Economic Development Draft revealed!
February 27, 2008
Consultant Tom Ticknor has been as good as his word.
After listening sessions which began in September of 2007, internal city discussions, interviews, and revisions, a draft of the Strategic Economic Development Implementation Plan is now ready.
The city Economic Development Commission will be witness to the first official presentation, though the Office of Business Resources has been summarizing the relevant details for the DMI Economic Development Committee.
Matt Mikolajewski, Manager of the Office of Business Resources, pointed out that the last plan was written in 1983. Much has changed in Madison since then. This plan is designed to be a three-to-five year guide to implementation of good economic development policy.
The plan focuses on core economic development and basic sector job creation with the understanding that more basic sector jobs mean service sector positions will follow. Studies of comparable cities such as Des Moines, Austin, Ann Arbor and Boise give us a few ideas; the interviews and economic reviews done by Ticknor & Associates provide a clearly Madison direction.
Read the draft for yourself at the OBR website, and attend either the Feb. 27th Economic Development Commission meeting (5:00 pm., United Way of Dane County, 2059 Atwood Ave, Evjue Boardroom) or one of the review sessions on Tuesday March 25th ( read the invitation here.) Your opinion matters–tell us and the city what you think!
