The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Four goals outlined
for 2012
The local Economic Development Council hopes to hit the ground running in 2012, and it’s looking for support from local businesses. The council will be soliciting input and funds in a letter sent out to Gunnison Valley business.
“We sent it to chamber members both up-valley and down-valley, businesses who pay the BOLT tax or the Gunnison business license, and we looked through the phone book to capture any businesses, like attorneys, who don’t fall in those categories,” said Commissioner Paula Swenson.
Swenson helped spearhead the development of the council last spring as part of Governor Hickenlooper’s Bottom’s Up Economic Development Plan Initiative.
The aim of the letter is to outline the council’s history and its goals, and to ask for input and financial support. The letter emphasized that the council’s economic development goals strive to be realistic.
“We concluded that this new initiative must be narrowly focused; aim for singles, not home runs; and be volunteer driven without any paid staff, in order to avoid the pitfalls of previous economic development plans in the County,” the letter states.
Four representatives from the area north of Jack’s Cabin Cut-off and four from south of that line will work with Tammy Scott, executive director of the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce and any future director of the Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce to achieve four tasks in 2012:
• A marketing plan to promote all of Gunnison County—not just tourism, but all industries.
• Regulatory assessment and analysis to make the county’s regulatory process more streamlined.
• Inventory and needs assessment of local businesses and industries.
• Begin developing a strategy to improve broadband.
Western State College marketing students will help with the first two goals as part of their studies.
The council expects these tasks to cost between $60,000 and $100,000. Swenson confirmed that contributions have already been promised from the county at $25,000; the city of Gunnison has set aside $20,000; and Mt. Crested Butte has promised $5,000. Crested Butte opted to review the matter after the November elections, and Swenson expects to revisit with them in the coming weeks.
Businesses that receive the letter will be asked to contribute a voluntary $20, as well as complete a survey to inform the council’s efforts. The goal, Swenson says, is to hear from as many businesses as possible by the January 31 deadline. Surveys can be returned to the Economic Development Council via the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 36, Gunnison, CO 81230 or by email at info@gunnisonchamber.com.
