rate 12.7%

Source: Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth

The above table summarizes the workforce in Allegan County as of February 2009. Allegan County’sunemployment rate of 12.7% is exactly the same as the State of Michigan’s overall unemployment rate.Allegan County’s unemployment rate has recently been as low as 3% in 2000, and prior to 2009 had hoveredbetween 7.1% and 7.8% during the 2003-2008 period. The deep recession has clearly impacted employmentin Allegan County.

Jobs/Housing BalanceAccording to the American Community Survey, Allegan County had 41,815 households in 2007. The

jobs/housing balance is determined by comparing the number of households against the size of the workforce.This identifies the number of workers for each household in the County. Allegan County has a jobs/housing




Background Conditions

ratio of 1.29, or 1.29 County jobs for each household. A jobs/housing ratio of 1.29 indicates that AlleganCounty has a balanced housing market, and can support job growth without creating a housing shortage.

There is no ideal jobs/housing balance. An ideal jobs/housing balance will depend on one’s perspective. Ahigher jobs/housing ratio will mean higher tax revenues and a lower cost of services per capita. A low

jobs/housing balance is indicative of a quiet bedroom community. Finally, a balanced jobs/housing ratio canmean that a community has a vibrant, 24/7 character. Of course, when measured at a County-wide level, it isdifficult to make blanket assertions about the meaning of the overall ratio because different sub-regions of theCounty can have very different jobs/housing balances.

Commuting PatternsNot every worker who lives in Allegan County will work in Allegan County, just as not every job in Allegan Countywill be filled by an Allegan County resident. The U.S. Census bureau collects County to Workplace flows during

the decennial census. While the most recent data we have on commuting patterns is from the 2000 Census, itis likely that commuting patterns existent in 2000 still hold today.

Table 2. Workplace of Allegan County Resident Workers, 2000

Workplace Location Count PercentageAllegan County 25,503 49.8%Ottawa County 10,057 19.6%Kent County 8,375 16.4%Kalamazoo County 4,020 7.9%Van Buren County 1,481 2.9%Other 1,756 3.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Table 3. County of Residence of Allegan County Employees, 2000

Residence Location Count PercentageAllegan County 25,503 57.2%Ottawa County 8,717 19.6%

Kalamazoo County 3,110 7.0%Kent County 2,791 6.3%Van Buren County 1,949 4.4%Barry County 1,213 2.7%Muskegon County 509 1.1%Other 762 1.7%


A total of 19,051 workers commuted into Allegan County in 2000, while a total of 25,689 Allegan residentscommuted out of the county for work in 2000. Allegan County is a net exporter of workers, which should comeas no surprise given its location between Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Holland. Ottawa, Kent, andKalamazoo Counties are the most common destinations for out-commuters from Allegan County, and in everycase more workers leave Allegan County for those counties than workers leave those counties for work inAllegan County.

Major EmployersMajor employers in Allegan County are listed in Table 4 . Haworth and Perrigo are the two largest employers,employing approximately 6,600 employees between the two companies (over 10% of all Allegan Countyemployment). The table indicates that Holland and Allegan are the largest centers of employment in theCounty.

4 Allegan County




Table 4. Major Allegan County Employers, 2008

Company Name Location Employees Product DescriptionHaworth Inc. Holland/

Allegan/Douglas

3,415 Manufactures office furniture; manufactures woodoffice furniture

Perrigo Co. Allegan 3,198 Manufactures pharmaceutical preparations;manufactures cosmetics & toiletries; manufacturesmedicinal & botanical pharmaceutical products

Parker Hannifin Corp. Otsego 700 Manufactures non machined brass bushings &bearings; manufactures plumbing fixtures;manufactures valves & pipe fittings

S2 Yachts, Inc. Holland 600 Builds & repairs fiberglass boatsVenturedyne, Corp. Holland 500 Manufactures environmental testing equipmentJohnson ControlsInteriors, LLC

Holland 350 Manufactures overhead conveyor systems

USF Holland, Inc. Holland 300 Trucking operator – nonlocalABC West Michigan LLC Moline 270 Auto AuctionAllegan General HospitalCorp.

Allegan 270 General Hospital

Borgess Medical Center Plainwell 260 General HospitalOptera, Inc. Holland 250 Manufactures glass productsSmithfield Beef Plainwell 250 Manufactures boxed beef from slaughtered meatJohnson ControlsInteriors LLC

Holland 230 Ret auto/home supplies

Trans-MaticManufacturing Co Inc.

Holland 230 Manufactures stamped automotive products;stamps metal for the trade

Kandu Industries, Inc. Holland 200 Job training/related servicesGemtron Corp. Holland 200 Manufactures flat glass; manufactures pressed &

brown glass; manufactures glass productsHome Depot, Inc. Plainwell 200 Lumber & other building productsMeijer, Inc. Plainwell 200 Department store/gasoline service station

Source: Michigan Department of Economic Development

Industries

OverviewWhile the highest percentage of county workers is employed in manufacturing, the largest industries in AlleganCounty are agriculture and tourism. The county leads the State of Michigan in the total value of agriculturalproducts sold, with nearly $400 million in sales in 2007; both Allegan County and neighboring Ottawa Countyranked in the top 100 counties nationwide for agricultural production. The primary farm products in the countyare poultry and livestock, with nursery plants, sod, and cut Christmas trees leading the non-animal agriculturalsector in the county.

Tourism is the second-largest industry in Allegan County, which ranked in the top 15% of Michigan counties for total tourism spending in 1996. The county’s favorable geography, large areas of protected forest land,charming downtowns, and proximity to major attractions combine to create a thriving tourist industry.According to a 1996 study by Michigan State University, Allegan County enjoyed nearly $100 million in direct

tourism expenditures and ranked #1 statewide in the number of campsites available to the public. Lodging andrestaurant receipts, which show a marked increase during the summer months, and the high seasonalpopulation—1 in every 8 housing units is not occupied year-round—indicate a strong tourism industry in AlleganCounty.





Employment and EstablishmentsTable 5 shows the number of employees and establishments located in Allegan County, and the average

income for each employee. The table shows that manufacturing remains the largest employment sector in theCounty.

Table 5. Allegan County Employment and Establishments, 2006

Employees EstablishmentsIndustry

AverageIncome Number Percent Number Percent

Manufacturing $40,708 13,115 38.3% 205 8.7%Retail trade $21,963 3,759 11.0% 363 15.3%Health care and social assistance $29,448 3,616 10.6% 173 7.3%Accommodation & food services $12,350 2,592 7.6% 216 9.1%Construction $46,092 1,785 5.2% 373 15.8%

Admin, support, waste mgt, remediationservices $30,164 1,569 4.6% 108 4.6%

Other services (except publicadministration) $18,696 1,419 4.1% 282 11.9%

Wholesale trade $36,816 1,411 4.1% 113 4.8%Management of companies & enterprises $71,603 1,363 4.0% 8 0.3%Professional, scientific & technical services $37,087 883 2.6% 155 6.5%Transportation & warehousing $39,005 843 2.5% 80 3.4%Finance & insurance $30,257 491 1.4% 96 4.1%Educational services $21,796 383 1.1% 20 0.8%Arts, entertainment & recreation $17,204 329 1.0% 40 1.7%Real estate & rental & leasing $28,330 288 0.8% 72 3.0%

Information $33,429 140 0.4% 29 1.2%Utilities $60,080 113 0.3% 12 0.5%Unclassified establishments $13,561 41 0.1% 12 0.5%


AgricultureUnder the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS), which is the basis for the data in the aboveTable 5 , most agricultural operations fall under “manufacturing.” The recently released 2007 Census of Agriculture reports that Allegan County’s 407 farms employed a total of 4,747 hired workers. The aggregatepayroll for these workers was $45,309,000.

In total, the Census reports that there were 1,595 farms in the County, of which 696 were full time. Averagesales per farm were $250,000, and 300 farms sold $100,000 or more.

Geography and Natural AreasAllegan County represents some of the best of Michigan geography. With tall sand dunes lining 24 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline to the west, rolling hills and rivers in the east, and forests and farms in the centralportion of the county, it is easy to see how tourism is major industry in Allegan County. One-fifth of the county isforested (including the large Allegan State Game Area) and 55% is agricultural and open land. Nearly 100lakes are connected by 200+ miles of rivers and streams, which provide ample access for local boat and kayakrentals. In the northwest corner of the county, Saugatuck Dunes State Park draws visitors from throughout the

6 Allegan County




region to enjoy a day of hiking, beach walking, or cross-country skiing in the winter months. Nearly 25 golf courses, eight county-managed parks, and numerous municipal facilities throughout Allegan County provide adiverse range of outdoor recreation options for area residents and visitors alike.

TransportationWell-connected by road, rail, water, and air, Allegan County boasts myriad transportation options for bothpassengers and industry. Interstate 196, US-31, and US-131 connect the county to communities north andsouth, while M-89 runs east-west through the county toward Battle Creek. Twenty-four recreational marinas onLake Michigan provide home ports and lake access for pleasure craft, while the City of Holland in thenorthwest corner of the county offers a convenient commercial harbor. Nearby airports include Kent CountyInternational (Grand Rapids), Tulip City (Holland), South Haven Regional Airport, and municipal airfields inOtsego/Plainwell, Allegan, and Wayland. Allegan County enjoys both freight and passenger rail access, withdirect passenger rail connections from Holland to Grand Rapids, Chicago, and the nation. Freight rail lines

traverse the western and eastern edges of the county, providing commercial and industrial service to GrandRapids, Kalamazoo, Chicago, and points beyond.

Entertainment and CultureFrom the county-wide Heritage Trail to the arts and theater scene in Saugatuck and Douglas, one need notleave Allegan County to experience some of the best in local culture and entertainment. Highlights of thefestivals and events that occur in every month of the year include the decades-old Tulip Time Festival inHolland, the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Allegan’s Riverfront Art Fair and Art on the Lawn, and theharvest-season Goose Festival in Fennville. The Blue Coast Artists cooperative organizes an annual tour of local art studios and galleries, while local orchards and wineries hold events ranging from fine cuisine tastings

to “u-pick” farm tours throughout the year. Lakeshore Harvest Country, Inc is an outstanding example of locally-rooted agricultural tourism. Finally, local history speaks to the generations of today at area historicalsocieties, agricultural museums, maritime heritage sites, and preserved architectural treasures.





Organization Best Management Practices

Legal Basis for County Economic Development PlanningAs noted in the introduction, most counties in the State of Michigan operate or support economic developmentorganizations. In this environment, operating an economic development organization to coordinate and leaddevelopment efforts is no longer a luxury, but a requirement.

The principal law addressing county economic development planning is the “County or Regional EconomicDevelopment Commission Act”, P.A. 46 of 1966. This act provides legislative authority for the formation of a 3

to 35 member county commission which is responsible for “to plan and direct the carrying out of an economicdevelopment and expansion program”. This act also allows for the establishment of multi-county organizationsfor this purpose.

As historically applied In Michigan, this law resulted in the formation of multi-county US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) funded economic development planning efforts within

most of Michigan regional planning agencies. Allegan County is a member of the West Michigan RegionalPlanning Commission (WMRPC - Region 8), which among other programs is responsible for EDA economicdevelopment planning functions for the county, including preparation of the annual update of theComprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the county and regional planning district.

There is no common organizational framework for county economic development actives in Michigan.Economic development planning and program delivery varies among counties. However, all county economicdevelopment programs are organized according to one of the follow authorities.

Regardless of the organizational framework chosen, a successful countywide economic development programmust:

1. Provide for full participation from citizens, governmental and private sector interests.

2. Create an easily communicated multi- year vision for the economic future of local economy.

3. Lay out a straight forward list of specific projects and actions that easily demonstrate the improvement that can be accomplished.

4. Achieve “buy-in” participation of local governments who will be called upon to sponsor certainimplementation actions.

5. Establish a multi-year action program supported by “all” based on the need and positive impact of theproject upon the economy.

6. Show, by easily understood measures, that implementation progress is being achieved.

Statutory Authorities for Economic Development ProgramsIn Michigan there are three principal methods for county government to establish an economic development

program: 1) a formal commission or authority pursuant to state enabling legislation, 2) formation of anindependent nonprofit corporation and lastly, 3) appointment of a special committee. Each has distinctadvantages and disadvantages depending on the geographic area to be served, membership, interest grouprepresentation, and the chosen form of operation and financing.

Michigan’s County or Regional Economic Development Commission ActThe County or Regional Economic Development Commission Act”, P.A. 46 of 1966, was enacted, in part, toprovide for specific designation of certain existing regional planning agencies with statutory powers to conducteconomic development programs in compliance with US Department of Commerce, Economic Development

8 Allegan County




Administration requirements. However, the act specifically provides authority for a county economicdevelopment commission.

This commission governed by a board of directors of no less than 3 nor more than 35 members, is considereda “separate county agency” eligible to apply for and accept state or federal grants.

Specifically the commission shall plan and direct the carrying out of an economic development and expansionprogram including:

1. Investigation and study of conditions affecting the economy of the area2. Technical studies, statistical research and surveys3. Dissemination of information4. Offering recommendations for elimination of restrictions, barriers and burdens adversely affecting

development and expansion of industry, commerce and agriculture5. Offering advice on means and methods for economic development financing 6. Undertaking promotion and encouragement for product market expansion7. Publicizing economic advantages of the county8. Offering recommendations for the purposes of accomplishing coordinated and efficient development

of the county

Advantages Disadvantages

• Quick to form - approval of simple resolutionstarts the effort

• Accountable to the chief elected official andlegislative body

• Financed by local government budget• Program of work directed by elected officials

• Requires funds to organize• Typically requires some staff or dedicated

volunteer management• Requires a dedicated means of operational

funding • Allows both private and public interest

representation at discretion of County Board• Program may be subject to county and local

political influences





Michigan’s Economic Development Corporations ActThe Michigan legislature enacted P.A. 338 in 1974, the Economic Development Corporations Act (EDC), whichallows a county, city, village or township to form a public economic development corporation governed by aboard of directors of nine or more members to prepare and implement specific “project plans” designed assistand retain local industrial and commercial enterprises as well as encourage the location and expansion of newindustries and commercial businesses.

Once a project plan has been prepared, the corporation may issue Tax Exempt Industrial Revenue Bonds tofinance the project plan. Typically, the EDC would finance and construct a building to house the businesscreating new jobs within the community. The EDC would then either lease or sell the building to back to thebusiness to repay the revenue bonds. Because the Industrial Revenue Bonds are issued by a public entity, theinterest earned by the purchaser of these bonds is tax exempt. This results in project financing typically 2-4%less than commercial bank financing, the saving which are passed on to the business as a financial incentive.


• Typically has a self financing tool• May establish basis for other private

incentive programs• May qualify the community for specific

federal and state funding programs• Delegates economic program duties to

“special purpose” organization of government

• Requires funds to organize• Requires a certain number of board members• Requires the board to represent certain

segments of the community• Typically requires staff management• Requires annual financial auditing and

Treasury Department reporting • Authority may be geographically restricted

Michigan Nonprofit CorporationsP.A. 162 of 1982, the Michigan Nonprofit Corporation Act allows for organization of a private corporation whichcan, among other activities serve as an economic development planning and implementation organization. As

with any corporation, the membership and operating rules are set forth in the corporation bylaws. Further,Section 501 c (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, allows for a organization that conducts economic developmentactivities, to apply for and be designated as a public charity and receive tax exempt status with ability to acceptcharitable tax deductible donations from businesses and individuals.


• General purpose, activities are defined by thecorporation

• Not limited in geography• Membership is not restricted and defined by

the corporation bylaws• Operation and management defined by

corporation bylaws• Allows both private and public interest

representation• Removes program from “local politics”

• Requires funds to organize• Typically requires some staff or dedicated

volunteer management• Required a dedicated means for operational

funding • Required annual IRS and Michigan reporting • May not qualify for state and federal funding

programs

10 Allegan County




Appointed CommitteeProbably the simplest means to form an economic development program is to establish a special purposecommittee. While this may not grant some of the financing authorities or make the county or localcommunities eligible to apply for certain financing assistance from federal or state sources, it can easily beorganized, funded and managed as part of routine activities of county government.


• Quick to form - approval of simple resolutionstarts the effort

• No required membership qualifications• Accountable to the chief elected official and

legislative body• Financed by local government budget• Program of work directed by elected officials

• May not qualify for federal and state funding programs

• No dedicated funding mechanisms• No ties to economic development incentive

programs• Places all responsibilities – both financing and

staffing - upon County government

Short History of County Economic Development ProgramsInvestigation into the history of countywide economic development programs finds that Allegan County has along history of involvement with economic development programs.

Allegan County (P.A. 338) Economic Development CorporationInformation recorded by the Michigan Secretary of State, Office of the Great Seal, discloses that in April 1981,

the Allegan County Board of Commissioners filed notice of the formation of an Economic DevelopmentCorporation, pursuant to P.A. 338 of 1974. Discussion with steering committee members reveals there is noknown recent corporation activity nor does the County Board show recent appointments to the EDC Board of Directors.

According Section 33 of the EDC Act, formal dissolution of an EDC requires adoption of a resolution by the

County Board of Commissioners and filing of a certified copy of the resolution with the Secretary of State,Office of the Great Seal. An inquiry with the Office of the Great Seal did not disclose any dissolution action.

It can be concluded that Allegan County has an inactive EDC, which could be reactivated for use inadministration and conducting a countywide economic development program.

Allegan (nonprofit) Promotional Alliance aka Economic Development AllianceInformation recorded with the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, Bureau of Commercial Services and Corporations, finds the 1984 nonprofit incorporation of the Allegan CountyPromotional Alliance. The original nonprofit corporation resident agent is listed as the Secretary of the AlleganCounty Planning Commission with the office address being the Allegan County Courthouse. Records showname changes were filed in 1991 changing the corporation name to “The Alliance Serving Business in AlleganCounty” and another name change in 1996 to the “Allegan Economic Development Alliance”.

All Michigan corporations are required to file an annual report with the Bureau of Commercial Services andCorporations. The last filing for the corporation occurred in 2003. The Bureau of Commercial Services andCorporations deactivated and dissolved the corporation due to inactivity and non-filing of required annualreports in October 2006.

It can be concluded this former nonprofit corporation is unavailable to be reactivated for use in administrationand conducting a countywide economic development program.





Post-Recession Best Strategic Management PracticesA recent survey of economic development practitioners, revealed concern by business and governmentalleaders that local communities cannot rely totally on the federal economic development stimulus to repair joblosses and disinvestment in their communities. These community leaders recognize that an active economicdevelopment program will be necessary in the future to support and nourish the local economy.

In response to this concern, economic developmentpractitioners today are retooling their economic developmentstrategies, focusing on traditional and new economicpractices designed to be ready and implemented to “fast

track” growth of the local economy. Our research indicates that contemporary economic development is founded on the ten principles listed in the box at right.

Ten Post-Recession Economic DevelopmentStrategy Principles:

1. 80% of jobs are created by smaller businesses.

2. It is easier to expand the job base of anexisting company than locate a new one.

3. Entrepreneurial “start-up” businessesincrease the “locally connected” job base.

4. Financing must be available to support“start-up” and “second stage” business

growth.5. Collaboration is needed for new business

recruitment efforts.

6. Partnering with others increases funds for advertisement and promotion.

7. Supply chain business recruitment is superior to “shot gun” recruitmentattempts.

8. Targeted business recruitment programswill change as new post recessionbusiness linkages form.

9. Community preparedness; existing sites,

buildings & workforce are no longer optional.

10. Pre approved incentives increase chancesfor success.

In our opinion, a post recession economic developmentstrategy that is founded in the ten strategy principles willplace a greater emphasis on:

• Retention and expansion of existing businesses withmore visitations with local employers to discuss theirspecific needs.

• Intensified new business location marketing outreachefforts, most likely partnering with other organizations

to increase funding for advertisements in site selectionpublications and sponsorship of business/site selectorvisitation events.

• Greater use of “area wide branding” to increaseidentity of economic advantages for select geographicareas.

• More use of internet web sites and electronicnewsletters to increase reach and frequency of

communications to prospective new businesses.• Greater attention to supplier/vendor recruitment

programs.• A reexamination of “clustered” target business

recruitment strategies updating specific targetedbusinesses in anticipation of post recession business linkages

• Pre-packaging of economic development incentives including financing for companies meeting established criteria.

• Obtaining “shovel ready” site/building approvals for certain economic development projects.• Increased funding of economic development incentive programs tied to workforce development.• Emphasis on small business and entrepreneur development programs.

Economic development leaders face new challenges as they seek to retool traditional economic developmentprograms for the post recession economic advancement effort. There is no doubt strategic economicdevelopment planning today will generate more success in the future.

12 Allegan County



3. Visioning Workshop: Developing a

World Class CountyAllegan County held a visioning workshop inconjunction with the Allegan Area EducationalService Agency on April 21, 2009. The title of theworkshop was “Developing a World Class Cand the purpose was to garner input fromeconomic development stakeholders from allparts of Allegan County to identify goals,objectives and action recommendations to f County Economic Development. Those goals,objectives, and recommendations form the basisof this Economic Development Organization Plan.

ounty,”

urther

he workshop included two activities designed to

ing

hile the workshop was an event held in support

ves for

ury. The

nt,

Tgather public input and to identify priorities and

top goals for future economic developmentactivities. The activities were an asset mappexercise and a focused topic group exercise.

Wof this Organization Plan, it holds value farbeyond simply developing goals and objecti

this plan. The workshop was predicated on theassertion that contemporary economic

development activities must respond to thechanging demands and requirements of businesses and residents in the 21 st centpurpose of the workshop was to engage theparticipants to identify ways to rethink, reinveand transform Allegan County into a world classcounty.

Asset Mappinghe purpose of the Asset Mapping exercise was to identify target assets to develop and limitations to overcome

nt

es.

he table on the following page lists all of the identified assets and limitations, along with the number of votes

T

for economic development in the County. The exercise was conducted in groups of 8 persons. Each groupidentified what the County’s greatest assets/strengths and limitations/weaknesses for economic developmeare. Each group identified 3 or 4 assets/strengths and 3 or 4 weaknesses/limitations and recorded thoseonto a large map designed for the purpose. After all groups had identified their top 3 or 4 items in eachcategory, each participant voted for what he or she thought were the top 3 assets/strengths orweaknesses/limitations. Each participant could vote for any combination of assets or weakness T

that each item received.




Visioning Workshop Results

AssetsAgriculture #1 400M greenhouse, livestock, dairy processing, crops, orchards 20Recreational Opportunities (golf, skiing, camping, paddling, motorsports hunting, fishing) and

Tourism18

Quality of life – small towns, recreation, good schools 10Natural Resources (state game areas / parks) Water Resources = rivers, lakes, shoreline 6Infrastructure Energy / transportation / towers & wind potential 4Casino 2Location – between Chicago / Detroit, 131, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo 2Employers – Small and Big 2Retail agriculture (farm markets, wineries, u-picks) 1Major corridors (131/31 / M-40 / M-89 / M-222) 1Safety 1Industrial Clusters 1

Assets Identified, But Not Receiving Votes: Allegan Area Educational Service AssociationAllegan State Game AreaEducation SystemExcess Infrastructure CapExcess Manufacturing FacilitiesHospitalsInfrastructureLife sciences – Health corridorSchoolsTransportation Infrastructure (Corridors - M-40/89 and 131, Railroads, North-South Main Roads,Airports – Allegan, Holland, Plainwell)

Conclusions

Agriculture and Recreation are widely recognized as the County’s key assets, and Natural Resources are also akey asset. Any economic development efforts must take these key existing assets as a starting point, andensure that any future activities will not harm these key assets.

Leveraging existing assets is a cost-effective and common-sense way to jumpstart economic developmentactivities, so any new economic development organization should concentrate on promoting agriculture,

tourism, and agricultural tourism. In particular, high-value agriculture such as orchards and wineries offer apromising opportunity to promote both agriculture and tourism simultaneously.

14 Allegan County




LimitationsLack of continuing education opportunities – no 2/4 yr. college within the county 26Wireless access/high-speed internet 14

Lack of cooperation and focused vision among communities – communication and connections aredifficult 13

Opposition to development/resistance to change 5Limited mass transportation, lack of a major NE → SW corridor, center of County not easilyconnected 5

Uncoordinated zoning 4Lack of central information center for building opportunities / inventory (planning/development) 3Limited sewer & water availability 1Economy: gas, unemployment, workforce 1Limited coordinated marketing plan 1River pollution 1

Limitations Identified, But Not Receiving Votes: $ coming into the countyDining, shopping with specialty stores, entertainmentEast West access highwayEast-West highwayExcess manufacturing facilitiesHealth careHousing assistance (renovation) funds, historic preservationInadequate RailwayJobs Training Lack of diversityLodging (more please)

Media, lack of centralizationPollution (water)Sense that community is in declineTransportation

Conclusions

Lack of higher education opportunities and lack of communication were identified as the most importantlimitations facing the County. In general, infrastructure is not seen as a limitation, except for the lack ofwireless internet access and high speed internet access.

The County’s limitations are related to its strengths. Higher education institutions are often, but not always,located in or on the periphery of major population centers, and high-speed communication infrastructurerequires a certain level of population density to induce the private sector to provide services. Allegan County’sstrengths are its agricultural and recreational amenities – not its concentration of population. Therefore,supporting higher education institutions or communication infrastructure will require government involvement.





Focused Topic GroupsThe second part of the workshop was a focused topic group discussion. The purpose of the topic groups was

to concentrate on actions to foster growth, health and development of particular economic sectors. Therewere 8 designated topics distributed at different tables, with each topic representing a different sector of economic development. Participants self-selected their topic. The topics were:

• Agriculture• Downtowns• Manufacturing/Industry• Agricultural Tourism

• Tourism• Education• Workforce Development• Public Officials/Local Government

The purpose of the focused topic group discussions was to develop recommendations for promoting economicdevelopment in each sector. After brainstorming, each group reported its observations and recommendations

to the full assembly. We provided each topic group with a set of starter questions intended to guide andinspire the brainstorming discussions. Those questions were:

• Identify strengths and weaknesses of the sector; consider the assets and limitations identified in the earlier session.

• What would help this sector to compete and thrive in today’s market?• What could be done to better capitalize on the assets or overcome the limitations in this sector of

the County?• In other words, what does this sector need for economic development, and how can it best be

facilitated in the County?

Group Reporting Results

AgricultureHelp Compete and Thrive

• Technical training and education• Coordination• Practical regulations – zone to protect agriculture• Need high-speed internet

Hog slaughter processing facility• None in Michigan

Downtowns

Strengths• Historic nature of the towns

Weaknesses• Historic nature of the towns (need new blood)

What Should Be Done?• Adhere to Master Plan for downtown areas• Plan together across the County for the betterment of all• Develop niche businesses & entrepreneurial spirit• Fill empty businesses

16 Allegan County




Manufacturing/Industry

Strengths• None reported

Weaknesses• Need more jobs• Need diversity in job-seekers• Need entrepreneurship

What Should Be Done?• Unified point of contact and resource center for expansions and those looking to locate in the

County• Branding/identity of County• Diversification of employer base – in both type and location

Agricultural Tourism

Strengths• Farm markets, orchards, vineyards, u-picks

Weaknesses• Marketing • Weather

What Should Be Done?• Unified marketing • Central clearinghouse for information• Festivals to attract visitors to the area

Tourism

Strengths• Allegan County Tourist Council• Year-round resources & attractions• Festivals and events• County Heritage Trail

Weaknesses• Lack of communication within the County (see all as competitors)• Lack of support for leaders• No major media outlet in County

What Should Be Done?• Build a Travel Michigan campaign and website• Increase distribution of County-wide guide• Tap into social networking • Reach out to travel media





Education

Strengths• Parent support• Proud of existing schools

Weaknesses• No college presence• Funding issues

What Should Be Done?• Pilot for remote campuses in existing schools• Use technology to deliver material• Remote campuses – population should not have to leave the county for training • Transitioning & life skills in the work force

Workforce Development

Strengths• Population• Near-term government subsidies

Weaknesses• Institutions to train are lacking • Lack of awareness of what skills are needed to be successful• Lack of subsidies for single parent families to gain skills• Flexibility with regulations

What Should Be Done?• Mentorship/apprenticeship program

Public Officials/Local Government

Strengths• Many government officials are great

Weaknesses• No County presence in Economic Development• Lack of County buy-in• Lock of County forum• No coordination/facilitation• Economic Development activities opposed, not promoted

What Should Be Done?• Recruit• Be proactive

Conclusions

Agriculture and Tourism are key strengths. Agricultural Tourism is an area of promise. Capitalizing on theCounty’s strong agricultural position and its existing tourism draws must be a key component of any economicdevelopment program.

Many weaknesses relate to voids in the County – voids in communication, coordination, facilities, and funding.Some of these voids can be rectified through organizational and outreach activities, others will require funding.

18 Allegan County




Visioning Workshop Graphic RecordFollowing are graphic records of the Economic Development portion of the visioning workshop. These graphicssummarize the proceedings and input received from participants:




4. Goals and Objectives

The Visioning Workshop helped to identify strengths, weaknesses, and actions to facilitate economicdevelopment in the County. This chapter translates the input received at the workshop into a series of goalsand objectives, which together form a vision for economic development. These goals and objectives will form

the framework for future implementation actions by the Economic Development organization.

Goals are general in nature and are statements of economic development ideals toward which the Countywishes to strive. They represent the ultimate purpose of an effort stated in a way that is both broad andimmeasurable. Goals also express a consensus of direction among public agencies, elected and appointedofficials, private agencies, groups, and individuals. Goals are long-range considerations that should guide thedevelopment of specific objectives.

Objectives are a means to achieve the overall goals. Objectives take the form of more measureable standards,or identify the methods by which the goals of the plan may be realized. In some instances they are specificstatements which can be readily translated into detailed program proposals or action recommendations.

Together, the following goals and objectives provide the foundation for future implementation strategies.

Goal: Coordinate Economic Development Programs and Services

Objectives:• Establish, empower, and support an economic development organization.• Create a unified marketing effort to promote County businesses, facilities, and advantages.• Develop an Allegan County brand or brands to guide economic development efforts.• Develop a database of available developable land and buildings. Structure the database to be

searchable online with an interactive map browser.• Coordinate economic development efforts and develop relationships among governmental, quasi-

governmental, and private groups and organizations.• Found and endow a community foundation (similar to the Allegan County Community Foundation)

to support arts, entertainment, and cultural activities and institutions in the County.• Identify one person in County government to coordinate local Master Plans and Zoning

Ordinances.

Goal: Support Allegan County’s Agriculture and Tourism Sectors

Objectives:• Assist local communities and agricultural operators.• Identify appropriate locations for livestock and production agriculture facilities.• Create an agricultural tourism plan to develop and support Allegan County’s retail agriculture

industry (agricultural tourism, orchards and vineyards, u-picks, and farmer’s markets).• Support new agriculture enterprises with funding and training programs.• Implement the County’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan.




Goals and Objectives

• Coordinate and support Tourism Council marketing efforts with broad economic developmentefforts.

Goal: Support Business Retention and Development

Objectives:• Reduce the costs to businesses of development and operation in the county to create

comparative advantage for local firms.• Establish a retention program to continuously monitor the needs of Allegan County businesses

and to help provide programs and services to meet those needs.• Create a marketing plan and business attraction strategy to identify and attract desired

businesses to the County.• Create business skills and management training for small businesses and businesspersons.• Create an Allegan Venture Fund and/or a revolving loan fund to provide seed funding to start-up

businesses that may not qualify for conventional financing.

Goal: Workforce Education and Training

Objectives:• Establish an Allegan County Community College or work with an existing area Community College

to provide in-district access to continuing education opportunities for Allegan County residents.• Create remote campuses of Michigan 4-year colleges in Allegan County.• Establish new and/or expand existing workforce training programs to develop a supply of skilled,

in-demand workers.• Increase the percentage of County residents with bachelor’s degrees to 25% within 10 years.

Goal: Enhance Quality of Place

Objectives:• Establish and promote incubators in downtown centers to support entrepreneurialism.• Establish planning and regulatory policies that encourage a vibrant atmosphere and walkable,

urbane development in traditional downtown centers (as opposed to promoting dispersed,greenfield development patterns).

• Continue and/or expand the use of Michigan authorized economic development or other funding methods to support the revitalization and improvement of the County’s traditional downtowncenters.

• Maintain rural character in undeveloped or lightly developed areas of the County and funnel newdevelopment to areas defined in local master plans.

• Preserve valuable farmlands from development through the use of innovative land useregulations such as transfer or purchase of development rights programs that allow landowners

to unlock the value of their land without having to sell it for development.

22 Allegan County



Goals and Objectives

Goal: Develop 21 st Century Infrastructure

Objectives:• Treat the development of high-speed and wireless internet services as a public good on an equal

footing with roads, sewers, bridges, and other physical infrastructure elements.• Make high-speed internet access available in all parts of the County.




5. Economic Development Program

RecommendationThis section presents our and the Project Team’s recommendation to:

1. Establish an Economic Development Commission.

2. Staff the Economic Development Commission with at least 1 full-time position. The staff person maybe an existing county employee, or a new hire, as resources and staff capabilities permit.

3. Identify the functions and evaluation metrics for the economic development program.

Recommendation for an Economic Development CommissionThe purpose of the section of the Allegan County Economic Development Organization Plan is to recommend

the type of formal economic development organization required to achieve stated economic developmentgoals. Having carefully considered the options identified in Section 2 (see the Organization Best ManagementPractices on page 8 ), the Project Team recommends that a new County Economic Development Commission be established pursuant to the provision of P.A. 46 of 1966, as amended. The Project Team recommends that

the Economic Development Commission be established as a new body with its own staffing resources.

An Economic Development Commission is the most appropriate County-level organization because it will:

1. Provide operational transparency where the Economic Development Commission work program andperiodic progress evaluations are routinely communicated to both County Board and EconomicDevelopment Commission members as well as the general public.

2. Be easily recognized by local and state governments, private businesses and other cooperating economic development organization as the single purpose countywide economic developmentorganization representing Allegan County.

3. Be accepted by various public and private funders as the supplier of countywide economicdevelopment programs.

4. Be programmatically responsible to a special County Board of Commissioners appointed economicdevelopment body representing a wide spectrum of countrywide interests with budgetary and otherfinancial management overseen by the County Board of Commissioners.

5. Have the ability to enter into to formal cooperative agreements with other economic developmentpartners in furtherance of the economic development organizational goals.

6. Provide a flexible organizational framework that allows resident and non-resident stakeholders toparticipate as part of the Commission.

This section describes the recommended membership, staffing, and funding for the Economic DevelopmentCommission, and also describes why, after careful consideration and analysis of the alternatives, the ProjectTeam chose to recommend a new Economic Development Commission.




Organization Recommendation

Membership and Structure of the EconomicDevelopment Commission

Pursuant to P.A. 46 of 1966, the County Board of Commission may create a county economic developmentcommission consisting of not less than 3, nor more than 35 members. Additionally with this action, the CountyBoard of Commissioners must:

1. Establish rules and regulations governing the operation of the commission.

2. Appoint such employees it deems advisable to carry out the activities of the commission.

3. Provide each year in its annual budget for the expenses of the commission.

Therefore, to form the Allegan County Economic Development Commission, a resolution must be adopted by

the County Board of Commissioners containing, or otherwise referencing established rules and regulationsaddressing the number of members, “stakeholder” interest represented plus the rules and regulations foroperation of the Economic Development Commission.

The Economic Development Commission should meet a minimum of once yearly, although quarterly meetings to review progress towards goals and the status of implementation actions is preferable.

Membership of the Economic Development CommissionA successful economic development initiative will have to balance county interests, local government interests,and stakeholder interests. With this in mind, the study team recommends an Economic DevelopmentCommission consisting of 11 members. The membership of the EDC will include:

• One representative for each of the 6 county economic development districts. These representativeswill be selected based on geography and are meant to ensure that local interests are represented on

the EDC. Note that the economic development districts do not match the County Commissiondistricts.

• 5 at-large representatives representing stakeholder interests and the County Commission.

Not less than one but not more than 2 of the at-large representatives should be County Commissioners. Thegeographic representatives should not be County Commissioners. The membership of the EDC should bedrawn from government, business, and nonprofit groups. All of the EDC members will be approved by theCounty Board of Commissioners.

26 Allegan County




Economic Development Commissioner Districts

District 1 District 2Dorr TownshipHopkinsHopkins TownshipLeighton Township

Monterey TownshipSalem TownshipWaylandWayland Township

Gunplain TownshipMartinMartin TownshipOtsego

Otsego TownshipPlainwellWatson Township

District 3 District 4

AlleganAllegan TownshipCheshire Township

Trowbridge TownshipValley Township

Casco TownshipClyde Township

Ganges TownshipLee Township

District 5 District 6DouglasFennvilleManlius Township

SaugatuckSaugatuck Township

Fillmore TownshipHeath TownshipHolland

Laketown TownshipOverisel Township





Economic Development Focus AreasThe study team has identified 9 focus areas that will drive and be involved with County economic developmentactivities. These focus areas include (in alphabetical order):

• Agriculture• Arts and Culture• Downtowns• Education – K-12 and post-secondary• Manufacturing/Industry• Real Estate/Development• Recreation• Tourism• Workforce Training

The membership of the EDC need not include members that specifically represent each focus area, although

the County Commission should strive to ensure that a broad cross-section of interests is represented on theEDC. The purpose of the EDC is to serve as a broadly-focused coordinating body that can balance theeconomic development needs of a wide range of county constituencies.

Stakeholder Involvement in Task GroupsThe project team envisions a process where stakeholder interests will partner with the EDC to complete andimplement economic development projects. Groups or individuals that represent stakeholder interests will beincorporated in economic development activities as members of short-term, project-specific task groups.These task groups will be formed on an ad-hoc basis to complete specific tasks, and will bring stakeholdersinto partnership with sub-committees of the EDC to complete specific projects. In this manner, the EDC canbenefit from the knowledge, expertise, and insight of stakeholders that are involved in one of the economicdevelopment focus areas, while maintaining the generalist focus of the EDC as a whole.

28 Allegan County




Staffing and Funding the Economic DevelopmentProgram

Adequately staffing the economic development program to achieve measurable results will require at least onefull-time staff position, with administrative support. Expanding economic development staff to 2-4 full timepositions should be a medium-term priority, based on the staffing levels of comparable county-level economicdevelopment organizations in Indiana and Michigan. Anything less than these staffing levels will not sufficegiven the importance the County has placed on economic development as its number 2 priority. These staff persons could be housed in a new Economic Development Department, but more likely should be located in acombined department that houses economic development and complimentary activities such as planning,parks and recreation, tourism, etc.

Funding Funding the Economic Development Program

The Project Team was keenly aware that limited funding resources currently exist to support an economicdevelopment program. This awareness informed therecommendations of this report in the following ways:

1. A flexible approach to providing economic development staff. The essential recommendation of this report is todedicate at least one full-time position to economicdevelopment. The full time person may be an existing County employee, or a new hire, or some combination of

the two, but this recommendation does not require theCounty to create a new position or to increase payroll.See page 30.

2. A flexible approach to the County’s organizational structure. The County need not create a new Economic

Development Department. In fact, a likely option may be to combine existing departments that relate to thephysical development of the county into a combined newdepartment, better capitalizing on existing Countyresources. See page 30.

3. A focus on non-capital intensive implementation steps. The implementation action plan focuses on coordination,communication, and capacity building efforts that can becompleted by the Economic Development Commissionand County staff. Implementation steps that requirefinancial support will occur after the economicdevelopment program is established and able to secureoutside sources of funding for capital projects. See page39.

An effective Economic Development Commission

will require consistent and reliable funding resources. To operate a successful and effectiveeconomic development program, a minimum of one full-time staff person should be whollydedicated to economic development activities.This staff person can be an existing Countyemployee, or a new hire.

In addition to supporting a full-time staff person, the County should commit to providing necessaryfunding resources to support marketing, printing,website hosting, and other costs of doing businessfor the first four years of the EconomicDevelopment Commission’s existence. Note that

the implementation program has been designedwith the understanding that limited funding will beavailable and the implementation actions willrequire negligible funding outside of staffing costs.

If the Economic Development Commission is notadequately funded by the County, staff will have tosecure funding from other outside sources.However, every moment spent securing funding tosustain its operations will reduce the EconomicDevelopment Commission’s ability to focus on itsprimary mission of increasing economic well-being in Allegan County.

Staffing the Economic Development Program

Economic Development StaffThere are two potential staffing scenarios for the economic development program. The scenarios are asfollows:





1. 1 - 1.5 Staff Persons. The County hires or assigns one full-time economic development coordinatorand up to a half-time support person to serve as staff to the Economic Development Commission, andprovides limited operational funding to support Economic Development Commission organizationactivities. This is the most likely short-term staffing scenario.

2. 2 Staff Persons. The County hires or assigns two full-time economic development persons to serve asstaff to the Economic Development Commission and provides operational funding to supportEconomic Development Commission organization activities. One staff person would be the economicdevelopment coordinator, and one staff person would serve under the coordinator. This should be amedium-term goal over the next 2-5 years, and should be considered once the economic developmentprogram is established and operational.

Staffing Options

1. Option #1: Hire New Economic Development Coordinator. If the County chooses to hire a neweconomic development coordinator, the qualifications for the position should include a bachelor’sdegree in a related field and relevant experience in economic development. Certified EconomicDeveloper credentials from the International Economic Developers Association would be desirable, but

the County should be willing to consider non-certified individuals on the condition that they achievecertified status within 3 years of the date of hire. The qualifications for the assistant or deputyeconomic development coordinator should include a bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalentexperience.

2. Staffing Option #2: Reallocate Existing Staff. The County may choose to designate an existing Countyemployee as the economic development coordinator. If this option is chosen, the coordinator shouldbe assigned full-time to economic development efforts if the economic development program is to beoptimally successful. This would require a reassignment of responsibilities among County employees,and/or using already budgeted economic development funds to hire a lower-level employee to assumesome or all of the current responsibilities of reassigned County staff persons. This option can provide

the County with a cost-neutral method of staffing economic development activities.

Organizational Location of Economic Development Staff The Economic Development staff could be located in a new County Economic Development Department, but asit will initially consist of 1-2 employees, the ED department should be housed either within an existing Countydepartment or as part of a new department that combines two or more existing departments. Combining existing departments may make sense if an existing County employee is selected as the economicdevelopment coordinator because a combined department can place the ED Coordinator in the samedepartment as the person or persons assigned or hired to assume his or her former duties. This can provide alevel of institutional continuity that eases the transition to the new organizational structure.

One potential option the County could consider would be to combine Land Information Services, Parks, theTourist Council, and Economic Development into a new department. These departments relate to the physicaldevelopment of the County, and could coexist as specialty areas within a new department.

This new department could be called the Planning and Economic Development Department, the Community

Development Department, or a similar title. This department would, at a minimum, provide staff for thePlanning Commission, the Economic Development Commission, the Farmland Preservation Board, and theParks Commission. These functions are cross-disciplinary, and combining these departments could allowbetter utilization of county staff, synergy between planning and development efforts, and a unity of vision thatensures that different boards and departments do not work at cross-purposes.

30 Allegan County




Relationship of the Economic DevelopmentCommission to Existing County Boards and

DepartmentsThere must be a clearly defined role for the Economic Development Commission and its relationship to otherCounty boards and departments.

The Economic Development Commission will serve as the coordinator and information broker for economicdevelopment activities in Allegan County. As such, it is best conceived of as an independent body that willwork with county departments and commissions on projects that impact or relate to the various existing departments and commissions. However, existing county departments and bodies may serve as part of theshort-term project-specific task groups under the umbrella of the Economic Development Commission.

Relationship of the Economic Development Commission to the CountyPlanning CommissionThere are two options for defining the relationship of the County Planning Commission (CPC) to the newEconomic Development Commission:

• Create a new Economic Development Commission that is separate and distinct from the CountyPlanning Commission, or

• Designate the CPC as the Economic Development Commission.

Public Act 46 of 1966 allows the County to designate an existing body or commission as the EconomicDevelopment Commission. This means that the Planning Commission could be designated as a dual-rolecommission.

OrganizationStructure Advantages Disadvantages

Separate EDC andCPC

Allows each commission to focus ona specialty area – a benefit when thePlanning Commission is very active

Diversity of thought

Commissions can be ineffectual if roles and duties are not clearlydefined

Requires staffing leadership for twocommissions. This can be combinedin one person or department, butstaff must have sufficient knowledgeand ability to advise both bodies.This is difficult to accomplish withvery limited staff.

Dual EDC/CPC

Can simply designate CPC as theEDC

County only has to maintain and staff one commission

Membership of the EDC isconstrained by PA 33

Will require adjustments to existing makeup of the PC, which can take up

to 3 years to complete

May be difficult to attract best qualityeconomic developmentcommissioners due to planning responsibilities





In the course of considering the option to create a dual Economic Development Commission/Planning Commission vs. the option of creating a separate Economic Development Commission, the Project Teamconsidered the enabling legislation for Economic Development Commissions and the Planning Commissions toevaluate the statutory duties and membership requirements for each.

Summary of the County or Regional Economic Development Commission Act (PA 46 of 1966)

Duties and Abilities. An Economic Development Commission has certain duties and abilities under PA 46of 1966. The Commission may:

• Investigate and study of conditions affecting the economy of the area, complete technical studiesand statistical research and surveys necessary or useful for the expansion of the economy, andcollect and disseminate such information.

• Offer recommendations to the board or boards of supervisors for the study and elimination of restrictions, barriers and burdens imposed by law or otherwise, which may adversely affect orretard the development and expansion of area industry, commerce or agriculture.

• Study and advise the board or boards of supervisors, industry and interested organizations andassociations as to means and methods of providing financing for economic expansion in thecounty or region.

• Promote and encourage the expansion and development of markets for products of the county orregion.

• Publicize the material, economic and cultural advantages of the county.

• Conduct research and make recommendations to the board or boards of supervisors for thegeneral purpose of guiding and accomplishing a coordinated and efficient development of thecounty or region in accordance with present and future needs and to best utilize the county's orregion's resources.

• Accept, with the approval of the board or boards of supervisors, grants of funds made by the state, the United States, or any department or agency thereof, or other public or private agency orindividual.

• Enter into contracts with boards, commissions and agencies, both public and private, and withindividuals to carry out the purposes of this act.

• Act as the county's or region's official liaison agency with state and federal agencies concernedwith economic development programs.

Membership. The membership requirements for an Economic Development Commission organized underPA 46 are very simple. The commission must have between 3 and 35 members. There are no residencyrestrictions, nor must the commissioners represent specific interests.

Summary of the Michigan Planning Enabling Act (PA 33 of 2008)

Duties and Abilities. The CPC has certain abilities, rights and responsibilities under Public Act 33 of 2008(the Michigan Planning Enabling Act).

• Prepare Master Plan: The CPC may prepare a county-level master plan to serve as a guide forlong-range physical development of the county and fiscal plans for such development.

• Coordinate Local Government Plans: The CPC may coordinate and comment on local jurisdictionplans, and also may coordinate all related planning activities among the state and local

32 Allegan County




governmental agencies. Local governments are required to submit local master plans to the CPCfor review and comment. If there is no CPC, this duty falls to the Board of Commissioners.

• Capital Improvements Programming: Prioritizing capital improvements based on relative urgency,along with definitive financing plans for the improvements to be constructed in the earlier years of

the program. This power is specifically granted to CPCs that are designated “Metropolitan CountyPlanning Commissions” by the Board of Commissioners. PA 33 does not define what constitutes

metropolitan, and so it is possible that a rural or semi-rural county could still have a“metropolitan” CPC.

• Advise on County Projects: The CPC shall report and advise to the Board of Commissioners and the county board, department or agency submitting a proposal to acquire land; erect structures; orextend, construct, or improve any physical facility. The board, department, or agency must submita full description of the project, including its location and extent, to the CPC. (61(2))

The statute-defined duties for a County Planning Commission are limited. In practice, most CountyPlanning Commissions act in advisory or advocate roles. Further, all of the statute-mandated CountyPlanning Commission duties can be accomplished by other County departments and/or boards.

Membership. The membership requirements for a Planning Commission are specific. A county Planning

Commission may consist of 5, 7, 9, or 11 members that are appointed for 3-year terms. The membershipshall be representative of important segments of the community, such as the economic, governmental,education, and the major interests that exist in the County (such as agriculture, natural resources,recreation, education, public health, government, transportation, industry, and commerce). Themembership shall also be representative of the entire geography of the County, and all members must bequalified electors of the County.

RecommendationAfter considering the two options, the Project Team recommends that an independent Economic DevelopmentCommission be established. This is the best course of action for the following reasons:

• Enabled Activities. Establishing a separate Economic Development Commission will allow it tofocus solely on economic development issues. PA 46 provides the Economic DevelopmentCommission with a wider range of statute-enabled economic development abilities compared to

those enabled by PA 33. PA 33 addresses economic development tangentially, and does notprovide any additional abilities from an economic development standpoint. Creating a dualcommission will not provide additional abilities for the Economic Development Commissioncompared to a separated structure.

• Clarity of Focus. While the mandated responsibilities of a County Planning Commission arelimited, it is likely that an economic development focused board will not want to deal withreviewing local government rezoning decisions or master plans. Creating separate commissionswill allow the Economic Development Commission to maintain its sole focus on economicdevelopment activities.

• Membership Advantage. The membership requirements for a county Economic Development

Commission established under PA 46 are very liberal – the Economic Development Commissionmust contain between 3 and 35 members with no other restrictions. This offers great flexibility to

the County to secure the services of the most qualified individuals for the Economic DevelopmentCommission.

The membership requirements of PA 33 are much more restrictive, and would apply if a dualcommission was envisioned. This would limit the County’s flexibility to secure the services of thebest range of Economic Development Commissioners because PA 33 requires Planning Commissioners to be qualified electors of the County, which may limit participation by importantstakeholders in Allegan County’s economy that do not reside in the County. Further, PA 33 limits





membership to 5, 7, 9, or 11 members.

Our recommendation is for an 11-member Economic Development Commission, so initially thedual structure would be feasible, but it would deny the Economic Development Commission theflexibility to adjust its membership in the future. Also, adjusting the membership of the Planning Commission to comply with the recommendations of this report would likely be a time-consuming and somewhat difficult process. It is unclear if the existing membership sufficiently representseconomic development interests, or the economic development commissioner districts, and asPlanning Commissioners are appointed for 3-year terms, it could take up to 3 years to complete

the adjustment process. This will also very likely result in existing Planning Commissioners notbeing reappointed, and will impact the existing Planning Commission.

• Staffing Quality. Maintaining dual commissions will facilitate better professional staffing. Thecounty will have limited resources to staff the Economic Development Commission for theforeseeable future, so it is important that the staff person for the Economic DevelopmentCommission be able to focus on economic development without also having to provide planning staff support. Typically, Counties that maintain a dual-role department or commission have staff members that focus on planning or economic development roles. Finding a dual-role staff personwho will be able to provide the level of economic development leadership and support that theCounty expects will be difficult, and probably more costly.

TimeframeEstablishing an effective Economic Development Commission will require a minimum 4-year commitment from

the County. The initial steps of building an effective organization, making the necessary contacts, and laying the foundation for future economic development efforts will likely consume the organization’s energies during the first 18-24 months of existence, so demonstrable results should not be expected until years 3 and 4. It isimportant that the County have realistic expectations of the type of results that are likely during the EconomicDevelopment Commission’s incubation and capacity building period.

34 Allegan County




Functions and Evaluation Metrics

FunctionsMost modern economic development programs focus on five “cornerstone” functions for the organization.These five functions are:

Organization and Planning Community Development Business Retention and Expansion Market Development Workforce Development

These five cornerstone functions provide a structure to organize a specific work program, allocate financialresources and provide a means to quantify or measure achievement of goals. Each function has its own set of metrics that define program success. Finally, it should be noted that the five cornerstone functions include awide variety of possible activities, and most economic development organizations have limited human andfinancial resources that limit activities to certain high priority goals. Other high priority projects may beassigned to partner organizations for completion by the Economic Development Commission, which retains acoordinating interest in such projects.

Refer to the Short-Term Implementation Plan for a description of actions and activities in each of the fivefunction categories.

Evaluation MetricsOne of the most critical elements of a successful economic development program is finding actionable andmeaningful measures for assessing economic development performance. What happens in regionaleconomies is the result of complex interactions among multiple actors, making evaluations of the impact of economic development programs difficult. Yet, economic development programs come at great expense to

taxpayers, so strong and meaningful global evaluation metrics must be established at the founding of theEconomic Development Commission and project metrics must be identified at the initiation of eachimplementation project. These metrics are critical to evaluate program and project success, and todemonstrate value to elected officials, local communities, and Allegan County residents.

Focusing solely on fiscal metrics to evaluate organizational performance neglects many functions of aneconomic development organization that are difficult to measure from a purely fiscal standpoint. For instance,how does one evaluate the value of networking or information sharing? Effectively measuring organizationalperformance requires a balanced approach that takes into account the additional dimensions of performancecritical to an organization’s success. This approach is called the Balanced Scorecard, and originated in a 1992Harvard Business Review article by Dr. Robert S. Kaplan. The Balanced Scorecard approach uses different

dimensions, or performance perspectives, to assess an organization’s performance, with the performanceperspectives being tailored to the organization’s mission. The Balanced Scorecard approach has gone througha number of iterations and has been modified numerous times as it has been implemented for different typesof organizations.

The overall effectiveness of the Economic Development Commission should be evaluated based on metrics that evaluate the organization’s progress towards making Allegan County a more prosperous place, while eachEconomic Development Commission action program should be evaluated using a set of metrics that aredefined at the initiation of each project.





Global Economic Development Commission MetricsGlobal Economic Development Commission metrics should measure overall outcomes of the organization’sefforts. As noted, regional economies are complex, so measuring overall job creation or county GDP changewill not reflect the impact of the Economic Development Commission organization. It is impossible to isolate

the impact of Economic Development Commission programs from overall economic trends and influences.Therefore, global Economic Development Commission metrics should follow the Balanced Scorecard approach.

Specifically, we recommend that the global Economic Development Commission metrics be as follows:Organizational Mission: The Economic Development Commission’s mission is to make Allegan County a moreprosperous place. This overarching goal will inform all of the activities and evaluations of the EconomicDevelopment Commission. An appropriate evaluation metric is the number of jobs created or retained on anannual basis by the Economic Development Commission.

Customer Perspective: The Economic Development Commission will deal with a number of differentcustomers, ranging from the general public to businesses in the region to local and county government. Eachof these customers must be satisfied if the Economic Development Commission is to adequately achieve itsmission and continue to exist. Therefore, customer satisfaction surveys should be solicited from all localgovernments, County government, and all local businesses and institutions that the Economic DevelopmentCommission interacts with during a given year.

The customer satisfaction survey may be administered through the Economic Development Commission’swebsite. 1

Financial Perspective: The Economic Development Commission should be evaluated to ensure that it iseffectively raising money, completing projects within budget, and using county and Economic DevelopmentCommission funds to leverage additional funds from other sources. This perspective must not dominate theEconomic Development Commission evaluation process, but responsible use of funds must be a consideration.

Internal Process Perspective: Internal processes refer to the evaluation metrics applied to each EconomicDevelopment Commission project individually. This perspective should be evaluated as the aggregateperformance of the Economic Development Commission in meeting individual project evaluation metrics. Formore information on project evaluation metrics, refer to the next subsection (Program Specific Metrics) and theexample evaluation benchmarks described for each project in Section 6 – the Implementation Plan.

Organizational Learning and Growth Perspective: The organizational learning and growth perspectiveevaluates the capacity and performance of the Economic Development Commission organization. Thisincludes staffing, infrastructure and technology that go into executing internal processes. These metrics will beestablished on a year-to-year basis in the form of performance objectives for the organization. For instance,

the implementation section includes a number of Organization Development action steps that can be used asevaluation metrics for this perspective in the beginning years of the Economic Development Commission.

Program Specific MetricsProgram specific metrics may not be directly related to the overall job and investment metrics used for theglobal program evaluation. Program specific metrics must be related to the purpose of each program, with theunderstanding that each program undertaken by the Economic Development Commission is intended tofurther the overall purpose of increasing Allegan County’s prosperity. We have identified basic program-specific metrics in the project descriptions in the Implementation section, although the Economic DevelopmentCommission should review and identify evaluation metrics when each project is initiated.

1 Examples of Economic Development customer satisfaction surveys can be found online at:http://www.atikokaninfo.com/aedc/employmentCentre/customerSatisfactionSurvey.php http://www.budaedc.com/CustomerSatisfactionSurvey.htm

36 Allegan County

http://www.atikokaninfo.com/aedc/employmentCentre/customerSatisfactionSurvey.php


http://www.budaedc.com/CustomerSatisfactionSurvey.htm






6. Implementation Action PlanThe following section presents short-term economic development implementation actions. Implementation

actions will generally be one of three kinds of action:• Coordination – where the organization facilitates connections between businesses or workers and

available resources or opportunities.

Communication – where the organization facilitates the sharing of knowledge or information betweenentities

Facilitation – where the organization provides financing or monetary support for projects or activities.

The implementation action plan focuses on coordination and communication activities. Building organizationalcapacity to conduct coordination and communication activities will be the initial task of the EconomicDevelopment Commission. It is assumed that, in the short term, reliable funding sources will not be available

to support facilitation activities. The cost to implement the following implementation plan is the cost to support1 to 1.5 full-time economic development staff professionals and the Economic Development Commission. Asnoted in part 5 – Organization Recommendation, the economic development department and staff may beassembled from existing county employees and resources, or may be new hires, depending on availableCounty human and capital resources.

Once the organizational capacity of the new Economic Development Commission is in place, securing additional sources of funding to undertake facilitation activities will be a higher priority activity.

The implementation actions are categorized into five groups, based on the cornerstone functions of EconomicDevelopment described in the preceding section. Those groups are:

• Organization Development

• Community Development

• Business Retention & Expansion

• Market Development

• Workforce Development




Implementation Action Plan

Implementation Actions by Category

Organization DevelopmentThis cornerstone addresses creating and maintaining a recognized economic development organization for theexchange of ideas and to carry out a specific program of work, including the preparation of a strategy, securing staffing, fund raising, and collaboration with partners for strategy implementation.

Organization development also includes capacity building within the new Economic Development Commissionitself, through efforts such as networking, data analysis and collection, and awareness-building activities. Thefirst task for the new organization should be to establish itself as a widely recognized resource for economicdevelopment in the county.

Organization Development Action Steps

1. Form and staff the Economic Development Commission. The first step will be for the County Board of Commissioners to form the Economic Development Commission, appoint members, and hire a full-timestaff person.

Benchmark : Establish and staff a functioning Economic Development Commission

Time Frame : By December, 2009

2. Build communications capacity. The Economic Development Commission should build communicationcapacity by creating and maintain a website to provide access to all Economic Development Commissionresources, services, and information, and by establishing an email system to communicate with internalcounty staff and departments and external stakeholders and businesses. The website may initially be apassive information dissemination website, but over time interactive functionality should be introduced asnew Economic Development Commission resources and programs come on-line.

Benchmark: Develop a contemporary, user-friendly website that incorporates current best-practices inweb design and functionality.

Time Frame: By December, 2009

3. Establish the Economic Development Commission as the single stop location for county economicdevelopment inquires. Once the organization is formed and staffed, the first implementation task shouldbe to publicize the existence, purpose, and function of the Economic Development Commission to allstakeholder groups, local governments, businesses and development constituencies in the county. Thisstep will include the use of collateral marketing materials, as well as networking with business andgovernment leaders.

Benchmark: Develop Economic Development Commission promotional material and meet face-to-face tointroduce the purpose and resources offered by the Economic Development Commission to each localgovernment, the top 10 county employers, State economic development agencies, and majorstakeholders.

Time Frame: By June, 2010

38 Allegan County




Organization Development Action Steps

4. Create community profile and employment/workforce profile. These profiles will serve as backgroundinformation that can be made readily available to interested parties. These profiles may be distributed inhard copy format, or via the Economic Development Commission website.

Benchmark: One-page profiles for the County and local municipalities identifying key economicdevelopment indicators and opportunities.


5. Create and maintain a development site/available building database. The Economic DevelopmentCommission should create a database of available sites or buildings that are appropriately located fordevelopment or lease. The database should include developable parcels that are appropriately zoned andserviced by utilities, with information about developable sites to be submitted by local municipalities.Data about existing buildings should be solicited from local real estate brokers. The database must becontinuously maintained and updated, and should be searchable online via the Economic DevelopmentCommission’s website.

Benchmark: A functioning, searchable database available through the Economic DevelopmentCommission website.


6. Prepare annual Economic Development Commission reports.

Benchmark: Prepare annual reports identifying all accomplishments and progress towards goals and tasks, along with benchmark analysis to evaluate the success of programs and efforts as measuredagainst evaluation metrics.

Time Frame: Annually

7. Develop and update an Economic Development Action Strategy. This organization plan includes initialaction and program recommendations for the Economic Development Commission. The EconomicDevelopment Commission should use these recommendations as the basis for completing a formalEconomic Development Strategy and list of implementation actions once the Economic DevelopmentCommission is up and running.

Benchmark: Prepare an Action Strategy and update it every 2 years

Time Frame: By December 2010





Community DevelopmentThis cornerstone function address completing capital improvements to improve the community; including infrastructure investments, redevelopment and appearance improvements to business and neighborhoodareas, developing business parks and sites, construction of speculative buildings, etc. These activities create

the necessary infrastructure to support businesses, and also create quality of place advantages that make thecounty an attractive place to both businesses and workers.

Community Development Action Steps

1. Support Local TIF Authorities. Tax Increment Financing is an important local government financing tool tosupport infrastructure and community development activities. Many different authorities may use TIF,such as Downtown Development Authorities, Corridor Improvement Authorities, and Local DevelopmentFinance Authorities.

Benchmark: Support local TIF authorities.

Time Frame : Ongoing

2. Coordinate Infrastructure Investment. The Economic Development Commission should be thecoordinating entity for infrastructure improvements within the County. There are numerous funding sources and implementers for infrastructure investments, with funding sources including federal, state,county, and local governments; the private sector; and public-private partnerships. The EconomicDevelopment Commission should serve as a clearinghouse for infrastructure funding sources, and shouldcoordinate improvements.

Benchmark: Create an infrastructure investment program identifying funding sources, publicizing funding opportunities to implementers via the website, and coordinating infrastructure investments.

Time Frame: By June 2011

3. Found an Allegan County Cultural Foundation. The Economic Development Commission should promote the founding of an Allegan County Cultural Foundation as an endowed organization to support arts andculture in the County.

Benchmark: Found the Cultural Foundation.


40 Allegan County




Business Retention & ExpansionBusiness retention, expansion, and growth programs nurture existing businesses and support start-upbusinesses in the County. The purpose of this cornerstone is to identify needs or changes that may causeexisting businesses to consider moving or expanding, and to provide targeted solutions to retain thosebusinesses in the County by meeting their needs. The primary purpose of the BR&E program is to ensure thatAllegan County meets existing businesses’ current and future needs.

Business Retention & Expansion Action Steps

1. Retention Visits. Establish a partnership with state economic development agencies such as theMichigan Economic Development Corporation and Michigan Works! to conduct business retention visits.The retention team should identify resources and opportunities for business expansion, and should assistAllegan County businesses in remaining competitive in their current location. Services offered by the

team may include assistance in identifying financing and incentives, permitting, training, site searches,and the like.

It is important that the economic development coordinator have the ability to respect businesses’ need tomaintain confidentiality about sensitive projects until an appropriate time to make the information publiclyknown. Economic Development Commission and County government officials must respect this need forconfidentiality to create a level of trust between the County and the business community necessary toallow the retention and expansion program to be successful.

Benchmark: Conduct semi-annual retention visits with Allegan County’s top 5 employers, annual retentionvisits with top 10 employers, and on-demand visits as requested by other county employers.

Time Frame: Ongoing

2. Develop a small business support program. The Economic Development Commission should develop asmall business counseling program to assist start-up and small businesses in the county to be successful.

A potential partner for this program is the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center through Grand Valley State University and Western Michigan University. Services offered through thesmall business support program might include counseling, workshops, review of business plans, andassistance in securing a loan, market research, financial planning, and management training.

Benchmark: Identify a partner organization for small business support, and provide assistance to at least20 county businesses annually.

Time Frame: Establish program by June, 2010; ongoing from the date of establishment.

3. Develop an Allegan Venture Fund. The Economic Development Commission should serve as thecoordinating entity to develop an Allegan Venture Fund to provide venture capital or loans for seed

funding for start-up businesses that may not qualify for conventional financing, or to provide gapfinancing.

Benchmark: Establish a Venture Fund and make loans or fund 5 small businesses in the first year of operation






Market DevelopmentThis cornerstone addresses activities that focus on recruiting businesses and new population with certain skillsfor specific “targeted” businesses.

Market Development Action Steps

1. Coordinate Allegan County wind energy implementation efforts. Allegan County is identified as one of Michigan’s top 4 locations for wind energy potential. 2 Realizing Allegan County’s full potential will requirea careful coordination of land use and zoning policies. The Economic Development Commission shouldwork with local municipalities and appropriate County departments to develop a county-wide approach tolocating and permitting wind energy infrastructure. Specifically, the report identifies Casco, Clyde,Fillmore, Ganges, Laketown, Lee, and Manlius Townships as having outstanding utility-scale wind energypotential.

Benchmark: Completion of a wind energy siting policy and a unified permitting process adopted into allcounty and local zoning ordinances for all local governments in Allegan County.


2. Create an Allegan County brand identity or identities to guide economic development efforts.

Benchmark: Develop an Allegan County brand identity for all external communications


3. Support Allegan County’s retail agriculture industry. The Economic Development Commission shouldserve as the coordinating entity to develop a marketing program supporting Allegan County’s retailagriculture industry. The program should include print and online materials identifying County retailagriculture opportunities, and may include media advertisements if funding exists.

Benchmark: Develop a County-wide agricultural tourism marketing program


4. Complete a regional cluster analysis.

Benchmark: Complete the regional cluster analysis


5. Create an Allegan County marketing and business attraction program.

Benchmark: Create the marketing and business attraction program, and attract 5 businesses to AlleganCounty in the first year of operation

Time Frame: By December, 2011; evaluate business attraction success annually thereafter

2 Refer to the Report of the Michigan Wind Energy Resource Zone Board, available online athttp://www.dleg.state.mi.us/mpsc/renewables/windboard/werzb_proposed_report_june_2_2009.pdf Note that the above link was verified at the date of this report, but it may have since changed. The reader is encouraged to refer to theMichigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth website for the final version of the report.

42 Allegan County

http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/mpsc/renewables/windboard/werzb_proposed_report_june_2_2009.pdf

http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/mpsc/renewables/windboard/werzb_proposed_report_june_2_2009.pdf




Workforce DevelopmentThis cornerstone addresses programs that increase educational achievements and builds technical skills of

the local workforce.

Workforce Development Action Steps

1. Identify workforce development opportunities. The Economic Development Commission should be thesingle point of contact for information about workforce development opportunities that are available in theCounty.

Benchmark: Identify workforce development programs and providers serving the County and preparecollateral for distribution to residents and businesses

Time Frame: By December 2009

2. Provide in-district Community College access for Allegan County residents. The Economic DevelopmentCommission should work with existing area Community Colleges to provide in-district access to continuing education for Allegan County residents. Community Colleges are a critical workforce developmentpartner, so the Economic Development Commission should work with local Community Colleges todevelop customized training geared towards the needs of local employers.

Benchmark: In-district Community College access for Allegan County residents

Time Frame: June, 2011

3. Expand post-secondary education opportunities in Allegan County. The Economic DevelopmentCommission should work to establish remote campuses for 4-year institutions in locations convenient toAllegan County residents.

Benchmark: Establish remote campuses for 4-year institutions in Allegan County

Time Frame: June 2014





Implementation MatrixThe implementation matrix on the following page summarizes all of the implementation actions from the five

cornerstone functions of the Economic Development Commission. The matrix shows the action, along with theexpected timeframe for completion. This matrix is intended to serve as a visual summary of the expectedaccomplishments of the Economic Development Commission during the next 5 years.

44 Allegan County




Allegan County Economic Development CommissionImplementation Action Plan

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014Project

Dec June Dec June Dec June Dec June Dec June

Organization Development Actions

1. Form and Staff the EDC2. Develop EDC website3. Develop EDC collateral, outreach to keystakeholders and constituents4. Create county and municipal profiles5. Create site/building developmentdatabase6. Prepare annual Economic DevelopmentCommission reports Ongoing

7. Prepare economic development actionstrategy and update it every 2 years

thereafterCommunity Development Actions

1. Support local TIF authorities Ongoing 2. Create an infrastructure investmentprogram 3

3. Found an Allegan County CulturalFoundation

Business Retention & Expansion Actions

1. Retention visits Ongoing 2. Develop small business support program Ongoing 3. Establish an Allegan venture fund

Market Development Actions

1. Complete a wind energy siting policy and aunified permitted process 4

2. Develop Allegan county brand identity3. Create an agricultural tourism marketing program4. Complete a regional economic clusteranalysis5. Develop a marketing and businessattraction program Ongoing

Workforce Development Actions

1. Identify workforce developmentopportunities2. Secure in-district Community Collegeaccess for Allegan County residents3. Establish remote campuses for 4-yearinstitutions in Allegan County

3 In consultation with the County Planning Commission or its successor organization4 In consultation with the Tourist Council and the County Planning Commission or its successor organization




Appendices

Economic Development Organization Plan | July 28, 2009 A.1



Appendices

Appendix A: SWOT Analysis for Allegan CountyEconomic Development

A.2 Allegan County



Appendices

A.4 Allegan County



Appendix B: Visioning Workshop Participant MapThe following map shows the geographic location of participants at the visioning workshop. Note that someparticipants did not indicate their geographic location, and so some participants’ locations are not reflected on

the following map.




Appendices

Appendix C: Topic Group Discussions - Strengths,Weaknesses, and Actions

The following table lists discussion notes compiled by the 8 groups during the Focused Topic Group exercise at the Visioning Workshop. These notes are included to provide the reader with a flavor for the discussions thatoccurred at the workshop meeting.

Strengths Weaknesses What Would Help? City manager meetings Need more mtgs. like this A feasible and appropriate ED planMichigan Twp. Assoc. meetings County level presence missing from

economic developmentA coordinating / facilitative entity

Some strong local partnershipsexist (although often based on keyindividuals)

Lack of forum for meeting anddiscussing matters of greater thanlocal importance

A small leap of faith

Group hugs everyday Lack entity to coordinate and

facilitate ed.

A clearinghouse / point of contact

for ED informationFarm markets Attendance and engagement inmeetings

Unify marketing

Orchards General failure to recognize broadbenefits of local projects (ripple-effect) – not zero sum

Website – link to PURE MICHIGAN

Vineyards Focus on cuts not increasing revenue “growing the pie” (not userfees or milage)

Formal community (calendar)

Tree farms Short tenure of elected officialsmay hinder work on long-termprojects

County central clearing house forinformation

U-picks Reactive not proactive Festival – blueberry- tulip time,organized attractions

Nursery Marketing Sports / trade shows (passport) -marketing

Greenhouses Economy Delivery of materialEconomic struggles Weather High speed internetPilot for remote campus No college presence Access and training Strong K-12 in place Funding Remote campusParent and community support Zoning / expansion Market to employees#1 county in state Access to labor (hand

labor/production)That we have well trained worldforce

Top 100 in U.S. – for porkproduction

Infrastructure (E/W roads) Training on technology

142 food / fiber products High speed internet / wireless Coordination of resources they areunderutilized

AG 33,800 acres in last 5 yrs. of 263K acres

Lack of for pork production moremarkets – cannery slaughterhouses

Zoning and regulation – enforcedmore practical

Productive soil Milk production facility High speed internetGood climate Regulations not practical result in

over-regulation done in response tooffenders

Recruit processing facilities (livestock – hog slaughter)

Lake effect

A.6 Allegan County



Community Planning – Urban Design – Landscape Architecture235 East Main Street, Suite 105

Northville, Michigan 48167Telephone: 248-596-0920

Fax: 248-596-0930Website: www.mcka.com

Phillip C. McKenna, PCP, AICP ...................................................................................PresidentJames C. Breuckman, AICP............................................................................Project ManagerSara J. Hodges, AICP ................................................................................. Public ParticipationCharles R. Eckenstahler, AICP .....................................................................Senior ConsultantSabah Aboody-Keer ..............................................................................................GIS Mapping Andrew Robertson ........................................................... Graphic Support and Cover DesignKacy Smith ...........................................................................................Administrative Support

Silly Economic Planning for Allegan County

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Transcript of Silly Economic Planning for Allegan County