SCDA Sets 2015 Goals

The Stephens County Development Authority sets its goals for the year ahead.

Development Authority board members and staff gathered last month for a strategic planning session.

During that meeting, the Authority identified five specific things it wanted to work on in 2015 that fall under the larger banner of economic development.

One of those goals is preparing a new long-range plan.

Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin said that a long-range plan is something a Development Authority should re-examine and update about every 3 to 5 years.

“We try to scan the environment and determine what types of industries are moving forward and might be a good match for our community,” said Martin. “That changes fairly regularly and we have to be cognizant of that.”

A second goal is to work on enlisting a partner to construct a new speculative industrial building on Development Authority land in the Hayestone-Brady Business Park on Highway 17.

Martin said having so-called “spec” buildings is an important tool in economic development.

“The inventory for Development Authorities is land and buildings,” said Martin. “Our inventory of buildings is very small. Throughout the years, Toccoa and Stephens County has done very well with speculative industrial buildings. All of those buildings are occupied.”

Other goals include securing adequate funding, both short and long term, to operate an aggressive economic development program, ensuring that Development Authority board members and community leaders receive regular and frequent training to be prepared for prospect visits, and to review the Development Authority’s marketing materials.

Martin said all of these specific goals fall under the banner of trying to help with economic development.

“Let me be real clear. We are still all about attracting and recruiting new companies to the community and working with existing industries to make sure that they are able to grow and prosper,” said Martin.

The Development Authority is also working on its proposed budget request for the city and county for next fiscal year.

That request is due later this month.