Economic Development Strategy

The City of Wilsonville retained the economics consulting firm ECONorthwest to help develop an economic-development strategy. This strategy focuses on issues such as: 

• How aggressive should the City be in recruiting new business?
• What kinds of businesses should the City seek or not seek?
• What should the City do, if anything, to retain and help existing businesses to expand?
• What kinds of incentives, if any, should the City offer as inducement for a new or expanding business? 

The City approached the creation of an economic development strategy as a two-step process. The first part of the process, which is detailed further below, focused on the overall economic development strategy and created a timeline for implementation and further consideration of additional actions. The second part of the economic development strategy process focused on two specific sets of issues unresolved during the first phase: identifying desired community impacts of businesses, without singling out the specific types of businesses, that the City should try to attract; and recommending what kinds of incentives, if any, that they City may use for business retention or recruitment.

Phase 2 of the Economic Development Strategy

Economic Development Strategy Task Force
As an integral component of this process, the City has formed a focused, limited-duration task force composed of leading community members and business managers who will help guide the process and make a recommendation to the City Council. The task force is composed of public- and private-sector leaders invested in Wilsonville who are ‘opinion-setters’ and wear multiple ‘hats’ in the community. The task force includes representatives of various sizes and types of businesses, developers, higher-education, chamber of commerce, neighborhoods and City volunteer boards and commissions.

The task force is anticipated to meet approximately five times over the course of several months from November 2012 through February or March 2013, culminating in a set of recommendations to the City Council. All meetings are open to the public.

Primary Issues for Consideration
The task force is examining in-depth two sets of key issues unresolved from the first part of the economic development strategy process, as recommended by a citizen advisory committee to be addressed “immediately” within the first year after City Council approval of the Economic Development Strategy:

Action 1.1. Describe business attributes and impacts that are supportive of Wilsonville’s economic and community development goals. A task force is formed to consider, make recommendations, and deliver a report to City officials and staff on the desired community impacts of businesses, without singling out the specific types of businesses that the City should try to attract to Wilsonville. (Immediately in Year 1)

Action 6.2. Develop criteria to guide the use of incentives to attract or retain businesses. Create a task force that will recommend criteria for the use of incentives to attract or retain businesses. The criteria should describe (1) where incentives would be used, (2) what businesses would qualify for incentives and under what conditions, (3) what types of incentives would be available to businesses, (4) the funding sources to support the incentives, and (5) expectations of businesses given incentives. (Year 1, immediately) 

Economic Development Strategy Task Force Members
Ron Adams Vince Alexander (resigned Dec. 2012)  Mychelle Ashlock Lita Colligan Catherine Comer (resigned March 2013)  Danielle Cowan Brenner Daniels	CHAIR: City Councilor Scott Starr (ex-officio) Mike Duyck Lonnie Gieber Gale Lasko Ray Lister Susan Myers Craig Olson Ray Phelps	Dr. William Rhoades Fred Robinson Dick Spence Alan Steiger Sandra Suran, CPA Doris Wehler Boyd Westover
City Staff Contacts
Mark Ottenad Public/Government Affairs Director 503-570-1505 ottenad@ci.wilsonville.or.us	Kristin Retherford Urban Renewal Manager 503-570-1539 retherford@ci.wilsonville.or.us	Stephan Lashbrook SMART Transit Director 503-570-1576 lashbrook@RideSMART.com

Meetings and Documents of Phase 2 of the Economic Development Strategy, November 2012 – March 2013

April 15, 2013, City Council Meeting
April 15, 2015, Meeting Agenda, Staff Report and Resolution 2413 Recommendations of the Economic Development Strategy Task Force on Business Attributes and Incentives, March 2013 Executive Summary only, Recommendations of the Economic Development Strategy Task Force on Business Attributes and Incentives, March 2013
March 20, 2013, Task Force Meeting
March 20, 2013, Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Notes March 20, 2013, Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Agenda Summary of Comments by Task Force Members on the Draft Task Force Recommendations to City Council, March 20, 2013 ECONorthwest Memo for Meeting, RE Draft Recommendations from Task Force, March 11, 2013 Draft Recommendations from Task Force to City Council, March 13, 2013 Draft Appendices to Recommendations, March 13, 2013 Article, The Oregonian - "Wilsonville voters overwhelmingly approve Measure 3-421 in special election," March 12, 2013
February 28, 2013, Task Force Meeting
February 28, 2013 Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Notes February 28, 2013 Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Agenda  Incentives/Scenarios Task Force Survey Results, draft, Feb 26., 2013 Memo, re Task Force Survey, Feb. 15, 2013  ECONorthwest Memo, re Instructions for the On-Line Survey
January 31, 2013, Task Force Meeting
January 31, 2013 Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Notes January 31, 2013 Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Agenda ECONorthwest Memo for Meeting #5: Information to Frame the Discussion About Potential Use of Incentives, Jan. 28, 2013 Potential Incentives for Consideration, January 28, 2013 Scenarios for Consideration, January 28, 2013
January 10, 2013, Task Force Meeting
January 10, 2013, Economic Development Strategy Taks Force Meeting Notes January 10, 2013, Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Agenda ECONorthwest Memo for Meeting #4: Meeting Overview on Business Attributes and Incentives, Jan. 10, 2013 Appendix A: Business Attributes and Incentives Table
December 13, 2012, Task Force Meeting
December 13, 2012, Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Notes Full Text of City of Wilsonville Ballot Measure 3-421 for the Special Election on March 12, 2013: "Business Incentive Program for Investment and Job Creation by Manufacturers" Resolution 2394, Staff Report and Draft Explanatory Statement for Ballot Measure, Jan. 4, 2013 Revised - Proposed Tax Increment Financing Zones (TIF Zones), Dec. 17, 2012 Article - "City Sends Tax Incentive Plan to the Voters: Residents will decide in March election if Wilsonville should offer financial incentives to manufactures who invest at least $25 million," Wilsonville Spokesman, Dec. 26, 2012 City of Wilsonville City Recorder Notice of Receipt of Ballot Title, Dec. 18, 2012 Resolution 2390, Staff Report and Draft Ballot Measure Text, Dec. 17, 2012 December 13, 2012, Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Agenda ECONorthwest Memo for Meeting #3: Meeting Overview, Dec. 10, 2012 Revised Draft – Proposed Tax Increment Financing Zones (TIF Zones), Dec. 12, 2012 Resolution No. 2390: Staff Report, Resolution, Proposed Ballot Measure Editorial - "Hard incentives may be necessary," Wilsonville Spokesman, Dec. 12, 2012  Communications to and from Task Force Members, Dec. 10, 2012: Response to Economic Development Question from Task Force Member Ron Adams Note from Task Force Member Danielle Cowan Response to Economic Development “Weighting” Criteria Suggestion from Task Force Member Carol White Responses to Urban Renewal-Related Questions from Task Force Member Doris Wehler Responses to Request for Email Addresses of Task Force from Task Force Member Lonnie Gieber Responses to Economic Development-Related Questions from Task Force Member Vince Alexander
November 28, 2012, Task Force Meeting
Article - "City Sets Bait For Big Business: Wilsonville's new Economic Development Task Force OKs using financial incentives to attract major corporations," Wilsonville Spokesman, Dec. 4, 2012 November 28, 2012, Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Notes November 28, 2012, Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Agenda ECONorthwest Memo for Meeting #2: Business Attributes and Incentives, Nov. 2012   Attachments for Meeting Memo:  Existing City of Wilsonville Incentives;  Enterprise Zones;  Urban Renewal and Tax Increment Financing;  Proposed Tax Increment Financing Zones (TIF Zones);  Community Survey Results Pertaining to Economic Development;  Portland Metro’s Traded Sector
November 8, 2012, Task Force Meeting
November 8, 2012, Economic Development Strategy Task Force Notes November 8, 2012, Economic Development Strategy Task Force Meeting Agenda Economic Development Strategy Task Force Working Agreements & Ground Rules (Charter), Nov. 2012 Charge of the Economic Development Strategy Task Force, Nov. 2012 Economic Development Strategy Task Force Members by Economic/Community Sector, Oct. 2012 Economic Development Strategy Task Force Members’ Brief Bios, Nov. 2012 Wilsonville Economic Opportunity Analysis (EOA) Update (revised), July 2012 Economic Development Strategy Summary, August 2012 Economic Development Strategy, August 2012

Phase 1 of the Economic Development Strategy

Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC)
As an integral component of this process, the City formed an Advisory Committee composed of leading community members and business managers who helped to guide the process and make a recommendation to the City Council. The committee was composed of public- and private-sector leaders invested in Wilsonville who are ‘opinion-setters’ and wear multiple ‘hats’ in the community. The committee included representatives of various sizes and types of businesses, developers, higher-education, chamber of commerce, neighborhoods and City Council and Planning Commission.

The committee met six times over the course of four months from March through June 2012. Focus groups were convened (below) in April 2012 to provide feedback on a number of questions and issues. A community-wide “Economic Development Summit” was held in May to present concepts under consideration by the committee and to gather public input; additionally, an online survey held after the Summit provided an opportunity for more members of the public to provide feedback on issues considered at the Summit. All meetings were open to the public. 

As part of the process of creating an economic development strategy, the City contracted with FSC Group to update the Wilsonville Economic Opportunity Analysis (EOA) to reflect new information and economic circumstances.

Focus Groups Meetings
A variety of focus group meetings were convened on Wednesday, April 11, to provide input from a broad range of stakeholders about good and bad elements of doing business in Wilsonville and potential economic development actions that could be undertaken by the City. Four focus groups were composed of 42 representatives of various stakeholders, including large and small businesses, industrial and retail/service firms, developers and real-estate interests, educators, chamber of commerce members, economic development professionals, community groups, civic organizations, public officials and other residents. A summary of focus-group participants’ feedback and listing of participants are included below.

Economic Development Advisory Committee Members, March – June 2012
Lita Colligan Thomas Garnier Lonnie Gieber Clyde Holland Gale Lasko	Former Councilor Steve Hurst, Co-Chair (ex-officio) Marta McGuire Craig Olson Ray Phelps Nancy Sage Councilor Scott Starr, Co-Chair (ex-officio)	Alternates: Ben Altman Patrick Croasdaile Brenner Daniels Amy Dvorak Dr. Chris Maples

 

Meetings and Documents of Phase 1 of the Economic Development Strategy, March 2012 - August 2012

August 20, 2012 City Council Meeting

August 20, 2012, Meeting Agenda, Staff Report and Resolution 2376 Wilsonville Economic Opportunity Analysis (EOA) Update (revised), July 2012 Economic Development Strategy Summary, August 2012 Economic Development Strategy, August 2012

August 6, 2012 Special Joint City Council–Planning Commission Work Session Meeting

August 6, 2012, Meeting Agenda & Staff Report Wilsonville Economic Opportunity Analysis (EOA) Update (revised), July 2012 Economic Development Strategy Summary (revised), July 2012 Economic Development Strategy (revised), July 2012

June 28, 2012 Committee Meeting

June 28, 2012, Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda June 14, 2012, 2012, Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Notes Proposed Economic Development Strategy Vision, June 2012 Economic Development Strategy Summary, June 2012 Economic Development Strategy Draft, June 2012

June 14, 2012 Committee Meeting

June 14, 2012, Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda Report on Break-out Groups Discussions at the Economic Development Summit Economic Development Strategy Summit Survey Results Economic Development Vision and Actions June 14, 2012, 2012, Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Notes

May 31, 2012 Economic Development Summit Meeting

The Wilsonville Economic Development Summit was held on May 31 with over 60 residents, business managers, employees, economic-development professionals and other members of the public participating. Following are materials and presentations presented at the summit, along with a web-video of the summit presentations and reports, a report from the summit on break-out groups discussions, and a copy of the public comment survey, which was distributed at the summit and afterwards with an online version that closed at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 11. • Media Release - City to Host “Economic Development Summit” on May 31  • Agenda for Economic Development Summit • Wilsonville Economic Opportunity Analysis (EOA) Draft Summary Presentation • Wilsonville Economic Development Summit Overview Presentation • Video of Economic Development Summit Presentations and Reports • Report on Break-out Groups Discussions at the Economic Development Summit • Economic Development Strategy Survey • Economic Development Strategy Summit Survey Results

May 17, 2012 Committee Meeting

May 17, 2012, Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda Economic Development Summit Process Proposed Preliminary Vision For Economic Development Economic Development Goals and Action for Summit Committee Actions Relative to the Summit Vision and Actions Follow-Up to Last Committee Meeting, May 2012

April 19, 2012 Committee Meeting

April 19, 2012, Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda Wilsonville Economic Development Summit Process Draft, April 2012 Implications of Focus Group Issues for Economic Development Strategy Organization for ‘Action’ Section of Economic Development Strategy

April 11, 2012 Focus Groups Meetings

Economic Development Focus Groups Summary Report, April 2012 Focus Groups Participants, Sorted Alphabetically by Last Name

March 22, 2012 Committee Meeting

March 22, 2012, Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda March 22, 2012, Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Notes

Initial Work Early 2012

Wilsonville Economic Development Strategy Scope of Work, ECONorthwest EDAC Working Agreements & Ground Rules, ECONorthwest Draft Report for an Economic Development Strategy, ECONorthwest Economic Development Advisory Committee Members by Economic Sector Economic Development Advisory Committee Members by Name