EcoDevo needs become priority for 3 local cities

It’s a developing situation.

Northern Colorado’s three largest cities are each on track to hire economic development officers over the next two months.

The coincidence apparently reflects a new urgency among the cities – Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland – to elevate their respective efforts in recruiting and retention of businesses, as well as new retail activity.

“It does emphasize the importance of the economy in our region,” Fort Collins City Manager Darin Atteberry remarked on the simultaneous action of the three cities.

Fort Collins, which is filling its economic adviser post – vacant since last February when Bruce Biggi left the job – recently closed its application period and plans to hold interviews in March.

Greeley has created a new position, for which it started to advertise on Feb. 6. The application period will likely close in mid March, and interviews should be under way by early April, said Greeley City Manager Roy Otto.

Loveland, like Fort Collins, is replacing a long-vacant position. The city has been without an economic development manager since Donna Smith resigned in October 2004. The search is now down to 10 finalists, and the position could be filled by March, said Renee Wheeler, Loveland’s Assistant City Manager.

In each case, the cities are creating a point of contact for the business community that’s not necessarily filled by the region’s two economic development organizations – the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp., which serves Larimer County, and Upstate Colorado Economic Development, which serves Weld County.

“I want to spend time on providing assistance to our local businesses,” Otto explained of Greeley’s intention. “While they (Upstate Colorado) will clearly be a very helpful organization in that process, I don’t think it’s appropriate to turn all of that responsibility over to an organization that has to balance the interests” of the entire county.

“I think each of the individual municipalities need to be stepping up to the plate in their own communities and not expect (Upstate Colorado) to do all of that.”

In Fort Collins, the city tried to fill Biggi’s post last fall, but Atteberry wasn’t satisfied with the six finalists. By then the city was in the midst of its budget process, which included a reassessment of goals for the adviser position.

It’s apparent the new hire will have clout. In the brochure that’s being circulated by an executive search team, Fort Collins said it’s willing to pay in excess of $100,000 for an experienced economic developer.

Biggi’s role consisted largely of guiding the city’s Economic Vitality and Sustainability Action Group, a citizens committee that was formed in 2004 to develop an economic development mission statement for the city. The new economic adviser will work with the citizens committee, but also head an Economic Lead Team, made up of selected city management staff, Atteberry said.

“Our understanding and expectations for the job have matured significantly since the position was created,” Atteberry said.

In its prior form, the economic adviser was a “one-person shop.” The new adviser “will have regular access to other resources within the organization,” Atteberry said. “It goes from a one-person shop to a more integrated role.”

According to a job description compiled by the city, the new adviser will “maintain progress reports and statistical reports,” serve as liaison to public and nonprofit business groups in the city, and work redevelopment projects.

For instance, if the economic adviser were currently in place, he or she would play the lead role in working with General Growth Properties – the owner of the Foothills Mall – and its plans to overhaul the mall property.

Loveland has also experienced delays in filling its post. The city accepted applications last fall, but then closed the process when it decided to change the job description.

Duties for the economic development manager will include an “ombudsman element,” Wheeler said.

The new hire “will be a single point of contact, should anyone have any questions about doing business in Loveland.”

While Northern Colorado’s cities are in the hunt for full-time economic developers, Larimer County has also announced plans for a rural economic development program that would include two part-time employees. Staff on the project will be existing county employees.

The 18-month pilot project, approved by the county commissioners in late January, is intended to assess the county government’s role in the economic development process. Staff for the Economic Development Pilot, as it’s titled, should be in place by the end of February, County Manager Frank Lancaster said.

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