ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: EDC, PDD - WHAT’S IT MEAN

OFF the BEAT ROBERT L. SPINKS , MA, MS

COMMENTATOR

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: EDC, PDD - WHAT’S IT MEAN Published on Wed, May 4, 2011 by Robert Spinks, MA, MS http://www.sequimgazette.com/spinks

Note: This is the second of a multi-part series that examines economic development efforts on the Olympic Peninsula.

Two symbiotic economic development organizations operate on the Olympic Peninsula.

The Clallam County Economic Development Council (EDC) and the Peninsula Development District (PDD) bring a diverse group of government and business interests together. Both groups were formed in the 1980’s when the timber and fishing industries fell on hard times.

resources and the state’s Congressional delegation.

PDD Regional Coordinator Susan Bauer is based in Port Angeles.

The EDC focuses on Clallam County, while the PDD works regionally.

Bauer was hired in May 2009 to run the PDD, which functions as a Council of Local Governments to foster a cooperative effort in planning, development, and implementation of local and regional plans, programs and projects,

While not a well-known organization, the PDD is a critical link for the Peninsula with the US Department of Commerce, other federal agencies,

On October 31, 1984, the Peninsula Development Association was born as a non-profit corporation.

In 2008, the name was changed to Peninsula Development District (PDD).

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which will increase the economy of the Jefferson and Clallam County region.

The PDD Board of Directors includes representatives from Peninsula College, Washington State University, the Port as well as the Port of Port Townsend, the EDC, the Jamestown S’Klallam and Makah Tribal Governments, the Public Utility Districts in Clallam and Jefferson Counties, the incorporated cities and the counties of Clallam and Jefferson as well as the Port Angeles School District.

Bauer says that the old days of economic development focused solely on recruiting business.

Today, the PDD looks at retention and expansion of business and facilitating new industry. The group’s blog is available at http://pendev.wordpress.com.

Bauer stresses that a regional approach is what the Seattle Northwest office of the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA), a part of the US Department of Commerce, demands from regions engaged in economic development.

The Department of Commerce supports rural development districts across the country. The federal government has long pushed for regional approaches to economic development and provides a host of grants for infrastructure and to support projects and planning.

In March, Port Commissioner Jim McEntire, a PDD Board member, lead efforts for the group to adopt supporting power generation development as one of a handful of priority issues for the PDD to pursue.

What can be offered to entice Business?

There are many myths associated with economic development says Linda Rotmark, executive director of the Clallam EDC. These include government making tax reductions and a giveaway deal with businesses in order to lure them to our area – not true says Rotmark. The State Constitution limits the ability of government to make any giveaways.

Rotmark notes that infrastructure, quality of schools, crime and coordinated community support weigh heavily when a business is shopping for a new location or deciding to expand locally.

Rotmark lists a string of inducements that are attractive when businesses come looking, that includes competitive lease pricing, which the Port of Port Angeles has provided in their Airport Industrial Park, Composites Manufacturing Campus and Carlsborg developments.

Cheap and accessible power, sewer, water, roads, transportation routes and the availability of accessible land and developed business parks translate into making our area competitive.

The days of cherry picking businesses off of the I-5 corridor is gone, according to Rotmark. You have to grow new business, and help local businesses to expand in the current recession to be successful in economic development today, she says.

Partnerships Development

are

Key

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Governor Gardner and the Legislature created Team Washington in 1985: a network of local economic development organizations to deliver hands-on business retention, expansion and recruitment programs and initiatives. These organizations are called Associate Development Organizations, or ADOs. The Clallam EDC serves as an ADO that was created 25 years ago as the conduit for state monies that support economic development activities.

Those dollars dried up in 2005 according to Rotmark. This has meant that local partners have had to shoulder more of the costs for the EDC.

In 2007, Governor Gregoire and the Legislature took a big step forward with the Governor’s Next Washington plan, which re-emphasized the fundamental importance of local economic development services to the State’s success.

Working with the Governor, Legislature, Economic Development Commission and the Department of Commerce, the ADO network delivers results year after year.

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According to the Governor’s Office, ADOs like our own EDC, leverage state dollars with local private and public dollars to create the backbone of the State’s economic development system.

Innovation, business retention and business recruitment ultimately happen at the local level and ADOs provide the structure and expertise to deliver jobs and capital investment for our communities and citizens.

According to the State of Washington, in 2010 ADOs statewide recruited 46 companies, retained 263 companies and helped 158 new businesses get off the ground.

for these challenges to be addressed, according to Jim McEntire Commissioner for the Port of Port Angeles.

Robert Spinks is former Sequim chief of police and Interim City Manager. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Sequim Senior Activity Center and is a volunteer Manager at KSQM 91.5 FM. Reach him at robertbythebay@aol.com .

The Clallam EDC Board currently represents 27 members in business, banking, government, tribal government, education, medical, relators, chamber of commerce and elected officials from across Clallam County. Individuals can also join and support the EDC by becoming a paid annual member for $75. Businesses can purchase a membership for just $150 annually. Their website is http:// www.clallam.org/ .

Rotmark notes that the Clallam EDC is “busier than ever,” serving as a clearinghouse for business inquiries.

Challenges The Clallam County Economic Development Action Plan that was published in May 2010 does list challenges facing our local efforts. The report lists challenges that include in‐fighting within groups and agencies, a lack of coordination between agencies, lack of common vision for future, lack of inviting entrances to urban areas, uninviting urban cores that are not visitor friendly and a lack of family wage jobs.

Such challenges are not uncommon in the economic development world and the politics of economic development will be a future part of this continuing series.

But, success far outweighs the challenges and the EDC and the PDD continue to be the best forums Page3 of 3