economic development policies

  1. Create adequate housing affordable to all income levels in order to retain and attract employees to the region. 

  2. Support efforts to attract and retain youth in the region by identifying and addressing barriers to their settling here, providing targeted educational and skill training opportunities, creating meaningful career options with livable wages, and encouraging social opportunities. 

  3. Promote activities and development that contribute to a strong and diverse economy, providing satisfying and rewarding job opportunities for citizens in all parts of the region and supporting a strong municipal tax base, while maintaining environmental standards and promoting environmental justice.

  4. Support the creation of a variety of stable, year–round jobs with wages and other compensation that provide a livable income, and that include skills training programs and other benefits that contribute to the personal development and quality of life for all workers, particularly in areas with high unemployment or high numbers of workers earning less than a livable wage.

  5. Utilize existing financial, physical, and technical resources to facilitate economic development, including the creative use and revitalization of suitable existing space for manufacturing and industrial activities, commerce, housing, and the arts. 

  6. Develop and assist the growth of small businesses including home businesses and entrepreneurial ventures that help preserve and revitalize communities. 

  7. Support educational programs for technical and trade skills in high wage and high demand jobs in order to improve the value of opportunities for the region’s workforce.

  8. Support the continued growth and development of large-scale industrial and commercial enterprises in the Industrial land use designation areas as identified in the Regional Plan and the infrastructure necessary to support those uses. 

  9. Encourage development and support of land-based industries, focusing on the production, distribution, and marketing of agricultural and forestry products and programs in a manner that maximizes the sustainable use of these resources, minimizes and repurposes waste, and promotes the economic, physical, and environmental well-being of our communities and their residents.

  10. Promote the economy through tourism activities that emphasize the character of the region itself, including its beauty, culture, history, wildlife, and outdoor recreation.

  11. Support efforts to invest in infrastructure and services that support existing businesses and attract new businesses in an equitable manner, including transportation, public water and wastewater systems, broadband internet, cellular service, and three-phase power. 

  12. Provide for adequate childcare options that meet the needs of all families in order to support a stronger workforce. 

  13. Encourage initiatives that provide support services for new immigrants and refugees to participate in the workforce, address quality of life needs for immigrants and refugees, and raise cultural awareness throughout the region to increase understanding of different cultures.  

  14. Support the arts and culture industry by encouraging increased use of community resources, improved cultural opportunities for all residents, and enhanced year-round tourism.