Supervisors prioritize economic development 'road map' with focus on port of entry and 191 corridor

Cochise County supervisors agreed to pursue a targeted economic development "road map" focused on the commercial port of entry and the Highway 191 corridor, and tentatively engaged a consultant to produce the deliverable. Staff said the consultant — a retired economic development director with regional experience — proposed a focused road map rather than a full county-wide development plan to prioritize port-related infrastructure and near-term opportunities. Why it matters: supervisors said county economic strategy, zoning and infrastructure planning near the port of entry and along the 191 corridor require coordinated analysis to attract private investment and prepare for potential industrial, logistics and airport-related development. Details: staff said the consultant had previously coordinated regional economic development efforts and proposed a scope and fee in the agenda packet. Staff indicated a focused road map price of about $50,000 for the port-of-entry work and recommended using the consultant's analysis to inform zoning, infrastructure and port-readiness decisions. The consultant would participate by Teams at a scheduled work session. Supervisors emphasized focusing early work on the port, airport and rail/road infrastructure nodes and said a larger county-wide plan could follow. Status and next steps: staff placed the consultant proposal in the work-session list and scheduled the port-focused road map discussion; supervisors asked staff to circulate the proposal, cost estimates and scope materials to the board before the work session.