Economic Development, Dog Issues, Rune Stone on NK Council's Agenda Monday

The North Kingstown Town Council tonight will is holding a special meeting to discuss the future of the town’s economic development efforts, the Narragansett Rune Stone and other issues.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Beechwood Senior Center at 44 Beach Street.

The discussion about economic development is to “determine key functions for our Economic Development Staff,” said Town Councilwoman Ellen Waxman.

Waxman posted the following list of topic points on the Our Town: North Kingstown Facebook page:

INFORMATION ‐ maintain a data base of demographic and economic information
- maintain data bases of zoning, taxes, incentives, utilities, transportation, community services...
- maintain data base of commercial and industrial sites
- maintain inventory of public buildings and sites available for development
- improve access to information on economic development at Town’s web site, with links to the data bases

ASSISTANCE ‐ help businesses and investors find local information and resources and navigate the necessary processes
- assist businesses on project planning
- assist businesses with local and state permitting process
- provide information on available space and data for business development, on request
- respond to requests for information on zoning, taxes, utilities, demographics...
- provide guidance and information to individuals and companies to establish, relocate, expand businesses
- assist potential clients with site analysis
- connect businesses to local and state resources that partner with the town to help businesses locate, innovate, grow, skill‐up workforce, finance investment, export
- provide mentoring, training, information for budding entrepreneurs, start ups and expanding companies

PROMOTION ‐ market North Kingstown as a place to do business, visit, and live in, with emphasis on attracting investment
- market and advertise the town to businesses, brokers, other – local, regional, beyond
- develop and implement strategies for business attraction and retention
- recruit business and development prospects
- match available properties with interested investors and developers
- work with organizations with an interest in economic development
- liaise with public, private, and non‐profit organizations as a catalyst for business attraction, creation, expansion, retention activities
- install visitor information kiosks, designate and sign scenic and historic sites

REGULATIONS - maintain a continuous effort to update and simplify the Town’s code of ordinances
- identify and address regulatory barriers to growth and competitiveness
- ensure regulations are consistent with, and support, the Town’s current economic development policies & objectives (e.g. transportation, housing, workforce, retail mix, tourism, harbor access, leisure spaces)
- revise the Town’s zoning ordinance as needed

REGULATORY PROCESSES ‐ develop clear, predictable, and cost‐effective processes to apply the Town’s code of ordinances
- streamline zoning and review process for greater predictability
- identify other processes that can be improved to reduce development timeline and cost
- develop regulatory guidance material
- Town departments work together to ensure project progress

INCENTIVES ‐ provide fiscal and other support if needed to encourage economic development in priority directions
- develop and implement a policy for fiscal incentives, such as tax increment financing (TIF) and business improvement districts (BID)
- identify opportunities for public/private partnerships (PPP) to use Town‐owned land or buildings

PLANNING AND MONITORING ‐ develop and maintain the Town’s economic development program and plans, and monitor progress
- develop and maintain a strategy and program for economic development, including long‐ and short‐term plans and specific opportunities and initatives
- design and conduct analytics to inform economic development decisions (eg market, traffic, parking)
- follow up on recommendations from studies and public consultations (eg NK Community Market Study, Better Living by Design, Wickford Walking Workshop)
- evaluate the competitiveness of NK relative to other towns and identify key factors to be addressed
- create and regularly apply metrics to assess and monitor progress of economic development
- prepare economic development section of the NK Comprehensive Plan
- track and monitor implementation of the NK economic development plan
- secure funding for programs and projects, including applying for state and federal grants
- staff the EDAB (Economic Development Advisory Board) and WEDAB (Wickford Economic Development Advisory Board)

OUTREACH ‐ maintain strong relations with the business community, government agencies, the media, and the public at large
- provide a single point of contact and focus for the Town on economic development matters
- stay informed of municipal economic development trends and good practices in RI and countrywide
- maintain strong relationships among the business community, school department, public, media
- encourage workforce education and training
- represent the Town in public hearings, community meetings, conferences
- coordinate with neighboring towns, state and federal agencies
- work with QDC to expand connections and synergies
- monitor and handle legislative issues