2010-46RESOLUTION NO. 2010 - 46
COUNCIL MEMBER KEPHART INTRODUCED THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE:
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
FOR THE CITY OF BLAIR, NEBRASKA
WHEREAS, the City Council of Blair, Nebraska has committed to the development of an
Economic Development Strategic Plan for the City of Blair; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Blair Strategic Planning Committee and Gateway Development
Corporation have participated in the formulation of the plan and recommends that the City of
Blair adopt said Plan;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of Blair, Nebraska herewith
adopts said plan, incorporating citizen comment and recommendations.
PASSED AND APPROVED on this 9th day of November, 2010.
COUNCIL MEMBER ABBOTT MOVED THAT THE RESOLUTION BE ADOPTED AS
READ, WHICH SAID MOTION WAS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KEPHART.
UPON ROLL CALL, COUNCIL MEMBERS VOTING "AYE" SHEPARD, STEWART,
KEPHART, FANOELE, ABBOTT, WOLFF AND JENSEN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS
NONE VOTING "NAY ", THE MAYOR DECLARED THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION
PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 9TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2010.
CITY OF BLAIR, NEBRASKA
ATTEST:
BRENDA R. WHEELER CITY CLERK
(SEAL)
J E. REALPH, MAYOR
STATE OF NEBRASKA )
):ss:
WASHINGTON COUNTY )
BRENDA R. WHEELER, hereby certifies that she is the duly appointed, qualified, and acting
City Clerk of the City of Blair, Nebraska, and that the above and foregoing Resolution was
passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Mayor and City Council of said City held on the
9th day of November, 2010.
6
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B'iffNDA R. WHEELER, CITY CLERK
CITY OF BLAIR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
Blair, Nebraska
April 2010
Prepared by:
City of Blair
Gateway Development Corporation
Omaha - Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency
The Omaha - Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA), along with Gateway
Development Corporation, prepared the Economic Development Strategic Plan for Blair, Nebraska, with
direction and assistance from the City of Blair Strategic Planning Committee. Participation and
cooperation to complete this project was provided by the following groups and persons:
Mayor
James Realph
City Council
Chris Jensen
John Abbott
Frank Wolff
Keith Christiansen
Gary Fanoele
Hal Kephart
Marty Shepard
Jon Stewart
Strategic Planning Committee
Doug Cook
Harriet Waite
James Realph
Sarah Chatt
Rod Storm
Phil Green
Ernie Abariotes
Mary Alice Johnson
Allen Schoemaker
Gateway Development Corporation
Paula Hazlewood
Sarah Marty
Omaha - Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency
Jake Hansen
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section
Page
Overviewand Process ................................................................. ..............................1
11. Economic Development Mission Statement .............................. ............................... 2
III. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats ....................... ............................... 3
IV. Economic Development Goals, Strategies, and Plan of Action .............................. 6
Overview and Planning Process
Among local governments, strategic planning for economic development has come to the forefront in
recent years as a way to establish continuity in development policy in a climate marked by frequent
turnover among local leaders and frequent changes in economic conditions. Many communities develop
and maintain a comprehensive land use plan for macro -level policy guidance in this arena, but these
plans often do not provide strategies to address near -term issues. The strategic planning process helps to
coordinate desires of policy makers with actions of city staff and creates a mechanism for continuous
evaluation of accomplishments and challenges. Perhaps most importantly, the formulation of an
economic development strategic plan establishes clarity in the economic development vision for a
community among all stakeholders.
In the City of Blair, the strategic planning process began with Gateway Development Corporation and city
staff working to identify key stakeholders to be involved in the strategic planning process. In order to
ensure that primary decision makers are involved, the list of invited participants included elected officials
from the City of Blair and Washington County, city staff, business leaders, developers, and economic
development professionals in the area. Without representation of all of these key sectors, the City runs
the risk of encountering challenges in implementing and maintaining the final plan.
Metropolitan Area Planning Agency and Gateway Development Corporation coordinated a series of
meetings with City staff and the strategic planning committee to discuss the current state of economic
development in Blair. Specifically, the planning committee identified economic development strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats present in and around Blair, and used that information to
formulate an economic development mission statement. From there, a series of goals and strategies were
developed which will allow the city to capitalize strengths, maximize opportunities, and proactively
address weaknesses and threats when possible. Finally, the committee identified a series of action items
needed to implement the city's strategic economic development vision and has recommended a plan of
action which stages action items and delineates responsibility for implementation where needed.
This document is intended to provide guidance to the community as economic development opportunities
are presented and as the local economy evolves. Actual implementation of projects discussed in this Plan
will be the responsibility of the City Council and staff, who will consider availability of local financial
resources, eligibility for outside funding assistance, partnerships with property owners and the business
community, and citizen support for each project in determining when and how to implement selected
projects.
Economic Development Mission Statement
Establishment of an overall mission statement is a key step in the strategic discussion of economic
development policy for cities and counties. The mission statement represents the city's core values and
priorities with respect to anticipated development, and sets forth a summary of guiding principles which
should be considered in the context of economic development project review. Additionally, development
of a mission statement is critical to the strategic planning process in order to properly determine whether
certain environmental conditions represent positive or negative development factors. For example, one
community might view the presence of a railroad as a strength due to the appeal of rail service to
developers, while another might view the same railroad as a weakness if it disrupts traffic and is overly
noisy.
In all facets of public service delivery, the City of Blair has established quality of service as its top priority,
and the city slogan is, "A commitment to quality ". Additionally, recent development activity in Blair has
brought steady residential and industrial growth to the community, and the volume of that development
has created some pressure to accelerate development in order to satisfy demand. City leaders have been
successful to this point in finding the right locations for new homes and businesses without creating stress
on city services, and have been largely successful in facilitating development in a timely manner. The
result of these policies is a vibrant community with a high quality of life. City officials point to these
principles in establishment of an economic development mission statement. That statement is as follows:
The City of Blair will pursue economic prosperity through sustainable, orderly growth
and with a commitment to quality.
III. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
In order to develop a coordinated economic development strategy, it is first necessary to fully understand
the conditions under which development decisions are made, both in the private and public sectors.
Variations in local economic, legal, political, environmental, and social climates will ultimately impact the
vitality of similar development activities across jurisdictions. Accordingly, these climates must be
evaluated locally and regionally in order to properly assess the types of development initiatives that can
be successful in Blair.
The Strategic Planning committee reviewed strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats relating to
local economic development in Blair and has presented a summary below. Strengths and weaknesses
are largely reflective of current conditions and internal issues, while opportunities and threats are primarily
composed of potential issues and external conditions.
STRENGTHS:
• Blair's location is one of its biggest strengths. The city has access to rail and is close to multiple
interstates.
• There is plenty of capacity in the local utility systems for growth and new development. Local utilities
are also comparatively very affordable, in part due to the presence of public utilities and partnerships
with neighboring entities.
• The size and location of Blair make the community close enough to Omaha for people to commute
either to or from Blair for work.
• The city and Washington County have an effective working relationship, and are part of a region -wide
economic development partnership through the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce
• The City is generally regarded as being "pro- business" and actively works to bring businesses to the
community.
• The presence and condition of infrastructure in place is 'a draw for prospective new businesses and
expanding firms.
• Some of the community's largest employers (i.e. Cargill) are magnets for related businesses to locate
in Blair.
• The city is committed to a managed approach to growth. Zoning and code enforcement practices are
institutionalized and city leaders make growth decisions in accordance with a comprehensive
planning process.
• The city is willing to expedite permitting processes when necessary for businesses.
• The economic virility of local businesses has created many high - paying jobs in Blair.
• The Blair Public School system is an asset to the city. Quality of education in Blair is high.
• There is business climate in the Blair area where local businesses are very supportive of one another.
• Home values in Blair have continued to appreciate even in turbulent economic times.
• The overall quality of the housing stock is good compared to other communities. The small number of
substandard homes in the community are not concentrated in a particular area.
• The local economy is diverse. It is not limited only to ag -based service, retail, etc.
• The city's key employers are innovative and find ways to grow even when certain segments of their
markets are not performing.
• Employers have access to hundreds of thousands of potential workers in the regional laborshed.
• Memorial Community Hospital is a full - service medical facility and an asset to Blair.
• Dana College and its 500+ students provide a solid segment of the local workforce and support local
businesses. The college is a very good steward of the City.
• The city has an airport in close proximity with opportunities for growth and expansion of the facilities.
• There are a wealth of recreational activities in Blair, including a trail system for biking & walking,
plenty of athletic fields and facilities, a YMCA, and a quality parks system.
• The city is clean and aesthetically pleasing for visitors.
• Blair's small -town atmosphere results in high quality of life.
The city's numerous assets give it a good amount of discretion in determining what types of growth
are acceptable for Blair.
The community has an abundance of volunteer and service organizations, many of which are
instrumental in providing services to the elderly.
Blair has open land around the community that could meet some gaps in demand for economic
development in the Omaha metro area, especially with respect to rail -serve industrial sites.
WEAKNESSES:
• The city and /or Gateway do not have control or purchase options on any land. This limits
responsiveness for new economic development as current property owners are not demonstrating a
willingness to sell their property or give purchase options.
• Overall, there is a lack of affordable housing in the City of Blair in the context of the regional housing
market. There are not many quality housing options in Blair priced below $150,000, and nearby areas
that are more urbanized by comparison can offer cheaper new housing.
• The housing stock that is affordable for lower- income households is smaller and of a lower quality
than most are looking for. Many of the affordable houses in Blair are in need of substantial
repair /renovation.
• The presence of Highway 30 through downtown and the truck traffic it carries has adversely impacted
downtown development and occupancy of current buildings.
• The Blair downtown is better suited for service- oriented businesses than it is for retail, due to parking
availability and appeal of alternate retail locations in the community.
• There are certain types of skilled labor (specifically, welders, health care workers, and truck drivers)
in short supply for local companies to hire.
• The city lacks funding or a means to generate funding to upgrade the Blair airport.
• Current businesses occasionally create air and noise pollution which are detectable in Blair.
• The city accommodates a high number of trucks on its streets.
• A relative lack of dining options and hotel rooms results in many people going to Omaha for certain
types of food and for lodging.
• The city does not have access to sufficient business incentives for existing firms. The incentives
available (TIF, for example) are restricted by law in a manner which makes them difficult for use by
the city to help established firms when needed.
• There is generally no public transportation available in Blair.
• The types of cultural and recreational opportunities available locally and regionally may be viewed as
less attractive than options available in other parts of the country.
• Gas prices in Blair tend to be higher than in neighboring communities. As a result, people shopping in
Omaha or in Iowa tend to purchase gas outside of Blair rather than locally.
OPPORTUNITIES:
• There is high potential for retail growth in Blair.
• The planned US 30 bypass will move thru traffic off of Washington Street, reducing the number of
trucks on that route and improving the appeal of the corridor as a downtown business district. The
bypass will also create new areas where highway commercial development will become viable in Blair
and will be instrumental in helping the city to realize its future land use plan.
• The potential for additional rail service between Blair and Fort Calhoun will help to attract industrial
development to the area which requires rail access but currently cannot get it in the region.
• Heightened interest in nuclear power in the future will translate to an increase in high - quality job
creation at the OPPD nuclear power facility.
• The planned widening of Highway 133 will improve accessibility to Blair by commuters and will be
instrumental in leading development to the Blair Airport.
• Interest in Blair from big box retailers will allow the city to retain some local purchasing power and the
sales tax revenues that come with it. This type of development will also spur innovation in the local
retail market with respect to improvements in store quality, customer service, etc., and will add jobs to
the local economy needed to support large retail operations.
THREATS:
• Blair's job market and local economy are diverse, but are anchored by some large employers, and the
closure or relocation of any of those firms could have significant negative effects on the local
economy.
• The Nebraska Legislature has historically limited local flexibility in offering tax and financial incentives
to new and existing business.
• Regional and national economic conditions are currently threatening the viability of businesses of all
sizes.
• Local retail ventures are risky due to the pull of the Omaha retail market and its close proximity to
Blair. New businesses in Omaha (particularly hospitals) will continue to pull workforce from Blair
• Current economic conditions threaten the long -term solvency of Dana College. As a private
institution, enrollment numbers depend on students' ability to pay a higher tuition and the college's
budget is impacted negatively when donations and major giving are reduced. The threat of Dana
downsizing or closing is significant as the 500 students there contribute to the local retail economy as
consumers and as employees. The city is restricted in how it can assist the college due to its unique
financial needs, and can only help in non - financial ways at this point.
• The lack of financing mechanism s for Blair to develop its airport will continue to limit growth of that
amenity and will cause some businesses to look elsewhere.
• Regional air quality regulations and pending federal legislation could tighten standards for air quality,
bringing higher costs for compliance to local governments and large businesses.
• The city has historically encountered a difficult regulatory environment when dealing with federal
officials, particularly in the Army Corps of Engineers, which has added costs and time delays to public
infrastructure and economic development projects.
IV. Goals, Strategies, and Plan of Action
After development of a mission statement and identification of assets and issues relative to economic
development in Blair, the city has established a clear understanding of local conditions and public desires
that can shape short -range development policy in the community. Based on these findings, the strategic
planning committee has developed a set of economic development goals and strategies. There are six
goals below which will aid the City to either capitalize on an opportunity or mitigate against potential
economic threats. For each goal, a series of strategies and action items are presented, along with an
implementation timeframe and identification of parties responsible for completion of relevant action items.
Goal 1. Improve local transportation system.
Strategy A. Continue implementation of the Blair Trails system.
Implementation Timeframe: Ongoing
Responsible Parties: Blair City Council, Parks and Recreation Department
Desired Outcomes: Completion of the local trails system.
Strategy B. Implement airport improvements and expansion
Implementation Timeframe: 3 years
Responsible Parties: Blair Airport Authority
Desired Outcomes: Additional runway and hangar capacity, appeal to local companies currently
using Eppley and Millard airports.
Strategy C. Complete Blair bypass proiect.
Implementation Timeframe: Phase 1- 5 years
Responsible Parties: Blair City Council, Public Works Department
Desired Outcomes: Reduction of heavy truck traffic on Main Street, Improvements in traffic flow
and access to industrial sites.
Strategy D. Facilitate completion of Hwy 133 improvements.
Implementation Timeframe: Ongoing
Responsible Parties: Blair City Council, Washington County Supervisors, NE Department of
Roads, Gateway Development Corporation.
Desired Outcomes: Modernization of key commuter route to and from Omaha, higher degree of
safety during peak travel hours.
Strategy E. Explore opportunities to capitalize on planned Union Pacific track Expansion.
Implementation Timeframe: 5 years
Responsible Parties: Blair City Council, Gateway Development Corporation.
Desired Outcomes: Identification of land that could be used for rail- served industry.
Goal 2. Attract & retain businesses that provide high quality jobs that match skills of local
workforce and needs of local businesses.
Strategy A Recruit employees to fill gaps in local workforce particularly in nursing welding, and truck
driving professions.
Implementation Timeframe: 1 year /ongoing
Responsible Parties: Gateway, Blair Chamber, Local Businesses
Desired Outcomes: Reduction in shortage of employees.
Strateav B. Work with area colleqes, particula Dana College and Metropolitan Community College, to
provide iob training opportunities and re- training opportunities that will keep local workers in quality iobs in
the community.
Implementation Timeframe: 1 year /ongoing
Responsible Parties: Gateway, Blair Chamber, Dana College, Metropolitan Community College,
Local Businesses
Desired Outcomes: Higher quality of local workforce, better jobs available for local workers.
Strategy C Work with Dana College to identify opportunities for graduates to get lobs and stay in Blair.
Implementation Timeframe: 1 year /ongoing
Responsible Parties: Gateway, City of Blair, Blair Chamber
Desired Outcomes: Growth in local tax base and job market, diversification of local economy.
Goal 3. Increase quality & availability of housing at all price levels.
Strateav A. Increase the aualitv and number of ent -level homes (priced below $150K) available for new
homebuyers.
Implementation Timeframe: 1 year /ongoing
Responsible Parties: Local housing developers, City of Blair
Desired Outcomes: Increase in homeownership among Blair residents, more new families living
in Blair, higher quality housing stock.
Strateav B. Encourage repair of existinq hous stock through offering of incentives for homeowners and
landlords.
Implementation Timeframe: 3 years
Responsible Parties: Blair landlords, homeowners, City of Blair
Desired Outcomes: Creation of financial incentives for property repairs, higher quality housing
stock.
Strateav C. Increase the auantitv of mid- to- highp riced homes ($250- $400K) in Blair in order to keep more
professionals who work in Blair in the community as residents.
Implementation Timeframe: 3 years
Responsible Parties: Local housing developers, City of Blair
Desired Outcomes: Higher number of local professionals living in Blair, diversification of choice in
Blair housing stock.
Goal 4. Increase readiness of identified development sites.
Strateav A Continue to work with Property owners lenders and developers to maintain information on
availability and price of vacant land and buildings in and around Blair.
Implementation Timeframe: 1 year /ongoing
Responsible Parties: Gateway, City of Blair, Blair Chamber
Desired Outcomes: Knowledge of resources needed to overcome property acquisition obstacles
associated with local development.
Strateav B Complete site development plans for known potential development sites.
Implementation Timeframe: 6 months
Responsible Parties: Gateway
Desired Outcomes: Clear identification of infrastructure and development needs for anticipated
development sites.
Strategy C Implement site development plans for the Blair North and Blair South Industrial Parks.
Implementation Timeframe: 3 to 5 years
Responsible Parties: Gateway, City of Blair, local developers
Desired Outcomes: Growth in local tax base and job market, diversification of local economy,
availability of land for new business development.
Strategy D Pursue partnership with Fort Calhoun and Washington County to provide infrastructure
between communities east of Highway 75.
Implementation Timeframe: 1 year
Responsible Parties: Gateway, City of Blair, City of Fort Calhoun, Washington County
Desired Outcomes: Identification of infrastructure needs for large -scale development areas
benefitting all stakeholders.
Strategy E Work to secure necessary financial resources for City or Gateway Development Corp. to
obtain purchase options on potential development sites.
Implementation Timeframe: 3 years
Responsible Parties: Gateway Development Corp.
Desired Outcomes: Get funds in place to secure desirable land for future development.
Strategy F Work with property owners to obtain first right of refusal for future purchases of sites identified
for development.
Implementation Timeframe: 1 year
Responsible Parties: Gateway Development Corp.
Desired Outcomes: Increase in local control over development of preferred sites to community.
Strategy G Explore use of LB840 receipts for implementation of economic development strategies
following satisfaction of current obligations.
Implementation Timeframe: 5 years
Responsible Parties: Gateway, City of Blair,
Desired Outcomes: More flexibility in offering of incentives to spur new business development
and existing business expansion.
Goal 5. Support diversification of local business climate.
Strategv A Recruit additional businesses in the industry sectors of technology and agri- business to Blair.
Implementation Timeframe: 1 year /ongoing
Responsible Parties: Gateway, City of Blair, Blair Chamber
Desired Outcomes: Growth in local tax base and job market, diversification of local economy.
Strategy B Encourage firms with operations in Blair to consider location of administrative headquarters in
the City.
Implementation Timeframe: 1 year /ongoing
Responsible Parties: Gateway, City of Blair, Blair Chamber
Desired Outcomes: Addition of high - quality local jobs, stronger corporate presence for local
businesses.
Strateg y C Ericoura. a construction of a new hotel that includes space for small conventions and
meetings.
Implementation Timeframe: 3 Years
Responsible Parties: Private business, developer
Desired Outcomes: Additional amenities for new and existing businesses.
Goal 6. Continue to support quality of life initiatives.
_Strategy A Maintain relationship with Dana College and assist where possible.
Implementation Timeframe: Ongoing
Responsible Parties: All city officials, Gateway
Desired Outcomes: Dana College continues successful operation in Blair, maintaining a student
population and local jobs.
Strategv B Continue growth and development policies that maintain managed population growth.
Implementation Timeframe: Ongoing
Responsible Parties: Blair Planning and Zoning Commission, City Council
Desired Outcomes: Compact, contiguous development, continued availability of land for
systematic growth.
Strategy C Continue commitment to provision of quality parks and recreation opportunities.
Implementation Timeframe: Ongoing
Responsible Parties: Blair Parks and Recreation Board, City staff, service organizations, park
users.
Desired Outcomes: Higher quality of life for residents, availability of local recreation options.
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