What follows are my personal views and not those of the Fountain Hills Strategic Planning Advisory Commission.

In a previous column in The Fountain Hills Times (11/20/2013) regarding the economic condition of Fountain Hills, I chronicled the negative impact of the recession on our town. I concluded by saying: “How do we change our direction? There are no magic bullets! However, there are actions that can be taken to slow down, and perhaps, reverse our course. It will not happen overnight, but with a clear path forward, and the willingness of our citizens to do their part, positive changes can occur.”

How?

Simply put, it is necessary to implement an economic development plan for Fountain Hills.

How do we do that? First, we need to identify our assets as a town: a beautiful environment with mountains and trails, the fountain, sculptures throughout town, an active arts and social scene, proximity to outstanding health facilities like Mayo, excellent schools, educational opportunities at ASU, and our army of volunteers who are involved in such activities as the Greening Project, the Farmer’s Market and the creation of our own Botanical Garden.

We need to better advertise these attributes throughout the Valley and state. But not just for the purpose of civic pride, rather to educate others as to what we have to offer. As I travel the state I often am asked: “Where is Fountain Hills?” And I’m not talking about the far reaches of the state. I am asked by residents of Scottsdale and Phoenix! Others say:” I’d like to live there but it is so far away and I can’t afford it.” We are seen by many as an enclave of the rich somewhere out in the desert. If we have any hope of attracting younger families and businesses that can stimulate our economy, we must dispel such myths.

Just as big a challenge is attracting non-retail businesses. Why? Because such businesses bring new residents, usually high-wage employees who presumably spend a portion of their incomes at our retail establishments. This, in turn, means more tax revenue for the town — resulting in an ability to provide more and better services to our residents.

Easier said than done. Economic development takes many years. And it needs to be an ongoing effort and a high priority. It requires a well thought out plan, the assistance of non-governmental organizations, the support of the citizenry and, unfortunately, both money and town staff. The latter are in short supply in Fountain Hills. But we must make an effort, even if a slow, incremental one. Why? Because the consequences of inaction are that Fountain Hills will, according to the ASU study referenced in my last article, become simply a retirement town with all the characteristics of some other such towns i.e., an aging population, few children, shuttered schools and insufficient town resources to maintain the quality of life we have come to enjoy.

Last March the Town Council endorsed an economic development plan drafted by our town manager, consultants and the Strategic Planning Advisory Commission. It begins by saying: “Economic development builds upon local assets to maximize resources in a way that enhances economic opportunities while improving the community’s quality of life in a sustainable way.” It goes on to identify industries that we might target that offer Fountain Hills the most opportunity. They are:

Healthcare, medical, biosciences, and wellness

Professional, technical, and scientific services

Finance and insurance

Tourism and recreation

Education

At an upcoming joint meeting between the council and SPAC, our elected officials, based on a recommendation from SPAC, will likely choose two of those sectors as the starting point for our efforts.

It makes sense to begin with industry sectors wherein the town has the beginnings of a critical mass. For example, in the healthcare/wellness area we have a medical campus, assisted living facilities and a growing number of small wellness-related businesses. We also have the type of healthy environment that citizens can enjoy much of the year. As reported in The Times recently, the town’s Department of Parks and Recreation is partnering with a local software technology company on a community-wide wellness initiative. This and other initiatives are an important start. But we must be proactive. The town’s economic development plan is specific and comprehensive. It is available on the Town’s

website.(www.fh.az.gov/economic-devlopment-plan.aspx) But plans have a habit of sitting on shelves and gathering dust.

So, the next step is to design an implementation plan that sets priorities for action, gives us the tools to measure our progress and, at the same time, recognizes the town’s resource constraints. SPAC is putting the finishing touches on an implementation plan that will then be presented to council. This plan, recognizing that change won’t occur quickly, will begin by producing some basic information to be used in the recruitment effort. For example, if we are to respond to queries from businesses that may want to move to Fountain Hills, or expand their existing businesses, we must be ready to answer their questions. Where are available parcels of land? How are they zoned? Is a special use permit required? Where are there unoccupied buildings and offices? What are the demographics of the town that would help me decide that my business would be successful? And since, like home buying, most people go first to the Internet, we will need a state-of–the-art economic development website with both generic and industry specific information.

If we stay as we are and do nothing, we will eventually come to see slowing vitality, schools closing for lack of young people, the average age of residents continuing to climb, and continued failure of our retail establishments. I know that the vast majority of our fellow citizens sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that.

As the ASU study confirms, the types of changes we need to keep Fountain Hills vibrant do not occur quickly. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge these challenges and take the initial steps to slow down or reverse our present course.

As the implementation plan comes to fruition, I’ll endeavor to keep the public informed.