Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hamilton County begins five-year economic strategy update, commissioners press for countywide equity and housing affordability
Summary
Consultant Liz Bloom outlined a five-year update process to the county's comprehensive economic development strategy, with stakeholder interviews this spring and preliminary recommendations in October; commissioners urged faster short-term actions, countywide investment beyond downtown, and analysis of housing affordability and tax impacts.
Liz Bloom, the consultant leading Hamilton County's five-year comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) update, told the Board that the process will combine a data update, about 20 stakeholder interviews and two rounds of public engagement to shape preliminary recommendations in October and a final document in January.
"The objective is to identify strategic ways that we're going to grow the county's economy, population and the tax base," Bloom said, noting prior CEDS cycles produced measurable results such as expanded economic-development partnerships and improved transit funding. She said the team will prioritize energy resilience as a new focus and expects interviews to be mostly complete by the end of May.
Commissioner Driehaus asked whether the review will inventory and assess prior reports and funding decisions. Bloom said the work includes a two-part analysis: a public-facing review of prior goals and outcomes and a technical review that traces funding decisions and what has been implemented.
Commissioner Summerow Dumas and Vice President Reece pressed for a pair of planning horizons: a short-term, rapid-response set of priorities and a longer-term strategy. Commissioners voiced particular concern that county investments not be concentrated only downtown but reach Anderson Township, Cleves and other areas outside the city.
"We need to know what is the average income you have to make in Hamilton County in order to survive," Commissioner Summerow Dumas said, urging the consultant to include affordability and tax-impact measures that show how abatements and new developments affect long-term residents.
Bloom said public engagements will include daytime and evening sessions to capture a broad cross-section of stakeholders and residents and that staff from planning and economic development will provide the data updates.
Next steps: the consultant will complete interviews and return to the board with issue-framing results in June; preliminary recommendations are expected in October, with a final document available for review in January.
