RES NO 05-03-2014 CITY OF VAN BUREN, ARKANSAS
RESOLUTION NO. 5 3 2014
BE IT ENACTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, FOR THE CITY OF VAN BUREN,
ARKANSAS, A RESOLUTION TO BE ENTITLED:
A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO ENTER
INTO A JOINT CONTRACT WITH THE VAN BUREN
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND PROVIDE FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE FOR A COMMUNITY ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
WHEREAS, the City of Van Buren, Arkansas recognizes the need for regional economic development
cooperation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Van Buren and the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce wish to contract with
The Institute for Economic Advancement at UALR to develop and conduct an
Economic Development Strategic Plan; and
WHEREAS, funding is necessary for the study and the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Van
Buren wish to share equally in the cost.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF VAN BUREN,
ARKANSAS, THAT:
SECTION 1. The City of Van Buren, Arkansas fully supports the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce
and wishes to support the economic strategy plan.
SECTION 2. The Mayor of the City of Van Buren, Arkansas is hereby authorized and directed to sign
all documents to effectuate this resolution and to make payment in the amount of
$7,500.00 as the city's equal share of said plan.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the City of Van Buren, Arka s, by its City Council, did pass,
approve, and adopt, by a vote of 5 for and Q against, the for loing esolution at its r- lar meeting
held on the 19 day of May 2014.
Robert D.
Mayor
ATTESTED: AS TO FORM:
5111
Bar ie Curtis Candic A. Sett
City Clerk/Treasurer City Attorney
t i r 4
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TAmoi
INSTITUTE FO R
ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Van Buren Strategic Planning Process Proposal
Discussion Draft, February 26, 2014-
Introduction:
The Van Buren Chamber of Commerce (The Chamber), in conjunction with the City of
Van Buren, AR, is considering development of a strategic plan. The Center for Economic
Development Education, which is part of the Institute for Economic Advancement (IEA)
at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, submits this proposal to facilitate the
strategic planning process and complete the written documents for the plan.
About the Institute for Economic Advancement:
IEA offers many services related to applied community economic development research
and business development. IEA is one of the largest university applied research and
outreach technical and training centers in the nation, bringing together experts across a
wide range of disciplines from regional economic geography and marketing, to
economics, geographic information systems (GIS) and regional planning.
Scope Components of Project:
A strategic plan is a living document, by which the community defines it's future
economic development path. It is not an end product, but rather a process that entails
considerable community self evaluation, agreement on specific courses of action with
measurable outcomes, and the ability to change as new conditions alter the course.
Several distinct types of strategic plans exist: A community economic development
plan, an economic development marketing plan, and a strategic plan for a specific
agency such as the Chamber of Commerce. It is understood that The Chamber wishes to
conduct a community economic development plan. It also is understood that The
Chamber has a limited budget to defray the costs of such a plan.
To assist The Chamber, IEA proposes a multi -step planning process consisting of 5
stages:
-Plan to Plan
-SWOT Analysis
Visioning and Goal- Setting
Objectives
Implementation Plan
Complete Strategic Plan
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK
2801 South University Avenue Little Rock, Arkansas 72204 -1099
(0) 501.569.8519 (F)501.569.8538 www.ualr iea.org
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A variety of technical assistance approaches will be utilized to complete each stage.
They include:
Additional secondary data gathering (e.g., competitor community analysis).
Primary data gathering through surveys, personal interviews, and focus groups.
Analysis and presentation of secondary and primary data.
Facilitated SWOT session(s).
Facilitated stakeholder visioning session(s).
Facilitated Goal- and Objective- Setting session(s).
Recommendations for Implementation.
Compilation, analysis of results, and presentation of final report.
The Chamber will be apprised of each step, and in fact will serve as a partner in the
entire planning process. For efficiency purposes, all primary communications and
meetings will be arranged through The Chamber offices, which has the added advantage
of The Chamber being seen as the lead agency, rather than UALR. In addition, The
Chamber is expected to appoint a Steering Committee, identify stakeholders, and
provide input during the planning process. Since community concensus is critical in any
strategic planning process, opportunities will be provided for broader stakeholder
participation as well. To minimize costs, yet maximize local input, some steps will be
conducted electronically, and some meetings will be held by conference call.
Deliverables:
In a sense, stakeholder participation in the planning process is a key deliverable. Other
specific deliverables, which will be provided to the client electronically, include:
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Report.
Written Vision and Mission Statements.
Written Goals Statement.
Written Objectives Statement.
Written Implementation Recommendations
-Final Strategic Planning Document
Timetable from signed contract:
A chart of timelines for the strategic plan components of the proposed project is
attached. Generally, the end week of each timeline represents a completion date, with
the appropriate deliverable for each plan component. Though some preliminary work
will be conducted, the project's official start will be upon completion of a signed
contract. The timelines assume the contract will be completed by April, but any delay
will result in moving the project start and completion to later dates. Completion
currently is anticipated by the end of 2014.
Cost: 15,000
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK