BR&E Program Focuses on Perrysburg, Ohio Local Economy

Perrysburg remains Wood County’s most economically diverse and thriving community and is one of Northwest Ohio’s best magnets for economic and business growth. It remains one of the best places to own real estate in the county and region. When it comes to “economic gardening,” no other community in Northwest Ohio is as successful in providing residents, business owners, and entrepreneurs with innovation-based economic development tools. Downtown Perrysburg Inc. and the Perrysburg Chamber of Commerce help to ensure the City’s B2B (business to business) networks thrive.

The City of Perrysburg sign

The City of Perrysburg – Wood County’s most economically diverse and thriving community.

The facts that support this claim are:

  • Perrysburg’s residential growth has increased 21.7% since 2000, and is the fastest growing community in the region. State average for residential growth in the last ten years was 1.7%.
  • According to a recent study, Wood County was ranked as one of America’s Top Ten Small-Sized Counties (FEC Inc., 2012.). The ranking considers several measures within five areas: Investment, Talent, Sustainability, Place, and Diversity. These five areas serve as a foundation for future economic success.
  • According to Stats America, Wood County has a 10-year per capita personal income (PCPI) growth of 7.3%, the highest in the region.
  • Residents spend $3,500 more per capita on retail items than state average. According to the US Census, per capita income is $37,813, a 32% increase from the state average.
  • Median household income from 2008-2012 averaged $69,341, a 30% increase from the state average, and one of the highest household incomes in the region.
  • Median value of owner-occupied housing is $192,600, a 30% increase from the state average; Perrysburg has one of the highest housing values in the region.
  • Over the last two years, Perrysburg has had more multi-family housing units under development than any other community in the region. This type of housing is extremely important in attracting young professionals and providing businesses with a diverse base of employees¹.

Recognizing the importance of its growing community, the Ohio Sea Grant College Program and Ohio State University Extension collaborated with the City of Perrysburg to conduct a Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Program. Because of this applied research effort, local leaders are better equipped to assist business needs in the city to achieve their growth objectives and to improve the overall business environment for the City of Perrysburg’s business community.

The seal of Perrysburg.

As a result of the BR&E program, the City of Perrysburg learned that:

  • Forty businesses plan to expand, modernize or renovate their businesses with firms planning to add jobs within the next 12 months. These firms will add between 58-177 new full-time equivalent jobs.
  • 177 new jobs are estimated to represent $101,063 in additional income tax revenue and would contribute an estimated $6,737,505 in personal income to Perrysburg’s local economy.
  • Jobs are projected as being added in the professional services, retail and commercial service sectors. 116 businesses plan to retain up to 2,880 full-time equivalent jobs.

The BR&E program in Perrysburg aims to:

  • Identify and address concerns and issues of existing businesses by creating a value-chain of partners, including local and state government as well as private organizations and enterprises.
  • Identify opportunities to stimulate local job growth, and establish and maintain long-term relationships among public and private entities associated with the Perrysburg local economy.

To learn more about the City of Perrysburg BR&E program, see the final report. Click here to learn more about the Ohio BR&E Program.

 

¹City of Perrysburg website: https://www.ci.perrysburg.oh.us/index.php/economic-development


 

Joe Lucente is an Associate Professor for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program and Ohio State University Extension.

BIG Skies, BOLD Partnerships

Visiting with a colleague recently, she shared that these uncertain times in our workplace, in our communities, and in the larger world around us require that we ask ourselves what we really are about.

For the past several days, nearly 350 practitioners, academics, and Extension professionals came together to share and learn and discuss how we can make a difference within the various communities we serve in the first-ever joint conference with NACDEP and the Community Development Society (CDS).

Big Sky, Montana, provided the conference venue for over 130 concurrent session presentations, 40 poster presentations and 3 IGNITE presentations. Five keynote presentations were included along with 8 mobile learning workshops focused on culture, local food, leadership and collaborative partnerships for economic development.

June conference surprise

Among the presentations were ten involving a dozen of Ohio’s Extension professionals. Topics and presenters (including those involving out of state collaborators indicated with an *) are listed below:

  • Credentialing Local Planning Officials: Master Citizen Planner Program (Wayne Beyea*, Myra Moss & Kara Salazar*)
  • Entrepreneurial Networking Competencies: Contemporary Perspectives on Social Capital (Julie Fox)
  • Energize Job Retention: Energy Management Strategies as a Component of Business Retention and Expansion Programs (Nancy Bowen, Eric Romich & David Civittolo)
  • Bold Partnering: Join a National Network on Leadership Programming (Brian Raison, Kyle Willams* & Elizabeth North*)
  • A New Tool for Increasing Marina Resiliency to Coastal Storms in the Great Lakes (Joe Lucente & Sarah Orlando)
  • Building Collaborative Partnership Around Critical Community/Stakeholder Issues: Watersheds, Agriculture, and a City’s Source Water Quality (Myra Moss)
  • Maximizing the Gains of Old and New Energy Development for America’s Rural Communities (Eric Romich, David Civittolo & Nancy Bowen)
  • Partnering for Community Health (Becky Nesbitt)
  • Exploring ways of using Community Arts, Cultural and Heritage businesses to stimulate Rural Community Economic Development (Godwin Apaliyah & Ken Martin)
  • Using Farmers Markets as a Tool for Economic Development: Increasing Healthy Food Access While Benefiting Small to Mid-Sized Farms (Amanda Osborne)
  •  A Dialogue Prompt for Housing and Land Use Policy in a New Administration (poster) (Anna Haines* & Myra Moss)

Three Ohioans were also installed as officers on the national NACDEP board: Nancy Bowen (re-elected Treasurer), David Civittolo (elected President-elect), and Brian Raison (elected north-central region Representative).

Two OSUE NACDEP members were also recognized with national and regional awards. Raison received regional and national recognition for using educational technology in developing  ‘A Virtual Farm Market Pilot’ and creating materials for ‘Top 10 Ways to Improve Online Teaching and Learning.’  He received regional recognition in the category ‘Excellence in CD Work’ for his effort, ‘Establishing an Impactful Local Food Council.’ Romich received regional recognition (honorable mention) in the category ‘Distinguished Career.’

Sunrise over Big Sky

Leadership, teamwork and collaboration were celebrated and cultivated throughout the conference. And after a very moving final keynote address by Sarah Calhoun of Red Ants Pants, we were reminded again that working together we truly can move mountains. See you next year in Cleveland, June 10-13!

 

 

Greg Davis is a Professor and Assistant Director for OSU Extension Community Development.

Vibrant Downtowns Key to Community Development

Prior to World War II, many communities in the U.S. were centered around downtowns for living, shopping, entertainment and work. The quintessential downtown was typically home to a bank, a post office, government offices, a library, clothing stores, a music store, a cinema, a grocery and a diner. Most of the buildings offered apartments on the second, third and fourth floors. Downtowns were the hearts of communities.

Since the post-war suburban boom, downtowns have changed and continue to evolve. With the emergence of shopping centers, malls, one-stop shops and improved transportation, many of the small businesses lining the downtown streets have been forced to close. Downtowns all over America lost that spark that made them special, some turning into local government offices, some with a few shops and a lot of boarded buildings. In some places, they have been completely abandoned as neglect and apathy took over. In the age of 70 mile per hour highways, constant sales and advertising, Internet shopping, and an always-on-the-go mindset, the glory days of downtowns are lost on many.

Many communities, however, have not given up on the importance of downtowns in community development. Many of these communities have joined Main Street America, an organization dedicated to revitalizing downtowns in a way that does not damage the historic integrity while ensuring economic vitality. Many communities in Ohio including Cleveland, Delaware, Greenville, Medina, Portsmouth, Van Wert, Wooster and others have become accredited Main Street America programs. The Main Street Approach is used by member programs to provide structure and stability to the revitalization efforts of downtowns. The approach includes inputs, transformative strategies and outputs.

Downtowns - Jones 2016-08-04

Jeff Speck, an urban planner and designer, has determined that the singular factor of community success is walkability, which is best accomplished in the downtown area of communities. In his 2012 book, Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, Speck writes, “The General Theory of Walkabilty explains how, to be favored, a walk has to satisfy four main conditions: it must be useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting.” Speck explains how decisions have long-lasting and far-reaching effects and what decisions need to be made to have such effects on downtowns.

Walkable City - 2016-08-04Communities across the nation have seen the positive impacts a thriving downtown has on community development. If you believe your downtown could use a little TLC, suggest to your community development leaders consider strategies for revitalizing your downtown.

Revitalizing downtowns is not a ‘flavor of the month’ experiment, but rather a proven means to developing communities and stimulating local business. Additionally, revitalizing downtowns into walkable community areas will improve community health.

Check out Speck’s books and his TED Talk, contact Main Street America, and be sure to look over the variety of ready-to-use tools created by OSU Extension, UWEX, and University of Minnesota Extension that can be used to create vibrant downtowns.

Caitlin Jones is the Program Coordinator for OSU Extension Community Development in Van Wert County & the Maumee Valley EERA.

SMALL TOWNS, BIG DREAMS: Do you have what it takes?

Small Town 2016-06-02Many small towns want to improve their current condition for a number of reasons. What we often hear from residents and leaders is: “We are tired of our “best and brightest” leaving the area for college and never returning because we have no jobs/careers for them,” or “Our retired residents have to seek appropriate housing in other communities because there isn’t any here,” or “The youth that remain are not “work ready” and opioid use among them has become a real problem.” Some of these towns have existing community or economic development plans that, while they might offer viable solutions, were never fully implemented (the old “the plan sits on the shelf” complaint).

So, what’s a town to do? Here are some suggestions based on my experience working with many communities throughout Ohio:

Overcome fractured goals by building inclusion into your community’s dialogue about the future:

If you are a local leader, have you discovered your residents’ vision of the future? I use the word “discover” because, chances are your residents already have a picture of what they would like your town to be. And, although there may be some divergent views, there is also a core set of beliefs and desires that can lead to consensus to set major goals. The task of local leadership then becomes setting the stage for open and inclusionary dialogue about the future. Inclusion is important. By reaching out to all sectors of the community to include their desires and hopes, a shared vision of the future can be discovered.

Engage a broad range of residents in both planning and implementation:

When residents are engaged in determining their community’s future, they become invested in results and clearly discover their place in making the plan a reality. By taking actions every day through their workplace, community organizations, leadership roles, businesses and their own personal life, they work individually and collectively to achieve success. Time spent engaging residents results in less time spent “selling” the plan to the community, leading to faster implementation. When the community is engaged throughout the process, there develops a much larger base of volunteers to draw upon to move goals forward.

Identify outcomes you want to achieve, and develop indicators of success to use in measuring progress toward reaching these outcomes:

A community plan is a living document. It is important to monitor progress toward reaching goals and modify strategies as needed. Indicators of success developed during planning and goal setting are used to stay on track with plan implementation and make changes as needed. An indicator should be easy to understand, relevant and measurable. It should be widely shared with the community, with progress reported at least annually. Indicators provide a way for residents and organizations to see the results of their contribution toward community goals.

An example of how this inclusionary focus may play out in a community is as follows:

  • Together the community sets a vision and goal of retaining youth that receive post-secondary degrees.
  • During the inclusionary planning process an objective is established to expand job opportunities in the medical field.
  • Using an inclusionary method to establish indicators helps various sectors of the community discover their roles in reaching the shared vision and implementing objectives.

So as an example, perhaps the high school career counselor presents medical careers as possible paths to pursue. Economic developers accept the development of a business park for medical industries. Builders identify construction of senior housing alternatives like condos and assisted living. Medical providers participate in local job fairs.

By building inclusion into community planning at every stage of the process, from development to implementation, big dreams can be achieved by small towns.

(Submitted by Myra Moss, Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Heart of Ohio EERA)

Retail Market Analysis Program: Community assessment and considerations

What economic sector employs more than 1 million Ohioans in over 120,000 establishments and either directly and indirectly supports 1 in 4 Ohio jobs ? That would be the Ohio retail sector which is also directly and indirectly responsible for almost 18% of Ohio’s Gross Domestic Product.

An economic sector of such importance should be the focus of ongoing attention and, as discussed in a prior blog post, can benefit from a Retail Market Analysis (RMA). RMA is a tool that identifies retail market trends within a local community and informs local and regional development strategies designed to build and strengthen this critical economic sector.

Does your community need an RMA? Review the checklist below to determine if so. While there is no correct score to help you decide whether it is time to conduct an RMA, the conversation stimulated by this checklist should be fairly informative.

  • RMA 2016-03-10Does your community’s main street have empty retail store fronts?
  • Have retail businesses closed and no one is sure why? Was it possibly preventable? What could have been done?
  • Are retail jobs created and/or retained by local businesses being tracked, measured and reported? How?
  • Does your community have a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy? If yes, is an RMA included?
  • Is there an identified person who acts as the economic development coordinator that could lead and conduct an RMA? Who is it (are they)?
  • How would you describe the working relationship between elected/appointed officials and the retail merchants?
  • Are new retail businesses moving into or being created in the community?
  • How and to what extent is data relevant to the local economy being collected from retail businesses on a regular basis?
  • To what degree is existing data being analyzed to assess trends?

After reviewing responses to this list, it may soon become apparent that your community is not paying enough attention to the retail sector.

If you want to learn more about Retail Market Analysis and how it can help your community, contact: David Civittolo (civittolo.1@osu.edu), Associate Professor and Field Specialist, Community Economics.

Sustainable Tourism in Rural Communities — After the Energy Boom

What do we know about tourism in rural communities?

In many rural communities, tourism is a major sector of economic activity. It is in a strategic position to make a positive contribution to the sustainable development of rural communities and serve as a successful community development model. But how do we get at that benefit?

How can tourism progress in a sustainable way as a tool of development?

This question may seem to have an easy answer but can be challenging to resolve. This is especially apparent in Eastern Ohio. A recent influx of energy development in Eastern Appalachian Ohio has increased occupancy of hotels. In addition to the 95% occupancy rate, developers have built new hotels. This creates another question, how to maintain and sustain the tourism industry in rural Ohio?

Bed TaxA case study was conducted of a county in Eastern Appalachian Ohio with a population of 42,000. In this community where 13 hotels are located, five have been built in the past three years. With the increased capacity and occupancy of hotels has come an increase in the bed tax. This year a decline has begun in the bed tax due in large part to the reduction in energy exploration.

 

What is this community doing to sustain tourism now that there is a drop in revenue?

  1. Developed a long term plan for sustainability
  2. Prioritized and narrowed focus of two achievable goals
  3. Developed steps with an action plan to achieve the goals

If you would like more information about this or other related research, please contact Cynthia Bond at bond.227@osu.edu.

(Submitted by Cynthia Bond, Assistant Professor and County Extension Educator, Guernsey County & Crossroads EERA)

Energy Infrastructure Workshop – October 27

Shale Workshop 2015-10-27Communities and individuals across Ohio are being impacted daily by the Energy Boom – through shale horizontal drilling, related business growth, and the development of pipelines crisscrossing all parts of the state. Energy companies are approaching landowners to lease their land or purchase pipeline rights of way. Community leaders are experiencing an influx of workers and their families, impacting roads, social services, housing and schools.

As Extension professionals, we are increasingly asked by our community leaders and residents to help them understand and address the impacts of energy development. By attending this workshop, you will come away with an understanding of the future of energy development in Ohio, anticipated impacts on our communities, and resources available to help leaders and residents address their concerns.

Energy Infrastructure Workshop: Statewide Impacts of Shale and Alternative Energy Development

Tuesday, October 27
9 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center

Online registration link: go.osu.edu/energyinfrastructure

For additional information, please read the news article.

(Submitted by Myra Moss, Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Heart of Ohio EERA)

Building Regional Sustainability through Urban-Rural Connections

Cities and surrounding rural areas are highly connected and interdependent on a number of realms: socially, economically and environmentally to name a few. To succeed, cities in America need a healthy and sustainable rural economy and culture; and in turn rural America needs vibrant, well-functioning cities and suburbs in order to thrive and flourish (Dabson, 2007).  Meaningful dialogue, understanding and collaboration is critically important when seeking solutions to issues that affect cities and nearby rural counterparts.

Urban-Rural Combined 2015-07-23For example, agricultural land uses in watersheds that provide source water for metropolitan areas has become a major concern as of late. While it is a city’s responsibility to provide quality drinking and recreational water resources to residents at a reasonable cost, it is the goal of agricultural producers to provide food for America’s consumers, also at a reasonable cost, while bringing in sufficient revenues needed to stay in business.

Inputs used to increase food production – fertilizers and herbicides, for example – can enter the rural watershed and affect the city’s water resources downstream. The cost to the city of treating and removing nutrients and herbicides from their drinking water can impact on resident’s water rates. The loss of fertilizers and herbicides due to run off increases a farmer’s cost of production.

How can meaningful dialogue and collaboration between urban and rural entities be created around issues such as these? Is it possible to find common ground that can be built upon to benefit and meet the needs of all parties? In the scenario above, common ground may be that both the farmer and the city would like to see fertilizers and herbicides stay on the fields and out of the watershed. Dialogue and collaboration is needed to discover and implement the combination of educational programming, best management practices, incentives and other types of support that is most effective in helping these entities meet their common goals.

A recent issue brief published by the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) provides examples of urban-rural collaborative efforts through a series of case studies highlighting examples from communities across the country: Creating Opportunity and Prosperity Through Strengthening Rural-Urban Connections. NADO concludes that “in order to move forward, a national statement of shared purpose along the lines that if metropolitan America is to drive national prosperity, then to succeed it will need a healthy and sustainable rural economy and culture, and if rural America is to flourish, it will need vibrant, well-functioning cities and suburbs.” Finding common concerns, understanding interconnections, recognizing interdependence and building collaborations are key steps in building regional sustainability.

(Submitted by Myra Moss, Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Heart of Ohio EERA)

Resilience in Rural Communities

The places we call home are continuously challenged with wide-ranging issues.  The effects of such issues can oftentimes be greater on rural communities in particular than their suburban or urban neighbors. One approach to mitigate these effects involves building resiliency. Resilience refers to the capacity of an individual or community to cope with stress and adapt positively to change. It is a positive approach to promote greater well-being in rural communities.

Building a resilient community can serve as a protective factor from developing problems. Rural resiliency can also help communities when unforeseen factors occur such as floods, drought, mud slides or large company shut downs.

Resilient Communities 2015-06-18Community resilience is a complex construct with many interrelated factors. One issue impacts and overlaps many things. For example, social, environment and economic issues may seem different, but they all have an impact on each other. Economic issues impact all facets of a community. Infrastructure as a part of an economic issue includes water, transportation, and telecommunications are important tools. These economic issues are important to allow people in the community to carry out daily activities. Infrastructure as a part of rural resiliency is necessary to help the community function and provide support service to many different aspects such as housing and employment. The absence of these services within a community is detrimental to the quality of life of a community and its members.

What can members of a community do to enhance resiliency?

  1.  Know how to access the support and services that are available.
  2.  Collaborate with a wide variety of groups to apply for funding.
  3.  Share resources and facilities collaboratively.
  4.  Anticipate problems and brain storm solutions.
  5.  Identify gaps in infrastructure and support services.
  6.  Develop short term and long term goals.

There are many resources available for communities to enhance rural resiliency. If you have any questions or would like more information contact Cynthia Bond at bond.227@osu.edu.

(Submitted by Cindy Bond, Assistant Professor and County Extension Educator, Guernsey County & Crossroads EERA)

Roundtable Discussions: Forum for economic development of our local communities

Community economic development roundtable discussions are designed to create a level of dialogue necessary to explore the potential for creating manufacturing, industrial and trade jobs that will impact the lives of the unemployed and underemployed in communities.

Community Forums 2015-06-04

Photo credit: recordherald.com

Such a roundtable discussion was recently held in Fayette County, Ohio, the second in the past 12 months, aimed at promoting social and economic equity using state, regional and local resources in the forging of new and sustainable communities. The event brought together local stakeholders with state and regional economic development players to address significant community and economic development challenges; with the goal of cultivating a broader collaboration among business, government and civil society communities.

Topics discussed ranged from gas pipeline projects and how the counties can work together for the benefit of the region, to ways to recruit and attract business to the area. Conversation also focused on job creation and retention strategies, workforce and skills development issues, and state policies that undermine local economic development growth.

As Extension professionals, the roles we play in such community conversations can vary depending on the issues and the stages of the educational process. At times we are “conveners” who identify a public issue(s) and key stakeholders, gain their support and cooperation in the educational process, and work with them to design and carry out a process to achieve a mutually satisfying outcome. As “networkers,” we identify and link people and resources to increase people’s knowledge of public issues and their ability to participate in public decision-making. And finally, at times we are “diplomats” who move tactfully between stakeholders to encourage them to work together through an educational process. Ultimately we are educators focused on strengthening individual and family lives through research-based educational programming in collaboration with individuals, families, communities, business and industry, regional and state agencies, for example.

For more information, please view the material posted at pittsburghmovingforward.org or recordherald.com/news/home_top-news/152050297/County-hosts-economic-roundtable.

(Submitted by Godwin Apaliyah, County Extension Educator, Fayette County & Miami Valley EERA; Fayette County Community Development Director)