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Consultants launch five‑year Economic Development Action Plan, promise community workshops
Summary
TIP Strategies presented a kickoff for a five‑year Economic Development Action Plan for the city of Fife, outlining a three‑phase process (Discovery, Opportunity, Implementation), a strong emphasis on stakeholder engagement and a March 12 in‑person workshop for businesses and residents plus a virtual option.
Jeff Marcell, senior partner at TIP Strategies, and senior consultant Elizabeth Scott presented a kickoff for the city of Fife’s Economic Development Action Plan, describing a five‑year action horizon and a 10–15‑year vision for the region. The consultants said their work will include a baseline economic assessment, land‑use analysis and evaluation of tax‑increment financing opportunities.
"We're absolutely thrilled to be working with the city of Fife and helping cocreate this strategic plan with all of you," Jeff Marcell said, introducing the consulting team and their planned outreach.
Elizabeth Scott said the project will proceed through three phases: Discovery (stakeholder interviews, roundtables, data collection), Opportunity (identifying strengths, weaknesses and priority actions) and Implementation (developing an actionable program for the council and staff). She said engagement will include a steering committee, topic‑specific roundtables, town halls offered both in person and virtually, and an online survey.
Director Larson and the consultants listed invited steering‑committee members as including regional transit and economic development partners, utility providers, the Fife School District, Pierce County Library System, and the Puyallup Tribe. The team said it will hold in‑person workshops on March 12 with a morning session for businesses and an evening session for residents, plus virtual sessions, and that a flyer and survey link will be circulated in the coming days.
Councilmembers pressed for clarity on who would participate and what would keep outside stakeholders engaged throughout a short schedule. Marcell and Scott said roles and responsibilities were discussed with the steering committee and that the team will use a "no surprises" approach, sharing draft materials and interim products with council and staff so the final plan aligns with council priorities. The consultants also noted annual follow‑ups are incorporated into the contract to refresh data and track progress over years 1–5.
The presentation closed with an invitation for council feedback and the consultants’ commitment to return draft documents for council review before any final recommendations.
The council did not take formal action on the plan at the meeting; next steps include outreach for the March 12 workshops and distribution of the survey and flyer.
