12/30/2008 11:58:00 AM Economic Development Committee up and running
Eric Nielsen Hub Correspondent
Stoughton's newly created Economic Development Committee has begun its work of maintaining and strengthening the city's economy.
The EDC - formed in response to the opinions of members of the larger community Economic Development Group - started working on six different subjects at the beginning of December that Stoughton needs to develop for a prosperous tomorrow. The Committee will develop action plans and ordinances that will be introduced to and passed by the Common Council, in an effort to rebuild Stoughton's economy.
Carl Chenoweth, city alderman and chairman for the EDC, led the group when it met Dec. 4, 2008 in the fire department's meeting room. The group was scheduled to meet the month before, but that meeting was postponed due to inclement weather. The committee is about a third the size of the larger community group and is composed of city officials, business owners and school district members, with support from the University of Wisconsin's Extension office. The EDC shall formulate action plans to present to the City Council.
The EDG began work in summer, when citizens: members of local government, commerce, education and health care, met together to answer questions about what the city has going for it, and what it needs to thrive. Bill Rizzo, of the UW-Extension, provided the questions and helped to interpret the data gathered.
The (three) meetings of the EDG produced the six topics for the EDC and the group's vision statement
Six teams were divided for each group, each developing an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for their strategy. Each group was shorthanded during the meeting, as Chenoweth said in an interview last month that a group of six per team would be the perfect number: able to draw a diverse amount of responses, but not being so large they are unwieldy.
The largest group of the evening held four members, the Committee hopes to draw more members from the community group.
Right now, there are several things Stoughton needs for a successful economy: the retention of current businesses being chief among them.
"Our biggest issue (right now) is rethinking businesses and jobs in town," Chenoweth said. "We really are faced with the immediate challenge of keeping jobs in town. That's on the plate right away."
With Main Street storefronts closing and several owners considering the option, Stoughton's Chamber of Commerce and the EDC will have to find a way to attract consumers to the area.
Donna Olson, who sat in the group dedicated to business retention and development, said her group found that Stoughton's proximity to Madison and Janesville both help and harm the city.
Stoughton can attract tourism from the larger cities, but retail in those areas could keep residents from shopping here. "If people work (in Madison or Janesville), they may stop to shop before going home."
Olson also mentioned how there is currently no more room to grow for the city, since there is no remaining business park land.
"Business Park North is full, it's kind of a chicken-and-egg (scenario)," Olson said. "We want businesses, but have no land."
Dan Matson, of the Business Recruitment team, says there are a lot of things that work for the city, though. "Our strengths are that we have room for growth, and we have access to the interstate," he said. "We're only 30 minutes from the (Madison) airport; that's the same distance as Middleton.
"What's happening in Stoughton...a lot of educated kids are leaving, and we need affordable housing. We need an industrial park ready to go, not waiting several years for it to happen.
"We need an investor group, and I have a gut feeling those people exist today, and are looking for a good plan."
Potential housing opportunities abound throughout the city, according to Chenoweth.
He cited the recent approval of final plat for the Nordic Ridge development to the southwest, as well as possible development of the Rail Corridor neighborhood the Redevelopment Authority is working on right now.
But because of current economic climates, people are just not buying houses.
"With unemployment rates, and the jobs in the city not as plentiful as we'd like" it's hard for some people to consider buying a home right now, Chenoweth said.
This could ring true for many of the projects the EDC hopes to work on, that current financial trends will keep the group from beginning or completing projects until the recession ends.
The EDC has only put their toe in the pool so far, to test the waters. With the mission of jump starting the city's economic prosperity, they have a long way to go before they actually take the plunge. But, it's a step in the right direction, one that must be taken by every resident of the city, not just government officials.
The trying economic times must be faced head-on, and planning for the day when the economy turns around can only help the city.
