Economic Development Action

Department Review:

Mission:  To enable quality business retention, expansion and recruitment in the Fort Scott area by coordination of the community assets: people (culture/wisdom/effort), capital and property.

The Department is the primary facilitator of business retention and for the growth of employment count and wage levels.  It manages this through current employers and recruitment of business that improve the quality of life for citizens of Fort Scott.  

Incubation of new businesses generally requires people, capital, buildings, equipment and strategic plans.  The Department works with the sources of those elements to assure opportunities for business development.  Schools, financial institutions, foundations, entrepreneurship developers, federal agencies, angels, the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Kansas Economic Development Alliance and other economic development organizations are understood for their contribution values.

Retention and recruitment of excellent people for current business success and also the attraction of new business developments demands quality of life elements that equal and in some quarters exceed competitive communities.  Recruitment incentives must offer prospects the high productivity of the workforce.  Drawing successful talent to the area demands community amenities in schools and recreation and safety and shopping.  These are quality of life concerns that the Department can advocate on behalf of business to the community and its representatives on the City Commission and City staff.  The execution of that education character and the project management related to these comfort and performance requirements is a strategic role in Economic Development leadership by the Department.

Critical Issues:
Fort Scott is an exceptionally good place to work, raise a family and enjoy your friends.  Education of the citizens to the facts is the cooperative work by the City administration, the Commission and a partnership with the Community Visioning to build a positive image within and without the area.

The Historic Downtown is nationally recognized for its remarkable buildings and character.  It offers great opportunities for business and residential development at extremely affordable rates.

For neighborhood and business property revitalization (improvements and new construction) the primary incentives are tax abatement or reimbursement.

Activities:
The Community Visioning program committees have taken on projects that improve public esteem.  Committees include the Riverfront Authority to provide a recreation attraction for tourists and locals, the Neighborhood Revitalization Committee that has set a goal of bringing hundreds of people together to help the needy improve their homes, the Youth Activities Team (YATs) that focuses on youth recreation, an Economic Development team that is working on projects that help the Economic Development Department in community communication and project support, and the AquaVision Committee that wants to replace an outdated structure with an attraction to the community.  The Economic Development Department meets with all these committees, with the exception of YATs (because Public Works Director, Eric Bailey, serves there well), to provide City Staff support and leadership when needed.

Phoenix Committee management of efforts that were kindled from the 2005 fire and the need for a stakeholder advisory group on the use of the federal grants to best benefit the downtown.  The first phase of utility and StreetScape renewal is completed.  Further StreetScape projects are planned.  Also researched and designed are incentives for target entertainment destination locations in the historic area.  These will require funding in the form of additional grants and sales tax investment or some other substantial and reliable and affordable capital, with exceptional efforts by a task force.

Downtown Historic District recognition on the National Register of Historic Places has been received from the Kansas Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service.  This provides major tax credit incentives to encourage building rehabilitation.

Housing stock rehabilitation and creation are addressed by Neighbor Revitalization property tax rebates and the connection to governmental and private interests.  Grant programs are solicited and good neighbor efforts are enthusiastically supported.

Annual major Fort Scott employer management survey to identify needs and plans that the City and State of Kansas may supply in talent and funding for growth and retention.

Project management of the public and business relations during the final phase of fire recovery fund (StreetScape) work and the extensive sidewalk replacement planned in the downtown.

Begin the implementation of US 69 Corridor Study recommendations.

Develop a team of Young Professional Leaders to focus on projects regarding business recruitment, housing rehabilitation and development, downtown and industrial business incentives, business incubation, new technologies, etc.