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Chapter 10 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT <br />Table 10-2 SWOT Analysis, Kittitas (and Yakima) County <br />Strengths Weaknesses <br />• Diversified industry makeup: <br />» Renewable and alternative energy <br />» Strong agricultural markets <br />» Support of small business and the microenterprise culture <br />• Proximity to major metro areas: Seattle, Portland, Spokane <br />» Strong capabilities in logistics and distribution <br />» Highway accessibility <br />• University presence: <br />» CWU, YVCC, PNWU <br />• Stellar quality of life: <br />» Abundance of outdoor recreation <br />» Diverse interesting culture <br />» Climate <br />» Exceptional community healthcare <br />• Downtown vitality <br />• Abundant (sustainable] natural resources <br />• Strong and diverse labor force <br />• Young demographic <br />• Premier sports facilities and event location <br />• Lack of family-wage employment opportunities <br />• Low K-16+ education attainment <br />» Workforce skills gaps <br />• Complacency towards growth and economic <br />diversification <br />• Environmental obstacles and regulations <br />» Predictability of legislation <br />• Crime rate perception <br />• Bilingual challenges <br />• Few industrial and commercial development sites <br />• Loss of natural resource Jobs <br />• Recreation for children is limited <br />• Limited professional services including CPA's, dentists, <br />consultants, doctors, and engineers <br />• Water capacity <br />• Pay disparity to major metro areas <br />• No port district in Kittitas or Yakima County <br />Opportunities Threats <br />• Capture spin-off growth from businesses from Western <br />WA metro areas <br />» Capture overflow from neighboring metro areas <br />• Improve visibility of available sites <br />» GIS inventory available <br />• Raise educational attainment <br />» Growth of talent, research, and facilities for higher <br />education <br />» Business education partnerships <br />» Alternative workforce education options <br />• Collaborative inter-county cooperation <br />» Work together to create a unified regional vision <br />• Develop and promote tourism <br />» Outdoor recreation options <br />» Capitalize on developing industries like wineries and <br />breweries, that focus on tourism in the region <br />• Facilitate small business development <br />» Accelerate small business through incubators and small <br />business networks <br />» Promote and support downtown redevelopment efforts <br />• Develop renewable and alternative energy facilities <br />• Cultivate and promote bilingual workforce <br />• Create arts culture <br />• Environmental challenges and regulations <br />» Water supply scarcity <br />» Declining forest health, fire danger <br />» Water quality uncertainty <br />» Planning and zoning barriers to new investment and <br />alternative energy and innovations <br />• Regulations and permitting business responsiveness <br />• Lack of economic resilience <br />» Diversification of industries <br />• Loss of young talent <br />• Limited economic development resources and incentives <br />» Lack of economic development resources and <br />incentives <br />» Limited small business advancement opportunities <br />• Distribution impacts from Urban Center traffic <br />congestion <br />Source: Yakima and Kittitas Counties Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, 2015 <br />Page 123 <br />KITTITAS COUNTY ~ <br />Comprehensive Plan [I]