CCP 10-30-2006 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Early: Years 1 - 2 . 13) Business Retention Program. Recent research on economic development effectiveness conducted by numerous resources has consistently emphasized that a business retention program focused on the base (those businesses that bring money into the county) and the largest companies is the most successful economic development strategy a community can design and implement. The center piece of this program is the business leader meetings. These should be conducted annually and focused on removing the obstacles hampering business success. Based upon the input received in these meetings, a series of business services can be provided. Since they need to be directly responsive to the needs presented during the interviews we can only offer suggestions of programs that other communities have used successfully in the past. If the recommended staffing levels are added to the community, we see no reason why 30 to 40 visits per year cannot be conducted in the community. 14) Business & Education Initiative Arden Hills is blessed with two key assets; a strong business base of signature companies and a school system that ranks as one of the best . in the state. In order to maintain and enhance both entities strengthening the link between the two is essential. Increasing business participation in the schools is valuable for showing Arden Hills' students what a business career wi!! be like when they graduate. Having business leaders, and most especially business owners, speak at career fairs goes a long way toward strengthening the tie between the two. A ready-made program that makes this process as much fun as it is easy is provided through Junior Achievement. JA's pre planned instructional packets work extremely well in tapping the expertise of business leaders in an educational setting for students of all ages. 15) Sign Committee. It is unclear whether the city's sign ordinance is overly restrictive or if it is just perceived to be. However, enough businesses in town have the opinion that the sign ordinance is too restrictive so it would be beneficial for Arden Hills to convene a committee to review this matter. These people would be instructed to review surrounding sign ordinances and standards set forth by the American Planning Association. The comments received by this committee can be developed into a recommendation for the EDC and ultimately Council . Strategic Plan for Economic Development Page 18 of 25 Final Draft - Ready for Release Subject to Council Approval and Adoption