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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 />