The Haines Economic Development Corporation unanimously approved a $49,500 contract with the McDowell Group last week for a baseline economic data report and a five-year economic development plan.
The McDowell Group will compile published and unpublished economic data from federal, state and local sources. The organization will also interview local business owners and other for-profit and nonprofit agency managers, according to the group’s proposal. The researchers will survey 200 adult Haines residents to “establish a baseline of community attitudes and priorities.”
“The scope of our baseline research will include an analysis of the trajectory of the Haines economy, and how forces affecting the Alaska economy are likely to play out locally,” the proposal says. “Finally, additional value can be added to the baseline document by including information about the multiplier effects of various forms of investment and spending in Haines.”
The board also appointed Harry Rietze to fill an open seat on the board. Heather Shade was appointed the board president after former president Kyle Gray resigned from the board. Gray is moving to Fairbanks after receiving a promotion at First National Bank, Alaska.
HEDC has budgeted about $77,500 in expenditures out of its $95,000 budget for the year. Several board members donated a total of more than $1,500 to help get the organization off the ground.
The borough assembly approved funding the HEDC last year and approved a memorandum of understanding in September that requires the body to publish a “data-driven description of the local economy to provide the base line for measuring the effectiveness of programs undertaken in the course of the partnership.”
The memorandum also requires the organization to publish one- and five-year action plans based on the research by Aug. 31.
The McDowell Group plans to present a draft five-year plan to the community by June and finalize all project deliverables by July.
The McDowell Group will host an open house at the public library Monday Feb. 5 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to present the two projects.