Res-2019-014 EDBA - Laserfiche WebLink

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PROJECT NARRATIVE 1. Request Description: Please describe the wortc this position will perfonn. Include a job description and any other pertinent Information. The Executive Director is a City of Ellensburg employee who reports to the Community Development Director. The Ellensburg Business Development Authority (EBDA) Board of Directors provides direction for the Executive Director. This position creates and implements Economic Development strategies, manages the Business Incubator and light industrial Buildings, meets with prospects to create new employment opportunities and connect them with available spaces and resources, promotes one of two designated state Opportunity Zones, and provides outreach to existing businesses on needs for development and expansion. A full job desaiption is included. 2. Is this a new position for your organization? If so. please describe why this position is needed. If not. why is It a naeanary for this fund to continue to aupport this position? In the summer 2017, the City of Ellensburg moved the Ellensburg Business Development Authority (EBDA) in- house to be managed and administered by City Staff. The EBDA Is tne Publlc Development Authority for Ellensburg under RCW 35.21.730 and functions as the economic development organization for the community. An interim director oversaw the move of the EBDA into the City, providing guidance for financials, legal documents, property management, and economic development roles. In February 201 B, a permanent half~time Executive Director was hired to provide leadership for Board development, property management, and Strategic Planning and Implementation to incorporating new strategies for business growth and recruitment for the community. According to a 2016 report by the Employment Security Department, 39% of Kittitas County jobs are with state and local government agencies. Near1y four out of every ten dollars of wage income generated in Kittitas County was earned by people working in state or local government organizations. Quarterly census of Employment and Wage Data from 2016 states that service and retail trade jobs account for 30.2% of Kittitas County employment, the majority of these jobs being minimum wage. According to the 2014 Kittitas County Population Projection Review and Analysis, 56% of Kittitas County residents work outside of Kitttia& County, with 16% of those commuting or telecommuting to King County. These statistics do not serves as a long-term sustainable path for the future. While the EBDA has been established in Ellensburg for many years, the move into the City created an opportunity for new strategies and focus. For economic development to happen in Ellensburg, there needs to be developed resources and incentives, new marketing strategies and outreach, and strategies for implementation. One of the most challenging elements of economic development is that there are no comprehensive resources or websites to connect prospects with available facilities and buildable land. There is no inventory of what is available to lease, and no real assessment of what the needs are for prospective employers. This is a top priority of the new EBDA board. The board has also prioritized the need to have a better web pl'9Sence and marketing materials that not only entice employers, but offer opportunities to make Ellensburg and Kittitas County their new home. In only the first 4 months, these priorities and documents are being developed and implemented, as shown in the attached workplan. 3. WIii your organization be capable of supporting this position in the future without •upport from this fund? Please describe your plan and Include target dates for lmplementatlon and completion. If no plan Is cummtly in place and/or no plans are being made, please explain why. As discussed previously, this entity is being retooled after its move into the City. Plans are being developed towards self-sufficiency, but no details are available at this time. 4. WIii this poaltlon serve the needs and/or lntel'Nt8 of multiple Jurlsdlctlona and/or organizations? Pleaee explain In detail . The jurisdiction for the EBDA is specifically designated to be the City of Ellensburg and the UGA. It is important to point out that strong economic development strategies for Ellensburg will affect the entire county, offering new and better jobs for its residents. The new EBDA Executive Director meets and works with the Business Development Director for the Chamber of Commerce, Laura Bobovskl, to ensure continued collaboration and sharing of information and resources. When meeting with a prospect, the two entities will work together to ensure their 7