Thursday, Oct. 18,
2012
The Clatsop County
Board of Commissioners on Wednesday assembled a broad selection of public and
private agency representatives for a wide-ranging conversation about Clatsop
County’s role in economic development stretching from industry to the
arts.
Officials from the
Port of Astoria, Clatsop Community College, Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of
Commerce, county departments, local, regional and state economic development
entities and other groups discussed their own organizations’ roles, ways they
can improve collaboration and cooperation, as well as policies of the county
that can impact their efforts.
Enterprise zones,
infrastructure improvements, housing and health were all part of the discussion,
which was designed not as a planning session but a sharing of information about
the tools available locally, according to Board of Commissioners Chair Peter
Huhtala, who told participants their input will prove useful when the board
meets to discuss future goals.
“We have no illusions
that government creates jobs, but we set the stage,” he said.
Chamber Director Skip
Hauke said at one time no fewer than 21 different entities had some role in
economic development in the county. The chamber, in an effort to better focus
those groups’ work and revitalize its own lagging efforts, pushed for the
formation of a Clatsop Economic Development Resources (CEDR), a collaborative
project of the chamber, community college and the county, which provides $60,000
a year to the organization.
Kevin Leahy, director
of CEDR and the college’s Small Business Development Center, explained CEDR’s
mission of retaining, expanding and recruiting business, and noted that local
statistics for job-creation and business counseling are up sharply while the
rest of the state remains flat.
Clatsop Community
College serves as a conduit for many other entities through partnerships with
local hospitals and other programs, said President Larry Galizio. The college
itself brings money into the area through the 39 percent of students who come
from outside Clatsop County, he added.
Port of Astoria
Property Manager Mike Weston said the port is teaming with regional and state
economic development agencies and actively pursuing funding for major
improvements to its pier facilities and Tongue Point, while also tackling 20
years of deferred maintenance. “Any investment in the port comes back 10 times
what we put in,” he said.
Commissioner-elect
Sarah Nebeker and her husband Royal Nebeker, who sits on the Oregon Arts
Commission, spoke on the economic impact the arts can have locally by boosting
the quality of life and enhancing education. The county, with leadership by the
county and other governing bodies, could obtain up to $100,000 in state funding
for arts-promotion, they said.
Clatsop County Public
Works Director Ed Wegner noted that the county, after a long period focused on
maintenance, has in the past few years tackled a number of large capital
projects directly related to economic development, including the extension of
Ensign Lane in the North Coast Business Park, a fix to the yearly flooding of
Highway 101 south of Seaside that is currently out for bid, and a community
development plan for Westport.
Community Development
Director Hiller West said the department strives to make its mandated regulatory
processes as smooth as possible for developers. The department has also tackled
long-range projects like Westport plan, as well as the recently completed Joint
Land Use Study with Camp Rilea. An inventory of buildable lands has been made
available on the internet to positive response from builders.
Released
by:
Tom
Bennett
Community Relations
Coordinator
(503) 338-3622
