Assoc. Govts. of NW Colo. to meet Jan. 12 in Rifle to strategize economic development

RBC | Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC), also known as Region 11 of the Colorado state planning regions, is moving into the public engagement phase in the development of a Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The development of a CEDS is a prerequisite for designation by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) as an Economic Development District (EDD) which AGNC is pursuing for the benefit of the Northwest Colorado region. The AGNC region is the only rural planning region in Colorado that is not a designated EDD.
The EDA states that, “The CEDS contributes to effective economic development in America’s communities and regions through a locally-based, regionally-driven economic development planning process. …planning—as implemented through the CEDS—… successfully serves as a means to engage community leaders, leverage the involvement of the private sector, and establish a strategic blueprint for regional collaboration. The CEDS provides the capacity-building foundation by which the public sector, working in conjunction with other economic actors (individuals, firm, industries), crates the environment for regional economic prosperity.”
AGNC members, which includes the counties of Mesa, Garfield, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt along with most municipalities within those counties, directed staff to identify opportunities that could aid in the economic diversification of the region beginning in 2015. The group determined that opportunities to leverage local economic development efforts could be expanded if it could be designated an EDD. Efforts have begun to start the CEDS development process and the first regional meeting has been scheduled to take place on Jan. 12, 2018, at the Grand River Hospital, 501 Airport Rd., in Rifle from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. AGNC would like to encourage anyone interested in attending the meeting to register at www.agnc.org. More information regarding the CEDS process can be found at https://eda.gov/ceds/.