1. Business & Economic Growth Action Plan Alachua County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting March 10, 2015

2. Guest Speakers: Staff Presentation: Agenda Chair, Economic Development Advisory Committee Matt Webster Vice President, Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce Kamal I. Latham Director, Growth Management Department Steve Lachnicht Economic Development Coordinator Edgar Campa-Palafox Development Services Planner Leslie W. McLendon

3. BoCC Motion In December 2014, the BoCC directed staff to: Move forward with Implementation Plan for the Business and Economic Growth Action Plan. Return to the BoCC biannually to provide a status report. Include the following amendment: Work with local governments, educational institutions, and private providers of internet services to improve the speed and reliability of broadband internet, and to expand its availability to the entire community in recognition that an innovation economy and government programs require this basic infrastructure.

4. Business & Economic Growth Action Plan Overview of the Business and Economic Growth Initiative Introduction Overview of Existing Economic & Demographic Information and Municipality Information Economic Picture Plan East Gainesville, RRP, Gainesville Chamber Initiatives Background Overview of Focus Areas including Broadband, Redevelopment, Green/Natural Infrastructure. Focus Areas Specific Action Items for Each of the Five Focus Areas Matrix Including Action Items, Timeline, and Status Recommendations & Implementation EDAC Strategic Plan and Workshop Table Top Report Appendices

5. Focus Areas Based on feedback from workshop participants, EDAC and the Chamber of Commerce developed five focus areas from which to establish recommendations for economic development. Focus Areas Development Approval Process Improvement Communication Economic Growth and Diversification Quality of LifeInfrastructure

6. New Sections Plan East Gainesville – included in Background Section. Broadband - included in Infrastructure Section. Green/Natural Infrastructure – included in Quality of Life Section. Municipality information – included in Economic Picture Section. Other sections with additional information: Redevelopment Agriculture and Local food economy Tourism Arts & Culture Manufacturing

7. Plan East Gainesville East Gainesville will preserve and showcase the natural environment through open space conservation and the creation of thriving community centers that support strong neighborhoods, promote sustainable economic opportunity and a well-connected community, and embrace the history, culture and diversity of the area.

8. Broadband “Affordable, reliable access to high speed broadband is critical to U.S. economic growth and competitiveness”. Wired broadband covers approximately 82.9% of Alachua County, and 57,917 people are considered under-served, with access to one or no providers, according to the BroadbandNow report.

9. Green/Natural Infrastructure Essential part of Alachua County's unique natural heritage and economy, contributing in jobs, taxes, tourism, and other revenues. This infrastructure is important to retain and attract talent and innovation-based businesses. Amenities such as recreational opportunities, open space, and natural areas are a very important part of the quality of life that firms and employees seek in a community.

10. Municipalities Alachua County encompasses the following nine municipalities: City of Alachua City of Archer City of Gainesville City of Hawthorne City of High Springs Town of LaCrosse Town of Micanopy City of Newberry Economic development opportunities exist in each of the nine municipalities as well as the unincorporated County.

11. City of Alachua

12. City of Newberry

13. Unincorporated Alachua County

14. Implementation Phase The Economic and Business Growth Action Plan Report provides 48 recommendations in 5 different focus areas: Recommendations are both short and long term Some recommendations implemented administratively or through policy decisions by the Commission Some recommendations require coordination with other stakeholders

15. Recommendations Prioritization At the February 2015 EDAC meeting, members ranked each of the focus areas in the order that they recommend being accomplished first as follows: 1. Economic Diversification 2. Development Approval Process Improvement3. Communication4. Infrastructure5. Quality of Life

16. Implementation Matrix

17. Implementation Plan Staff recommends adoption of Revised Business and Economic Growth Action Plan and detailed Implementation Matrix, including timeframes. EDAC as the designated task force will use monthly meetings to monitor progress to ensure completion of the recommendations. Progress report will be presented biannually to the Board of County Commissioners with opportunities for revisions.

18. Moving Forward Staff recommends that the BoCC direct staff to move forward with implementing recommendations.

19. Business and Economic Growth Action Plan Alachua County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting March 10, 2015

20. BoCC Motion In August 2013, the BoCC directed the County Manager to approach the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce to perform an analysis of the County's development review process and requested that EDAC work with the Chamber and return to the Board with recommendations to enhance economic development. Special Recognition to Former Commissioner Susan Baird for championing the Business and Economic Growth Action Plan.

21. Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) EDAC was created to provide policy recommendations to the BoCC related to the promotion of sustainable economic development activity. In 2012, the advisory board developed a Strategic Plan for Economic Development, which outlined general strategies for Alachua County to pursue. Matthew Webster, Chair Tim Treweek, Vice Chair Parker Van Hart David Ferro Marty Goodkind Charles Howe Dudley Wade Janie Williams Bill Conrad, Ex Officio, League of Cities Erik Bredfeldt, Ex Officio, City of Gainesville Dr. Jonathan H. Hamilton, Ex Officio, University of Florida Dug Jones, Ex Officio, Santa Fe College Dr. Gunnar Paulson, Ex Officio, Alachua County School Board Current EDAC members:

22. Business & Economic Growth Workshop Alachua County and the Chamber held a Business and Economic Growth Workshop on April 16, 2014 at the Alachua County Senior Center. The intent of the public workshop was to obtain feedback on business and economic development conditions of unincorporated Alachua County and make recommendations on how to improve them.

23. Business & Economic Growth Workshop “The workshop was an excellent opportunity to have our business community come together with our County government to collaboratively sit down, evaluate the direction we are headed, the policies that are in place, and the things that are working and things that are not working”. “The next steps...will be to take this information and organize it and then working in concert with the Chamber and the County, identify those things that can be acted upon quickly. Then to go through them one at a time, the action steps that are identified, and implement them to improve the economic climate and desirability of doing business here in the County”. “We did have a great cross-section. I was delighted to see the number of different industries that were here together and that everybody gave really good ideas”.

24. Business & Economic Growth Workshop Attended by approximately 60 citizens and business affiliates. Participants at 8 tables with a facilitator had a range of discussions, mainly focused around: Perceptions of Economic Development in Alachua County. EDAC Strategic Plan: What should stay, What should go, What needs to be added. Each table provided a summary presentation to entire workshop group at the end of the evening.

25. Business & Economic Growth Workshop Results Common themes: Process – permitting, inspection, flexibility, and development review. Communication – access to information and customer service. Economic Diversification – manufacturing as well as low skilled job opportunities. Quality of Life – arts/culture, recreation, schools/vocational program Infrastructure – roads, water/sewer, shovel read sites. Many participants stated that there was a need for more of a vision/purpose as well as more specific actionable items and measureable goals in the Strategic Plan.

26. Economic Picture County population was 248,002 in 2013, and projected to grow about 57,000 to 305,387 by 2040. Annual population growth rate through 2020 is projected to be about 2,500 people per year, and then decline to about 1,700 per year toward the latter part of this period. This compares to growth rate of about 3,000 people per year in previous decades. The population is relatively young, with the college population comprising more than 20% of the population, and children under 17 making up about 18% of the population. The population in these age groups is expected to grow modestly through 2040. The population is getting older. Population aged 65 and older in 2010 (26,627, or about 11% of the total) is projected to increase by more than 50% (to 41,497 in 2020); this older age group is projected to increase to 59,430 people by 2040 and make up 24% of the population.

27. Economic Picture The population is relatively very educated, with educational attainment in the County exceeding statewide and national level patterns, reflecting the presence of higher education institutions. Unemployment remains low compared to state and national averages, and job growth over the past three years has resulted in declining unemployment rates. Employment is concentrated in few industries. Half of the workforce is concentrated in the Government (including local, state and federal) and Education & Health Services sectors. Income levels are below average. Alachua County per capita personal income ($38,393) is below state ($41,012) and national ($43,735) averages, partly reflecting the lower earning levels of the large student population. Poverty rate is slightly higher than state and national averages. Alachua County poverty rate was 24.6% of the population, dropping to 16.1% when college students living off-campus are not included. The County poverty rate excluding college campus is closer to the state of Florida poverty rate of 15.5%.

28. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistic and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Figures as of October 2014. Gainesville MSA Employment Distribution by Industry

29. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistic. Figures as of October 2014. Employment Distribution by Industry

30. Poverty Map

31. Effect of Off-Campus College Students on Poverty Rate Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Examining the Effect of Off-Campus College Students on Poverty Rates (SEHSD 2013-17)

32. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistic, U.S., Florida and Gainesville MSA Unemployment Rates, (Seasonally Adjusted) January 2000–October 2014. Unemployment Rates by Geography 5.0% 6.1% 5.9%