1. Growing Rural Economic Development
Illinois Municipal League Conference
September 18, 2014

2. How things used to be Industry/manufacturing
Development was not incentive-driven
Development was competitive
People located where the jobs were (and)
Workforce created QOL issues
Code enforcement?

3. How things are now- Industry/manufacturing
Not typically in downtown, or even rural
Development was not incentive-driven
Lowest cost/greatest payback
Development was competitive
Still competitive, but instead of ‘us vs. them,’ now regional mindset

4. How things are now- People located where the jobs were (and)
People will locate where they want to, and work where they want to (bedroom communities)
Workforce created good QOL
Workforce locates to good QOL
Code enforcement?
Cannot ignore if you want to utilize buildings

6. Why Change?

7. What is Economic Development?
It’s different in every community AND different to every person

8. What is Your Economic Development?
“Progress in an economy”
Job retention & growth
Sales tax (tourism)
Property tax (bedroom community)
Community investments
Population retention & growth

9. What is YOUR economic development?
Tourism
Manufacturing
Education
???

10. What do you want to be?
Think big, but don’t be unrealistic in your goals

11. Where to begin… Analyze assets Who is coming to your community
Tourism, workforce, families…
Why are they coming?
Attractions, jobs, schools…
Who could be coming?
Trade Area- look at roads, adjacent towns, commute patterns…
Surplus/leakage – find that ‘no brainer’ niche.

12. Who’s on board?
Get your team assembled – they have to be at the table with you - Stakeholders
Community Leaders
Business owners
Developers
Take the goals to the community
Include naysayers
Comprehensive plan to back up your goals

13. How can you find opportunity?
Inventory your community from the ground up
What are the ‘available’ buildings & sites? (Know your owners)
Know your challenges
MIA Owners
Infrastructure
Floodplain
Building Codes
Parking
What would it take? (Incentives)

14. Dealing with anti-change

15. Dealing with anti-change
Most of the conflict comes from lack of understanding the ‘big picture’
Uncertainty
Fear
Be up front, consistent, make an effort
Listen and repeat their concerns back to them
Give the opportunity to be involved

16. Takeaways- Don’t neglect anything
Always be open to ideas… and be ready to defend them
Know your resources and never be afraid to ask
Feelings will get hurt… especially in a small town
Don’t ignore…
Building codes
Infrastructure
Your community – is this a project they want, or what ‘you’ want?
You will feel like you are doing 150% of work with only 1% to show for it- this is normal