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The view held by the City of Fort Collins is that whether they are considering expansion or relocation, businesses are most concerned and interested in the community’s overall quality of life. Those in the private sector responsible for corporate site selection most often site the quality of both our primary and secondary schools, the skills or our workforce, the consistent quality and value of municipal services, and perhaps in many way above all, the state of our natural environment.
Over the years, the City of Fort Collins has invested in its utility systems to ensure reliability and consistency of service. This has been cited by many firms as a critical element in their success, and a key reason why they chose Fort Collins for their initial location, or expansion. Additionally, City policies and investment in parks, trails, and open space and natural areas continue to be important influences to both business investment and citizen satisfaction. These are values to which City Council and the citizens are deeply committed and serves as the cornerstone of the City’s economic development effort.
Included in these values is a dedication to doing all the City can to encourage the development of housing for a variety of income levels, maintenance of a fair local taxation system, and attention to developing and maintaining a high quality, and state-of-the-art infrastructure. This also includes developing fiber optic network, and other resources that may be available in the future, providing both internal and external linkages to other firms, research institutions, and support services.
The City’s primary role in economic development focuses on those areas, which directly involve City process and procedure. The City’s economic development program is based on City Council’s Resolution 87-49 and subsequent Ordinances in which Council adopted certain goals, policies, and programs related to economic development and economic opportunity.1
In general terms, the goals of the City of Fort Collins is to encourage and support economic opportunities which provide self-sustaining employment, increase private investments with the community and improve the quality of life for Fort Collins residents.
Achievement of these goals is pursued through a series of policies adopted by City Council and outlined in the above referenced resolution. Among these are the following:
- Commitment to maintaining and enhancing the City as a good place to live and work.
- Emphasis on comprehensive, quality municipal services as the City’s primary contribution to the community’s economic development effort.
- Creation and maintenance of a positive climate for both local and new business.
- Assist and encourage small business retention and entrepreneurial activities as appropriate.
- Encourage workforce training, retraining, education, and employee support services to assist in the creation and expansion of meaningful employment opportunities.
- The City’s role in dealing with prospective expansions or relocations focuses on planning and the provision of municipal services and facilities such as streets and utilities.
- Encourage the development of a wide variety of business activities rather than focusing solely on one sector.
- Awareness of the community’s role in the global and domestic marketplace, and the importance of welcoming assisting visitors from other nations, foreign firms, and tourists.
Action steps, which may be used to implement the aforementioned policies, may include the following:
- The City will work with other public and private entities to promote policies and programs which encourage education, training, workforce development, and basic and advanced/technological skills enhancement.
- The City will provide prospective businesses with information regarding municipal services, schools, recreational opportunities, health care, and other services available within the community.
- The City will make existing and prospective business aware of opportunities available through Colorado Sate University and the private sector in the areas of product and process development.
- The City will consider partnerships with other public and private entities such as the Fort Collins Virtual Business Incubator and Small Business Development Center to encourage entrepreneurial activity within a one-stop environment.
- The City will continue to maintain and enhance utility and technological infrastructure and strive to provide consistently reliable and efficient service, at the best value possible.
- The City will strive to maintain a municipal tax and fee structure which is both reasonable and equitable.
- The City will provide assistance to business and industry with regards to City process and procedures.
- The City will continue to afford new and existing business and industry the opportunity to seek specific assistance pursuant to Council adopted Ordinances and other programs enabled by state and federal legislation.
- The City will monitor economic, community and environmental indicators on a periodic basis and consider actions that address a change in the local economy.
- The City will evaluate all programs and policies that are suggested for Council consideration to determine if there are unintended impacts on the business community.
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