2006 Economic Development Stategy by TCAD

THE TOMPKINS COUNTY

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

A strategy to address key economic challenges and strengthen the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic development system

— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Part 1:

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Part 2:

Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 • The local economy and regional context • The current economic development situation

Part 3:

Overview: Vision, Mission, Goals, Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 • Involved agencies

Part 4:

Goals in Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 • Increase and diversify housing supply • Improve workforce and business skills • Revitalize unique commercial districts and town centers

Part 5:

Mobilizing to Achieve the Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 • Implementation of the goals • Evaluation

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 PREFACE

Tompkins County’s 2006 Economic Development (ED) Strategy was developed by TCAD with contributions from diverse stakeholders. We embarked on this effort in order to take a fresh look at the county’s overarching economic development challenges and to renew our strategic approach to addressing those challenges. The process reached for broad input, but also self-reflection and depth of consideration. The results include a new mission and vision, and new top goals, as well as an elevated commitment to achieving our goals by working together. Having completed the written strategy, the real work of mobilizing this vision for change can begin.

Howard Hartnett Chair, TCAD

Arthur Pearce Chair, EDS Steering Committee —1—

Michael Stamm President, TCAD

— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The ED Strategy Steering Committee provided the leadership and guidance for this strategic plan, challenging and encouraging the staff. The Committee’s insights on engaging stakeholders in the process as well as honing the substance of the strategic plan has been invaluable. The Vision Task Force took on the Herculean task of crafting a short, yet true, vision that captures the range of passions and perspectives of participating stakeholders. Finally, the Technical Advisory Committee contributed a depth of wisdom – about economic development and about the community – that is critical to our success. Steering Committee Arthur Pearce, Consultant, Chair Barbara Blanchard, Executive Director, Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance, Vice Chair David Ahlers, Consultant Stephen Garner, President and CEO, Tompkins Trust Company Janet Hawkes, Consultant Tim Joseph, Chair, Tompkins County Legislature Van McMurtry, VP Government and Community Relations, Cornell University Mark Mital, Director of Operations, BorgWarner Morse TEC Carolyn Peterson, Mayor, City of Ithaca Vision Task Force Dave Ahlers, Consultant Barbara Blanchard, Executive Director, Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance Jean McPheeters, President, Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce Bob Sweet, Deputy Regional Director, Empire State Development

Technical Advisory Committee Fernando de Aragon, Executive Director, Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council Martha Armstrong, VP and Director of ED Planning, Tompkins County Area Development Barbara Blanchard, Executive Director, Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance Nels Bohn, Director of Community Development, Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency Fred Bonn, Director, Convention and Visitors Bureau Gary Ferguson, Executive Director, Ithaca Downtown Partnership Howard Hartnett, Vice President and Regional Manager, Trust & Investment Services, M&T Bank Jonathan Kanter, Town Planner, Town of Ithaca Ed Marx, Commissioner of Planning, Tompkins County Planning Department Julia Mattick, Executive Director, Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board Jean McPheeters, President, Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce Carolyn Peterson, Mayor, City of Ithaca Ken Schlather, Executive Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County Michael Stamm, President, Tompkins County Area Development Bob Sweet, Deputy Regional Director, Empire State Development Cathy Valentino, Town Supervisor, Town of Ithaca Thys Van Cort, Director of Planning and Development, City of Ithaca Abby Westervelt, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, College of Engineering Roger Williams, Extension Support Specialist, Biotechnology Center, Cornell University Patrick Woods, Director, Business CENTS, Alternative Federal Credit Union

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — PART 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Tompkins County has experienced steady, moderate growth for many decades. Since 1960 the economy has restructured from being primarily driven by durable goods manufacturing to being primarily a college town with manufacturing and high-tech sectors playing important supporting roles. Agriculture, Tourism, and some professional services also contribute to the economic base. The populace is well educated and family income distribution is above the national average. While 85% of the population is white, in the 1990’s all population growth was due to increasing minority populations, particularly Asian and Hispanic. The county’s moderate growth sets it apart from the rest of central upstate New York, a region that has faced economic stagnation and population decline in recent decades. The ED Strategy identifies a vision for the local economy and key barriers to achieving that vision. Local agencies currently provide conventional and progressive ED services – financial assistance and incentives, business planning, workforce training and recruitment, and development of infrastructure such as water and sewer, ground transportation, and airport service. The ED Strategy calls for the continuation and improvement of these services by the individual service providers. At the same time, the Strategy calls on the agencies to elevate their commitment to collaborative work in order to achieve three major economic development goals that address complex and broad challenges to the continued economic vibrancy of Tompkins County. The essential elements of the strategic plan are highlighted to the right.

Vision Tompkins County will be an economic innovator, transforming a rich tradition of original ideas and academic excellence into products, services, and opportunities that change our world for the better, both locally and beyond. A sense of possibility will infuse its generous, civic-minded, and connected communities. Mission Cultivate a prosperous and sustainable regional economy by building the economic foundations, expanding opportunities, and fully engaging the community in ways that reflect the community's strengths and values. Major Five-Year Goals ▼ Increase and diversify housing supply ▼ Improve workforce and business skills ▼ Revitalize unique commercial districts and town centers Strategy Formalize the existing loose network of development agencies into a committed Economic Development Collaborative to: • Pursue a common economic development mission for the county • Address complex and multi-dimensional development goals that are larger than any single agency’s purview • Bring additional resources to the county to achieve its goals and mission • Elevate participating agencies’ achievements by engaging the ED Collaborative’s resources to complement efforts The ED Collaborative will extend its reach to engage other public, notfor-profit, and private sector partners in economic development to achieve its goals.

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — PART 2: BACKGROUND – Current Situation of the Economy and Economic Development The local economy and regional context The Tompkins County economy has grown steadily from about 17,000 private sector jobs in 1960 to about 53,300 in 2005. In the same period,

the local economy has experienced significant restructuring. In 1962 manufacturing peaked providing 6,200 jobs, which was 36% of all private sector jobs. In 2005, there were 3,900 manufacturing jobs, less than 8% of all private sector jobs. Service-providing jobs now account for 90%, or 48,200 private sector jobs in Tompkins County in 2005.

Change in Tompkins County Employment by Sector 1990-2004 32,000 30,000 28,000 26,000 24,000 22,000 20,000

9,000 8,000 7,000

1990

6,000

2000

5,000

2004

4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000

ac tu ur rin e/ g H os /B pi us ta in lit es y Fi s na Se rv nc ic e/ es Re Re al s, Es M ta in te in g, Co O ns th tr er Se rv ic es O th Fa er rm Ag ric ul tu ra In l fo r m W at ho io le n sa le Tr ad e

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Source: NYS Department of Labor

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — Over the decades, conventional service jobs – retail, food service, and hospitality – have remained steady at about 16% of private sector jobs. Starting in the mid 1960’s and accelerating into the 1980’s, education services grew into the dominant sector—now accounting for about 49% of private sector jobs1. Technology firms producing software, equipment, and high tech services emerged in the 1980’s. By 2005, these firms accounted

for about 2,000 service jobs, or 5% of permanent private-sector jobs. Health services, transportation, professional services, and other business services make up most of the remaining service-producing jobs. Our key wealth-generating sectors are Education Services, Manufacturing, and High Tech. While smaller, Agriculture and Tourism contribute significantly to our quality of life and help diversify the economic base.

Comparison of US and Tompkins Family Income Distribution 2000 16 % Tompkins Families

% US Families 12 10 8 6 4 2

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+ 00

00 50

,0 $1

50 -1

25 $1 25

-1 $1 00

Source: US Census 2000

$7 5-

00 $6

00 0$5

00 0$4

00 ,0 $3

30 0$2

20 0$1

$0 -

— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — Tompkins County’s top private employers are innovative organizations that provide stability to the local economy. These include Cornell University and Ithaca College, BorgWarner Automotive, Cayuga Medical Center, and Wegmans supermarket. Top homegrown technology firms include Kionix, CBORD, and Advion BioSciences. The county has an entrepreneurial populace and workforce education levels that exceed those of the Research Triangle and Silicon Valley regions.

In a region with little recent population growth, the county’s continued job growth has been dependent on women and students entering the workforce as well as a constant increase in in-commuters from the surrounding region. As those labor force resources have tightened, companies have considered expanding in surrounding counties or other regions of the country to gain better access to workforce. This creates a paradox: some reductions in job opportunities result from the tight labor force – and parts of the labor force unable to find jobs that match their skills and career interests because of limited business growth.

The population in Tompkins County has continuously expanded. Total population grew 46% from 66,200 in 1960 to 96,500 in 2000. While growth slowed in the 1990’s, there was still a modest 2.6% increase. Census estimates that population growth accelerated in the first years of the new century, growing to just over 100,000 by 2005.

Thus it is a critical time to support continued job growth in the county and contribute to regional revival. To do this, economic development efforts must overcome the threat to job growth posed by a relatively small local and regional labor force.

Tompkins County has a fairly healthy economy, reflected in continued moderate job growth and slow but steady population growth. Family income has continued to improve with the percent of low-income families dropping from 1980 to 1990 and again from 1990 to 2000. The distribution of family income remains above the nation’s. However, there are individuals and families living in poverty including 30% of all femaleheaded families with children under 18 years old. And, while the county has a low unemployment rate, the higher regional levels of unemployment and limited job opportunities affect the ability of some residents to find full employment. Tompkins County’s moderate growth over recent decades is in sharp contrast to the rest of the upstate New York region, an area that has experienced stagnation and decline for over 50 years. The region including Binghamton, Syracuse, and the counties surrounding Tompkins lost 25,000 people, 2.1% of the population, during the 1990’s. This has been spurred by decline in manufacturing as well as technology employers such as IBM and Carrier that have also declined or left the region. The area is struggling to maintain population, particularly workers under 40 years old.

Economic development resources TCAD released the county’s first ED strategy in 1999. The process of creating and implementing that strategy brought together the many agencies that work on some aspect of economic development. Since 1999, the agencies have met quarterly to review progress, coordinate efforts, and discuss economic development issues. As a result, the agencies have increased their familiarity with each other and expanded their working relationships. The individual agencies have evolved in many ways. For example, The Workforce Investment Board, which was new in 1999, has since opened the premier One Stop Career Center in New York; the Ithaca Downtown Partnership, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and TCAD have created strategies for their organizations’ work; and the Tompkins County Planning Department has created the County’s first Comprehensive Plan. Through these efforts, the agencies now have extensive knowledge of the local economic environment and of available resources. They also have a

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — great deal of experience. The county has organizations in-place to provide all major economic development services (for more detail, see page 9). These include: • technical and financial services for businesses • workforce development and employment services • commercialization of new technologies • infrastructure for development • improvements to the local economic climate Thus, there is a good array of service providers and economic development capacity for a small county. Being a small place, each agency is challenged to accomplish many tasks with limited resources. Fortunately, local agencies have a number of strengths for meeting those challenges: • Staff with strong academic credentials and very good experience • Organizations with effective boards that actively seek cooperation and sharing of resources. So, while the county faces the same funding challenges and related barriers as most communities, Tompkins County is distinguished by the quality of its organizations' personnel and willingness to work together. This extends agency capacity to achieve economic development objectives for the county.

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — PART 3: OVERVIEW OF THE ED STRATEGY: Vision, Mission, Goals, and Strategy

VISION

TCAD convened the process of creating the 2006 ED Strategy. Highlights of the process include an on-line survey of economic challenges and vision; a community policy forum on a vision for the economy and a forum on top economic goals; interviews of business leaders and interest groups for in-depth understanding of their goals; and multi-agency analysis of vision, goals, and strategic issues. The Vision and Goals had significant input drawing from over 100 community voices. The mission was articulated by TCAD but evolved from the 1999 Economic Development Strategy. The strategy flowed naturally from the years of coordination and cooperation among the agencies involved in local economic development.

The vision defines a general, but tangible direction for economic development work in the county. While it sets a lofty goal, it identifies what we hope to achieve in the next five to ten years. Our vision is:

Tompkins County will be an economic innovator, transforming a rich tradition of original ideas and academic excellence into products, services, and opportunities that change our world for the better, both locally and beyond. A sense of possibility will infuse its generous, civic-minded, and connected communities.

MISSION The mission defines the general goal and process for economic development in the county — why we do economic development. Our mission is:

▼ Discussion At first glance, the top goals of housing, skill development, and revitalization may not appear to lead to the vision of economic innovation. The county’s economic growth over the last decade has taken the slack out of our housing and workforce resources. Many county employers are innovative and poised to grow, but some are stymied by non-aligned workforce and management skills, lack of housing for workforce, and uneven commercial resources. These conditions make it difficult to operate at a competitive level, hampering efforts to build the teams and systems that employers need to be innovators. At the same time the local labor force and entrepreneurs are often unable to access suitable housing, skill-building resources, and community services that support full and satisfying participation in the economy. A broad range of stakeholder perspectives consistently identified these three major goals as primary challenges to the continued growth of innovative and engaging economic opportunity here in Tompkins County.

Cultivate a prosperous and sustainable regional economy by building the economic foundations, expanding opportunities, and fully engaging the community in ways that reflect the community's strengths and values.

MAJOR FIVE-YEAR GOALS The major five-year goals have been identified by community stakeholders as key objectives we need to achieve in order to realize our vision. While the full range of economic development work is needed to reach the vision, these three issues are over arching and in particular need of concerted attention. Our major five-year goals are:

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy —

▼

▼ Increase and diversify housing supply

INVOLVED AGENCIES

▼ Improve workforce and business skills

The following agencies intend to participate in the ED Collaborative. They are all organizations with a local interest and public purpose – be they not-for-profits, or departments of local government. For more information about the ED Collaborative agencies, please visit http://www.tcad.org/ or their individual web sites.

▼ Revitalize unique commercial districts and town centers

STRATEGY The ED Strategy recognizes the importance of continued support to the current work of individual agencies. This work focuses on specialized aspects of economic development such as employment services, financial incentives, technology transfer, facilitating business growth, and marketing. However, at this time, it is critical to implement an additional strategy to achieve our major economic development goals. That strategy is:

Formalize the existing loose network of development agencies into a committed Economic Development Collaborative to: • Engage in a common economic development mission for the county • Address complex and multi-dimensional development goals that are larger than any single agency’s purview • Bring additional resources to the county to achieve its goals and mission • Elevate participating agencies’ achievements by engaging the Collaborative’s resources to complement efforts.

1. Tompkins County Area Development (TCAD), a private, not-for-profit corporation founded in 1964, is the community’s lead economic development agency. TCAD’s mission is: to building a thriving and sustainable economy that improves the quality of life in Tompkins County by fostering the growth of business and employment. http://www.tcad.org 2. The Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (TCIDA) is a public benefit corporation controlled by the Tompkins County Legislature and managed by TCAD. The IDA can abate taxes and issue tax-exempt bonds. Historically, the primary purpose of the IDA was to create quality employment opportunities. The IDA now also delivers assistance to not-for-profit corporations and to certain mixed-use revitalization projects. 3. The mission of the Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board (TCWIB) is to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of Tompkins County by developing and coordinating resources that meet employer workforce needs and facilitate employment and development opportunities for individuals. The One Stop Career Center is the flagship product of the TCWIB. http://www.tompkinsworkforceny.org 4. The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce advocates for the free enterprise system and sound economic development. It fosters success for its for-profit and not-for-profit members, and promotes a high quality of life for all residents. The Chamber hosts a number of networking and educational programs for business. A key strength is its ability to bring diverse parties together to solve community problems. http://www.tompkinschamber.org

The ED Collaborative will extend its reach to include other public, not-for-profit, and private sector partners in economic development to achieve its goals. (continued)

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — PART 4: GOALS IN DETAIL

The report indicates that the unmet need in 2005 was for 875 new housing units plus a need to develop at least 300 additional units annually 2 for the following ten years. In round numbers, immediate demand is for:

Three key goals have been identified for the local economy. These are:

! 250 owner occupied units in the $60,000 to $130,000 range ! 250 owner-occupied units valued above $130,000 ! 525 rental units in the $625 to $1,225 range ! 225 units with rents above $1,225

▼ Increase and diversify housing supply ▼ Improve workforce and business skills ▼ Revitalize unique commercial districts and town centers Each is detailed below.

The scope above is a minimum estimate based on current trends in population growth. It does not include capturing in-commuters who would choose to live in Tompkins County if they could find housing that meets their needs. Less expensive housing – under $625 per month is also needed. Overall housing costs including taxes and utilities are an issue for persons and families considering moving to or within the county. Carrying costs are very high especially compared to other parts of the country. Beyond being a local taxpayer issue, high costs of residency have an impact on employers’ ability to stay in Tompkins County and grow good jobs here. State and local fiscal reform is needed. Nodal development patterns can also contribute to containment of these costs.

Goal 1: Increase and diversify housing supply Increasing housing supply to meet demand has become critical to ED. In the past, housing would not have been a central ED issue, but today’s workforce, whether local or new to the area, is challenged to find housing – the supply across a range of prices and types is inadequate. And, housing is projected to remain a challenging issue for the next five to ten years. Younger native workforce and newcomers alike have trouble finding housing in any price range or type in the tight market. This has put negative pressure on the population growth that should naturally accompany the county’s consistent job growth.

Goal 2: Improve workforce and business skills

According to the County’s Housing Needs Assessment report (August, 2006), the county requires a significant increase in housing units to meet current and anticipated housing demand. The market demands a variety of unit types and sizes. Some, but by no means all, will require development subsidies or incentives. However, in most cases, municipalities and the ED Collaborative must participate to help attract investment, stimulate developer interest, facilitate the development process, and insure that developments contribute to the community’s well being.

Workforce and business skill development has been a key issue during the past decade. Technology has replaced many low-skilled jobs that used to provide family-supporting incomes and benefits. Today’s “low-skilled” jobs tend to be in service occupations, working with the public. Thus they require communication skills, ability to make decisions, teamwork skills, and high levels of integrity. Nationally and locally, there is increasing demand for high-skilled workers and business managers who bring high levels of technical and communication skills as well as flexibility, independence, and innovation to their places of work. Businesses operating in

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — competitive regional and global environments need managers and entrepreneurs who have a solid base of business skills, and have access to management resources to survive and thrive. Increasing skill development and access to training resources remains a top goal for successful economic development in Tompkins County. The scope of this work requires matching resources to fit a mix of skill-set needs and diverse populations needs. Workforce skill-sets include:

5. The Ithaca / Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau (I/TCCVB), a division of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, is the Destination Marketing Organization that serves the greater Ithaca area. The I/TCCVB actively promotes the area and operates two visitor centers. The County’s Strategic Tourism Board oversees the work of the I/TCCVB and also supports development of visitor attractions such as The Sciencenter. http://www.visitithaca.com 6. The Ithaca Downtown Partnership (IDP) is a Business Improvement District created in 1997 and charged with the development, management, and promotion of a 22-block area of downtown Ithaca. The IDP provides small business technical assistance and organizes major events and an outdoor entertainment series. It also provides supplemental cleaning, safety, and beautification services to the center city. http://www.downtownithaca.com

• Basic competencies: basic education, communication skills, workplace competencies, teamwork, and learning to learn • Specialized technical competencies: software, skilled trades, credentialed professional skills Business management skill-sets include:

INVOLVED AGENCIES

• Fundamental business planning • Specific technical skills: finance, regulatory compliance, marketing, human resources, and managing production • Leadership skills to grow a start-up into a regional employer: for example, business relationship building, gained through mentoring, networking, and counseling

7. The primary goals of the City of Ithaca’s Department of Planning and Development are strengthening the City’s economy, improving the quality of life of its citizens, and strengthening its residential neighborhoods. This work depends on the effective partnership among the City, the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency, and Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services. http://www.ci.ithaca.ny.us

Populations needing skills are diverse. The most basic segments of population to be reached are:

• Emerging workforce, especially disengaged youth • Adults: incumbent workers, dislocated workers, and displaced homemakers However, changing demographics require continuing change in the delivery of education and training. According to the 2000 US Census, the workforce-age population in the United States was 72% white, and primarily native-born. By 2020 that figure is projected to drop to 63%. The largest and fastest growing minority group is Hispanics. The fastest growing

8. The Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) works to revitalize urban neighborhoods and strengthen the local economy. The IURA works to implement the Urban Renewal Plan, manages the City’s HUD Entitlement Grant award of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds and administers various economic development loan programs and industrial park leases. 9. The Town of Ithaca Planning Department develops and maintains the Town’s comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance, and site design regulations. The Department balances the goals of preserving the Town’s significant and sensitive natural features and open space and neighborhood character with the need to provide for reasonable growth, economic development and housing that is affordable to households at all income levels. http://www.town.ithaca.ny.us/

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(continued)

— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — minority populations include many recent immigrants, and they have the lowest levels of education. Meanwhile, the primarily white baby-boomers who are highly educated are poised to retire. While the local workforceage population was 83% white in 2000, the evolving population mix is reflective of US trends and has a significant and increasing demand for education and training.

This goal is about stimulating appropriate development that will enhance the unique spirit of each community center. Revitalization requires planning, promotion, commitment of public resources, and attraction of private sector investment. Older downtowns and commercial districts must continuously reinvest to maintain vitality, and creating new special districts, such as Inlet Island’s waterfront, require targeted investment strategies.

In sum, at a time when the workplace and business world demand greater skills, the population also demands greater training. The workforce and business training systems must increase service capacity to meet this dual pressure of demand. Without skilled workforce and entrepreneurs, the businesses creating the best job opportunities will relocate or never start up in Tompkins County. The better prepared that Tompkins County residents are, the more likely they are to be hired by local businesses that recruit regionally.

The scope of this goal includes increasing investment in commercial districts from the center-city, to villages and hamlets, to special development areas such as a waterfront district. Around the county, businesses and community groups express a strong interest in creating more vital commercial centers, such as:

• Improving an apartment building and adding a small convenience store in a hamlet • Generating more foot traffic for retailers in a village • Creating an exciting waterfront district for locals and tourists to access the lake • Providing more diverse commerce and housing in downtown Ithaca

Meanwhile, skills-providers face reduced support from federal and state levels of government. The need for greater contributions from the private sector and foundations, as well as government, adds to the complexity of developing sustainable programs to address these pressing skilldevelopment issues. Goal 3: Revitalize unique commercial districts and town centers Active and attractive commercial centers are important for all sectors of the economy. For example, higher education needs lively college towns, young adult workforce needs social gathering spots, households and businesses need convenient services and shopping – in the urbanized area and in rural villages and hamlets. The county has a variety of commercial districts. They need continuous investment focus to provide vibrant community settings and to be responsive to current needs of the community.

While residents also express interest in preserving neighborhood character and in protecting and strengthening rural landscapes, these objectives are not included in the scope. They fall more narrowly under the scope of community and rural development agency work, as distinguished from a major economic development goal. There are several recent examples of revitalization initiatives. In 1995, businesses in the City of Ithaca’s downtown voted to create a business improvement district – creating a special assessment district to support the services provided by the Ithaca Downtown Partnership. The City of Ithaca’s Density Policy is an incentive program to target private investment to a defined geographic region. In 2005, the Village of Dryden annexed about 25 acres, to facilitate the extension of the Village’s water system to

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — a 110- acre industrial zone. The Trumansburg Main Street Project, constructed during the summer of 2006, improves sidewalks, transit stops, and streetscape. This public investment is part of a strategy to increase private sector investment and business activity in the historic village’s commercial center.

PART 5: MOBILIZING TO ACHIEVE THE STRATEGY Implementation of the Goals

INVOLVED AGENCIES 10. The Tompkins County Department of Planning provides planning and related services to County government and local municipalities. The Department is charged with preparing a comprehensive plan for the development of the County; collecting and distributing data and information on population, land use, housing, environment and community facilities; and preparing planning studies and analyses. http://www.tompkins-co.org/planning/ 11. The Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council (ITCTC) works to advance projects and programs that provide for an efficient, flexible, and multi-modal transportation system in Tompkins County. The ITCTC works cooperatively with all local governments, TCAT, NYSDOT, and federal transportation agencies. The ITCTC has expertise in the areas of transportation planning, data gathering, and analysis. http://www.co.tompkins.ny.us/itctc/

The general scope of the major goals is delineated above. Greater detail will be developed as initiatives to address each goal are convened. For all three goals, the ED Collaborative will: • • • • • •

Establish an initiative to achieve the goal Gather and pool greater knowledge of the current situation Identify key players, stakeholders, and champions Formulate a process and a leadership plan Create an action plan with target milestones Engage the ED Collaborative and a network of stakeholders in implementation • Identify benchmarks for evaluation • Evaluate and report to the community • Incorporate evaluation results in ongoing work

12. The mission of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County (TCCCE) is strengthening youth, adults, families, and communities through learning partnerships that put knowledge to work. TCCCE is a portal to Cornell – New York’s land grant university – and applies research in understandable and useful ways for the community. Three broad programming areas are: agriculture, community well-being, and youth development. http://www.cce.cornell.edu/tompkins/

TCAD will convene the ED Collaborative to establish the initiatives during 2006. Once convened, the ED Collaborative will work jointly to propel the initiatives forward. Previous experience provides a foundation for this work. Past examples of collaborative work on major projects include: • Work done by TCAD and the Chamber to bring about a resolution for the joint sewer agreement, a project involving multiple communities and varied interests. — 13 —

13. Local governments hope to create a Council of Governments for Tompkins County (TCCOG) in 2006 or 2007. Participants include nine towns, six villages, the City of Ithaca, and the County of Tompkins. The TCCOG would provide a forum for communication on common issues and a vehicle to undertake joint delivery of services. The goal is to improve inter-municipal cooperation for the benefit of the people that the local governments serve. These thirteen organizations intend to make a formal commitment to form the Economic Development Collaborative. Members will work together to accomplish the three five-year goals identified in the 2006 ED Strategy. Over time, they will identify emerging goals and continue to work collaboratively on those.

— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — • The work of the Air Services Task Force, which brought the business community and the public sector together to attract Northwest Airlines service to the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. These projects took years of commitment to reach milestone objectives, and they continue to need multi-party commitment. They also demonstrated that collaborative effort is a successful tool to achieve broad-reaching, complex goals. The ED Collaborative is committed to applying a similar approach to the ED Strategy’s major five-year goals.

CONCLUSION The 2006 Economic Development Strategy for Tompkins County was prepared by TCAD with significant contributions from the ED Collaborative and other community stakeholders. This document sets three lofty goals and gives us a new strategy to achieve those goals. Engaging the broader community - citizens, community based organizations, businesses, and elected officials – is key to our success in creating and maintaining a prosperous and sustainable economy.

Evaluation This section addresses monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the ED Strategy. Annual evaluation of the major five-year goals and the ED Collaborative’s achievements will be initiated by TCAD. Evaluation results will be reported to the TCAD Board, the ED Collaborative, and the community. Collaborative members will consider the results of the evaluation in developing their agencies’ annual work plans. Evaluation will include: 1. Monitor and evaluate progress toward accomplishing the major five-year goals using benchmarks established for each goal.

Notes 1Job

figures are from NYS Department of Labor. For Tompkins County these include approximately 14,000 on-campus part-time student jobs. If these are removed from the tabulation, Education Services account for about 30% of permanent (non-student) private sector jobs.

2US

Census data indicates that the county added about 320 units annually between 1990 and 2000. Local data indicates about 365 units added per year between 2000 and 2005. Current total demand could be met over 10 years with the addition of 390 units per year - 67% of those affordable to households below the median income. However, a significant increase in housing development is needed in the near term to meet pent-up demand.

TCAD Staff

2. Monitor and evaluate progress toward collaborative work, including: a. Participation in the ED Collaborative’s initiatives b. Engagement of other agencies and stakeholders c. Attraction of new resources

Michael Stamm, President Martha Armstrong, VP, Director of Economic Development Planning Leslie Carrère, Director of Marketing and Development Ina Arthur, Office Manager

3. Evaluate the Major Five-Year Goals: a. Are they still major? b. Identify new major goals over time The evaluation will not be simply a mechanism for control. Rather, it will attempt to be stimulating and invigorating – providing direction and enthusiasm. Ideally, the evaluation will be a tool to keep the ED Collaborative’s commitment and creativity strong.

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— Tompkins County Economic Development Strategy — 2006 TCAD Board of Directors Officers Howard Hartnett, Chair ◆ Charles Trautmann, Vice Chair ◆ Andrew Sciarabba, Treasurer/Secretary ◆

Vice President, M&T Bank Executive Director, Sciencenter Senior Partner, Sciarabba, Walker & Co.

Directors Robert Abrams David Anderson Donald Barber Larry Baum ◆ Barbara Blanchard, Past Chair James Brown ◆ James Byrnes Richard Cahoon Hans Fuller Jeffrey Furman Gregory Galvin Michael Hattery Janet Hawkes Carl Haynes ◆ Patricia Johnson Tim Joseph Thomas Kurz John Majeroni David Marsh Edward Marx Jean McPheeteres Arthur Pearce Carolyn Peterson Martha Robertson Carl Sgrecci Michael Stamm Matthys Van Cort

Senior Lecturer, Cornell University Director of Operations, Borg Warner Morse TEC Supervisor, Town of Caroline President, The Computing Center Executive Director, Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance Executive Director, United Way of Tompkins County Chair & CEO, Tompkins Trust Company Cornell Center for Technology Enterprise & Commercialization Vice President, Emerson Power Transmission Business Consultant CEO & President, Kionix, Inc. Member, Tompkins County Legislature Consultant President, Tompkins-Cortland Community College Treasurer, Cornell University Chair, Tompkins County Legislature President, Advion BioSciences, Inc. Director of Real Estate, Cornell University Real Estate Business Manager, Laborer’s Union Local 589 Tompkins County Commisioner of Planning and Public Works President, Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce Senior Consultant, IDEAworks LLC Mayor, City of Ithaca Tompkin County Legislature Vice President for Finance and Administration, Ithaca College President, Tompkins County Area Development Director of Planning and Development, City of Ithaca

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◆ Executive committee

Prepared by Tompkins County Area Development 200 E. Buffalo Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-273-0005 â&#x20AC;˘ www.TCAD.org SEPTEMBER 2006