The Cottonwood Community Awareness Group gave a presentation on the city’s economic development strategy on Tuesday, Aug. 22, at the Cottonwood Public Library.
The update was presented by Tricia Lewis, the city’s tourism and economic development director.
“We’re ready for economic development to launch in a different capacity,” Lewis said, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic response is over and that the city is under new leadership.
The city is currently in the procurement process for hiring an economic development consultant and building a new economic development website that will include what Lewis called the eight pillars that she said make up Cottonwood, including health care, tourism, transportation, education, workforce development, public safety, communications development and housing.
Lewis also raised the questions of what industries are lacking, how the city can grow in a limited space, what capacity Cottonwood has for new growth and what needs the city has at a regional level.
Lewis said the economic development strategy will be used to establish an economic baseline, market context and clear vision that includes overarching goals, objectives, actions and metrics to determine success, address assets and challenges and be used as a guide for the regional economy.
It will help the city understand where to be more engaged and how to improve as a community.
Lewis said the strategy will develop in phases: City staff will collect data; then staff will define strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats through an economic overview and trends; and finally will develop and implement an economic plan.
City staff are planning to have the strategy completed by January to present to city council.
Lewis said that tourism and economic development go hand-in-hand and argued that the city is always trying to embrace tourism, as one of its slogans is “You are welcome here,” while the other bills Cottonwood as being the heart of Arizona wine country.
City Manager Scotty Douglass said that the city will have to be agile, updating its strategy every three to five years and supporting the initiatives in the strategic plan. Lewis took the position that tourism and economic development are interrelated and that the city will need to be proactive in both areas to ensure sustainable and responsible growth for Cottonwood and the region.
“It’s our job as a city government to provide a healthy environment for businesses,” Lewis said. “It’s my job to help businesses thrive, succeed and expand. I think this is an amazing community and we will do what we can.”
The Cottonwood Community Awareness Group meets every fourth Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Cottonwood Public Library.
