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Lee County Office of Economic Development Strategic Planning Presentation November 3, 2009

Lee County Office of Economic Development Strategic Planning Presentation November 3, 2009. Our Mission. Retain and encourage the expansion of existing businesses Improve the business climate in Lee County Attract new and diversified employment to the area

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Lee County Office of Economic Development Strategic Planning Presentation November 3, 2009

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  1. Lee County Office of Economic Development Strategic Planning PresentationNovember 3, 2009

  2. Our Mission • Retain and encourage the expansion of existing businesses • Improve the business climate in Lee County • Attract new and diversified employment to the area • Create high wage/high value jobs and expand the Lee County tax base

  3. Lee County Commission (5 Elected Commissioners) Lee County Manager Economic Development Industrial Development Office Authority (15 Staff Members) (7 Commission Appointees) Administers Bond & Incentives Programs How are we organized? Horizon Council (Up to 80 Members) Advises County on Economic Development Issues

  4. Department Organizational Chart

  5. Major Programs and Services • Marketing, Communications and Research • In Market-Business Assistance and Business Retention • Out of Market-Business Recruitment • Facilitate and direct Public Private Partnerships • Horizon Council • Horizon Foundation • Industrial Development Authority • Educational Facilities Authority • Provide Staff Support for all of the above

  6. Organization Overview: Marketing, Communications and Research Group • Marketing is critical to our mission • Important to engage the entire community in our work and increase awareness of the importance of economic development • Research in support of Business Assistance, Retention and Recruitment Activities

  7. Organization Overview:Marketing, Communications and Research Group Goals and Strategies • Implement a proactive partner strategy that will not only focus on collaboration, but will also aggressively tap into our target population and their contacts within the county • Support the overall mission with a focus on jobs and prospect development • Drive awareness of the “Lee County Business Opportunity” • Leverage the fact that Lee County is big enough and diverse enough to offer ample opportunity for a majority of business ventures • Tell our success stories loudly and often in market and out of market • Utilize unconventional marketing tools to tap our varied audiences • Capitalize on attractors such as the Lee County FIRST ($25 million) incentive program

  8. Organization Overview:Marketing, Communications and Research Group • 2009/2010 Marketing Budget: $627,580 • BOCC Contribution: $85,000 • Majority of funding from private sector contributions • Budget further supplemented by media partnerships • In kind contributions • Outdoor (Billboards) • TV/Radio • Print • Electronic Media

  9. Organization Overview:Marketing, Communications and Research Group Marketing and Communications Toolbox • Completion of Logo/Brand Identity • Re-designed Website/Pay-Per Click Program/Search Engine Optimization • Television/Radio Public Service Announcement Campaign • Lee County Employer/Employee Poster Campaign • Outdoor Advertising Initiative • Dedicated Public Relations Effort • Southwest Florida Economic Development Regional Partnership • Partnership Program – Hotels and Resorts • Partnership Program – Lee County Interest Groups • Quarterly Direct Mailings • Print Advertising Campaign • Aviation Marketing • Electronic Marketing Initiatives • Outbound Site Consultant Missions and Trade Shows • Recruitment Support Materials • Promotional Marketing Support Materials • Inbound events for national site selectors • Marketing Events

  10. Organization Overview:Marketing, Communications and Research Group Public Relations Internal and External Efforts • Publicity • Feature Articles • Photo Ops • White Papers • Specialized and Distinctive Messages • Industry Specific Success Stories

  11. Organization Overview:Business Assistance and Retention Group (In Market Economic Development) (Support and facilitate the success of local businesses) Business Outreach • Yearly visits & frequent phone and email communications • Identify business climate issues • Provide business resources • Business Emergency Network • Representatives on county & regional economic development initiatives

  12. Organization Overview:Business Assistance and Retention Group (In Market Economic Development) (Support and facilitate the success of local businesses) Expansion • Increase the number of local expansion projects in high wage, diverse industries • Identify business development impediments & solutions • Provide potential sites • Negotiate state and local job creation incentives

  13. Organization Overview:Business Assistance and Retention Group (In Market Economic Development) (Support and facilitate the success of local businesses) General Business • Provide general information, demographic and business research and referrals to all businesses • Coordinate City/County Enterprise Zone – provide technical support & process state applications for refunds • Produce yearly resource collateral materials for distribution • Ombudsman for regulatory & project development issues • Coordinate workforce needs of businesses with provider agencies • Coordinate state/local training grants for local employers

  14. Organization Overview:Business Recruitment Group (Out of Market Economic Development) Goal • Diversify Lee County’s economy through the attraction of high-wage, high skill target industry companies • Increase local average wage by locating companies paying 115% of the Lee County average wage Strategy: • Pro-active targeted marketing and prospect development • Provide site location assistance • Provide research and demographic data • Assist with community outreach effort to engage local community in lead generation

  15. Organization Overview:Staff Support • Staff support for public/private economic development partnerships • Horizon Council • Horizon Foundation • Industrial Development Authority • Educational Facilities Authority

  16. Horizon Council • Public-private group • Advises Lee County BOCC on economic issues • Membership appointments • Up to 80 government, education, business and community partners

  17. Staff Support for Horizon Council • Bookkeeping • Record Keeping • Meeting planning • Task Force Organization

  18. Horizon Foundation • Raises funds to support economic development • Only other source of funds beyond county funding Staff Support • Bookkeeping and record keeping • Fundraising liaison • Assist with community outreach • Planning and production of President’s Circle meetings • Administer Hurricane Disaster Recovery Program as needed

  19. Industrial Development Authority • Established in 1975 • Appointed by BOCC • 7 Members, 4-year Terms • Serve on the Horizon Council • Administer Industrial Development Revenue Bonds (tax exempt) • Administer Lee County’s Incentive Program • Administer EDO Marketing Budget

  20. Staff Support for Industrial Development Authority • Record keeping • Bookkeeping • Organize meetings • Implement marketing plan • Facilitate incentive reviews

  21. Mandated and Directed Programs and Services State Mandated • None Comprehensive Plan Required • Economic Element – Chapter XI, Goal 158, Objectives 158.3, 158.4, 158.5 and 158.6 BOCC Directed • In 1991 the Lee County Office of Economic Development was established with the mission of diversifying the Lee County economic base. • In 1991 the Horizon Council was also formed to advise the BOCC on Economic Development issues. The EDO provides staff support to the Horizon Council. • There is an annual interlocal agreement between the IDA and the BOCC for the EDO to provide staff support to the IDA, which administers the marketing program, incentives programs, and Industrial Development Revenue Bonds. • Through a joint resolution of the City of Fort Myers and Lee County, the EDO administers the programs for the Enterprise Zone

  22. Six Year Budget History

  23. Six Year Staffing History

  24. Six Year Budget Summary

  25. 2009/2010 Budget Analysis

  26. Where are we today? • We are adequately staffed and funded to perform our core mission of job creation/retention and to work toward the improvement of the overall business climate. • Current budget is $1,627,030 • Current Staff: 15 staff members

  27. Major Departmental Issues Internal • No major issues: We are adequately funded, staffed and have adequate support. External (Issues to Overcome) • Finding Prospects • Increasing awareness locally and nationally that Lee County is a great place to do business • Intense competition • Distressed economy • More consolidations than expansions

  28. How are we doing?Expense to Return

  29. Where are we going?Summary • Current efforts reflect the current mission: Creation of high wage jobs and expansion of the tax base • Our business model is dependent on maintaining current levels of staffing and funding • Successful execution of our strategy relies on staff successfully engaging the community • All this relies on our ability to attract and retain competent professional staff

  30. Action requested from the board • Maintain budget and staffing levels for the Office of Economic Development • Maintain incentive programs and agreements with the city, county and IDA

  31. Thank You

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