Agenda 10/14/2014 Item # 16B4 10/14/2014 16.B.4.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Request that the Collier County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) as the Collier
County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) approve submission of the attached
$25,000 grant request to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) related
to the development of a Strategic Economic Opportunity Plan for Immokalee.
OBJECTIVE: That the CRA approve submission of the attached grant request to the Florida
Department of Economic Opportunity related to the development of a Strategic Economic
Opportunity Plan for Immokalee.
CONSIDERATIONS: On June 4, 2014 during its annual Operational Plan Workshop, the Local
Immokalee CRA Advisory Board assembled, ranked and discussed its list of items to be the main
points of focus for CRA staff in the upcoming 2015 fiscal year. The list identified a number of
specific tasks from various focus areas including construction, marketing and economic
development. The top ranked item on this list was to produce a written strategic economic plan
for the Immokalee community.
In the past, Immokalee's economy has focused primarily on agriculture with many farms and
packaging facilities in the surrounding area. While agriculture is and will always an important
economic base, other economic activities are needed to augment and bring diversity and new
opportunities to the area to complement agribusiness. Recent improvements include the new
Ave Maria subdivision, less than 10 miles away; plans for a new Walmart store; construction of
a new hotel at the Seminole Indian Casino, infrastructure investment by the Immokalee CRA to
improve sidewalks and drainage; and the Immokalee Technical Center (iTech), which is a state-
of-the-art vocational school. Although these are small developments, they indicate an expanding
community.
The Immokalee CRA would like to incorporate these improvements into one comprehensive
strategic plan, along with other programs it offers including designations as a Foreign Trade
Zone, HUBZone, Florida Enterprise Zone, member of the Rural Area of Economic Opportunity,
and a member of the Florida Heartlands Rural Economic Development Initiative (FHREDI), to
expand and grow the economy to offer more opportunities to local residents. The proposed plan
would combine all of these efforts together in a unified, focused strategy.
The purpose of the proposed Economic Opportunity Strategic Plan is to analyze the economic
strengths and weaknesses of the Immokalee community, evaluate realistic opportunities for
growth that complements the area's rural nature, and develop a strategic plan for bringing
sustainable economic development to the area. The plan will also coordinate and align its focus
with current strategic and planning efforts from the Partnership for Collier's Future Economy
and the Collier County Office of Business & Economic Development.
Should the DEO award this grant to the BCC, a memorandum of understanding between the
BCC and SWFRPC, grant agreement, budget amendment and grant award letter will all be
brought back to the BCC for consideration at a future meeting.
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10/14/2014 16.B.4.
FISCAL IMPACT: None. If awarded, a future item will be brought back to the BCC
requesting approval of an agreement with the DEO along with a related budget amendment
recognizing grant revenue in the amount of$25,000.
CONSISTENCY WITH GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN: This grant request and
resultant strategic economic Opportunity plan furthers the programs and projects within the
budgetary and policy guidance and directives of the Community Redevelopment Agency and the
Board of County Commissioners in furtherance of Policy 4.2 of the Future Land Use Element of
the Growth Management Plan which reads as follows:
"****The Immokalee Area Master Plan addresses conservation, future land use, population,
recreation, transportation, housing and the local economy. Major purposes of the Master Plan
are coordination of land uses and transportation planning, redevelopment or renewal of blighted
areas, and the promotion of economic development. "
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item is approved for form and legality and requires a
majority vote for Board approval. —JAB
ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION: During its regular September 17, 2014
meeting, the Immokalee Local Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board approved a motion by
unanimous vote recommending that the CRA Board submit the attached grant request to the
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
RECOMMENDATION: That the CRA approve submission of the attached grant request to the
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity related to the development of a Strategic
Economic Opportunity Plan for Immokalee.
Prepared by:
Bradley Muckel, Collier County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)—Immokalee
Attachments: DEO Grant Request Letter.
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10/14/2014 16.B.4.
COLLIER COUNTY
Board of County Commissioners
Item Number: 16.16.B.16.B.4.
Item Summary: Request that the Collier County Board of County Commissioners (BCC), as
the Collier County Community Redevelopment Agency(CRA), approve submission of the
attached $25,000 grant request to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity(DEO)
related to the development of a Strategic Economic Opportunity Plan for Immokalee.
Meeting Date: 10/14/2014
Prepared By
Name: MuckelBradley
Title: CRA Operations Manager,Immokalee County Redevelopment Agency
9/29/2014 11:32:40 AM
Submitted by
Title: CRA Operations Manager, Immokalee County Redevelopment Agency
Name: MuckelBradley
9/29/2014 11:32:41 AM
Approved By
Name: BelpedioJennifer
Title: Assistant County Attorney, CAO General Services
Date: 9/29/2014 3:49:55 PM
Name: Joshua Thomas
Title: Grants Support Specialist, Grants Management Office
Date: 10/2/2014 10:53:47 AM
Name: KlatzkowJeff
Title: County Attorney,
Date: 10/2/2014 11:13:51 AM
Name: StanleyTherese
Title: Manager-Grants Compliance, Grants Management Office
Date: 10/6/2014 3:52:40 PM
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10/14/2014 16.B.4.
Name: KlatzkowJeff
Title: County Attorney,
Date: 10/6/2014 3:57:15 PM
Name: OchsLeo
Title: County Manager, County Managers Office
Date: 10/8/2014 2:17:09 PM
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10/14/2014 16.B.4.
cow.
South%est Florida Regional Planning Council
" 1926 Victoria Avenue, Fort Myers, Florida 33901-3414
(23())338-24^10 FAX (239)338-2560 SUNCOM (239)748 2550
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant Request
Immokalee, Florida
IMMOKALEE
RA Collier mrnunity
RedevelCounty opment Ca Agency
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10/14/2014 16.B.4.
October 14, 2014
Mr.William B. Killingsworth
Director, Division of Community Development
Division of Community Development/Community Planning
107 East Madison Street
Caldwell Building, MSC 160
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
RE: Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant Request: Immokalee, Florida
Dear Mr. Killingsworth,
The Collier County Community Redevelopment Agency(CRA), in partnership with The Southwest Florida
Regional Planning Council (SWFRPC), is submitting this letter of request on behalf of the rural
community of Immokalee, Florida. If awarded,the entire $25,000 will be used by the RPC to cover the
costs associated with producing the Strategic Plan deliverable.The Immokalee CRA will assist with data
collection, coordination, local networking and critical research as needed at no cost to the grant fund.
Strategic Economic Opportunity Plan for Immokalee
1. Identify the project and the importance to the community
In 2000,Collier County established the Immokalee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)to help
guide and facilitate future development of the Immokalee area which is a rural, unincorporated
community in eastern Collier County. The Immokalee CRA has requested funding and assistance to
develop a Strategic Economic Opportunity Plan for the community.
In the past, Immokalee's economy has focused primarily on agriculture with many farms and packaging
facilities in the surrounding area. While agriculture remains an important economic base, other
economic activities are needed to bring diversity and new opportunities to the area. Recent
improvements include the new Ave Maria subdivision less than 10 miles away, plans for a new Walmart
Supercenter, construction of a new hotel at the Seminole Indian Casino, infrastructure investment by
the Immokalee CRA to improve sidewalks and drainage, and a new vocational school. Although these
are small developments,they indicate an expanding community.
The Immokalee CRA would like to incorporate these improvements, along with other programs it offers
including designations as a Foreign Trade Zone, HUBZone, Florida Enterprise Zone, member of the Rural
Area of Opportunity (RAO) (formerly known as Rural Are of Critical Economic Concern- RACEC), and a
member of the Florida Heartlands Rural Economic Development Initiative (FHREDI),to expand and grow
the economy to offer more opportunities to local residents. The proposed plan would combine all of
these efforts together in a unified, focused strategy.
The purpose of the proposed Strategic Economic Opportunity Plan is to analyze the economic strengths
and weaknesses of the Immokalee community, evaluate realistic opportunities for growth that
complements the area's rural nature, and develop a strategic plan for bringing sustainable economic
development to the area.
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10/14/2014 16.B.4.
Funding under this Agreement will be used in alignment with the Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy(CEDS)of the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council (SWFRPC). The
Council's CEDS plan is based on the Florida Chamber Foundation's Six Pillars framework,which is
consistent with the DEO five-year Statewide Economic Strategic Plan. In addition,this Vital Project
supports the strategy under the Quality of Life and Quality Places Pillar which states"Create and sustain
vibrant, safe, and healthy communities that attract workers, residents, businesses, and visitors".
Ultimately this project will further that strategy.
The CRA and SWFRPC will collaborate with the Collier County Office of Business & Economic
Development in this endeavor in order to ensure a cohesive approach to the Economic Opportunity Plan
deliverable that will ultimately dovetail into that office's plans for the Immokalee Community.
2. The product that would be rendered as a result of receiving the funding
The product to be created is a Strategic Economic Opportunity Plan for the Immokalee community. The
Plan will include action steps for implementing the goals and objectives identified within the plan for
bringing economic growth to the community.The Plan will utilize recent data gathered as part of
Immokalee's Master Plan update thereby affording cost and time savings and ensuring consistency with
other community plans.
3. The length of time the project is expected to take
The entire project is estimated to take nine months and will be completed by July 31, 2015.
4. The amount of funding requested
The request for funding is$25,000.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Donna Fiala,
Collier County CRA Governing Board Chair
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Exhibit A-Scope of Work
Per the request of Brad Muckel, Immokalee CRA
To perform a series of tasks that will result in the completion of the community-driven
Economic Opportunity Strategic Plan for Immokalee to guide the community for three to five
years. Tasks and activities include:
Task 1: Demographics& Economic Study-$4,000*
Develop a baseline of existing conditions and critical issues that must be overcome and
principal economic drivers to advance growth:
• Population by race, ethnicity, age cohort, and other delineations
• Population estimate and projections.
• Educational attainment
• Income Levels
• Labor statistics
• Tourism Infrastructure
• Essential Services and Infrastructure
• Housing Assessment
• Existing Assets, Challenges and Indicators
• Target Industry Sectors
*Cost reduced due to use of existing data from Immokalee Master Plan.
Task 2: Community Vision &Stakeholder Engagement -$6,000
• Conduct Town Hall meetings to identify priorities and develop community vision.
• Focus Groups (citizen action groups, civic organizations, etc.)
• One on One Interviews with key stakeholders (Industrial leaders, officials, and business
owners).
Task 3: Goal Development (with Steering Committee) - $7,000
• Identify Common Themes and Opportunities
• Prioritize Issues and Opportunities
• Identification of Goals and Objectives
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10/14/2014 16.B.4.
Task 4: Implementation Guide and Strategic Action Plan (3—5 years) -$8,000
• Specific Action Items for each Goal and Objective
• Measures of Success
• Ongoing Assessment Methods
• Funding Resources
• Partners
• Timelines
• Organizational Structure and Responsible Parties
Deliverables:
• Draft Economic Opportunity Strategic Plan
• Final Economic Opportunity Strategic Plan
Total cost not to exceed: $25,000 and timeframe of 9 months.
Additional Details:
• Areas to assess include economic, demographic, workforce, transportation, employer,
utilities,telecommunications infrastructure, entertainment, recreation, housing, and
quality-of-life factors. An economic and demographic analysis of the Immokalee area
including review and evaluation meetings with board members, investors, volunteers and
community leaders, submission of an evaluation report, and presentation of findings of the
evaluation at a meeting;
• Coordination of a citizen participation process that may include citizen interviews, focus
groups or task forces and will include not less than two public meetings to solicit input and
define goals and objectives for the next five years;
• Opportunities—The plan should identify opportunities for economic development
throughout the area. This includes outlining strategies and actions to realize the area's
economic development vision.
• Coordination of a process to refine the results of the initial three to five year program
evaluation and citizen participation process into a prioritized list of goals and objectives
including specific short term initiatives and 5 year initiatives included in a Strategic Action
Plan (3 -5 years)
• Organizational structure—The plan should evaluate the best structure for pursuing these
opportunities.
• Publication of the Economic Opportunity Strategic Plan in digital format and presentation of
the findings at a public meeting.
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