Smaller towns dig into EcoDevo pie

STERLING — As the region grows, smaller towns in Northern Colorado are positioning to get their piece of the economic pie.
For the past four years, the Logan County Economic Development Corp. has been run by volunteers and held the goal of sustained growth for its surrounding area. Now the agency itself is gearing up for growth as it prepares to hire a full-time administrator.
Late last month, the Logan County EDC narrowed its pool of possible administrators to three in a final round of interviews. A decision is expected soon, said Terry Sanger, president of the economic-development board and co-owner of Reata Petroleum.
?Sustaining growth takes time, patience and diligence,? he said.
In its infancy, Logan County EDC assisted in the enhancement of communication technology in the area with the Beanpole Project, a state-supported project that installed fiber-optic networks in rural communities.
Sanger said the EDC hasn?t been directly responsible for recruiting or attracting any new businesses to Logan County, with an estimated 2001 population of 21,000. With a full-time director on board, recruitment is the next stage for the county that Sanger describes as the ?hub of Northeastern Colorado.?
At the same time, Dacono is in the early stages of forming a government-sponsored economic-development plan. When a plan is finalized, it will be funded by the city council. The implementation of the plan will be under the direction of the city administration.
?My hope is that the mayor will be at the forefront of contacts,? said Dacon mayor Wade Carlson.
Dacono, with an estimated population of 3,015, has several small businesses right now. A Family Dollar store, an In-and-Out Liquor and Money Outlet are some examples of the service businesses that dominate the town?s economic landscape.
?We would like to have a nice balance of large and small businesses,? Carlson said. The town plan will likely address the needs of small service industry as well as larger companies to fill the role of employer.
Carlson said the town is in discussions with the Greeley/Weld Economic Development Action Partnership for assistance and advice.
Ron Klaphake, president and CEO of EDAP, said the Dacono plan is a work in progress that is just beginning to scratch the surface. A review of the economic strengths and weaknesses of the town will be the first part of the planning process.
Carlson said the town would consider outsourcing the economic-development plan to EDAP or an agency like it.
Another possibility for economic development in Dacono is joining with neighbors Frederick and Firestone to form a regional plan for the so-called ?Tri-Cities? district. Carlson said economic development is a very competitive process that requires imagination and ingenuity.
?The best plan might be a coordinated plan,? he said. ?It would prove to be one of the more significant moves for economic development in this area.?
Carlson has not made contact with anyone in Firestone or Frederick yet but said he plans to soon.
In northern Weld County, Eaton recently reformed its chamber of commerce, which it hopes will help boost economic development.
The chamber faded out in the mid- 1990s after Ray Curtis, owner of Eaton Hitch, gave up his president?s position in 1992. Curtis left the chamber due to the demands of his growing business. He said the chamber just dwindled down after that.
?It made me sick to think it would do that,? he said. Several people, including the mayor, asked Curtis to return as president of the chamber. Last year was the official re-founding of the Eaton Area Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber is now working on rebuilding its credibility in the community by supporting community events and projects. The biggest short-term goal for them is to find a base of operations and a staff to operate it; the chamber is currently being headed out of Eaton Hitch.
As far as business operations are concerned, Curtis said the chamber would focus on supporting the businesses already located in the town of some 3,000 residents.
Meanwhile, the North Weld County Business Alliance, or NorWelCo, encompasses many small communities, including Eaton, Ault, Nunn, Pierce and others. NorWelCo is focused on improving the economic base of northern Weld County, ranging from retail to employment opportunities.
Wellington, 10 miles north of Fort Collins, has had an economic-development agency since 1995 but made efforts last year to raise its profile.
The Wellington Economic Development Association, run by a volunteer-staff of local business owners, has charged itself with bringing jobs and services to the town. By retaining revenue now lost to larger communities and keeping residents working and shopping locally, the town will be able to pay for enhancements to the community, said Doug Andersen, who heads the Wellington EDA.
Andersen describes development in Wellington as a ?cart-before-the-horse situation.? There are 165 acres of developable commercial property but no buildings on it.
?If you build it, will they come? I believe they will,? he said.
Wellington does not harbor a ?no-growth? attitude and has a streamlined bureaucratic process, making it a desirable place to set up or relocate, Andersen said. There are several companies looking at Wellington, he said, right now, including some out-of-state and Fort Collins-based businesses.
?Wellington is willing to take whatever Fort Collins will send us,? he said.
Wellington?s population in 2002 was 2,714, but Andersen estimates that the number is double when including people on the outskirts of the town.
Smaller communities? interests in economic development have an effect on the region as a whole.
?We are all a part of the same economy,? said J.J. Johnston, president and CEO of the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp. He said all communities need to protect and grow their revenue base and that all growth affects the region as a whole.
The private NCEDC is responsible for economic development in Fort Collins, Loveland and several surrounding communities. Johnston said smaller communities are competitive because they can be more aggressive in recruiting businesses and are less burdened by political and regulatory processes.
?Larger cities have a lot more in the pipeline,? he said. ?It?s a slower process.?