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Home My WebLink AboutCouncil Packet - 11/12/2019Council Work Session November 18, 2019 Time indicated below Harold E. Getty Council Chambers Roll Call. Approval of Agenda, as proposed or amended. 4:05 p.m. Update from Grow Cedar Valley. Submitted By: Noel Anderson, Community Planning & Development Director Approx. Bus route restructuring update from Metropolitan Transit and 4:25 p.m. INRCOG. Submitted By: Noel Anderson, Community Planning and Development Director ADJOURNMENT Kelley F elchle City Clerk CITY OF WATERLOO Council Communication Update from Grow Cedar Valley. City Council Meeting: 11/18/2019 Prepared: 11/13/2019 REVIEWERS: Department Reviewer Action Planning (3r. Zoning Ircilehle, Kelley Approved ATTACHMENTS: Description Type D tuna on Backup Matotial SUBJECT: Submitted by: Recommended Action: Summary Statement: Expenditure Required: Source of Funds: Policy Issue: Afremative: Background Information: Update from Grow Cedar Valley. Date 11/13/2019 12:55 PM Submitted By: Noel Anderson, Community Planning & Development Director Waterloo City Council Work Session —November 18, 2019 CaryDanah CEO UsaSkuba| Vice President, Economic Development Will Frost Director of Talent Development Wes James President TechWorks Campus Bryan Earnest Grow Cedar Valley, Board Chair 1. [lDeOiOg Remarks 2. External Marketing & Business Growth 3. Talent Initiatives Zi. TeChWOrks C@[DDUS 5. Closing ReOO8[kS 3h0Westfield Ave, Suite200 Waterloo, LA5O7O1*Ph: (319)232,ll50+Fax: (319)233-458O I C:ol munity 7 ' r City Council Summary For the Period: June 2019 — November 2019 Mission: Elevate the economic vitality of our businesses and communities Grow Cedar Valley 360 Westfield Ave, Suite 200 Waterloo, IA 50701 319/232.1156 Cary Darrah, CEO cary@growcedarvalley.com www.growcedarvalley.com November 18, 2019 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESULTS A fundamental part of economic development work is to attract new businesses and support existing business to diversify the economy and reduce the region's vulnerability. Grow Cedar Valley works very closely with the City's economic development staff and many other public and private partners with these collaborative efforts. ► Completed Projects 1(I LSB/LSBX ) SAVINGS BANK Since the beginning of the year Lincoln Savings Bank has been looking for space to accommo- date growth of their LSBX and LSB opertaion now and in the future. Grow Cedar Valley assisted by helping the Cedar Valley TechWorks, City of Waterloo and TechWorks Board prepare and present a proposal to the company in May. Subsequently, Grow Cedar Valley has supported the City and Company to qualify for Iowa Eco- nomic Development Authority incentives through the State's High -Quality Jobs Program for their LSBX business unit. LSBX, a new line of business launched in 2014, positions LSB as a "bank of record" for FinTech companies, adding more than 2 million custom- ers across the United States. ► Opportunities/Projects TRANSPORT, INC. Warren Transport For several years Warren Transport has discussed consolidating multiple office locations and operations in one location. The company is planning to purchase a site at the end of 2019 to build a 39,600/sf and capital investment of $8.85 million dollars in the City of Waterloo. Warren Transport officials asked Grow Cedar Valley for help to identify any additional sites they didn't discover on their own to ensure the site they picked in the Cedar Valley best met their needs. That information validated the best site was one they already were considering along U.S. Highway 63 near Highway 20. Subsequently, Grow Cedar Valley assisted the company and City of Waterloo staff with qualifying for an application to Iowa Economic Development Authority's High -Quality Jobs Program that will go before IEDA's board on Friday, November 22, 2019. A fundamental part of economic development work is to attract new businesses and support existing business to diversify the economy and reduce the region's vulnerability. Grow Cedar Valley works very closely with the City's economic development staff and many other public and private partners with these collaborative efforts. 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 New Projects Since May. `19 Capital Investment Total Active Projects Job Potential Prospect Proposals/ Info sent to leads (does not represent multiple communications) External Projects Existing Projects New includes those not active) $283.85M 264 7 2 Total Active $300M 900 26 3 Note: Jobs and Capital Investment won't correlate; some projects don't provide both or either figure. Information available depends on the project's stage; some projects are more advanced than others. ► Marketing U.S. Lead Generation Campaign 5 Foreign Direct Investment Meetings/ Leads Select USA Trade Show 9 Meetings Atlanta Site Selection Consultants 3 New domestic leads Material for both Call Trips to Site Selectors included industrial and office space in Waterloo along with material on Waterloo's Certified Industrial Park. Consultants are being reached out to regularly throughout the year on market conditions changes or tax laws that affect doing business in Iowa and the communities. ► Existing Business Services to Waterloo Companies 8 Responses to Assistance Request Requests include workforce, incentives, land, city services, project assistance and referral assistance. 9 Business Visits These visits include discussion on expansion/ retention and/or barriers such as workforce. Grow Cedar Valley & Iowa Works Collaborating on OCWEN Closure Through Grow Cedar Valley's Business and Retention Program, we continued to support local leadership and employees with a connecting job opportunities in the Cedar Valley in coordination with Iowa Workforce officials. OCWEN ► Entrepreneurship Grow Cedar Valley is a founding sponsor of Red Cedar. Red Cedar is currently working on the structure of the Regional Innovation network that can support entrepreneurship and early stage companies. Grow Cedar Valley is a member of the planning committee for Cedar Valley Startup Week. The 2019 Startup Week was the first annual weeklong series of events in October that brought 235 innovators and founders together to learn and explore at locations in Waterloo and Cedar Falls. The week was hosted in partnership with Hawkeye Community College, Red Cedar, Cedar Valley TechWorks, University of Northern Iowa, and Grow Cedar Valley. Cedar Valley TM t d Dh�' Learn more and see recap pictures and videos at www.cvstartupweek.com ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESULTS CONTD. ► Airport Advocacy Grow Cedar Valley Air Service Working Group's goal is to assist the City of Waterloo and the Waterloo Airport Board to maximize the economic benefit of the Waterloo Regional Airport for the Cedar Valley. The working group's primary goal is to facilitate improvements in commercial air service at the Airport. Group members include private and public partners from across the Cedar Valley who have a strong interest in further growing and developing the Waterloo Regional Airport. The Air Service working group supported the Director's retention of an air service consultant including a visit with American Airlines to strengthen the relationship. The workgroup created a funding stream for raising money through CFNEIA to sustain the airline consultant's contract. This included working group members meeting with local leaders for contribution into the fund. In addition, a volunteer from the task force attended the Take -off Air Service Development Conference on October 28-29 with the consultant and had seven introductory meetings with airlines. In collaboration with the Airport Director and his Board, the Grow Cedar Valley Air Service Working group administered a survey of airport users to gauge interest and preferences for local air service. This information will be helpful in directing focus for the group. Below is a summary: ► 1,100 responses ► 92.3% of respondents indicated if there was improved passenger air service (destinations, time of flights, etc.) at the Waterloo Regional Airport, they would increase their travel from Waterloo. ► 64.2% indicated a western or southern connection would increase their likelihood of using the Waterloo Regional Airport over other airports. ► 56.1% believe the flight opportunities offered by ALO are of a high (4/5 rating) or very high (5/5 rating) importance to them personally or to their business. TALENT & RECRUITMENT Live the Valley Live the Valley is a talent attraction and retention initiative that celebrates and promotes the opportunities to live, work and thrive in the Cedar Valley of Iowa. Content continues to be created about life in the Cedar Valley and has been shared with over 1.5 million people. tt My job includes recruiting candidates from outside of Iowa. I like to share Live the Valley to highlight what it's like to live here, and some of the fantastic things about our region. The website and marketing materials have been very helpful in supporting our efforts and successfully relocating talented individuals to the Valley. I love being able to share what's great about living here! )) - Kyle Roed, CPM Roskamp Live the Valley We can't wait! Can you?! Ali #LiveTheValley hrt1las,//1ivethevafley.cCarr/Bost-inland-plaeerriny tRrk`sr.ailcd-TfDCY.. rntlllr;Sn-11ra,rrra,-park in the -cedar -valley/ 11111111,1,1,111111111111111111 LNP::'1`I 41IIVALL..CS'r',(;C}M Lost Island planning to build $100 million theme park in the Cedar Valley - Live The... a 208 Like 33 Comments 760 Shares ems. ^. CT) Comment 7> Share TALENT & RECRUITMENT CONTD. Since the launch of the Live the Valley Job Board Updates in December '18, over 750 job leads have been identified and the majority of those are from outside of the Cedar Valley. A research study conducted by PDI this year found that Job Opportunities are the main factor for relocation 85% of the time. They also found that Iowa has a perceived lack of job opportunities and is often overlooked, making it even more important to share the jobs in the Cedar Valley and create regular touch points with job candidate leads. From June — October 2019, a total of 598 jobs were posted to the Live the Valley Job Board with 178 of those from companies in Waterloo. ' The Iowan Project Grow Cedar Valley partnered with the Iowan Project* and participated at a Minneapolis Meetup in May and a Denver, Colorado Meetup in October. At the October meetup Grow Cedar Valley debute a virtual reality video which featured Waterloo's Amplitheatre, Single Speed Brewing and Lost Island Waterpark. The meetups are a great opportunity for Grow Cedar Valley to connect with fellow Iowans about technology careers, quality of life, cost of living and education in Waterloo and the Cedar Valley. *The Iowa Project is an initative of Technology Association of Iowa (TAI), Iowa Economic Devleopment Authority and other economic develoment organiztion in Iowa. WORKFORCE GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT 010.. Economic Inclusion The Economic Inclusion (El) Partnership's (committee of Grow Cedar Valley) focus is to empower employers with best practices for inclusiveness to strengthen and diversify the workforce. Economic Inclusion that celebrates diversity to shape an environment that is open and accessible to anyone who wishes to participate in the local economy. uu . Economic Inclusion Conference Over 200 Cedar Valley employers, educators, and community members attended the second annual Economic Inclusion joint conference between the University of Northern Iowa and Grow Cedar Valley. Keynote speaker Joe Gerstandt, national consultant and author, challenged attendees to create an inclusive Cedar Valley, which has sparked ongoing conversations with inclusion champions in the Cedar Valley. 00110 Cedar Valley Employer Toolkit An online resource for employers on best practices for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The current toolkit is being reworked to better help businesses in the Cedar Valley attract and retain talent. The updated toolkit will include information on training, recruiting/retention, salary data, and economic inclusion best practices. This toolkit is intended to be an extension of a company's humsan resource team. Ec• 1111ic INCLUSION Grow Cedar Valley WORKFORCE GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT CONTD. Women in Leadership This year Grow Cedar Valley hosted the Cedar Valley's first annual Leadercast Women simulcast with over 200 attendees. This event featured a cast of all -female speakers sharing inspiration and stories of courage and leaderhship, included a live keynote address from Georgia Van Gundy. Grow Cedar Valley will be working on convening a group of female leaders to focus on bringing additional development and networking opportunities for professional women in Waterloo and the Cedar Valley. Local Collaborations & Partnerships Le de ea t a*Tida Pik1, ug Center,Cedar Falls /1/rF%srIVIMPIAMP Ului° UNI & Wartburg Career Fairs: Grow Cedar Valley attends these events to speak with students about employment opportunities in Waterloo and the Cedar Valley post -graduation. Ullum EMBARC: Grow Cedar Valley has partnered with EMBARC to provide training to newcomer communities regarding the skills needed to be hired and succeed in their jobs, understand the work culture, expectations and prepare for job interviews. The partnerhsip will also provide education to businesses on how to tap into newcomer communities when recruiting new hires as well as cultural competency training. One Cedar Valley Getting to Work In partnership with IowaWorks, the University of Northern Iowa, Child Care Resources, the cities of Waterloo and Cedar Falls and many other organizations, Grow Cedar Valley is helping to create a multifaceted method to address our workforce barriers. This includes providing eligible unemployed and underemployed people with job and life skill training to secure and maintain new employment providing employers with new pools to pull talent. ADDED BENEFITS ► Events Attended by City Reps Good Morning Cedar Valley — June & September Business After Hours — September Economic Inclusion Conference - October Leadercast Women - November ► Other Services to the City Ribbon Cuttings for Waterloo businesses Jobs posted by the City of Waterloo on the Grow Cedar Valley job board (over the last 12 months), with 946 direct views Times the City's directory listing was accessed on the Grow Cedar Valley website (over the last 12 months) GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & ADVOCACY Grow Cedar Valley staff attends City of Waterloo Council Meetings on a regular basis. When warranted, Grow Cedar Valley representatives have spoken in support of various economic and community development projects that are beneficial to the economic growth and the business community in Waterloo. Here are just a few examples over the past few months: t Affairs I Lost Island Theme Park - $1O0M Investment Anticipating some potential resistance to this project, Grow Cedar Valley attended and spoke in support of the project and asked members of the Grow Cedar Valley Executive Committee to also attend in support. Additionally, Grow Cedar Valley proactively notified John Deere executives about the project and its potential economic impact. As the largest employer in the area, their support is very valuable. As a direct result of our request, the local John Deere General Manager spoke in support of the project at a city counicl meeting. I%° Ban the Box Grow Cedar Valley proactively informed our state representatives about Waterloo's "Ban the Box" proposal to open the larger discussion of a statewide proposal. Grow Cedar Valley representatives also actively participated in committees to ensure the wording of the proposal represented viable ordinances for the business community. Grow Cedar Valley communicated the importance of supporting Ban the Box to the business community through our e-newsletter. /, Recent Events ,, Upcoming Events 2 Friday Forums Pre -Session Legislative Reception: Thursday, December 10 TECHWORHS CAMPUS Lincoln Savings Bank Successfully secured a commitment of LSB and their business unit LSBX to purchase/condo out the top three floors of Tech - Works. To make it financially feasible for the company to invest in the build -out of 75,000/sf, the Cedar Valley TechWorks board agreed to "gift" the top three floors to LSB/LSBX. The City of Waterloo also made a significant investment to make this project happen and that collaboration will continue with re -development along this corridor in downtown Waterloo. ANNO 0F 1ST !h'11}lt�oou Project is expected to take all of 2020 to build out the necessary floors including lobby, roof, window, tuckpointing and parking lot improvements along with the interior 3rd floor improvements. brick Doi Iowa Economic Development Authority CIEDA) IEDA has contracted with Curtis Burnett, LLC to speakhead a project to develop recommendations for the TechWorks Campus - project started Januualy '19, completion in early 2020. CITY OF WATERLOO Council Communication Bus route restructuring update from Metropolitan Transit and INRCOG. City Council Meeting: 11/18/2019 Prepared: 11/13/2019 REVIEWERS: Department Reviewer Action Date CVerk Office Felchle, Kelley Approved 11/13/2019 1:06 P M SUBJECT: Submitted by: Recommended Action: Summary Statement: Expenditure Required: Source of Funds: Policy Issue: Alternative: Background Information: Bus route restructuring update from Metropolitan Transit and INRCOG. Submitted By: Noel Anderson, Community Planning and Development Director