Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 08-03-09 special council-budget review — reading text

Retired Military Personnel Workforce Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties The 2008 Florida Defense Economic Impact Analysis conducted by the UWF Haas Center reports the annual military impact on Okaloosa County at just under $ 7 Billion while providing 86,630 jobs. Additional information can be obtained from the EDC website: www.florida- edc.org /defense.htm Technology Coast Manufacturing & Engineering Network (TeCMEN) TeCMEN is comprised of EDC- member companies promoting growth and advancement within Oka - loosa's technology -based business community through the association, collaboration, and contract - teaming of its manufacturing, engineering, technology and defense industry clusters. Using a collabo- rative concept, these companies join together to compete for and complete both defense -contracting and other substantial business opportunities that are too expansive for a single business to undertake. TeCMEN member companies represent every major manufacturing and engineering discipline required to support requirements of both the military missions and the civilian community including: Aerospace & Aviation - Information Technology Micro -Electronics - Biometric Technology Precision Machining & Metal Fabrication Assisting in the EDC' s commitment are Okaloosa's learning institutions Okaloosa- Walton College, the University of West Florida, and the University of Florida Re- search & Engineering Education Facility. TeCMEN Website: Located at www.tecmen.org this innovation will provide a virtual collaborative ca- pability for all TeCMEN members. This password protected - web -based program will allow members to interact privately among the membership network. The creation of this new tool came at the members' request and was a class project of the Web 4 class at the CHOICE Information Technology Institute at Niceville High School. It is maintained through a partnership agreement with Alpha Data Corporation of Fort Walton Beach and Hixardt Technologies of Pensacola. Additional information can be obtained from the EDC website: www.florida- edc.org /TeCMEN. htm Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County 11  Housing Following their regional Workforce Housing Summit in the Spring of 2006 the EDC formed a task force to identify the housing barriers and solutions. Along this same timeframe, Okaloosa County.formed their Eglin Installation Growth Committee in support of BRAC which contained a housing sub -committee. In order to not duplicate efforts, the EDC made a proposal to the County to join their two housing efforts and the result was the Essential Workforce Housing Committee. 9MM The Essential Workforce Housing sub -committee members are EDC Representatives West Florida Regional Planning Council City of Destin Eglin AFB Representative City of Fort Walton Beach Emerald Coast Association of Realtors Okaloosa Chambers of Commerce Okaloosa Community Development Corporation Building Industry Association Okaloosa County' s Planning Department This dedicated group of business leaders created a 3" binder containing 12 divisions of identified barri- ers, possible solutions and additional resources. The housing concern has not yet been resolved and with reports stating foreclosures in military towns being up by 217% this year, compared to 59% for the nation, the EDC maintains its commitment to facili- tate the implementation of housing solutions for our area. Additional information may be obtained on the EDC website: www.florida- edc.org/ Workforce Housing. htmI iTen Wired wired innovation, technology, & entrepreneurs iTen Wired is an entrepreneurial initiative led by the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and its 3 Entrepreneurial Development Council in concert with regional economic development partners in Mobile, Baldwin, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. iTen Wired is centered on innovation, technology and en- trepreneurs and focuses on bringing people and ideas along the 1 - 10 corridor together. The goal of iTen Wired is to remain competitive by embracing entrepreneurial innovation across our re- gion. The focus targets trends and indicators in fostering technology -based and innovation -led economic development efforts. The goals of iTen Wired are simple: Showcase the region' s technology entrepre- neurs, Identify success stories across the region, connect entrepreneurs to resources and assets that can help grow their businesses, Connect entrepreneurs, researchers, universities, investors and military innovations. Three summits are hosted throughout the calendar year to bring the economic development partners, support partners, and entrepreneurs together to dialogue about issues on technology transfer, capital formation, and entrepreneurship and to share best practices and ideas to enhance the current ef- forts. The most recent summit was held on June 17, 2008 in Okaloosa County. www.florida-edc.org 1. 800. 995. 7374 12  Florida LambdaRail The Florida LambdaRail ( FLR) is considered Florida' s Research and Education Network. FLR was created to facilitate advanced research, education, and economic development activities in the State of Florida, utilizing next generation network technologies, Y protocols, and services. The FLR infrastructure -provides a state 1 wide, dedicated optical data facility linking major nodes through - FLRthNtu ork Fin < FM „ ta etiriy out Florida and Universities throughout the U. S. The Economic 278N41p Development Council has received a State grant to support the r. establishment of the FLR to Okaloosa County's new fiber optic network. This grant was secured with the help of the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners and in an agreement M=dw Faft a .. 4 with the University of West Florida, Okaloosa County and the EA Economic Development Council, will connect six strategic loca- o . tions with affordable high bandwidth capabilities. The six loca- tions include: ( 1) The new Emerald Coast Technology & Re- Cw"°°” -. search Center; ( 2) The joint campus of Northwest Florida State M= College and the University of West Florida ( FWB); ( 3) A U. S. 90 2, Muft location near the Crestview Industrial Air Park; ( 4) The Combs Common Campus; ( 5) The Eglin AFB Campus; and ( 6) The Okaloosa South Head End in Shalimar. Connectivity to all six locations is expected to take place by the end of 2008. TechnicalTechnical EnrichmentEnrichment CenterCenter GrowingGrowing ourour OwnOwn locallocal primaryprimary businessesbusinesses byby assistingassisting andand coachingcoaching imaginativeimaginative entrepreneurs entrepreneurs isis aa vitalvital linklink inin thethe developmentdevelopment ofof start-start- upup businessesbusinesses inin ourour community.community. TheThe EDCEDC hashas putput aa concertedconcerted efforteffort intointo helpinghelping movemove thethe Emerald Emerald CoastCoast TechnologyTechnology & & ResearchResearch CenterCenter ( ( ECTRC)ECTRC) toto thethe devel-devel- opmentopment stagestage ( ( SeeSee sectionsection onon thethe ECTRC).ECTRC). AnAn integralintegral partpart ofof anyany successfulsuccessful research research parkpark isis thethe inclusioninclusion ofof aa businessbusiness incubator.incubator. TheThe EDCEDC isis working working toto establishestablish OkaloosaOkaloosa County'County' ss firstfirst physical physical businessbusiness incubatorincubator toto supportsupport thethe development development ofof newnew technologiestechnologies inin associationassociation withwith EglinEglin AirAir ForceForce Base,Base, thethe UniversityUniversity ofof WestWest Florida,Florida, thethe UniversityUniversity ofof Florida,Florida, thethe NorthwestNorthwest FloridaFlorida StateState College,College, thethe OkaloosaOkaloosa SchoolSchool BoardBoard andand aa handfulhandful ofof established established entrepreneursentrepreneurs thatthat havehave providedprovided highhigh wagewage jobsjobs forfor ourour communities.communities. PlansPlans areare underwayunderway toto seekseek statestate andand federalfederal fundingfunding forfor thisthis newnew initiative.initiative. TheThe OkaloosaOkaloosa TechnicalTechnical EnrichmentEnrichment CentersCenters locationlocation isis targetedtargeted forfor thethe ECTRC.ECTRC. E-E- Synchronist Synchronist ExistingExisting Industry Industry ProgramProgram TheThe EDCEDC enteredentered intointo anan agreement agreement withwith Florida'Florida' ss GreatGreat NorthwestNorthwest ( ( FGNW)FGNW) thisthis yearyear toto identifyidentify thethe workforceworkforce needsneeds ofof thethe targetedtargeted industryindustry employers employers inin OkaloosaOkaloosa County.County. TheThe targettarget industries industries in-in- cludeclude Aerospace&Aerospace& Defense,Defense, LifeLife Sciences,Sciences, InformationInformation