Economic Prosperity
Goals
There are 5 goals in the Economic pillar:
- Business Retention & Employment
- Communications
- Tourism
- Vibrant Downtowns
- Agriculture
Strategic Directions
For each goal above, there are a number of strategic directions.
GOAL 1 – Business Retention and Employment
Economy
E.S.1 – Develop strategies or enhance support for business retention and expansions
E.S.2 – Investigate opportunities for the Watershed to implement a Clean Technology plan and strategy
E.S.3 – Provide support, tools and incentives for existing business to become ‘greener’ through energy, resource and process efficiencies
E.S.4 – Promote ecologically appropriate entrepreneurship within watershed communities
E.S.5 – Develop a formal business attraction policy for the area
E.S.6 – Ensure adequate supply of serviced land available to meet our needs
Employment
E.S.7 – Improve/increase availability and awareness of employment opportunities
E.S.8 – Improve wages/affordability of living to keep people in the community
E.S.9 – Improve the number of opportunities for green businesses
E.S.10 – Improve educational apprenticeship programs in the watershed
GOAL 2 – Communications
E.S.11 – Access funds to increase availability of high speed/wireless Internet
E.S.12 – Promote awareness of Internet capacity to support business development and expansion
GOAL 3 – Tourism
E.S.13 – Expand, enhance and promote eco-tourism
E.S.14 – Expand, enhance and promote cultural tourism
E.S.15 – Expand, enhance and promote culinary tourism
E.S.16 – Work with industry professionals to reevaluate the direction of tourism given the stressors indicated
E.S.17 – Work with tourism operators to identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impact
GOAL 4 – Vibrant Downtowns
E.S.18 – Maintain vibrant downtowns as the commercial, cultural and social focal points of the communities in the watershed
E.S.19 – Support retention and development of local farmers’ markets
E.S.20 – Promote initiatives that support local purchasing
E.S.21 – Support beautification efforts
E.S.22 – Promote pedestrian space and friendliness
E.S.23 – Promote downtown festivals and activities
GOAL 5 – Agriculture
E.S.24 – Develop and implement an action plan to improve the economic viability of agriculture in the region
E.S.25 – Strengthen local connections between the
production and consumption of goods and services
E.S.26 – Develop a farm land trust to purchase land from retiring farmers at market prices
E.S.27 – Support the development of educational programs for sustainable agriculture
E.S.28 – Create financing strategies and programs to support transition to sustainable agricultural practices like organic certification
E.S.29 – Promote purchasing of local foods by all municipal governments, hospitals, educational institutions, grocery outlets, restaurants and residents