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Posi tion St at ement / Area s <br />fo r Imp ro vem ent: <br />Past practices in economic <br />development have been <br />conducted in an atmosphere of <br />passive reactivity, This has left <br />Ellensburg with a lack of mature <br />strategic economic development <br />infrastructure and has allowed <br />tourism and government to <br />continue to define the community's <br />economic position and employment <br />opportunities. The decision by the <br />City of Ellensburg to refocus the <br />work of the EBDA has created an <br />opportunity for CenterFuse-with <br />new energy, focus, and people-to <br />charge forward with new strategies, <br />Concurrently, the board has <br />identified opportunities for <br />Ellensburg to improve its <br />attractiveness to future and current <br />business. These include the <br />following. <br />• Comprehensive transportation network: <br />While our location at the crossroads of two major interstate roads, <br />1-90 and 1-82 is ideal, Ellensburg is described as a "sleeperH town in <br />terms of rail traffic (291 railcars between December 2015 and De- <br />cember 2017), with limited rail sidings and few, poorly maintained <br />shared rail spurs. Bower's Field Airport, owned by Kittitas County, <br />lacks regular maintenance or a strategic development plan, result- <br />ing in the closure of a runway and a neglected and underdeveloped <br />"business· park. <br />• Developable land, available space: <br />An underdeveloped connection to top commercial real estate mar- <br />kets has resulted in a lack of awareness of available land and build- <br />ings. An website inventory of existing commercial locations and <br />businesses for rent, lease or sale is needed, and is under develop- <br />ment. <br />• Revenue diversity for economic development: <br />CenterFuse recognizes that diversifying its organizational resourc- <br />es are vital to support development and has recently opened itself <br />to the partnerships and resources that can grow our efforts into a <br />proactive resources for businesses. <br />• Comprehensive Plan: <br />The Economic Development section of the 2018 City Comprehen- <br />sive Plan reflects the lack of a strategic, proactive economic devel- <br />opment environment of the past. In order to move forward with de- <br />veloping our strategic plan, CenterFuse has submitted a proposed <br />amendment to rewrite sections and create a stronger action plan for <br />development, <br />• Qua lity of Life: <br />While Ellensburg residents experience a high quality of life, there <br />are still factors that need to be better understood and improved, <br />CenterFuses' work in the community must push forward issues that <br />are related to local K-12 education and availability of healthcare.