This week the four candidates for Town Council discuss economic development issues for the town. The questions they are addressing are as follows:

What can town officials bring to the table to attract new employers into town?

How can Fountain Hills be heard in the competition for new business?

Nick DePorter – Fountain Hills can play in the business attraction game as long as we are on the field. In other words, we need make sure we are active members of the organizations that are courting new business to Arizona. The town needs to be well represented on the boards and committees that are actively working to attract new business to the Greater Phoenix area.

Attracting new business is a key piece of the Economic Development Plan the town is pursuing and it continues to be a difficult task. We are in competition with all municipalities in the Greater Phoenix area and a majority is better resourced then we are when it comes to economic development. We can stand out in that busy crowd by electing leadership that is connected to the economic develop community and have a seat at the table on business attraction and workforce development boards and organizations.

I oversee Strategic Employer Development at Arizona State University where one of my responsibilities is to serve as a liaison to the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Arizona Commerce Authority. I work with these two groups to represent ASU to companies that are considering a move to Arizona and have an interest in learning more about our programs and how we can partner on their workforce development needs.

I also serve on the Education & Workforce Development Committee for the Arizona Technology Council and was recently appointed by the Phoenix City Council to represent ASU on the Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board.

If elected, I will bring to the table my experience and skills in the areas of relationship building, establishing public-private partnerships and business attraction.

Henry Leger - Business growth is critical to creating a vibrant community and is an important component of our economic development strategy. Ensuring the right mix of businesses that can withstand downturns in the economy is paramount to sustaining our economy.

Attracting and retaining quality, well-paying jobs helps to diversify our economic base, which is critical to achieving Fountain Hill’s long-term economic health.

During my time on Town Council we created a comprehensive economic development plan that focuses on business attraction and retention, an initiative that I have been heavily involved in. The plan focuses on specific business sectors including technical services, health care, finance, insurance and education. A cross section of community stakeholders, including the strategic planning advisory committee, made significant contributions to plan development.

The first step in the process was to hire an Economic Development Specialist, who is now moving the plan forward under the direction of the town manager. Council’s role is to oversee plan implementation, provide funding to insure its success, and share our individual expertise to support plan implementation.

Outreach with regional resources including the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Arizona Commerce Authority is occurring to identify and attract new employers to Fountain Hills. An economic development website (www.fountainhillsed.org) is in place to market to prospective companies as we compete for new business opportunities. Social media is also being utilized to attract new businesses. Collaboration with our local business community, particularly those businesses positioned for expansion, is critical for business retention.

Outreach efforts to date have brought a number of interested parties to the table to explore new business ventures in Fountain Hills. With a recovering economy, action is picking up, presenting new opportunities to grow our employer base. However it is important to keep in mind that economic development is a marathon, not a sprint.

Alan Magazine - At present time Fountain Hills is not competitive with other towns in the Valley in terms of luring new employers. We need to do several things:

Introduce Fountain Hills to the Valley and State: At present, many citizens and employers don’t know we exist. And many of those who do think we are many miles from the urban core. That said, we need a major public relations effort.

Ambassadors Program:

We are in competition with other towns in attracting new businesses. Our town government receives inquiries often from prospective employers. We should identify a number of citizens who can meet with prospects who have an in-depth knowledge of our town. They could set up appointments with community leaders, provide pertinent information and lead tours of Fountain Hills.

Website and Social Media: In this day and age, businesses scour websites in order to narrow down the locations they want to examine. With our new economic development website we are off to a good start. We also have a presence on Facebook. These sites need to be attended to on a regular basis to assure they are current.

Business Friendly: We need to examine the town’s rules and regulations for opening a new business or expanding an existing one. We should streamline the requirements where possible, and assure that they are transparent.

Investments: We should continue to invest in the town. Improving our roads, schools, and amenities are critical components of any economic development strategy.

Town government cannot do it alone. We need to work very closely with the Chamber, the Business Alliance and other organizations, and divide responsibility so as to maximize our efforts. We need to build support for our efforts from the entire community. Every person needs to extoll the many virtues of Fountain Hills with people they meet.

Lina Bellenir - I bring an entrepreneurial spirit with new ideas at no cost to our citizens.

For example, this town should be lobbying the State of Arizona to open an Arizona Commerce Authority satellite office in Fountain Hills (have it located on the Chamber of Commerce's premises) to help new businesses start up and understand how to fill out all the permits and licenses the state and local agencies want: call it a “one stop service center.” This will help new business owners understand all the compliance regulations and not get overwhelmed enhancing their chances at success.

Also, we can ask the Society of Retired Executives to establish a branch at the Chamber of Commerce. They could mentor new business entrepreneurs, or we develop a database of Fountain Hills retired business leaders who have specific skills such as retail trade experience, finance, or marketing etc.... mentor new business during the first two years to further enhance their chances of success.

I applaud what the Fountainside Plaza merchants are doing by cross-marketing each other’s business, holding joint events; in other words working together for the success of all.

We can pull together all segments i.e. realtors, business owners, landlords, chamber, business alliance, etc. to “stage” the many empty buildings in Fountain Hills much like homes are staged. We can promote the event as the “Renaissance Walk” of Fountain Hills.

Let’s develop a marketing campaign centered on the theme of; “Soothe Your Soul....Discover Fountain Hills...the Oasis of the Desert.”

Previous candidates and various members of council have discussed “economic development” to the point of mental exhaustion.

I say, “Swing the bat or get out of the batter’s box!” The main objective is to get the “show on the road.”