Resolution_PF Funding 2026_KC Chamber of Commerce

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SCOPE OF WORK- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT .09 FUNDS PROPOSAL Project Description / Overview The Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce proposes to serve as a countywide economic development implementation partner, focused on business sustainability, workforce availability, and long-term talent retention in a rural economy. Local economic growth in Kittitas County is increasingly constrained not by business interest, but by workforce availability, skills alignment, and retention challenges. Employers across sectors consistently cite difficulty finding and keeping workers as a primary barrier to expansion, service delivery, and succession planning. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated, employer -informed action across business, education, workforce systems, and local governments. The Chamber is uniquely positioned to lead this work. With daily trusted relationships with employers across jurisdictions and industries, the Chamber serves as a front-line connector —translating business needs into coordinated economic development and workforce strategies aligned with county -led priorities. Statement of Need Kittitas County's economic vitality depends on the sustainability and growth of its existing businesses, the ability to attract and retain talent, and effective coordination across jurisdictions and systems. As a frontier rural county with multiple municipalities and unincorporated areas, economic development challenges are often fragmented requiring coordination, consistent engagement, and implementation capacity that extends beyond any single entity. Local businesses face a range of interconnected challenges, including workforce availability and retention, regulatory navigation, infrastructure and placemaking needs, access to capital, and changing market conditions. Small and mid -sized employers often lack the internal capacity to navigate these challenges independently. Without coordinated support, these barriers can limit business expansion, reduce competitiveness, and slow economic growth. At the same time, economic development efforts must align across business, education, workforce, and government partners to be effective. Gaps in communication, duplication of effort, and limited shared capacity can reduce impact and strain public resources. A trusted, countywide organization is needed to engage employers consistently, identify emerging issues early, and help translate county -led priorities into actionable, on -the -ground solutions.