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PROPOSED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECTION OF THE <br />COMPREHENSIVE PLAN <br /> Prepared by: Community Development Assistant Scan Walther <br /> <br />EDA # <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />The City of Ramsey contracted with the consultants at Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc. <br />(I-IKGI) to assist the City in gathering public input and writing the update of Ramsey's <br />Comprehensive Plan, which is required by state law. Completion and submittal to the <br />Metropolitan Council of the Economic Development section of the Comprehensive Plan <br />is optional. I-IKGI drafted a general plan for economic development for Ramsey that <br />includes historical background, broad goals and policies, and an outline of the tools <br />available to the City of Ramsey to accomplish these goals. <br /> <br />The consultant drew from several resources to prepare this draft. HKGI's professional <br />experience, public input, the Ramsey Economic Development Commission planning <br />exercises and the City Council's Livable Communities goals all contributed to the current <br />draR of the plan. <br /> <br />As noted above, the Economic Development Commission worked with City staff and <br />Gerald Weaner, Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic Development (DTED), to <br />complete a S.W.O.T. Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, oppommities and threats) and <br />developed recommendations for goals and strategies for economic development over the <br />next five years. <br /> <br />Following these exercises, the City Council acting as the Economic Development <br />Authority (EDA) held a joint work session with the EDC to discuss the recommended <br />goals and strategies. Out of this process the City Council decided to merge the EDC and <br />the EDA into its current form. <br /> <br />The Planning Commission is holding the public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan and <br />may make a recommendation to City Council at a special meeting on March 16, 1999. <br />Therefore, the EDA should recommend approval or modifications of the Economic <br />Development section to the Planning Commission at this meeting. <br /> <br />On February 23, 1999, the EDA gave City staff some general direction to remove any <br />statement stating t13.. at the City "should", "shall", or "only" statements. After reviewing <br />the document again, there were very few of these statements. <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />The content of the Economic Development section of the Comprehensive Plan revolves <br />around general goal and policy statements. As the reformed EDA is a relatively new <br />group, EDA members, City staff and the City Council would all benefit from going over <br /> <br /> <br />