41 mm 071414

Monday Mailing

Year 20 • Issue 41 14 July 2014 1. Central Oregon an Urban Renewal Hotbed 2. Why is Lake Abert Disappearing?

3. Free in July - Special Journal Issue on Cooperatives and Alternative Food Systems Initiatives 4. These Park Benches Welcome the Homeless Instead Of Rejecting Them 5. An Excellent Economic Development Article to Share 6. Why Bikes Make Smart People Say Dumb Things 7. Economic Development + Stormwater – What’s New? 8. Selecting Rural Data in American Factfinder 9. Feds Miss Deadline to Disapprove Oregon Pollution Program 10. FY 2014 HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program 11. Oregon Could Loan $110 million to Federal Government if Transportation Funding Runs Out 1. Central Oregon an Urban Renewal Hotbed As property values soared between the late 1990s and 2008, Bend, Redmond, Sisters and Madras each dipped into future tax revenue with the idea of building a better downtown.

With values on the rise after the recession flattened home prices, Central Oregon communities are once again looking at using urban renewal districts to spearhead commercial, housing, park and transportation developments.

Quote of the Week: “Family is not an important thing. It's everything.” ~Michael J. Fox Oregon Fast Fact: In 1905 the largest long cabin in the world was built in Portland to honor the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Redmond and La Pine have each announced new urban renewal pitches this year. Prineville officials have considered forming a district as one of several options to boost downtown development.

Communities across the country have relied on urban renewal districts to aid major new construction and redevelopment projects for more than a century. Through a process called tax-increment financing, cities shift revenue from projected property tax increases into a wish-list of projects they wouldn’t be able to afford any other way.

To access the full story, click here.

2. Why is Lake Abert Disappearing?

Keith Kreuz dips a bucket into the mirrored cerulean waters of Lake Abert in the remote high desert of Oregon’s Outback. He pulls it up, studies it, then slowly tips the water out, looking for signs of life to spill over the bucket’s rim.

His wife, Lynn, stands near the family pickup, parked on gravel 30 feet from the water’s edge. Fifteen years ago, it would’ve been sitting in the lake.

“Keith, is there anything?” she calls out, hopeful. This lake has been her family’s livelihood for 35 years.

Page 1 of 7

“No,” the 63-year-old replies, resignation in his voice. “Nothing.”

To access the full story, click here.

3. Free in July - Special Journal Issue on Cooperatives and Alternative Food Systems Initiatives A special issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) on Cooperatives and Alternative Food Systems Initiatives has just been completed and will be freely available — no subscription needed! — through the month of July. http://www.agdevjournal.com/volume-4-issue-3.html. We are doing this to make these papers more readily available to researchers and practitioners. It also offers prospective subscribers a chance to explore the contents of JAFSCD. I encourage you to share this notice with your colleagues and networks.

The Special Issue: Working Together to Build Cooperative Food Systems Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development 4(3) Edited by: Anderson, C.R., Brushett, L., Renting, H. and T. Gray A recent emphasis on cooperation and innovative forms of collective action within the food movement invokes a community-centered approach to food provisioning where collective problem solving and democracy take centre place in the development agenda. Cooperative alternative food networks are becoming powerful tools for community development and important vehicles for cultivating democratically controlled food systems at multiple scales. The articles in this special issue provide an important contribution to our understanding of the function, the challenges and the potential of cooperativism and collective action in enabling more just and resilient food systems. (from editorial introduction).

The Journal: JAFSCD is an online, international, peer-reviewed publication that emphasizes best practices and tools related to the planning, community economic development, and ecological protection of local and regional agriculture and food systems, and works to bridge the interests of practitioners and academics. As the journal focuses on the practice of agriculture and food system development, empirical and methodological content are emphasized over purely theoretical writing.

Applied research-based papers, case studies, project post-mortems, effective strategies, impact analyses, new possibilities (problems-solving, opportunity-taking and the like) are examples of high impact approaches to publishing that will inform the practice.

4. These Park Benches Welcome the Homeless Instead Of Rejecting Them Trying to stop the homeless from taking shelter on the street by placing strategic spikes in the ground might be absurd, but the attitude isn't unique. (After all, forcing the homeless out of cities before major global sporting events could even be called something of a tradition.) Last year, one advertising agency decided to point out something even more absurd: The fact that people have to sleep on benches in the first place.

In 2013, Canadian firm Spring Advertising approached the RainCity Housing and Support Society, a local shelter and advocacy organization in Vancouver, with an idea for modifying bus stops and park benches. Instead of trying to discourage the homeless from sleeping on them, they’d welcome them to stay.

To access the full story, click here.

Page 2 of 7

5.

An Excellent Economic Development Article to Share ED Now Feature: Leadership Insights: Ioanna T. Morfessis

By Joy Wilkins, CEcD Ioanna Morfessis began serving communities at a time when urban America was ushering in a new era of modern economic development. Over the years, she has started and led a number of highperforming economic development organizations and programs, each of which continues to have impact to this day. She also pioneered a number of innovative approaches, including the first onestop shop for small and minority businesses and the first R&D park devoted exclusively to biotechnology.

Morfessis is both a past chair of IEDC and an honorary life member. In 2011, she received the IEDC Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Honor of Edward deLuca. She now advises economic development leaders and business executives across the country on strategic growth matters.

In this article, Morfessis offers insights and advice for economic developers serving today and into the future.

1. Cover all bases and go for the base hits.

One of the most important lessons Morfessis has learned during her journey in economic development is one that IEDC CEO Jeff Finkle once shared with her – that our work in economic development is a marathon, not a sprint.

“We all want to bat homeruns and have these spectacular successes,” she says, “but achieving the base hits is just as important to win the game.”

Continuing the baseball metaphor, Morfessis believes that the key to achieving those hits is to cover all the bases. From real estate development and inner city revitalization to workforce development and understanding what’s important to businesses of all sizes, she sees a wide breadth of issues that economic developers must address to have maximum impact. “You have to be a jack of all trades, and a master of a lot of them, to be successful in economic development,” she says.

Covering all the bases requires two things, according to Morfessis. First, it means being highly versatile in terms of expertise and know-how. Second, it requires adaptability in terms of our willingness to learn and try new things. Rather than knowing a little about a broad range of matters, she believes, we should always be working to know a great deal about the issues we are engaged in.

Though that is challenging, addressing the diverse matters that economic development encompasses is one of the gratifying aspects of our profession, she notes.

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

“We are change agents and our job is to make sure that we effectively communicate what needs to be done and how best to realize our goals,” Morfessis says.

She points to two factors that may affect our efforts to help people move together toward the same vision. First, she sees a growing number of individuals outside our profession becoming more interested in economic development, and developing strong opinions on what and how things should be done. Second, she sees an increasing general reluctance among people to accept what they hear at face value. Both of these factors point to the need for economic developers to be well prepared to provide ample, accurate information at all times.

Page 3 of 7

Garnering community support for our work requires enormous personal capital – integrity, time, commitment, and stewardship, Morfessis acknowledges, and a community’s ability to achieve its economic development potential depends on that support. It’s important not only to clearly articulate the benefits of a particular action, she says, but also the consequences of inaction. In addition, she sees the need for intelligent metrics, transparency, and accountability to the constituencies we serve to be addressed more effectively. “There needs to be a demystifying of the smoke and mirrors of economic development,” she says.

Morfessis advises not only keeping stakeholders apprised of what we’re doing, but also listening to their comments and concerns, taking them to heart and translating them into action. Her experiences have demonstrated how communication is a two-way street, in which being a good listener is as important as sharing. “People appreciate a sincere effort,” she says. “Even when they may be unimpressed with the outcome, if they know you took their concerns into consideration, this builds credibility for what you seek to do.”

3. Recognize it’s not about you.

A lack of genuine humility is the one character trait that Morfessis has seen derail more leadership careers in economic development than any other.

Economic development positions are often prestigious, with high visibility. She believes it’s important for economic developers to do two things to keep egos in check: Realize it is not about “I,” but about “we;” and not to believe our own press. “Just as it took a ground crew of 1,000 to help bring Apollo 13’s three astronauts back to Earth safely, it takes a community of many to achieve success in economic development,” she notes.

Related to this, Morfessis points out that we can’t consider an idea original or uniquely ours if we want it to be successful. Great ideas are inconsequential if they are not shared. In addition, it is important to seek others’ ideas about how best to approach various situations, because it is rare that one knows everything.

4. Engage nonstop in leadership development.

The dynamics affecting economic development are always changing, Morfessis observes, resulting in the need to engage in continual learning and professional development. Noting how fortunate she has been to have had “phenomenal mentors” over the years, Morfessis advises others to surround themselves with great leaders and visionaries.

Even highly successful and established executives benefit from frequent communication with their mentors, she notes: “No matter how much experience we may have, we can always learn something new.” In addition, she advocates consulting regularly with a “brain trust” of CEOs and experts from every sector of the economy to learn from them and from others beyond our own spheres.

Going forward, Morfessis advocates that in our existing leadership roles, we must work to provide more effective leadership pathways for women, minorities, and young professionals. “For us to be effective and successful as a profession, our economic development leaders need to reflect the reality of the populations we serve inside every community in America,” she says.

5. Realize economic development is more than a job; it is a way of life.

We should never take our positions for granted, Morfessis advises, but work hard to earn the privilege of serving, in every moment, every single day. “Above all, what’s most important is that every economic development professional realize it is truly a genuine honor to serve our communities and the people and businesses who call them home,” says Morfessis.

Page 4 of 7

She sees our profession as providing an amazing opportunity to make a difference. And by building on all the successes of the past – previous leaders’ accomplishments and legacies – she believes that each of us has extraordinary opportunities to help make great things happen.

Keys for leadership While economic developers are engaged in a diverse range of work, the one thing we have in common is that we each help to steward the future well-being of the communities we serve, according to Morfessis. In that light, she offers some final keys for achieving ongoing success as leaders in our profession: •Take risks.

•Be persistent.

•Stay focused.

•Have compassion.

•Connect with others.

•Seek mentorship.

•Remain humble.

Joy Wilkins is with the University of Georgia and a member of the IEDC board of directors 6. Why Bikes Make Smart People Say Dumb Things Scott Simon’s bio on the NPR website describes him as “one of America’s most admired writers and broadcasters,” and it’s tough to argue with that. As a Peabody-winning journalist with decades of experience, Simon’s credentials are unimpeachable, and as the Saturday host of Weekend Edition, he regularly shows himself to be all the things you want a radio host to be: thoughtful, avuncular, wellinformed, and above all, smart.

Simon also has one and a quarter million followers on Twitter, and last Thursday morning, he asked them this…

To access the full story, click here.

7. Economic Development + Stormwater – What’s New? This booklet is a product of a 2014 American Planning Association national conference session titled “Shared Stormwater Systems as Economic Incentives.” The session, presented April 29, 2014 in Atlanta GA, outlines strategies for using shared stormwater systems to enhance the environment while attracting and retaining businesses.

Danielle Gallet of Center for Neighborhood Technology and Lisa Nisenson of the tech start-up GreaterPlaces wanted to go beyond the typical conference session and create a presentation that (1) gathered examples from green infrastructure practitioners, (2) provided the audience with the latest on “this is how you get green infrastructure done,” (3) leveraged the knowledge of the assembled audience, and (4) delivered a product community advocates and professionals can use long after the conference is over.

To access the full story, click here.

8. Selecting Rural Data in American Factfinder This step-by-step guide from the Rural Assistance Center shows 2 methods for selecting rural data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Factfinder tool, which provides access to a wide range of statistics describing the U.S. population. Learn how to use the Geographic Comparison Tables and Page 5 of 7

direct selection of locations to easily identify data for use in rural health grant applications, community health needs assessments, and more.

To access the full story, click here.

9. Feds Miss Deadline to Disapprove Oregon Pollution Program Federal officials have missed a May 15 deadline to decide whether to cut about $4 million per year in funding from Oregon's coastal nonpoint pollution program.

The money helps local organizations and governments pay for stream restoration and water quality improvement projects.

The Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, for example, has used grants from the program to help plant more than 50,000 native trees and shrubs along 37 miles of streams, and for other water quality and habitat projects.

To access the full story, click here.

10. FY 2014 HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program (Note: this is a federal grant program through Housing and Urban Development) The purpose of the HOPE VI Main Street Program is to provide grants to small communities to assist in the renovation of an historic or traditional central business district or "Main Street" area by replacing unused commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units. The objectives of the program are to: Redevelop Main Street areas; Preserve historic or traditional architecture or design features in Main Street areas properties by replacing unused commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units; Enhance economic development efforts in Main Street areas; and provide affordable housing in Main Street areas.

HUD is making available through this NOFA $500,000 for HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program.

HUD expects to make approximately one (1) FY 2014 award from the funds available under this NOFA. HUD intends to award one FY2015 grant to applicants from this FY2014 NOFA, provided funds are appropriated by Congress for programs subject to Section 24 of the United States Housing Act of 1937. HUD reserves the right to award grant funds in FY2015 to applicants from this NOFA. The award of FY2015 Main Street funds to FY2014 applicants is contingent upon future congressional action. HUD's intent to award FY2015 funds to FY2014 applicants will be announced separately if such funds become available.

Deadline Date: August 18, 2014 For additional info, click here.

Page 6 of 7

11. Oregon Could Loan $110 million to Federal Government if Transportation Funding Runs Out With federal transportation funding set to run out in August, Oregon transportation officials say they might be forced to float the federal government up to $110 million this year.

The loan is one of several consequences Oregon might face if Congress fails to find more money for the nearly depleted Highway Trust Fund. The state might also delay or cancel some highway projects scheduled for 2015 if the fund isn't replenished.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has enough money in temporary reserves to continue paying contractors to finish out the current construction season, "but it does put us into a very awkward spot," said Travis Brouwer, ODOT assistant director.

To access the full story, click here.

Page 7 of 7