CC Minutes - 09/14/09 Joint Elected Officials

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September 14, 2009 Joint Elected Officials Meeting City of Springfield City of Eugene Lane County Page 3 of 14 Support the Growth and Development of Existing Area Businesses to Achieve Quality Job Creation. The ED recognized the crucial role existing area businesses played in sustaining the health of the local economy and in creating job opportunities. Efforts should be directed at supporting the operating needs of local businesses as well as meeting their needs for expansion and growth. Tactic 1: Coordinate public capital and finance networks within the region to facilitate business access to needed funding for continued operation and growth. Tactic 2: Develop or strengthen peer-to-peer support networks for businesses of any type (start-up, existing, large, small, etc) for communicating regional information on financing, physical development, locating, hiring, recruiting, and training. Tactic 3: Assist businesses with site development or expansion through coordinated multi- agency review of development permits. Develop methods and policies to streamline the permitting process. Entrepreneurial Infrastructure 2. Accelerate the Development of Entrepreneurial Infrastructure . (Defined as those facilities and services present within our region which encourage the creation of new ventures, and the growth and development of small- and medium- sized enterprises). Tactic 1: Increase the amount of investment capital in our region by leveraging such groups as the Willamette Angel Conference (WAC), the Southern Willamette Angel Network (formerly Lane Venture Forum), the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN), and the investor relations programs led by the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. Tactic 2: Expand the partnership with University of Oregon and Oregon State University in bringing new technologies and innovations to market. Tactic 3: Improve the region’s deal flow for investors by accelerating start-ups that are growth- ready and providing educational opportunities for entrepreneurs to increase their skills. Workforce Development 3. Train, attract and maintain a competitive workforce to meet the region’s current and A. emerging industry needs and stimulate business development. Foster a dynamic partnership of education, industry, and workforce development to forecast, assess and meet the training needs of existing and developing businesses. Tactic 1: Partner with local educational systems to enhance and align services to prepare local residents with work readiness skills, including basic math and literacy skills, necessary for success in all occupations. Tactic 2: Convene industry-interests panels to design and evaluate curricula to ensure that local training programs meet industry needs. Tactic 3: Continue to build a culture that values learning, an entrepreneurial spirit, acceptance and diversity, and creativity to continue to attract entrepreneurial and innovative talent to our region.