A draft economic development document was discussed by members of the East Grand Forks council last night (Tuesday).
The report was compiled from input received during a strategy meeting this past fall involving city and local business leaders. Mark Shill with the Praxis group helped compile the five-year strategic plan.
Some of the top priorities include helping with the retention and growth of existing business…increasing commercial space…and marketing.
Mayor Steve Gander says he doesn’t want to see the report sit on a shelf somewhere. “Historically when these fail they fail by inaction or…OK we’ve seen the light…and it’s like a SCUD missile that’s got no guidance. Maybe somewhere along the way we can bring in some input from consumers.”
Shill says East Grand Forks scores well for agriculture and manufacturing. He says like many parts of the country retail is not a growth industry. “Retail has been flat for 20 years. So to really expect big growth in a community like this – you are swimming upstream.”
The East Grand Forks Economic Development Authority plans to meet with business leaders next week to further fine-tune the draft plan.
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