Fiscal Note
The report includes a number of recommendations for the City’s economic development strategy. No appropriation is required at this time, but it is anticipated that City agencies will include requests in future budgets for additional funding and reallocations of existing funds, subject to approval by the Common Council.
Title
Approve the Connect Madison Economic Development Strategy as the City’s Economic Development Plan and to direct City Staff and the Economic Development Committee to move forward with implementation.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Madison’s most recent Economic Development Plan was a five-year plan completed in 2008; and,
WHEREAS, over the last eight years, the City has implemented several key recommendations from the 2008 Economic Development Plan including updating the City’s TIF policy, updating the City’s Development Review Process, creating a Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program, updating the City’s Zoning Code, updating the City’s website, and marketing properties in city-owned business parks; and,
WHEREAS, the 2008 Plan is now out-of-date and the City is in need of an updated Economic Development Strategy that identifies next steps and priority projects that guide the work of the Economic Development Division Staff and the Economic Development Committee in efforts to grow a strong and inclusive local economy; and,
WHEREAS, for the last two years, City Staff and the Economic Development Committee have been working on creating a new City of Madison Economic Development Strategy titled, “the Connect Madison Strategy” (Connect Madison); and,
WHEREAS, the process of creating Connect Madison began with a detailed analysis of economic data that looked at a variety of emerging issues and trends reshaping our local economy; and,
WHEREAS, the process of creating Connect Madison also included a robust public participation process that included two large events with hundreds of community leaders, several smaller workshop...
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