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Itrisario <br />ANOKA COUNTY <br />Regional Economic Development <br />To: Ramsey Economic Development Authority <br />From: Gregory Frahm -Gilles, Anoka County Director of Economic Development <br />Date: December 27, 2023 <br />RE: Anoka County Regional Economic Development (ACRED) MOU Extension <br />The Anoka County Regional Economic Development (ACRED) Partnership is a collective of all 21 Anoka <br />County municipalities to provide regional economic development services. This partnership was <br />established in January 2019 through the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that all <br />communities in Anoka County signed onto. <br />The key objective for ACRED is to provide regional economic development support to all 21 <br />municipalities, helping each community bring their own unique economic development visions to <br />fruition. The three core areas of emphasis include: <br />- REGIONALISM: Economic activity in one community extends into nearby communities. Economic <br />challenges are often not limited to jurisdictional boundaries, too. Regionalism promotes <br />collaboration amongst all municipalities on economic development opportunities to share ideas, <br />best practices for programming and networks. Challenges impacting many municipalities can be <br />worked on together. Share information on available programs and grants with municipal <br />community development staff, chambers and businesses. <br />- MARKETING: Promote Anoka County as a region ripe for investment. Share Anoka County <br />opportunities with real estate brokers, investors, developers and businesses looking at growth or <br />relocation. For real estate professionals that are representing businesses in the market, share leads <br />with municipalities in the targeted search area and collaborate to provide a comprehensive <br />response to inquiries. If one targeted municipality cannot fulfill the site or building request, support <br />the municipality by serving as a regional resource to try to keep that economic opportunity within <br />Anoka County. <br />- READINESS: Create future opportunity by helping cities bring key development sites to market. <br />Connect cities with available programs or contacts to assist in development, redevelopment or infill <br />projects. Share best practices and data to position communities for future investment and help <br />support resilient local economies. <br />Two major economic development planning efforts have been recently commenced and results are still <br />pending. The first is a county -wide housing study, commissioned by the Anoka County Housing and <br />Redevelopment Authority. The second is an updated Strategic Plan for ACRED —fully funded with non- <br />