Regional economic planning the right way

Glenn County and its cities seem to be on the right course by planning regional economic development.

That is the new trend in governmental and business thinking based on what people in the field discussed at a regional economic conference in Oroville this month.

Representatives from the county, Willows and Orland attended the 12th annual Economic Forecast Conference held at the Gold Country Casino on Jan. 12.

It was sponsored by the Center for Economic Development at the California State University, Chico, and featured economists and academics discussing local, state and national economics.

"I was impressed with this year's conference," Orland City Councilman Bruce Roundy said. "I have been to a few of them and this is the best one I've attended."

From his perspective, Roundy said presenters encouraged regional cooperation for economic development which re-affirms Orland, Willows and Glenn County are going in the right direction with their joint-economic development steering committee.

Branding a region, streamlining permits and utilizing local strike and navigation teams to help business people through the zoning and permit process are all getting started in this county and the two cities, he said.

"There has been a lot of language, rhetoric and money spent on consultants," Roundy said, but that has come to a " big zero" in the past, which is why locals have to rely on themselves.

Roundy also suggested while economic recovery is occurring in the Bay area, experts said, it will be slower in this region because housing construction and real estate have yet to come back.

Agricultural production and industries are doing well, he said, but housing is not.

Yet small businesses seem to be opening in Orland these days, and that is another trend smaller communities are seeing.

A new emphasis on encouraging small businesses to grow and come into the area is likely to be more productive than seeking big box stores and or large companies at the moment, Roundy said.

Willows City Manager Steve Holsinger agreed the conference was well done but did not offer a lot of new information from what local officials already know.

From a municipal standpoint, it is important to focus on the retention and expansion of existing businesses, he said, since there are a limited number of new business openings.

It also could be time to re-assess risks when allowing new ventures to open up here, Holsinger said.

Looking at things like medical marijuana dispensaries, for example, might be something small cities need to examine these days, he added.

It is not ideal from a local perspective, but it might be time to look at what it would take to make something like that fit, Holsinger said.

Currently Willows does not allow such dispensaries in its borders, and Holsinger did not say he advocated it in a Tuesday phone interview. But it is an example of an unconventional operation.

Orland and Glenn County are planning to continue bans on these facilities.

"It is refreshing to hear the things we're doing are being done on a national level," Holsinger said.

Supervisor John Viegas echoed Roundy's and Holsinger's views about local governments working together to accomplish economic stability and to assist small businesses.

Viegas said looking at fee deferrals to help such businesses get going or expand is one method of helping them mentioned at the conference.

Getting infrastructure in the county for Internet connections is another competitive step to attract businesses here, he said, since the web is vital to their success these days.

And doing business with local retailers is another way to help them prosper and keep going, Viegas said.

Supervisor Leigh McDaniel said nurturing local commerce and integrating companies into the local agricultural economy are two things he got out of the conference.

Building new homes has helped past recoveries, he said, but that does not appear to be the way of the future now.

Instead, building new commercial structures and catering to small business growth looks like it will be the wave of the future, McDaniel said, and this area needs to plan for that.

Some local small shop keepers seem to be following the regional marketing concept as well.

Willows antique store owner Holly Myers said she and business partner Dolores Amaro believe niche marketing is something that could save the downtown district.

They own The Gathering on Sycamore Street that sells a mix of antique furniture, collectibles and garden wares and are planning to open a 10-vendor antique mall across the street this spring or summer.

Myers said small business owners need the help of economic development commissions and the city to promote the area, but it also is up to the business owner to have a good business plan.

"You can't sit around waiting for someone else to market your business," she said.

So she has been working with antique dealers along Interstate 5 and in Chico to market the North State as a regional antique area, she said, with the goal of pulling Bay area buyers and dealers here to purchase goods.

"If you get enough dealers close enough, people will travel from town to town," Myers said, adding Willows already has several nice antique stores within a short distance of each other.

In addition, Myers and Amaro hosted a vintage country flea market at the Redwood Spring Garden near Willows last fall that drew 26 vendors from around Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, she said.

Two more flea markets are planned this year, she said, and the women also want to open a booth at a Chico antique mall as a way of advertising their stores in Willows.

"We want to see what we can do to bring Chico people to Willows," Myers said. "Forty-five minutes is not far to drive."

Orland business owners also look at niche marketing like Garnet Hill owner Lynn Fortner.

Her antique and gift shop carries a variety of merchandise to "have something for everybody," she said.

"We are always bringing new stuff into the store each weekto keep customers coming back to see what is new," she said.

Fortner also utilizes the Orland Area Chamber of Commerce to market her store and florists shop since its office manager regularly refers customers to her store and those of other chamber members.

The chamber also promotes events like the annual Best of the West Business Expo and a car show to bring people into Orland, and that helps as well, she said.

Contact Rick Longley at 934-6800 or rlongley@tcnpress.com.