Clearwater takes action to spur business growth

Via TBNWeekly.com

The Clearwater City Council has set aside $100,123 to fund a plan that has much potential for economic development in the city.

Despite the costs involved, the council needs to take such steps to lay the groundwork to improve the business climate in the city.

Along those lines, an economic development specialist will be hired at a cost of $52,746 to conduct research, support business retention and expansion efforts and implement other aspects of the plan.

The plan prepared by TIP Strategies Inc., a Texas consulting firm, envisions an employment center overlay district, a technology district in the Cleveland Street corridor and medical overlay district near Morton Plant Hospital.

The idea is to accomplish the goals through business friendly initiatives, a formal incentive policy and a business retention and expansion program as well as using tourism marketing to create business opportunities.

Such goals mirror some of the recommendations in the Clearwater Business Task Force’s final report, issued in August.

During its review, the task force found that the city’s process is viewed by the general public and business community as too complicated, time-consuming and expensive.

The task force recommended that the city should adopt a culture of becoming “customer-centric,” requiring that services be designed around customers’ needs. The city should have a proactive strategy if it wishes to be recognized as the premier place to do business in the Tampa Bay region among surrounding municipalities that have adopted more user-friendly codes and services, the task force said.

City of Largo officials also have embraced more business-friendly practices, and officials say they are hearing positive comments from the business community, after years of hearing complaints.

Certainly, improving business opportunities in any city takes time, especially in a sputtering economy. A multi-faceted approach, looking at the array of city community development services and regulation, often is needed.

But if Clearwater officials continue to make economic development and business-friendly incentives a priority, they should see results. The costs to achieve the necessary goals may raise eyebrows, but major changes in communities often require a solid commitment – from the pocketbooks as well as the lips.

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