Story County plays an important role in local economic development through strategic investments and partnerships. The document outlines 5 strategic investments for Story County: 1) developing a shared community vision and long-range plan, 2) forming strategic partnerships and leveraging investments, 3) prioritizing infrastructure investments, 4) expanding trails and recreation opportunities, and 5) providing county planning staff support. Implementing these strategic investments will help Story County strengthen its economy, improve quality of life, and guide sustainable growth.

1. Story County’s Role in Economic Development
Community Planning Assistance Team

2. Story County: an economic development partner
Identify
•County economic development functions
•Strategic economic development opportunities

3. APA Community Planning Assistance Team
Wayne Feiden, FAICP, Northampton, Massachusetts
•Team Leader Deb Meihoff, AICP, Communitas LLC, Portland, Oregon
•City and Regional Economic Development Strategy Catherine Pagano, AICP, Gunnison County, Colorado
•County Economic Development Strategy Russell Soyring, AICP, Traverse City, Michigan
•Quality of life, downtowns, regulatory framework Thomas Bassett, American Planning Assoc., Washington DC
•Student studio, research and logistics

4. Quality of Life
Sources: www.countyhealthranks.org www.bestplaces.net
Health: 3rd healthiest in Iowa
Cost of Living: 4.6% below US average

5. Industrial
Downtowns
Renewable Energy
Agriculture
Tourism

6. Economic development is everywhere

8. Five Strategic Investments
1.Vision and long range planning
Guiding principles

9. Five Strategic Investments
1.Vision and long range planning
2.Strategic partnerships/investments
•Partnerships and leveraging

10. Five Strategic Investments
1.Vision and long range planning
2.Strategic partnerships/investments
3.Infrastructure investments
Strategic investments/downtowns/ED

11. Five Strategic Investments
1.Vision and long range planning
2.Strategic partnerships/investments
3.Infrastructure investments
4.Trails and recreation
•Quality of life and local economic development

12. Five Strategic Investments
1.Vision and long range planning
2.Strategic partnerships/investments
3.Infrastructure investments
4.Trails and recreation
5.County planning staff
For targeted assistance and projects

13. Community Visioning and Long Range Planning

14. What is Visioning?
Community defines future
Core community values and goals identified

15. What is Visioning?
Helps the community visualize the future citizens desire

16. When is Visioning Needed?
When we hear conflicting statements of where we should invest community dollars.
When we can’t resolve important community issues.

17. Shared Values?
Celebrate local foods
Maintain rural character
Revitalize small cities
Protect water resources and natural areas.

18. Shared Values?
Develop sustainable energy.
Encourage Ames to flourish as as an economic center.
Focus on jobs to keep families here.

19. Visioning should be the first step in a Long Range Plan
Iowa State University Ag. Dept. Photo

20. Long Range Planning Support
Regional Planning Grants
Community Challenge Grants
Community Development Block Grants

21. “To provide and protect the quality of life assets that make Story County and all the communities in it, a vibrant, sustainable place to live and work.”
Story County Development Plan Vision

22. “A rural/small town lifestyle with easy access to urban amenities.”
Story County
Development Plan

23. Colo – One key business

24. Town Anchors

32. The Giving Tree
"Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% and save 20-50 percent in energy used for heating.“ USDA Forest Service

33. Story City

34. Opportunities: Downtown Ames

35. Trails and Recreation

36. Trails and Recreation
•Recreation activities contribute $18 million to economy
•Trail connections and spurs critical
•New trail between Story City/Ames and Roland
•New trail from Zearing to Collins

38. Trails and Recreation
•Network of connected trails
•Trail connections to wineries, local foods, waterways, and parks
•Attracts more visitors

39. Trails and Recreation
•Create and implement trail master plan
•Connect eastern cities to rest of County through trail system
•Include bike paths and bike lanes in capital improvement plans

40. Energy Efficiency
•Adopt Building Codes
•Promotes energy efficiency, protection of public health and safety
•Cost effective
•Local utility providers may offer rebate program

41. Energy Efficiency
•County leading way for energy efficiency improvements
•Promote energy efficiency to residential and commercial buildings
•Upgrades/retrofits paid for through cost/energy savings

42. Renewables

43. Renewables
•Continued support of alternative energy
•Revise Land Development Regulations to allow small-scale renewable energy installation

44. Planning Staff & Municipality Assistance
•Downtown planning technical assistance
•Limited free GIS and Planning assistance to cities
•Fee-for-services for on-going, long-term services
•Address grant and project management

45. Local Foods

46. Local Foods
•Nearly all County residents could receive 100% of their produce demand from local farmers.
•Potential $1 million sales from local produce in Story County
•Opportunities for $3.3 million in retail sales; 3 new businesses; 19 jobs

47. Marketing efforts
•Clearinghouse of information
•Central location for Story County resources
•Coordination of existing efforts
•Local contacts
•Local programs/incentives
•Clear message to constituents about Story County role, plan, and resources

48. Single point of contact
•One staff person dedicated to applicant through regulatory process and all associated permitting
•Customer friendly streamlined process
•One person that has links to economic development contacts and resources

49. County Assistance
Additional staff (1 FTE) for:
•Local city assistance
•Apply for local grants in cooperation with partners
•Local foods
•Marketing efforts Single point of contact for County organization
•Permitting process
•Economic development incentives/programs

50. Infrastructure Investments
MAXIMIZE: Make the most of what you have
•Guide development to existing
•Repurpose aging industrial and commercial centers
•Infill first

51. Infrastructure Investments
Existing investments in Story County
•Main Streets
•Prime farmland
•Roads / trails
•Vacant / underused employment areas
•Utility /water / wastewater systems

52. Infrastructure Investments
LEVERAGE: Public/private partnerships
•Creative financing
•Match to local incentives
•Formal agreements

53. Infrastructure Investments
Agreements as Development tool
•Pre-development agreements: County-City framework
•Development agreements: County-City and Developer
•Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) Service provision, revenues

54. Infrastructure Investments
COORDINATE: Strategic Investment Plan
Work as a single unit within county government
Prioritize economic opportunity areas
Involve utilities in decision making
Stay focused

55. Strategic Partnerships
LEADERSHIP: Money isn’t your only resource
•Promotion
•Community momentum
•Keeper of the vision

56. Strategic Partnerships
SUPPORT
•Small city assistance
•Proactive problem-solving
•Information clearinghouse
•Pre-development agreements

57. Strategic Partnerships
GROW RELATIONSHIPS: People do business with who they know
•Economic gardening
•Funders
•ISU and DMACC
•Iowa Economic Development Authority
•Brokers, architects, planners
•County Planning Commission

58. Story County Planning Organizational
•Planning and Development Department
•Planning and Development Commission
•Merge with Board of Adjustment (long term)
•Mission statement
Participatory process
Represent new roles

59. Reduce Energy Bills
•Wind Generators
•Ethanol
•Next generation biorenewables
•Energy efficiency
“each train of coal is a train of dollars leaving Story County”
–from the APA-CPAT public forum

60. Next Steps
•Visible Quick Start
•Planning staff reorganization
•Mission statement
•Web site
•Internal strategic plan investment working group
•Comprehensive implementation

61. Strategic Investments
1.Vision and long range planning
2.Strategic partnerships/investments
3.Infrastructure investments
4.Trails and recreation
5.County planning staff
Build on guiding principles

62. Thanks
•Story County Supervisors
•Story County Planning and Zoning
•Public and stakeholders attendees
•American Planning Association
•Iowa State University planning students
•APA CPAT members