Fort Walton Beach Ordinance — 1847 - adopting economic dev element — reading text

through 2020 and beyond. The planning philosophy outlined in this Element' s introduction provides the framework of community values and attitudes regarding economic development. This section establishes the parameters around which future land use and economic development recommendations will be designed. Each development decision should ultimately benefit the shared vision for Fort Walton Beach. Presented below are the goals, objectives and policies for our community, organized under eight headings. They are: Industry Growth and Retention, Economic Development Representative /Agency, Public /Private Partnerships, Sustainability, Creative Arts and Cultural Tourism, Waterfront Development, Military, and Growth Management and Infrastructure. I.3 GOAL, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES GOAL: Promote and maintain and diversified economic growth, increased orderly employment, and investment while protecting quality of life through opportunities, environmental sustainability to ensure competitiveness in today' s economy. Element I - 4  FORT WALTON BEACH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OBJECTIVE I.3. 1 - Industry Growth and Retention The City will identify, maintain, and promote a cluster industry development approach throughout the city to strengthen existing businesses and interrelationships, and also to create a framework for targeting economic development activities. Policy 1: The City strives for a business -friendly atmosphere which enhances economic diversity by eliciting feedback from businesses and organizations representing the commercial, industrial, culinary and waterfront industries. Email correspondence, personal contact and surveys are among the methods to be utilized. Policy 2: Recognizing that entrepreneurship activity is vital to economic growth, the city will develop a pilot entrepreneur quick -start program by November 2011. The program will act as a one -stop resource to streamline licensing and permitting, and also provide market analysis for site location. Policy 3: By 2011, the City will investigate opportunities to ensure its Commerce and Technology Park is a premier location for industry, including the creation of a Business Improvement District by affected business and property owners. Policy 4: A beautification plan for the commerce and technology park will be developed by November 2010. In addition, the Beautification Committee will explore grants and private sponsorship opportunities to screen unattractive uses such as barbed wire, inoperable vehicles, and trash receptacles on highly visible corridors. Policy 5: By 2013, the City will conduct a land use study of Industrial Park designated lands along Hollywood Boulevard to determine the best course for economic development of that corridor. OBJECTIVE I.3.2 - Entrepreneurship Education Programs fostered by local organizations and institutions to teach entrepreneurship skills to interested students and residents will be an integral part of the City' s economic diversity strategy. Policy 1: The City encourages diversified economic growth within Historic Downtown by encouraging opportunities for small business start -ups such as culinary studios, seafood and farmers markets, a vendor pushcart program, and encouraging the development of a working waterfront. Policy 2: The City encourages the full utilization by businesses and industries of the economic development enhancement programs implemented by the Legislature for the purpose of the development and expansion of permanent job opportunities, especially for the economically disadvantaged, brownfield designations, tax incentives, community development corporations, and other programs designed to enhance economic and employment opportunities. Policy 3: The City will amend its Land Development Code by 2011 to allow development or redevelopment which is listed on the Targeted Industries List and which also generates a minimum of 15 additional jobs or strengthens existing industries by means of transportation, or labor, or education, or expanded market or materials, to request a waiver of impact fees, or request subsidies, or other incentives by City Council. Element I - 5  FORT WALTON BEACH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OBJECTIVE I.3. 3 - Economic Development Representative/Agencies The City of Fort Walton Beach will designate an Economic Development Representative /Agency. The representative will serve as the lead agency for implementing this Element and the coordination of City economic development activities and initiatives. Policy 1: The City will develop and annually update the five -year economic development strategic plan to attract appropriate business and industry. The plan will be coordinated with the Land Development Code and the Comprehensive Plan. Policy 2: The City will continue to maintain the following with the resources available: 1. An updated inventory of targeted infill development sites. 2. A record of available electricity, water, sewer, and natural gas capacity and its per unit cost. 3. An inventory of Fort Walton Beach labor force characteristics. 4. Demographic and statistical Fort Walton Beach data to distribute promotional information. Policy 3: The designated economic development representative will be responsible for coordination of visits by prospective business and industry representatives and serve as the liaison with governmental agencies. Policy 4: The City encourages the use of innovative methods of financing for infrastructure and services, wherever possible, to minimize increases in the current and future tax burden. Policy 5: The City continues to initiate efforts and support the efforts of other agencies to obtain grant monies and other funds designed to assist local economic development initiatives to increase employment opportunities. Policy 6: The City, through its partnership with the Okaloosa Economic Development Corporation, will encourage advertising, promotional activities, and other sales and marketing techniques to attract new technology -based business to the commerce and technology park. Policy 7: The City utilizes its various departments for internship opportunities, school visits, and presentations to educate students on the role of government in the local economy. Policy 8: The City, through its partnership with the Okaloosa Economic Development Corporation and Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, encourages job creation, diversified economic growth, and increased employment. Policy 9: The City, through its partnership with the Small Business Association and the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, will pursue a regulated pushcart vendor program which will offer local produce, fresh cut flora, and locally -made commerce at The Brooks Street Landing to encourage entrepreneurs and foster a unique, vibrant waterfront village by 2014. Policy 10: The City monitors the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan to ensure that appropriate quantities of land are available to support actual /projected commercial/ industrial growth. Element I - 6  FORT WALTON BEACH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Policy 11: The City will compile by 2010 and continue to maintain a Targeted Industries List. This list will be reviewed and updated every five years. This list will be made available to the public at the Fort Walton Beach City Clerks Office. Objective I.3. 4 -. Public/Private Partnerships Recognizing the current trend towards decentralization or elimination of federal financial assistance for community and economic development projects, the City will encourage the development of public /private partnerships. Policy 1: The City encourages partnerships between existing and potential businesses and educational institutions to develop programs that will utilize new and existing technologies as they become available and widely utilized in the marketplace. Policy 2: By 2014, the City will explore opportunities for public /private partnerships to establish a bicycle program for participating businesses. In conjunction with the program, the city will adopt a bicycle and pedestrian action plan as a component of the Transportation Element. Policy 3: The City will continue to encourage the presence and expansion of university programs within the City and incorporate specific strategies within the 5 -Year Strategic Economic Development Plan. Policy 4: The City will promote a Partners for Parks program to encourage private sponsorships for pedestrian and park facilities through the Recreation and Cultural Services Department. Objective I.3. 5 - Sustainability Recognizing that sustainability is a critical issue to becoming a first class competitive local economy, the City will promote itself as a " green local government" and continue to expand and promote programs such as alternative modes of transit, greenways along major arterials, xeriscape landscaping practices, and water re -use programs, among others. Policy 1: The City will work toward obtaining the Florida Green Building Coalition' s certified Green Local Government status to promote alternative energies and a cleaner environment and improve environmental performance through measurable criteria, by November 2010. Policy 2: The City will encourage renewable energy industries such as wind and solar to locate in areas designated as nonjurisdictional wetlands by developing a target list of industries and potential sites by 2013. Policy 3: The City will, through consistent implementation of its Land Development Code, protect its environmental resources and will seek to maintain and improve its recreational resources to provide an attractive environment for businesses and industry and their employees. Policy 4: The City ensures that the types of new and expanding business and industry in Fort Walton Beach will contribute to maintaining a clean environment by meeting all applicable local, state and federal guidelines. Element I - 7  FORT WALTON BEACH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Objective I.3. 6 - Creative Arts and Cultural Tourism The City will continue and strengthen cultural tourism, recognizing that the creative arts and cultural heritage industries play a major role in building and sustaining economically vibrant communities by generating jobs, revenue and tourism, and also realizing that the City offers a unique heritage to the State and the Country. Policy 1: The City, through its Community Redevelopment Area, will investigate the idea of a prominent gateway feature that might include art or sculpture, at the base of the Brooks Bridge, to draw attraction to the Brooks Landing, and also create a vibrant gateway into the City' s cultural center by 2012. Policy 2: The City promotes its rich military heritage by encouraging and promoting the development of a Military Heritage Tour - a- network of military tributes along City gateways - by November 2014. Policy 3: By 2014, the City will support the designation of the Emerald Coast Florida Birding Trail in conjunction with the Senior Center,