SHELBY – Economic development now has a path forward in the city of Shelby thanks to a study presented to City Council on Monday evening.
Greg Timberlake, president of the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) in Shelby, discussed the review and recommendations of an economic development study created by the Montrose Group.
It is the mission of the CIC – a mixture of mayoral appointments and private citizens representing businesses and organizations in Shelby – to promote economic and industrial development in the city. The Montrose Group offers economic development planning services targeting the retention and attraction of jobs in energy, technology, advanced services, manufacturing, and global firms.
“These are ideas and drafts, and we anticipate these ideas evolving as important stakeholders contribute to the conversation,” Timberlake said.
Partnering with the Montrose Group was an idea the CIC had after realizing the lack of economic development in Shelby was the most tangible opportunity for improvement in the city. The Montrose Group was hired for $25,000 through an economic development line item in the city’s budget.
After six months of work, including discussing the needs of stakeholders, city officials and members of the public, the Montrose Group generated a 70-page document recommending the city partner with an appropriate economic development organization to fund a dedicated economic development effort and program for Shelby.
“They’re recommending a $60 to $80,000 financial commitment to include salary, benefits and some project money for an economic development director,” Timberlake said.
The financial commitment would come from the city of Shelby as well as the CIC and at least one other economic development organization. The Montrose Group also recommended the city partner with a countywide economic development organization to launch a business retention and expansion program with a focus on retaining existing employers.
Other recommendations from the Montrose Group included the city’s economic development director aggressively market Shelby’s Technology Parkway and Industrial Park. The group also suggested making Shelby the center of entrepreneurism in north central Ohio by creating a “Start-Up Shelby” program, and focusing on a downtown redevelopment district.
“The city of Shelby should encourage the revitalization of its downtown rebuilding its urban core and attracting a new, younger generation back to Shelby,” the study said.
A job description for the future economic development director was suggested by the Montrose Group and CIC, but Timberlake stipulated that nothing was set in stone.
“The economic development director we end up hiring does not need to do everything in this 70-page document,” Timberlake said. “It’s this group’s job to focus the economic development director on what they’re working on.”
The goal of the CIC is to secure $360,000 in funding over the next four years that would supplement the salary and benefits of a full-time economic development director, as well as daily expenses and projects. Timberlake said the CIC envisioned the city of Shelby being responsible for 50 percent of this funding; Councilman Nathan Martin volunteered an even higher commitment.
“From our vantage point, the more we can put into this one position, the more we’ll be able to free up in private entities and grants stepping up to do these other components just as vital to our success,” Martin said. “I’m supportive of us offering larger than that, understanding that we do need to see that additional commitment going to those other resources that are going to make this thing hum.”
However, Martin did caution that if the city makes a larger financial commitment, a reliable gauge of the effectiveness of the position would be vital.
“We’ve dealt with economic development directors in the past that may not have brought in what was promised,” he said. “We definitely can’t have the experience we’ve had before pumping excess of $50,000 into that position with little to nothing to show for it.”
Councilman Garland Gates also expressed concern regarding the city’s financial limitations in moving forward with funding this position.
“The funding source we’re looking at is the general fund, which is on the road to recovery but is not 100 percent,” Gates said. “I clearly support these efforts, but my primary concern about the general fund this year was that the safety forces be funded at their authorized strength. We have our wants and we have our needs, and we have to balance that.”
Moving forward, Timberlake and the CIC will work with the city’s economic development committee, headed by Councilman Steve McLaughlin, to develop the idea more fully. Despite his concerns, Martin emphasized the importance of focusing on economic development for the future of Shelby.
“If we don’t do something and maintain our greatest resource, our knowledge base, and make sure that stays within our community, in 30 years our community as we know it is dead,” he said.
“We have to ensure that our talent and our resources stay here in our community. Whatever we can do to stay ahead of the curve on that is going to serve us very well into the future.”
