WILLMAR -- The Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission is sharpening its focus -- a move that will concentrate the agency's efforts more closely on technology-related businesses and lead to some internal committee realignments. A set of strategic priorities for 2007 was approved Thursday by the EDC's governing and operating boards.
The new strategic plan is the result of a planning session held in October To Help The Edc Determine How Best To Invest Its Time And Resources.
"We see ourselves in the EDC as in the business of creating economic drivers," said Steve Renquist, executive director. "We should have an overarching thing that we are trying to accomplish at any one time."
Focus has been an increasing issue for the agency, which is completing its third year as a full-fledged economic development organization.
It has been pursuing several ambitious initiatives -- in renewable energy, in business retention, in technology -- but has been in danger of sprawling past the point of achieving, in Renquist's words, "the most bang for our buck."
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"It's the difference between what it wants to do and what it can do," he said.
Under the newly adopted strategic plan, the Economic Development Commission will target its efforts toward projects that retain and expand existing businesses and that create new jobs and broaden the tax base.
The top priority: bringing in tenants to the new MinnWest Technology Campus.
Renewable energy development also will be a leading priority, along with the securing of health facilities such as an acute psychiatric hospital and a veterans' home. Attracting new occupants to Willmar's industrial park, agriculture-related retention and expansion, general business retention, the development of a multicultural market, and enhancement of Kandiyohi County's broadband capacity round out the list.
Renquist has recommended that the principal focus be on technology-related businesses and industry.
"All this does not mean committees will only focus on that. But I believe every committee that we have, without exception, can have that as their primary focus," he said.
To accomplish this, a handful of the Economic Development Commission's volunteer committees will be realigned.
One of the biggest changes involves the committee that's working to develop a multicultural market in downtown Willmar.
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The project, which is in the process of seeking grant money, will be transitioned to the nonprofit Heartland Community Action Agency. This transition could take place as early as January, Renquist said.
In another significant change, the EDC will pull back some of its staff resources from its tourism committee. The tourism committee will continue to have a budget allocation and administrative help from the EDC but won't have staff specifically assigned to it.
Members of the governing board and operating board rejected a more drastic restructuring that would have merged the tourism committee into a subcommittee of the Willmar Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A key issue for the EDC is whether its tourism committee and the Convention and Visitors Bureau are duplicating each other's efforts.
Ron Christianson of the governing board said the Visitors Bureau is more closely focused on the lodging industry, while the EDC committee addresses tourism more broadly.
"The goals aren't the same. I would not be comfortable having the tourism committee under the CVB," he said.
"I think we do need to make sure tourism is taken care of," said operating board member Betty Bollig.
Assigning fewer full-time staff resources to the tourism committee "could work as long as there is more money for staff support and organization," she said. "I think it's going to take somebody."
