Date
Monday, July 14, 2014
From
Denyse Morrissey, Chief Administrative Officer
Subject
Meaford Economic Development Strategy Review and Update
Report No. CAO2014-06
Roll No. N/A
Recommendation That Committee of the Whole recommend Council of the Municipality of Meaford: 1) Approve that the pillars of the Meaford Economic Development Plan be revised to three pillars: Tourism, Retail and Agribusiness; 2) Approve that the priority focus for the Municipality of Meaford’s economic efforts for the next three years be within the tourism and agribusiness pillars; 3) Approve that staff, in consultation with the Farmers’ Market, review the feasibility of a year-round Farmers’ Market to support and promote the Municipality of Meaford’s agribusiness and tourism sector; 4) Approve that the capital and infrastructure projects outlined within the approved Harbour Village concept, totaling approximately $4.6 million of the Waterfront Strategy & Master Plan, June 2014 be prioritized and applicable funding be recommended for the consideration of Council starting in 2015 and future annual budgets; 5) Approve that staff review the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) funding available through the Green Municipal Fund Brownfields funding (site remediation or risk management) for public and private lands within the designated waterfront lands, and draft an application for future Council consideration; 6) Approve that $5,000 of the $50,000 from the new discretionary reserve fund for economic development be utilized to enhance horticulture and beautification in the downtown historic core by midAugust 2014; 7) Approve that $8,000 of the $50,000 from the new discretionary reserve fund for economic development be utilized for benches to improve the public realm services in the downtown historic core by mid-August 2014; Report CAO2014-006
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8) Approve that $15,000 of the $50,000 from the new discretionary reserve fund for economic development be utilized to improve the landscape and other features at Irish Mountain Lookout by end of October 2014; and 9) Enact a by-law to adopt the terms of reference for the Economic Development Liaison Group.
Financial Impact The three recommended projects represent allocating $28,000 of the $50,000 from the new discretionary capital reserve fund established for economic development on June 9, 2014.
Background Economic Development is not a legislated program or mandatory activity for the Municipality of Meaford. Like Meaford, many Ontario and Canadian municipalities have identified economic development as a priority. Promoting economic growth, prosperity and sustainability is critical to ensuring strategic approaches to attract investment, both locally and regionally, diversify the local economy, and grow local assessment through additional tax revenue. Economic development is also a key strategic objective of Grey County which is the fourth largest county in Ontario, covering an area of 4,513.21 square kilometers and is home to 92, 568 residents. Grey County has also recently approved an initiative to develop a focused, contemporary and relevant economic development strategy. Meaford Economic Development Strategy (MEDS) The opportunity to review the scope of the 2010 Meaford Economic Development Strategy (MEDS) including the four existing pillars of MEDS, was identified as being both strategic and beneficial in order provide a more defined one to three year focus for the Municipality of Meaford’s economic development efforts. Overall, the mission of MEDS is to:
Develop specific strategies for growing the economic strength and resilience of the Municipality of Meaford Develop a stronger economic environment in general, and larger and more diversified tax base Increase the revenue of the Municipality by growing the tax base (ie the number of residences/businesses paying municipal taxes)
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Increase non-tax revenues, thereby reducing the overall subsidy burden on all tax payers
In order to achieve the overall strategic objectives of MEDS, Council and the Municipality of Meaford committed to three broad strategies: 1. Council and management will actively lead, facilitate and enable economic development in Meaford; 2. The Municipality will provide leadership and services to encourage and support people wishing to expand their business or bring a new business to Meaford; 3. The Municipality will focus its economic development resources on four strategic business sectors (identified in MEDS as Agri-business, tourism, retail and green business). MEDS “Refresh” A prioritization of the strategies within MEDS considered:
The MEDS strategy of February 2010 indentified a wide range of actions, strategies and deliverable as well as minor and major projects The four pillars of MEDS - Tourism, Retail, Agribusiness, and Green Business The objective for this ‘refresh’ is to develop a more focused approach for our priorities, goals, actions and deliverables for the next 1-3 years To determine what we should be putting on our ‘economic development plate’ and which pillars should be our focus for the next 1-3 years Recognition that Ontario’s city and urban populations are continuing to explode while rural populations are shrinking: key is surviving, responding and adapting
It was critical to staff that the next one to three year plans, goals and objectives needed be achievable, deliverable, action oriented, affordable and appropriately funded, practical yet still be visionary, innovative, and entrepreneurial. Moving economic development forward in a results-oriented manner would also need to address and minimize the scope of negative thinking or resistance to change. This would better enable a culture of innovation and some managed risk taking. It is also essential to learn from the successes (and failures) as well as best practices in other communities to better achieve increased growth in Meaford.
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As part of the MEDS review, stakeholder consultation was completed in 2013. The September 2013 agenda for the MEDS community sessions included the following discussion questions: 1. What are we doing well? 2. What activities/strategies can we expand on in the Municipality? 3. What do we need to re-evaluate - e.g. Is our Brand still relevant? The ‘Green Business’ Pillar? 4. Quick Wins for the Municipality - for the next 3, 6, and 12 months? The input from the September 2013 working sessions is summarized in Appendix 1 and were grouped into the following headings: Recreation and Outdoor Leisure, Arts and Culture, Agriculture & Local Foods, Scenery and Landscape, Community Spirit and Volunteers, Education and Health Care, and General. MEDS Refresh Question 1: What are we doing well? Overall, significant input which was provided which reinforced that the Municipality of Meaford is a wonderful community to live, work and a strategic place to invest. Meaford is a collection of historic villages and communities including Woodford, Bognor, Rockford, Annan and Leith. “The Municipality of Meaford is a fascinating, four-season destination that has it all: great live theatre and concerts, fresh local food, unique shopping, nature at your doorstep, a beautiful waterfront and so much more. The quaint and charming historic downtown district features Meaford Hall – a restored 300 seat theatre, concert and cinema venue, plus distinctive boutiques, eclectic eateries and services of all kinds. Just a few minutes away, you’ll find acres of rolling countryside, charming historic villages, sandy beaches and unspoiled natural areas.” (Welcome to Meaford, Municipal Tourism Website and See & Do Guide 2014) The stakeholder sessions and other consultation reinforced that Meaford offers:
Spectacular landscapes and vistas Waterfront community with harbour and marina Public beaches, trails and parks Recreation and Leisure opportunities Great community events and a community with spirit Strong volunteer network
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Friendly community Arts and culture experience and facilities Hospital and health care services Agriculture and farming Farmer’s Market Authentic ‘Small Town’ and community feel Dog Friendly community Historic and character downtown Within 2 hour drive of Toronto/GTA and other major Ontario markets
MEDS Refresh Question 2: What activities/strategies can we expand on in the Municipality? In addition to what is being well done in the Municipality of Meaford, a range of opportunities for improvement were identified. These included:
Expanded accommodations, including a hotel in urban Meaford Make Meaford a cultural destination, and develop local heroes profiles Greater emphasis on local food, and Meaford Farmers’ Market Enhance beautification and larger investment annually throughout the Municipality and especially in the downtown core to “stop drive through” character of Meaford Develop ways to reduce the seasonality of business in Meaford and review successes in other communities Better recognize the nodes of business that exist throughout the Municipality (ie Rockford). Increase the involvement of entrepreneurs and business community by creating an advisory group on economic development Develop and support initiatives to achieve a more vibrant downtown core, including business hours of operation, and encouraging people to shop local. Profile Meaford as a wonderful place to choose to live in the Georgian Bay region– affordable and quality of life Lower taxes Support efforts to bring accessible and affordable internet to the area as key to new business, including working from home Increase communication and marketing of Meaford’s recreation and outdoor leisure opportunities for visitors and the community Enhanced community recreation programs for people of all ages
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MEDS Refresh Question 3: What do we need to re-evaluate - e.g. Is our Brand still relevant? The ‘Green Business’ Pillar? Two parts were asked within Question Three, is our Brand still relevant, and is the ‘Green Business Pillar’ still relevant. Brand discussion indicated that there is a need to re-evaluate the brand. Some of the comments are included:
Increase public involvement – consider options “The other big apple” not well liked or relevant and controversial, “Meaford” being Meaford, no need for tag line Rebrand “the other big apple” – future growth, we are more than apples Narrow the focus and reevaluate the alignment of strategic partners relating to tourism What are we known for? What do we want to be known for? Do we need a brand? Is “Meaford” simply the brand? Is there a tag line required?
The feedback indicated that a stand-alone Green Pillar should be reconsidered and it could be incorporated as a function of the three other existing pillars.
Green business - relevance of pillar: o need to better define and continuing education if going to retain o not relevant and hard to define, o Which green to focus on? being environmentally responsible? Reevaluate pillar in MEDS – too broad Reevaluate the green business pillars - reposition, broader than green (healthy place to be) Just go green internally Green pillar should not stand alone
The Green Pillar also seemed to be not well understood or defined and was creating confusion. It is for this reason that it is recommended that the Green Pillar be eliminated and MEDS be adjusted to three pillars. MEDS Refresh Question 4: Quick Wins for the Municipality - for the next 3, 6, and 12 months? Some of the recommendations and input is summarized below:
Four season tourism to generate business in shoulder and low season – raise sales from local residents and “shop local”. Accommodation/waterfront - needed Hospitality and food services – more places to eat needed (like Thornbury)
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Establish year round farmers’ market Align with real estate community directly Create an economic development advisory committee or group that comes up with an implementation plan with timelines and priorities Build strategic partnership with RT07 and County Communication – website needs immediate improvements Broadband – key priority being led by the County of Grey Wireless high-speed internet - provide free Beautify downtown – benches, painting, adding seating Beautification enhancement of key outlying areas not just urban core. New brochures and promotional resources for Municipality Facility /parks signage to enhance current initiatives Expand services to the local community halls i.e. Library programs More community recreation programs and activities
Priority Pillars Agribusiness and Tourism Pillars – The Direct Link The agribusiness and tourism sectors of Meaford are important to the local economy. The connection between agribusiness and tourism is significant. Having programs to leverage tourism traffic through agri-tourism is an opportunity for the Municipality of Meaford. According to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, “Restoring Canadian Tourism – A Discussion Paper” (updated July 2013): o In 2012, The Canadian tourism industry was worth $84.8 billion, comprising mostly small and medium enterprises o Every year, tourism’s contribution to the GDP is worth more than agriculture, fisheries and forestry combined o Tourism is also one of Canada’s leading job creators… it directly employs more than 600,000 people across the country Agribusiness has been recommended as one of the two key priority pillars for the next three years. Priorities for agribusiness would utilize the 2011 Agri-Business Foreign Direct Investment Strategy to leverage and create new opportunities for local, regional and Ontario-based businesses rather than foreign direct investment.
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The analysis completed in 2011 remains valid today.
Meaford is home to a diverse population of farmers employing a range of techniques and business models, and producing a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and livestock.
Over the past few years more of Meaford’s agri-food producers have been making their way further along the value chain, staking out niche markets and building some local processing capacity. There are several organic vegetable growers, specialty meat producers, and businesses moving into the functional/health food market.
Many of Meaford’s farms are family-run operations. Most sell their produce in a variety of ways, from farmgate sales, to local retail stores, to sourcing restaurants, to CSA (community supported agriculture) subscriptions, to selling to specialty stores in the GTA.
Farmers’ Markets – Economic Impact The economic impact of local farmers’ markets is well documented and the Farmers’ Market Ontario report (2011) ‘Economic Impact of Farmers’ Markets’ is attached as Appendix 2. Based on this report, an estimated $792 million (2008) is the provincial economic impact of farmers markets in Ontario. Farmers’ markets have grown in popularity in the last 10 years and are also a strong attractor for visitors. Year round farmers’ markets include Belleville, Brantford, Cambridge, Dufferin Grove (Toronto), Dunnville, Guelph, Hamilton, Kitchener, Niagara Falls, Orillia, Ottawa, Hamilton (Ottawa Street Farmer’s Market), Owen Sound, Port Colborne, Sarnia, Simcoe, Toronto (St. Lawrence), Stratford, Thornhill, Thunder Bay, Vankleek Hill, Welland, Woodstock, and St. Jacobs. It is recommended that the feasibility of a year round farmers’ market for Meaford be explored to build on the success of the current seasonal farmers’ market. Applying for funding to assist with a feasibility study or analysis will be reviewed.
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Waterfront Strategy & Master Plan – Harbour Village Concept The Waterfront Strategy & Master Plan, as approved in June 2014, outlined a range of infrastructure projects, totaling an estimated $4.6 million, that would be developed as part of the Harbour Village Concept Plan. To achieve these infrastructure and public realm improvements, including significant development on private sector lands, requires this to be a key focus and priority of staff and development partners for the next 10 to 15 years. The priority for the next three years is to begin planning now for appropriate direct municipal investment, how to secure major funding (Provincial and Federal) and working with private land owners to achieve this vision. The estimated budget from the Waterfront Strategy and Master Plan is approximately $4.6 million and is provided in Appendix 3. Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Fund - Brownfields In addition to identified capital budget costs, the report also outlined that specific areas of the waterfront lands have contaminated soil, groundwater and sediment levels above the generic standards. The opportunity to remediate land is available through Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and their Green Municipal Fund Brownfields funding (site remediation or risk management). For this reason, staff has recommended review of this funding and drafting an application for the consideration of Council. General information, FCM’s Green Municipal Fund, is provided in Appendix 4. One of the recommendations is to update the Community Improvement Plan (CIP), to include Brownfield incentives. Staff will be proceeding with a report to Council in the near future specific to the CIP. An expansion of the CIP program in 2015 or future years would require direct financing to facilitate this broader program. The Role of Beautification and Horticulture in Economic Development Building on the momentum from ‘Communities in Bloom’, the BIA downtown investments, and other municipal initiatives to enhance the appearance and beauty of Meaford (especially within the urban downtown core) additional beautification would be beneficial to strengthen Meaford as a welcoming community. It is well known that communities such as Niagara-on-the-Lake attract millions of visitors per year and a key feature of this community is the stunning landscapes and horticultural displays throughout the historic downtown.
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It is recommended that an additional investment for a total of $28,000 from the recently approved $50,000 discretionary fund for economic development support expanding horticultural for $5,000 and other amenities in the downtown core for $8,000, as well as improvements to Irish Mountain Lookout for $15,000 which is a signature park and vista for the community and visitors alike. Meaford Economic Development Liaison Group On February 18, 2014 Council approved the creation of the Meaford Economic Development Liaison Group. The recommended terms of reference are provided in Appendix 5 and include the following: The mandate of the Group is to provide a collaborative forum for discussion of economic development ideas, opportunities, and matters of common interest in the Municipality of Meaford. The focus of the Group will be to assist the Municipality of Meaford to identify, and recommend opportunities for effective local and regional economic development initiatives, foster a positive community wide investment image, promote the enhanced quality of life the Municipality of Meaford offers, and enhance the profile of Meaford as an attractive business environment for existing and prospective businesses. The Liaison Group will undertake its work in support of the overall goals and objectives of the Meaford Economic Development Strategy (MEDS). The Liaison Group will be advisory in nature and assist the Economic Development Officer (EDO). It is recommended, the Liaison Group be comprised of representatives of the business community, strategic partners and municipal officials. Up to 10 volunteer representatives would be appointed:
Agribusiness (1) Retail (1) Tourism/Hospitality (1) Manufacturing/Commercial/Industrial (1) Business Associations/Other (1) Real Estate/Development (1) Health Care/Education sector (1) Community Organization – Not for Profit, Service Club, Special Events (1) Community Resident – general (1) Municipality of Meaford Council (1)
A number of open and informal community meetings could also be held in August and September prior to the formal appointment of volunteer representatives to this group by Council. Report CAO2014-006
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Other Initiatives and Strategies – the last 9 months Website Update An update of the web site has been initiated and is underway to provide a site which is more navigation friendly, user friendly and attractive. Below is a screen shot of the draft layout concept:
Community Profiles 2014 A new 2014 Community Profile is currently under development which is anticipated to be finalized by the end of July 2014. This new resource will feature the main reasons to invest in Meaford. Particular emphasis for investment will be to attract new hotel accommodations and new food and beverage services, and restaurants. Staff are currently developing a new profile piece on reasons to move to or relocate to Meaford in our ‘Meaford – A Great Place to Live’ resource. As evidenced by the last few months of real estate sales in the Georgian Triangle, and in particular Meaford, the real estate market in this area is exceptionally strong. Additionally it is reported in a July 7, 2014 online CBC article that cottage prices and recreational properties are experiencing booming sales and are “red hot”. Meaford is a community that is attractive to this investment market. Meaford will be widely promoted across Ontario beginning in August 2014. Report CAO2014-006
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Renew Meaford: A New Initiative Based on a program called “reNew Newcastle” and developed in Newcastle Australia, New Tecumseth, Ontario has implemented a dynamic initiative that allows new business owners access to vacant stores with a low rental rate and short term lease. In New Tecumseth a not for profit corporation was created and there was a collaboration between the South Simcoe Arts Council, FOCUS Community Development Corporation and Nottawasaga Futures. The program is being funded by a three-year $185,100 Trillium Foundation grant. ‘Renew New Techumseh’ finds artists, crafters, entrepreneurs, cultural projects and community groups to use and maintain these buildings until they become commercially rented, viable or are redeveloped. In one year this program has seen the number of empty downtown storefronts decrease by 24%. Staff is currently reviewing how a similar program could be developed in Meaford to address the current vacancy rate and will be working with property and building owners. Tag Line Review Consultation sessions are being organizing to discuss whether a new tag line is necessary to replace “The Other Big Apple”. These sessions were originally anticipated to be completed at the end of September 2014, and the timeline for completion of this project has been revised to approximately mid November, 2014. Marketing and Promotions Significant design and graphic work has been completed by our internal staff and continues to include updating and revising promotional, advertising, and marketing materials with the discontinuation of the tag line ‘The Other Big Apple” on March 24, 2014. Billboard on Sykes Street, Meaford Before:
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After:
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Meaford Guide – 2014 Community Guide
CBS Billboard (east of Hwy 26 By-pass) May – September 2014
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Enterprise Bulletin Summer Guide 2014, See & Do Guide (GTTA)
See & Do 2014 (Winter)
Ontario Bluewater Visitor Guide 2014
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GTTA Office (Collingwood) Backlit Display
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Promotional Pull-up Banner
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Enhancing Community Wide Beautification Leith Welcome sign – flowers added
Bognor Bridge – flowers added
Tourism Information Services at Meaford Hall Since April 1, 2014, with the establishment of the Visitor Information Centre at Meaford Hall, the services continue to expand in order to meet the needs of our visitors. A strong focus on the website and social media has commenced, including a new Facebook site launched in early July.
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Regional Tourism Partnerships Regional efforts and working in collaboration with partners is essential to facilitate a County-wide visitor strategy. Collaborative efforts have demonstrated that connecting all attractions and reasons to visit provides the exposure that no single destination or place would be able to achieve alone. We are currently active participants and partners with the following organizations: RT07 – Regional Tourism, Region 7 (Provincial) RTMP – Regional Tourism Marketing Partnership (Grey Bruce) Grey County Tourism Apple Pie Trail GTTA – Georgian Triangle Tourism Association Building Place-Based Cultural Tourism for Meaford In a report prepared for RT07 by PLACES Consulting, Tourism Functional Assessment Report, September 2013, the importance of place-based tourism was further reinforced. “Place-based tourism is a method of tourism development which uses the unique character of place plus the tourism economy to create stronger places which in turn builds stronger tourism”
The October 2013 presentation by Mr. Steven Thorne “Why ‘Place’ is the Key to Cultural Tourism” at the Culture Grows Here forum (Barrie), highlighted the importance of Place-Based Cultural Tourism (Appendix 6). Mr. Thorne encourages communities to capitalize on a destination’s cultural character and sense of place: its history and heritage, its narratives and stories, its landscape, its townscape, its people. As well he stresses the importance of interpreting and marketing the destination’s cultural character and sense of
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place in tandem with its cultural experiences. Within his presentation, Mr. Thorne illustrated these concepts using the Waterloo Region, “it’s home to a major performing arts venue: The Centre in the Square. It’s home to the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. It’s also home to an iconic farmers’ market: the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market and to its surrounding Mennonite communities. It’s home to several historic sites of significance – including the birthplace of Prime Minster McKenzie King. And it’s home to a variety of other cultural experiences”. The Municipality of Meaford is a destination with rich cultural character and cultural experiences to offer. Developing this focus on place-based cultural tourism will be a priority within the tourism pillar. Staff have commenced with a new initiative entitled “Places of Meaford” as an opportunity for community building as well as tourism and visitor engagement attractor that will come from overviewing the tremendous history, and special places of the Municipality of Meaford. This project will include profiling a number of key places and communities and capture their history. The initiative will include a “Places” section on the tourism section of the web site and also include the development of digital resources. As part of the “Places of Meaford” initiative, a photo contest has been launched in July 2014 with 5 categories including Scenery, Architecture, Festivals & Events, Local History and On Vacation in Meaford.
Meaford Strategic Plan This report supports the objective of the Municipality of Meaford Vision 2020, particularly with respect to: Goal: Healthy Economy Objective: Implement strategies from MEDS Develop/implement a marketing/branding strategy Goal: Healthy Community Objective: Develop/implement community building strategies Develop/implement a corporate communications strategy
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Goal: Customer-focused services Objective: Develop/implement a Culture, Heritage & Recreation Strategy Develop/implement an Infrastructure strategy, including a Capital Plan
Consultation Senior Management Team Ministry of Agriculture and Food Ministry of Rural Affairs Stakeholder Engagement Sessions Partner Economic Development & Tourism Organizations
Communications Plan Not Applicable
Conclusion Economic Development is not a legislated program or mandatory activity for the Municipality of Meaford. Like Meaford, many Ontario and Canadian municipalities have identified economic development as a priority. Promoting economic growth, prosperity and sustainability is critical to ensuring strategic approaches to attract investment, both locally and regionally, diversify the local economy, and grow local assessment through additional tax revenue. It is recommended that the pillars of the Meaford Economic Development Plan be revised to three pillars: Tourism, Retail and Agribusiness. It is recommended that the priority focus for the Municipality of Meaford’s economic efforts for the next three years be within the tourism and agribusiness pillars. It is also recommended that three projects be funded for a total of $28,000 of the $50,000 from the new discretionary capital reserve fund established for economic development on June 9, 2014.
Appendices Appendix 1 – MEDS Workshop Summary September, 2013 Appendix 2 – Economic Impacts of Farmers’ Markets in the Province of Ontario (Farmers’ Markets Ontario, March 2011) Appendix 3 – Waterfront Strategy and Master Plan Estimated Budget Appendix 4 – FCM Green Fund Municipal Brownfield Information, 2009 Appendix 5 – Meaford Economic Development Liaison Group Terms of Reference Appendix 6 – Why ‘Place’ is the Key to Cultural Tourism,Steven Thorne 2013 Report CAO2014-006
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Respectfully Submitted:
_________________________________ Denyse Morrissey, CAO
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