2019-2024 Economic Development Strategic Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VISION & MISSION The Vision and Mission as established by the Grow Spencer Commission are:

Vision:

A vibrant, thriving center of the region’s growth

Mission:

Spencer enriches the quality of its citizens while attracting new business investments, high-quality jobs and a growing population.

WORK PLAN ELEMENTS The result of the Grow Spencer Commission’s economic development strategic planning process is an economic development strategic work plan for 2019-2024. The critical elements addressed by this work plan are:

Administrative Procedures Planning, Zoning & Future Land Use Placemaking, Amenities & Infrastructure Primary Business Retention, Expansion, Attraction, Creation and Transition (R.E.A.C.T.) Retail & Restaurant Recruitment & Attraction (R&A) Housing

The work plan has nine columns that read from left to right identify the general strategy, describe the strategy’s purpose, list primary action steps (implementation measures), detail secondary action steps (implementation measures), reserve space for the assignment of individual project managers and supporting team members for each action, identify internal and external partners, indicate additional stakeholders, and reserve space for identifying progress reporting frequency. IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES Within each of these elements specific strategies have been identified and both primary and secondary “actions” (implementation measures) for each strategy have been identified. Plan implementation as the result of taking these actions. During implementation, elements, strategies and actions may be adjusted to reflect changing conditions and/or reflect participation by one or more of the partners (internal and external) and stakeholders identified. IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE The successful implementation of any city strategic plan depends greatly upon that city’s reaction to and investment in the elements of the plan. For successful implementation to occur, a city must be mindful of the tendency for its performance to ‘default’ to status quo (generalization and avoidance of planned actions), substitution (solving a less complex problem in lieu of acting on plan elements) or surrogation (substituting a performance measure for completion of a plan element or attainment of a goal).

Consultant Implementation Recommendations:

1. Hold regular implementation conversations and (at least) an annual workshop or retreat to make strategic decisions on assigning responsibility, monitoring progress, adjusting strategies, and evaluating success. 2. Regularly set aside time to discuss the delivery of services and allocation of resources, including strategic decisions to support both the plan’s implementation and the city’s broader priorities of government i

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