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2007.02.28 MOU Adopting a Regional Strategic Action Plan
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING Adopting a Regional Strategic Action Plan r and J U Identifying Local Leadership The Valley/Adams Planning Partnership (VAPP)is an informal,voluntary organization of local government officials, state and federal agency employees, special service districts, quasi-public organizations,business and industry representatives and interested citizens who have come together to address growth issues in the two counties. "Building Sustainable Communities"is the expressed desire of the Valley/Adams Planning Partnership. Participants in the VAPP process agree that communication, collaboration and cooperation, as well as strategic planning and collaborative problem solving, are necessary to accomplish the goals. VAPP Goal: Local, state,federal and private partners coordinating and collaborating to maximize the economic development opportunities occurring in the Valley/Adams County region and at the same time providing a place where residents and newcomers enjoy living and recreating; a place they can afford to live, to work and conduct business. Through this MOU,the local government partners, Valley and Adams County and the cities of Cascade, Council,Donnelly, McCall and New Meadows,recognize the Strategic Action Plan dated January 2007 as a vehicle for communication, collaboration and cooperation to achieve the stated goal. The local government partners recognize that it will be impossible to achieve the goal of the Regional Strategic Action Plan without leadership. This document identifies this core leadership as the Valley County Board of Commissioners and identifies leadership for each of the six focus areas of the plan. Signatures G.E. Winkle Valley County Commission Chair Bill Brown Adams County Commission Chair Date: Date R.W. Carter Mayor,City of Cascade Bruce Gardner Mayor,City of Council Date Date George Dorris, Mayor. City of Donnelly Gale Stillman Mayor, City of New Meadows Date Date Bill Robertson Mayor,City of McCall Date Valley/Adams County Regional Economic Development Strategic Plan February 28, 2007 Funded by USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant Applicant: Valley County Valley/Adams County Regional Economic Development Strategic Plan February 28, 2007 Funded by USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant Applicant: Valley County Executive Summary In response to growth pressures with the development of Tamarack Resort a partnership of state, federal and local officials and citizens came together to address growth related issues in Valley and Adams Counties. Initially drawn together by Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor Rural Development staff, the Valley Adams Planning Partnership or VAPP began to meet July 2004. Identifying needs,problems and solutions to"build sustainable communities"in the region was the focus of the informal, self- appointed group concerned and interested in the Valley-Adams County region. Between June 2004 and summer 2005 a great deal of information was gathered about the region and the needs of the counties and communities to handle the explosive growth. Growth planning seminars were held, land use and project planning assistance provided and a housing needs assessment conducted. Community leadership development workshops were held. Extensive citizen and leadership input and asset mapping was sought with focus groups,town hall meetings, interviews and surveys. This Regional Economic Development Strategic Plan, funded by a USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant,brings together the work of VAPP and the needs and desires of the Region's communities.This plan focuses on collaborative problem solving and calls for coordination, cooperation and communication between the local and state and federal partners to achieve this goal: Local, state,federal and private partners coordinating and collaborating to maximize the economic development opportunities occurring in the Valley/Adams County region and at the same time providing a place where residents and newcomers enjoy living and recreating; a place they can afford to live, to work and conduct business. The project or plan objectives: • To engage all the communities,the Counties and the state, federal and local partners to develop an action plan for growth; • To develop a system/method to work together for solutions to development problems/issues; • To capitalize on this opportunity to build a sustainable economy by creating a community environment that leads to investment in business and industry, and thus job creation,which supports the visitor industry; • To provide a business and living environment that will draw non-visitor industry firms to locate into the region,providing necessary job diversification; • To identify firms to locate or expand into the area that compliment and support the current employment base and that fill gaps in that base; • To provide an environment that does not force the current residents or businesses to leave the area because of escalating cost of living and cost of doing business; • To provide a model of intergovernmental-interagency cooperation for other areas impacted by unexpected,rapid growth. The model will also be useful to areas with the reverse problem, a downsizing in the local economy or experiencing a fundamental structural change in the economy. The extensive community interviews and focus group process identified underserved business opportunities and needs. Elesco Ltd also prepared a limited target industries study, identifying business development opportunities related to the visitor industry. All these processes also identified the barriers to developing these opportunities. Addressing these barriers became the Focus Areas and Strategies in this plan. The Elesco report recommends that a data-base of companies be purchased for a direct marketing campaign when the barriers to business recruitment have been addressed. Focus areas: 1. Community Housing 2. Growth Management Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership Economic and Community Development Plan Land Use and Capital Improvement Planning 3. Transportation,multi-modal 4. Ensuring a Balanced Economy Business development 5. Adequate and Skilled Work Force 6. Public Health and Safety Within each of the Focus Areas is a description of the Valley/Adams Region's position, goals and strategies.The goals and strategies are designed to be action-oriented,thereby yielding desired outcomes. A work sheet is presented for each focus area to assign tasks and a time frame. A summary of the underserved business opportunities identified by the community and the strategies to address these needs is included in this executive summary. Implementation Plan: The implementation section of this plan offers suggestions for implementation of the plan largely relying on groups and organizations already in place. As the grant applicant,Valley County Board of Commissioners is assumed to be the primary leader. Focus Area 1 Community Housing Valley Adams Regional Housing Authority Leadership will be Board of Directors and Executive Director Focus Area 2 Transportation The elected officials of the two counties and five cities Leadership will be one interested member assuming the role Focus Area 3 Growth Management City/County planning staff and commissions Leadership will be county planning director of each county Focus Area 4 Balanced Economy UPRED and the corresponding group from Adams County(or one or more of the Adams County cities) Leadership in Valley County will be John Blaye and will be identified in Adams County Focus Area 5 Workforce Development McCall staff of Idaho Commerce and Labor Job Service Leadership by Jim Thackeray, manager Focus Area 6 Health and Safety Local Emergency Planning Committee Leadership by Jim Hass,Valley County LEPC chair and Adams County chair Additionally, communication models are suggested since developing communications between the counties and the communities is key to collaborative problem solving. It is recommended that VAPP continue as an informal organization.The volunteer group has a history of working together as well as name familiarity among the state, federal and local partners. Background: The final section of the document contains background information and data from a variety of sources and is presented as an attempt to centralize the information for the Region. Most grant and loan applications need this kind of data. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership ii Economic and Community Development Plan a) Q b'0 0 0 0 0 0 0 O a 0 0 c O O O O O O .. t. 0 • 3 , a) O ,fie G .- 0 6 " 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 0w .o o ° a� v '° � 5- � a �� v) � "0 a) "0 ,� = •N ,b .5 v, b = .� E .5 er E .5 er E .5 er U 0 +' 0 ..* g 0 • 0 a) 0 -W m g U V to0CA as 0 � as took ta00JD tOp00C I:00 �cu '� . O p axb xb o 2xb ° 2xb 2xb 2xb y C. 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" > ¢ x a A =1 > a '7 .- p 3 UU o Em c 0 . 0 o U b U U . a E T p E al = 0 Z d > w Table of Contents Executive Summary Business Needs Opportunities I Introduction 1-3 VAPP Process Tasks Goal of VAPP Objectives of Strategic Planning Document II Strategic Framework 4 Strategic Overview Historical Perspective Defining Sustainability Defining Economic Development Region Vision 5 III Strategic Action Plan 6 Focus Area# 1 Community Housing 7-11 Situation Analysis Goal Strategies Tools and Resources Strategy Summary and Planning Worksheet Focus Area#2 Growth Management Land Use& Capital Improvement Planning 12-14 Situation Analysis Goal Strategies Tools and Resources Strategy Summary and Planning Worksheet Focus Area#3 Transportation—Multi-modal 15-18 Situation Analysis Goal Strategies Tools and Resources Strategy Summary and Planning Worksheet Focus Area#4 Ensuring a Balanced Economy 19-22 Situation Analysis Goal Strategies Tools and Resources Strategy Summary and Planning Worksheet Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership vi Economic and Community Development Plan Focus Area#5 Adequate and Skilled Workforce 23-25 Situation Analysis Goal Strategies Tools and Resources Strategy Summary and Planning Worksheet Focus Area#6 Public Health and Safety 26-29 Situation Analysis Goal Strategies Tools and Resources Strategy Summary and Planning Worksheet IV Implementation Plan 30-34 Initial Leadership Next Steps Regional Communication Models Components Needed for Successful Plan Implementation Strategy Summary and Planning Worksheet V Overview of VAPP Region 35-62 Population Labor Force and Unemployment Income Economy Lodging Sales Retail Sales Construction Community and Comprehensive Planning Property Values Municipal Revenues Region Infrastructure Schools Community Services and Recreation Opportunities Idaho Department of Transportation STIP Medical Services Emergency Services,Fire and Law Enforcement Tables 63 Acknowledgements 64-65 Appendix Business Diversification Strategies Elesco,LTD Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership vii Economic and Community Development Plan I. Introduction Adams and Valley Counties are adjacent rural counties in Southwest Idaho in a beautiful mountain region some 100 miles from Boise. The populations are small with 3,591 in Adams and 7,743 in Valley County. For decades they enjoyed a resource-based economy tied to timber and agriculture.The U.S. Forest Service and Boise Cascade Corporation provided well paying jobs. Others were employed on ranches and other agriculture businesses. A few were employed in"tourist"businesses centered on water recreation at Payette and Cascade lakes in Valley County and Hells Canyon on the west side of Adams County. Winter sports also played a role with skiing at Brundage Mountain and snowmobiling on groomed trails in and around the national forest. This began to change as pressures to cut less and less timber finally resulted in the last lumber mill in Valley County closing in 2002.The mill in Council closed in 1995. One Adams County mill remains open. Gone were a majority of the jobs in timber, although the Forest Service continues to have a presence in the Region. Times became tough as families left to find employment. The agriculture picture is changing as well. According to the Idaho Department of Agriculture there were 156 farms in Valley County and 316 in Adams Count in 2005. The report said thousands of acres of oats, a leading crop in Valley County,were pulled from production. The area has had a slowly developing recreation/tourism business for many years. Two lakes,Payette and Cascade, as well as the Snake River dams,provide for water sports and fishing. Locals have skied on area runs since the 1930's and on Brundage Mountain since the 1960's. A new resort on West Mountain near Donnelly has been in the talking stage for years–more than 20 years. However, it never got off the ground. It appeared to be just another dream of one group followed by another, until a group of developers revived the old project and brought new life. Tamarack Resort on West Mountain suddenly, and unexpectedly,became a reality. This occurred at precisely the time the Region was reeling from the loss of the timber jobs. Much to the surprise of the community and many in state and local government circles, Tamarack Resort "took off"During the summer of 2003,the resort went from struggling to get financing together for the infrastructure needed to subdivide the lots to the first offering of high end lots in January 2004. This group of 107 lots was gone in one day,bringing in $46 million. The first four-season resort to be built in the United States in 22 years was off and running. Subsequent lot sales were held in June 2004 with 64 lots bringing$33.4 million. Three sales were held in 2005 with the same result, a sell-out in a matter of hours. The 2007 sales will offer 50 percent of the units available in the planned Agassi-Graf Development LLC luxury condominium hotel. At the same time, the resort was constructing a golf course–opening in 2005–and had the ski hill ready for a December 2004 opening. A lodge sprang up, condominiums and homes are under construction. Construction activity is everywhere and firms are bringing construction crews and supplies to Valley County to do these jobs. All this work began during the spring and summer of 200—just three years ago! Tamarack Resort was the impetus for other growth in Valley County. To date 87 new subdivisions with 1,115 lots have been recorded with another 1,755 pending approval. A new 18-hole golf course has opened.These numbers do not include the Tamarack Resort development. There is development everywhere, there are workers everywhere.Tamarack Resort planned for 845 workers on their project September 2006. The county and the communities are now reeling from growth, growth that was impossible to predict and to plan for. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 1 Economic and Community Development Plan Brundage Mountain Resort successfully exchanged land with the Forest Service that will allow them to develop resort facilities at the base of the mountain. The Brundage facility is located in Adams County though McCall has been historically considered the home of the Brundage Mountain facility. The growth and the pressures of rapid growth are spreading into adjacent Adams County as employees seek affordable and obtainable housing. The impact of resort home ownership fostered by development of the Tamarack resort seems clear. Both Valley and Adams counties recorded a larger increase in housing units than they did population. Valley County's population was up just under 700 between the census and July 2005 but it had over 1,000 more housing units. Adams County had a population increase of 115 but a housing increase of 300,according to a report prepared by the Idaho Depai Intent of Commerce. A. VAPP(Valley/Adams Planning Partnership)Process In July 2004, six months after the initial Tamarack Resort lot sale, it became evident to county economic development staff that it was going to be necessary to address growth issues in a region-wide, coordinated effort. Working in one community at a time was not the answer. It became clear that economic development was quickly becoming crisis management and that a regional economic development effort and plan was going to be necessary. It also became clear that Idaho did not have a model to pattern after and one needed to be developed.The decision to include the Adams County communities of New Meadows and Council into the region was made at the request of elected Adams County officials who were responding to growth pressures from Valley County development. "Building Sustainable Communities" is the desire of the Valley/Adams Planning Partnership. Tasks: The first order of business for early VAPP meetings was to learn as much about the region and the issues as possible and for state and federal agencies to share resources that might be available to address these problems. Initially,VAPP was lead by Gloria Mabbutt,Rural Development Coordinator, Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor. Between June 2004 and summer 2005, a great deal was accomplished: • Information gathering was under way: State and Federal agency investment in community infrastructure was identified and logged; A housing needs assessment was completed for the Region; Community interviews were conducted by VAPP team members; Community needs assessments(asset mapping)were done; Boise State University conducted a community attitudes survey; A land-use planning seminar was held; Capacity by Design Community Leadership Training was held; and Land use planning assistance brought to the area by Community Planning Associates of Southwest Idaho(COMPAS). • Communications were largely by The Idaho Rural Partnership web site,joint meetings and news releases. It was determined that a significant amount of work had been done but more would be required and there needed to be a process to pull everything together. A grant was obtained from USDA Rural Development to develop a plan. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 2 Economic and Community Development Plan This document, a Regional Economic Development Action Plan, will be a guidance tool. It will be formally adopted by the participating groups to assure cooperation and collaboration to meet the goal of VAPP and objectives of the project. The goal of VAPP: Local, state,federal and private partners coordinating and collaborating to maximize the economic development opportunities occurring in the Valley/Adams County region and at the same time providing a place where residents and newcomers enjoy living and recreating; a place they can afford to live, to work and conduct business. Objectives for this strategic planning document: • To engage all the communities, the Counties and the state, federal and local partners to develop an action plan for growth; • To develop a system/method to work together for solutions to development problems/issues; • To capitalize on this opportunity to build a sustainable economy by creating a community environment that leads to investment in business and industry, and thus job creation, which supports the visitor industry; • To provide a business and living environment that will draw non-visitor industry firms to locate into the region, providing necessary job diversification; • To identify firms to locate or expand into the area that compliment and support the current employment base and that fill gaps in that base; • To provide an environment that does not force the current residents or businesses to leave the area because of escalading cost of living and cost of doing business; • To provide a model of intergovernmental-interagency cooperation for other areas impacted by unexpected, rapid growth. The model will also be useful to areas with the reverse problem, a downsizing in the local economy or experiencing a fundamental structural change in the economy. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 3 Economic and Community Development Plan II. Strategic Framework A. Strategic Overview Valley County is experiencing tremendous change and development pressure brought on by the development of Tamarack Resort.This development pressure is spilling over into adjacent Adams County where property values are also rising dramatically.These growth changes are coupled with the need and desire by the Region to ensure that it is creating a livable region that can be sustainable both financially and from a quality of life standpoint. B. Historical Perspective Though the two counties have many similarities they have never approached problems as a region.New Meadows,because of its proximity to McCall, has the strongest relationship. Their school districts share a superintendent. Though Brundage Mountain Resort is actually in Adams County and the ski runs visible from New Meadows, Brundage has always been associated with McCall and considered"McCall's ski hill." Additionally, the counties are accessed from opposite sides of the mountain and thus use separate highways for access. A major commonality is Boise and Payette National Forests located in both counties and both are subject to federal revenue curtailment or elimination of timber harvest funds.The school districts are impacted as well.Both counties have significant numbers of acres of timber subject to wild fire. C. Defining Sustainability The Valley/Adams County Region is working toward a"balanced"community with sustainable resources. The Region is striving to learn from successes and mistakes of other fast-growing recreation communities in Idaho and across the West to ensure that the community is well prepared for the future. Some of the sustainable concepts the Region is focusing on include: • Retention of businesses and people within the Region's communities; • Region does not depend on one-industry; • Focus on developing a strong economy that is competitive long term and remains healthy (e.g.,products,revenues, and labor force); • There is a good diversification of businesses—large and small businesses representing all sectors; and • The Region and citizens enjoy prosperity. D. Defining Economic Development Economic development is the process of successful implementation of diversification of the types of businesses,attraction of new revenue, as well as maintaining/expansion of revenues in the Region essential to the sustainability of the Region and improvement of the quality(ies)of life. E. Region Vision Capturing a vision for the Region has been difficult.Many say the rapid growth has lead to a feeling that "this is not home any more."Other talked about losing the sense of community as the region moves to a community of non-resident home owners. Some feel that not many have "roots"in the community."A community is not complete without all age and socio-economic groups and we need to build communities not just houses and we need social infrastructure", were thoughts of others. It was stressed that the Region is selling a life style to these new home owners and that losing this life style may also result in this new population moving on. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 4 Economic and Community Development Plan The Valley/Adams County region is a vibrant region that has retained its cultural and historical past while embracing new opportunities and challenges. The region encourages orderly, well managed growth that blends the old with the new, and the rural with small community development. The region's diversified economy attracts manufacturing, service, recreation- tourism and retail establishments that are successful. The Region supports a range of housing types,prices and neighborhoods. The Region serves as a model for its partnerships of local, state, federal and private individuals and organizations to address growth issues on a regional basis. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 5 Economic and Community Development Plan III. Strategic Action Plan Business Needs and Opportunities Part of the process for defining and understanding economic development in the Region included extensive interviews with community leaders, elected officials and citizens identifying community business development opportunities and needs.The process also identified the barriers to developing these opportunities. Addressing these barriers became the Focus Areas and Strategies in this plan. Focus areas: 1. Community Housing 2. Growth Management Land Use and Capital Improvement Planning 3. Transportation Multi-modal 4. Ensuring a Balanced Economy Business development 5. Adequate and Skilled Work Force Job training Higher education Child care 6. Public Health and Safety Areas to be approached from the community level with support of Region partners. 7. Enhancing Quality(ies)of Life Approached as individual projects within the community 8. Quality Education 9. Individual Community Infrastructure Development Within each of the Focus Areas is a description of the Valley/Adams Region's position, goals and strategies as defined below.The goals and strategies are designed to be action-oriented,thereby yielding desired outcomes. Focus Areas are strategic initiatives that the Region will address to work toward implementation of the Region's vision. Situation Analysis describes the Focus Area and defines the intent. Goals are desired ends of conditions, if pursued over time,will ultimately result in the attainment of the region's vision. Goals describe a fundamental direction or broad course of action. Strategies are specific tasks that will be accomplished to assist in implementing the related goal. Tools and Resources are a partial list of suggestions. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 6 Economic and Community Development Plan Focus Area # 1: Community Housing Situation Analysis In every single discussion of the Region and the impact of growth,the lack of affordable housing was the number one issue. Employers tell of their inability to get and keep workers because they have no place to live. Health care professionals tell of the crowded conditions where many families live. Law enforcement officials echoed this concern. The Region has not been able to capitalize on the construction jobs because the workers live out of the area, coming up only to work. The lack of housing in Valley County has pushed workers into adjacent Adams County as they seek places to live. A number of shop owners reported summer 2006 sales were down as much as 20%, something they attribute to a decline in summer visitors. Donnelly reportedly lost four businesses to poor sales. This, they feel, is because construction crews are renting many of the available accommodations leaving the vacationers no place to stay. Both assisted living facilities in McCall closed in 2006, in part,because of staffing problems. The Housing Needs Assessment prepared by Rees Consulting, Inc. June 2005 found: "There is clearly a shortage of both rental housing and homes available for purchase in Valley and Adams counties at prices affordable for housing for low-to-moderate income households and an inadequate supply of units available for middle-income families. This deficiency is resulting in a labor shortage that reduces the economic benefits the region is receiving from growth. The lack of housing will be an impediment to economic sustainability unless development of affordable units catches up and keeps up with job-generating growth." The Rees report made the following recommendations for units to be constructed: "In order to address the housing shortage, construction of new units specifically targeting low-to middle- income households will be required. • Based on development that has occurred since 2003, new permanent jobs have generated demand for approximately 210 housing units. Of these, 145 units or 69%should be affordable for low-and moderate-income households and 65 units or 31%should be target households with incomes at or above the median. These estimates do not include permanent or temporary housing needed for construction workers. • If growth continues at the same level as in 2004 and the first five months of 2005, approximately 200 additional units will be needed in the next two years. • Based solely on the number of applications on wait lists the number of seniors occupying low-income family apartments, 35 to 40 additional rental units for low-income seniors are needed at this time. • At least 45%of the new residential units in Valley County and 60%of the homes that will be constructed in Adams County should be occupied by residents rather than used as seasonal/vacation homes. • Of these primary homes, 40%of new units should be affordable for low-income households (80%AMI) and 21%should be affordable for moderate- to middle-income households (80%to 120%AMI). " Several activities have been undertaken since the housing study was completed. • November 1,2006 Federal Housing Administration(FHA) increased their single-family lending limit in Valley County from$200,160 to $316,800, a 58.3 percent increase. This will pave the way Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 7 Economic and Community Development Plan for additional homebuyers to qualify for FHA guaranteed loans. Similar increases were enacted for duplex and fourplex units. FHA loans require only three percent(3%)down payments. • Ordinances that include"inclusionary housing"have been adopted by both counties and most communities. However, these units are not yet available since many projects were underway prior to adoption of these ordinances. On September 25,2006 the City of McCall was served with a lawsuit by the Central Mountain Board of Realtors seeking to overturn significant portions of the McCall Community Housing program. Specifically targeted were the requirement that subdivisions dedicate 20 percent of the resulting homes as deed restricted community housing and the requirement that builders pay a community housing fee in support of community housing. City Council elected to allow developers and builders to proceed with planned projects if they would voluntarily provide community housing or pay a fee. Table 1 Inclusionary Housing Required of New Developments Valley and Adams Counties Community Percent Comment Valley County 10% Cascade 15% Donnelly 15% Have fees linked to residential construction and to be placed in trust McCall 20% account to be expended on community housing Adams County 10% A requirement for developers in North County(New Meadows area) as well as for PUD's any place in the county. Council Considering New Meadows Considering • There are community housing projects in Adams County and McCall in the discussion stage and or planning stage. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 8 Economic and Community Development Plan Table 2 Affordable Housing Project Planned Valley and Adams County Location Units Developer Comments New Meadows 88 Neighborhood Part of 167-lot subdivision recently Housing Services approved.NHS will purchase lots for 22 (NHS) homes in Phase I. McCall 9 NHS City-owned land donated by Greystone Development.Modular units(3 floor plans priced up to$175,000)to be ready February 2007. McCall 14 Private(Ridley Site) 96-unit condo project under construction. Cascade 28 Private 14 duplex units approved in Riverwoods sub.Phase I is 10 duplexes.Project ready for City Council action. Council • Tamarack has six eight-plex units that were completed in October 2006. These are providing housing for 48 of their families, or,they estimate, about 40%of their current employees. They are located in The Meadows at West Mountain PUD. • There has been interest by several developers in building single family homes for sale as well as apartments to be rented. Stumbling blocks to building affordable housing: The big issue is that land costs have escalated as speculators moved into the area.It is not only difficult to find a suitable property,but the land has become so expensive that the project is not economically feasible at the standard 30%of income target for housing. Additionally,development and impact fees are adding to the land costs. Cities are requiring up front fees, North Lake Recreation Sewer and Water District is asking for contributions from developers to expand their system. Local planning and zoning boards may not have increased density levels enough to make the land cost per unit low enough for a developer to do an affordable housing project. The Meadows at West Mountain, a sub-division along West Roseberry Road on the way to Tamarack, is an example of the high cost of housing. A 1,232 square foot home of a simple design was advertised for $251,995,well out of the range of most employees in the Region. One solution to reduce the land costs, and perhaps allow for lower density projects, appears to find land in public ownership that can be used for public housing. Several public agencies including the Bureau of Reclamation,U.S.Forest Service,Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Parks and others own land in the region. Exchanging these lands to create suitable parcels then working with the Housing Authority to construct the units may be a solution. M-D School District also owns nine (9) acres that could be made available. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 9 Economic and Community Development Plan Goal: By 2016 there will be 600 additional housing units composed of a broad range of rental and ownership opportunities and prices for families, individuals and special needs persons who live and work in the Region as recommended by the Valley/Adams County Housing Needs Assessment, May 2005, Rees Consulting, Inc. Strategies: 1. Take necessary actions to support and ensure that the Valley Adams Regional Housing Authority (VARHA) is a viable,regional organization, supported by the entire Region,capable of carrying out its mission of leadership in developing Community Housing. 2. Support VARHA in a region-wide community education program for city councils, county commissions, local planning and zoning commissions, local building officials, the housing development community, lenders, local employers and the general population to help understand the role of the Housing Authority and the tools and partnerships available to assist in providing community housing. 3. Ensure that local housing policies are current and updated and that incentives as well as requirements are clearly stated and promoted. 4. Ensure there are local sites correctly zoned and there is collaboration between cities and counties, both necessary to attract community housing funding. 5. Coordinate with the state, federal and local agencies that own land to identify, evaluate and exchange land into an ownership capable of offering land for community housing. 6. Maximize the tools and resources available to develop community housing. Tools and resources VARHA Public lands Infrastructure (sewer,water, streets,power) Grants,USDA, CDBG, HUD Low interest loans Developer incentives Developer requirements Employer assistance Federal income tax credits Private non-profit partners Federal partners(HUD,USDA) Land use policy(codes,rules and regulations) Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 10 Economic and Community Development Plan y*i1 ts h. h.o toe .4 0 "tt a. tt C4 .4 3 c c o C a^ e G d .t of O U1 R U o a o x o 0 to crl a y tu :�• m O U A C .. :-.14 N O A O p Q• v . 7 c d U y ,, N 0 cd T cn '. 0 - ° 'G3 c d 5 A y i c w 44 U A °° N i 7, Ay r } fl m 3 A 0 O ' cat a' c* . 'Oai O D p G a N 'N. � O+ - rN0 � d .v. rUNO U cd r m m ; O A � ■ A NO O 00.) ''''' ' A H A d � P..4 A o ^ y H U a y o r) ', 0 o cd % .O A - ' w O o'd ¢+G A o 'y v '45 N Y� o by ,. '� U C O A N N 0 A R 'O y O ccd r i e H U .� 4". ' CI' m .v w � H 0 O � � O G U 7+ r i H � w O t O G 3 m H � 0 N 0 bp A N � � •V cd U �"' A NA %A r' A, by+ p O O U ,A A r+ A +� N O U . d .p .n ' S a) w ' , p 1.. ' ff ° d 'a o 6 -" ° U .. .n ,2 ..--, A v o EC d . o ai ' o �L vAA G *6. A A▪ A A 6 i•,Y A A Cc;) i 'o •%.-,-,, R N o H Y v y a H T o s„, ce A .-. A .. ) fl ° ° N .. 1) o � t o y A U N H d 4i 'd � - : ' i ' •O A d U `° w 7 O N .- A "0 II U d d i 7,i.. 0 A A u' A A y o C" cd N c, d 0 Op • ..v ' % ) v 0 W a> W � c30 d H d N � 0 ..,-.2.-8 '2 O.i N , y, 2 0 U N U 1 H w 7/ U C Focus Area # 2 Growth Management Land Use & Capital Improvement Planning Situation analysis: Land use planning efforts in the region have come a long way in a few months as the region struggles to adopt the necessary regulations. However, some communities are further along than others. McCall is the example of having the most sophisticated planning and zoning tools.They are the only of the five communities to have P&Z staff. Valley County also has full-time professional staff.The Adams County building inspector serves as P&Z staff. The smaller communities,Cascade, Donnelly,Council and New Meadows, lack the resources to obtain full time staff but all four communities and both counties,recently received grant funds from the Idaho Department of Commerce to help fill this gap. There is potential for conflict between the county and cities over development in the impact areas. McCall and Valley County have a co-management agreement that could be a model for other communities. Donnelly and Valley County are in the process of developing an agreement and management method. It is not clear where the Region wants to see employment centers develop or what kinds of businesses, including regional retail operations,they seek. With the exception of McCall,no community has clearly defined the role they wish to play in business location.McCall has defined the types of businesses they desire, and will allow,through their"formula business"restrictions in their ordinances. There is evidence in Valley County that business development is springing up along Hwy 55 as firms seek sites that are less expensive. Lake Fork is an example. Early in the VAPP process Adams County residents expressed concerns about growth adversely impacting rural values like open space, irrigation rights, weed control and fencing. It appears that these have been addressed as the county adopted updated subdivision ordinances. Adams County has yet to address the issue of accepting roads in new subdivisions and the maintenance responsibility this brings. Goal: All regional partners will have adopted land use plans supported by the necessary ordinances and all will be kept current by regular updating. Plans will be developed collaboratively and will include Regional coordination of the Comprehensive Plans and Impact Areas. Land use decisions will tie growth to infrastructure availability. Strategies: 1. All cities and counties will have, and maintain,current comprehensive plans, zoning and subdivision ordinances and area of impact plans and agreements that are"state of the practice". 2. All cities and counties will have professional planning staff supported by development fees to the degree possible. The small communities are encouraged to share professional planning staff as needed/available. 3. Encourage cities and counties to collaboratively master plan for employment centers that allow for industrial development, future regional shopping,regional health care,regional airport, etc. 4. Develop zoning policies that will encourage/reward development near areas that provide the bulk of the services to aid in preserving open space and reduce service costs. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 12 Economic and Community Development Plan 5. Develop a communication link between the cities, counties and special districts,notably the sewer-water service districts and fire and emergency medical service districts. 6. All communities will have current infrastructure master plans and are seeking funding for needed improvements. Tools and resources Sage Community Resources pilot planning project; Land trusts; Transfer development rights; Swat teams from Urban Land Institute and other professional community planning organizations; State and federal grants and loans for infrastructure improvements/development; Local Improvement Districts; AIC Conservation easements Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 13 Economic and Community Development Plan tic y e 0 S O til VI 0 3 C1 d C R P+ ett e4 'C b G 3 y o O y L0 •W Ca a N¢, ta � j Q bA 7'C 0 t .. V y a A .0 9 N N OA -. +- �4., N �+0 N O G ai Y G O ..• s 'O O P.O + r p Q 4i O^ y v f �U ca ¢ 9 '6 �w i J r w v •3 UU N 7 A N oA y A .� +, r :A 7 O ¢+ -A N w �O A obits g .. ti- 0 % J v 0 ova .0 v ` 3 -0 °�' -0u nom . .0 ''''',n V 0) 0 -d w d � r N O -d J 3, m Y Y G a oA o o y o 3 G -1:1 y A O . 6„, A O O A Yi .� bA • J J N 0.• N G N cJd -' V T U y A p 2." " N ✓ O R J °. > A p y O y +' u> say J N °� U �, `.� U `O 7 ta]• Y 0 ..•+ ;Q. J J --'0:-":., C� cn J ?. 0- t1 J Q" R y0,. a' U N 'U fd "a "' A LP �d O m N R ^'• O a O 7 V Q O� O S O n r N N A W y . Y O N Focus Area #3 Transportation — Multi-modal Situation Analysis: Highway access: Valley and Adams Counties are reached from the Treasure Valley via two lane roads. Idaho Highway 55 brings travelers to the Valley County Communities of Cascade,Donnelly and McCall from Boise,90-120 miles to the south.U.S. Highway 95 links to 1-84 near Payette. It is the North-South link from Mexico to Canada through Idaho. An 11 mile winding section of Hwy 55 with no passing lanes links New Meadows to McCall.This section also serves Brundage Mountain Resort. Hwy 55,which follows the fast flowing Payette River much of the way, is one of Idaho's Scenic By-Ways. The much photographed Rainbow Bridge is on this route. Through the years work on Hwy 55 has included passing lanes and there is currently work being done on the Rainbow Bridge. Hwy 95 has had several straightening projects and passing lanes added. The need to improve highway access into the region seems to be in the"eyes of the traveler."Visitors traveling Hwy 55 enjoy the 2 hour trip along the river.On the other hand,long-time vacation home owners in Valley County are impatient to get to their cabin and begin their weekend.Trucks loaded with all manner of supplies clog the highway.Local residents are vocal about the increase in traffic and the difficulty getting onto the highway at certain times of the day. There have been a number of proposals and ideas for improving access to Valley and Adams Counties. Among them are: • Smith Ferry to Round Valley, a section of road that will eliminate the Rainbow Bridge. The alignment for this section was identified many years ago. It now appears in the current draft STIP as a"mid horizon"project 11-15 years out. • A new alignment for Hwy 95 near Emmett and connecting to the present Hwy 95 at Mesa Hill is one of the projects in Connecting Idaho to be financed by Garvee Bonds. A study for this new alignment was dropped from the 2007 STIP.This route from Emmett to Sweet to Ola could include a connection to West Roseberry Road at Tamarack Falls and on to Hwy 55 at Donnelly.This section would require rebuilding the current Forest Service Road.The project does not appear in the STIP. • A third idea is to make the Middle Fork of the Weiser River and all-weather road.This would open Council to Tamarack Resort from the West.There may not be support for this from Adams County because of maintenance responsibility/cost to the county. Annually the Idaho Transportation Department(ITD)updates their work plan. The draft 2007 STIP dropped a number of projects in the region or pushed out their construction date. See pages 56-59 for project list. A significant number of Valley and Adams County projects were eliminated as highway maintenance and improvement costs soared without adequate revenue. Especially frustrating to Council residents was elimination of the Council alternate route.This route redirects heavy traffic away from the school.There is an opportunity to impact the STIP through participation. Highway 55 Byway: Highway 55 is a National Scenic Byway with certain limitations on signage. With the exception of McCall, none of the communities along the route that use Hwy. 55 as their main street have adopted a Scenic Overlay District to protect this treasure. An opportunity exists to partner with the six communities between Eagle and New Meadows to joint venture as a"corridor" for economic development and scenic preservation.There are grant opportunities for projects on the by-way. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 15 Economic and Community Development Plan Community alternate routes: There has been discussion within the community and with ITD about alternate routes around all five of the communities in the Region. Council has a plan and Access 4 agreement with ITD for their alternate route and McCall has a route identified from Four Corners to Lardo. That city has made improvements to Deinhard Road,which serves to by-pass the downtown, lake front area. The Council project has been eliminated, or pushed back,by ITD. Council chose to limit commercial development on their alternate route through design and land use planning strategies. Cascade has an opportunity to open and beautify their city with a new entrance making use of the former Boise Cascade mill site and approaching the city from the east with a new river crossing. Donnelly's entrance will serve to draw visitors to Tamarack.New Meadows faces a challenge with an awkward intersection at Hwy 55 and US 95. Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) Representative: Valley County Commissioner Tom Kerr has served on the LHTAC board since 2001 and has served as chairman. The Local Highway Technical Assistance Council's mission is to assist the Local Highway Jurisdictions (cities, counties and highway districts)with utilizing the available resources for maintenance and construction of Idaho's Local Highway System in the most efficient and effective manner possible. The Surface Transportation Programs(STP)-Local Rural and Local Urban are managed by LHTAC in Idaho. These programs are funded by the Federal Highway Administration through the Idaho Transportation Board. LHTAC, under direction of the state legislature,wants the Local Highway Jurisdictions to prepare for future transportation needs through a systematic planning approach and offer assistance with this planning. Airport and air service: There are three airports in the region with paved surfaces. The other two communities have grass strips. None have air traffic control. The length at McCall is 6,162' x 75'feet; Cascade is 4,300' x 60' and Council 3,600' x 50'. All three are used during fire fighting season and the USFS fire jumping base is at McCall. There are charter services operating out of both McCall and Cascade and both have small private and corporate jet landings. ITD has identified annual (2007, 2008, 2009,2010)airport improvement projects at Cascade, Council and McCall. Council and McCall will have pavement rehabilitation projects while Cascade will have pavement projects as well as an environmental project and a navigation aid project. McCall is currently updating their airport master plan. It is not a legal B-II airport and airport data indicates that current air traffic calls for a C-II airport. A C-II airport will support planes between 12,500 and 60,000 pounds such as a Bombardier Canadair SE, a Fokker F-28 4000 or a Sabreliner 80. Even larger types of planes are currently landing at the facility. The community is looking at what will be required to become a C-II airport and if there is space enough at the current site to extend runways and increase the distance between runways and the taxiway. There has been discussion of scheduled air service and Tamarack Resort said they have initiated talks with commercial service providers for flights directly to Valley County without an intermediary stop in Boise. Sun Valley has such service. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 16 Economic and Community Development Plan Goal: Ensure that all modes of transportation to the region meet the needs for the current and future populations. Strategies: 1. Organize an elected official Regional Transportation Advisory Committee to advocate for regional projects in the STIP and to work with LHTAC to guide the STIP. 2. Coordinate local (cities and county)transportation plans and efforts. 3. Work with ITD,Payette River National Scenic Byway Advisory Committee and the communities on Hwy 55 to collaborate for an economic development and scenic preservation "corridor."This includes adoption of the scenic overlay zones. 4. Encourage local elected officials to be willing to serve on the LHTAC Board. 5. Explore and possibly support corridor development that opens Valley and Adams Counties. 6. Support private efforts to improve and enhance air service to the region. 7. Consider commissioning a regional air transportation master plan. 8. Coordinate airport master plans. 9. Coordinate and implement regional trail/pathways plans. 10. Explore/prepare alternatives for timber receipts funding losses to the county road and bridges budgets. 11. Undertake a training and education program on the formation of highway districts in the region. Tools and resources LHTAC planning assistance/grants FAA Private airport developers Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 17 Economic and Community Development Plan a.) as A 0 y 0 0 V as cD a) C a> t,; H © : r p 0 v acD e a CeS a) E-1 i. `'�i _ tf] h ' 0 .t:t„,, 6, 6 0 - E e74 = U b O p4 a.) o) rE ca Z a) -o LL ca .d Lo � a rO 0 = w Qa 0 M 0 y` ” " g0 .O " O O ° 8 'd -e is y G o . cd o o ci o o z o - i ~ o .„ o oo o ^ ° 3 " i ' Q. p . o H -o c+ o ,r w s � , O : E � ° U •-,x 0 t a0 p rl ox fa., o N tocs 4.) 0) -o o ; w ° .1 . " � �' o " a) •oa w 5 .5 , V, E `lb � - � Y a 'G GA4 . � d a on ' VI VA 1_I P a L a fa >1 C1, P+ 'fl � ,- C ~ o • : a y o .zI O O " r O " " y, " y " O � .,-. " .ca " " 3 . U O " O a ca caw a.+ +' " " c o 1. et A 11,..,) • < - C p •3 O C b4 O ` O, 'b a, b y Q O aw " y O L N OP ~ • v, " aF' V R. ° ' ' Q G Q c O . " ca ¢ 0 o O A, O -0 0 iv y cl Z O " V] ti (.) " `) 8 V) V " P0 UU W0 oP ) .C off ' (i)( U � 3 n1 ° -o o � w •3w - < ( . x .b > w Focus Area #4 Ensuring a Balanced Economy Situation Analysis There is no question that the economy of the region is changing as the jobs shift from timber jobs to construction and service jobs. The civilian labor force,the number employed and the percent unemployed demonstrate job growth in both counties. Not surprising, Leisure and Hospitality,with a gain of 285 jobs, accounted for the bulk of the 476 new jobs created in Valley County between 2004 and 2005. Construction added 150, Financial Activities 41 and Professional and Business Services 37. Construction and Professional and Businesses Services were the big job gainers in Adams County. Though there are many more employed and many firms seeking employees, there is still a serious fall and spring"shoulder season"in the region. Also, unfortunately many of the service jobs do not pay"a living wage."Many workers are finding it necessary to hold down more than one job to make ends meet. On the other side of the coin,employers, especially food and beverage establishments and hotel-motels, are paying top dollar to attract and hold key employees. "Help Wanted" signs are everywhere and the classified section in the local newspapers have columns of employment opportunities. The"living wage"issue is not unique to the Region. "Searching for Work that Pays: 2004 Northwest Job Gap Study," found that of"all the job openings in Idaho, only 22 percent pay a living wage for a family of three—leaving 78 percent of the new jobs providing wages that are inadequate to meet this family's basic needs." Several employers, including McCall Memorial Hospital,McCall-Donnelly SD, and the Pancake House, are providing housing allowances for full-time employees. Fewer and fewer workers have health insurance, a problem that must be faced by the local health care providers,particularly the two hospitals. Additionally,there is an increasing number of families where English is a second language and in which some family members speak no English. The school districts are addressing this with ESL classes. Even though there are fewer timber jobs,there remain many thousands of acres of forest land to be managed and an opportunity for stewardship projects that bring employment. The 2006 tornado that blew down 25 million board feet of timber near Bear in Adams County is offering salvage opportunities. Adams County has contracted with retired Council District Ranger Pete Johnston to staff a working group. The four-month project will "put a pencil"to a woody bio-mass utilization project to determine sustainability after the Bear timber has been cleared. They will look at power generation and value-added products. They are planning Idaho legislature appearances to discuss the opportunity and seek funding. On the down side, Congress has made it known that PL 106-393,he"Secure Rural Schools Community Self Determination Act" commonly known as Craig-Wyden,will in the future be reauthorized annually, if at all. Historically reauthorization has been in six-year cycles.These forest receipts funds are distributed to counties based on the number of acres of USFS land in the county and are received in lieu of property taxes.It focused on counties that previously received money from timber harvest. It was reauthorized for fy 2006. However, as of January 1, 2007, it had not yet been funded. Valley County has 2,354,048 acres with 87.6% in Federal ownership and another 4% in other non-tax revenue generating ownership. Only 9.4% of the county is in private ownership and paying property taxes. Adams County,with 565,066 acres has 64.7% in Federal ownership,4.6% in other non-revenue generating ownership and 30.8% in private ownership. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 19 Economic and Community Development Plan Both Counties will face major, devastating revenue cuts when these timber receipts funds are no longer received. For Valley County this federal funding source is estimated to be$2 million annually and if lost will necessitate a 50%increase in property taxes to cover the loss. Both counties use these federal funds to augment their vehicle fuel taxes to build and maintain county roads and bridges.None is used for general county operations. Neither county has rural road districts to levy taxes for roads. All of the school districts receive timber receipts funds as well. Idaho counties have been working on the problem and in the 2006 Legislature, through a Memorial to Congress,requested that about one-third of the USFS holdings in Idaho, about 10 million acres,be transferred to the Idaho Department of Lands to manage as they manage Idaho Trust Lands. Proceeds from Idaho trust lands go to fund county roads and schools. Valley County has opportunities to use geothermal heat. A study committee has been named to explore opportunities for power generation as well as direct uses. This committee prepared a strategic plan to develop this resource,releasing the plan June 2006. Each of the communities in the region offers unique opportunities, approaches and challenges to business development. However, all agree that it is a balance of diverse economic activities that keeps the region's communities from becoming overly dependent on any segment of the economy. Creating and sustaining that "balance"is an ongoing challenge. According to Idaho Commerce and Labor, communities in the Region are not prepared to respond to leads for business location or relocation. There is a serious lack of land properly zoned and served with utilities. McCall lacks a business park as does Cascade. Donnelly's 5-bay building is full as are the buildings at Council.New Meadows has a small unit available. Firms currently in business are challenged to remain open. High operating costs, including fuel, are forcing some companies to either pull out or not expand. Some companies that could relocate from the Boise area are electing continue to drive up rather than move their operation. To help communities identify and tap their opportunities, a limited evaluation of opportunities was prepared by Elesco,LTD and is incorporated in this plan. Goal: Strive to strike a balance between industry types (e.g., retail, visitor services, manufacturing,forest, agriculture and small businesses) to ensure a diverse local economy. Stratejies: 1. Support adequate, on-going professional economic development staff and programs in the Region by supporting UPRED and the Adams County community economic development program(s). 2. Consider realigning the Rural Economic Development Professional outreach program to include Adams County with Valley and North Boise Counties. 3. Coordinate/collaborate community economic development activities with Sage Community Resources,the Economic Development District serving the Region. 4. Coordinate/develop a regional business development marketing program. 5. County and state leadership continue aggressively addressing the potential timber receipts loss issue including strategies/plans to replace this revenue as necessary. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 20 Economic and Community Development Plan 6. Communities identify, zone and prepare sites for business development opportunities. 7. Bring the Payette and Boise National Forests and Idaho State Lands staff to the table and become pro-active on forest management issues in the Region. 8. Revitalize the 501(c)(3)organization V.A.L.U.E.D. to become the fund raising arm of Upper Payette River Economic Development, the organization providing professional economic development services to Valley and North Boise Counties.. 9. Also revitalize the McCall Improvement Corporation and Adams County Development Council, non-profit economic development organizations. 10. Explore and encourage business development opportunities presented in the Cascade area geothermal report and in the Adams County bio-mass study. Tools and resources Idaho Commerce and Labor Rural Economic Development Professional Outreach Program; Gem Community Program; Rural Community Block Grant; Community Development Block Grant; USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant program; EDA infrastructure grant program; SBA loan program; Sage Community Resources; ELESCO report; Geothermal Strategic Plan and the resources included within; Data and information generated by the Adams County Bio-Mass Working Committee; Private consultants including Community Partners; UPRED; McCall Improvement Corporation; Adams County Development Council Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 21 Economic and Community Development Plan �+o t'ore 1011 '0 6 d 0 v w 4 O 0 O+ N io d 0 O C.) d W Q o Ctt o R R a d et d % � y Ay Y s t>Q +.,•Q ° o R W y� y y t0 J QO a N : a a ,• t• y W Y . N n , o, o. ... . ✓ N . � tip O .5 ' . . QO � ?N � m °� U o R °' ,9 .U M a �c!1 a y � � P o y •0 m � ° .o ) 1 of) 'P'. N . Nca ' y oy F �O T I: .° w f O 6 .) d y ., ca ) A N A ° .o U d a i ' OG w o a ° .- 4, 0.1 6 N d o r � o � 0 0 *- ' R Q� i Focus Area # 5 Adequate and Skilled Work Force Situation analysis The region has a serious shortage of workers in certain areas. Service workers are needed across the board. The hospital is currently recruiting physicians and other staff. Contractors are bringing in workers from"The Valley"for the on-going construction jobs. The Valley County sheriff's office has 10 unfilled,but budgeted, positions. Part of the problem is lack of affordable housing. Part is the inability for workers to find suitable day care. But, also lacking are training programs which could be offered by a community college. Professional- technical skills in culinary, landscaping,hospitality and construction, including apprenticeship programs, are suggested offerings/needs. The Small Business Development Center at Boise State University offers limited education opportunities to entrepreneurs in the Region.They have few persons taking advantage of the classes,which were taught by a SCORE volunteer and held during the summer.They do plan to bring instruction to McCall by video conferencing using the Idaho Commerce and Labor Job Service location.This will make it possible to hold sessions for smaller numbers of students.They also plan to offer"NxLevel" a self-taught program on-line. Continuing education course work is offered to school district staff through distance learning. Expanding offerings to the community should be explored. There are after-school programs available in McCall and Cascade. The McCall program is offered by the city recreation department. Southern Valley County Recreation District(SVCRD)has teamed with Valley County Extension Service for an after school program open to youth grades 1-6. Scholarships are available for both programs. The Rees report noted that the Region"has a relatively large senior population, with a higher percentage of householders age 65 or older than in the state of Idaho.The senior population will increase with growth rates that are likely to outpace the general population."This senior population could be attracted back to the work place.As a reminder,this is the population that typically provide many volunteer hours to worthwhile community services/projects. Employment could divert them from volunteer service and thus be counter productive. Goal: Ensure an adequate skilled work force to meet the current and future business needs as well as providing work opportunities for residents. Strategies: 1. The Region will work with the Idaho Department of Education and private colleges and universities to establish a higher education presence in the Region. 2. Form coalitions of parents, employers,YMCA, churches, Housing Authority and the community to develop, expand and support community-based programs to address the day care issue. Include day care,pre-school and after school programs. 3. All entities encourage businesses to capitalize on the senior citizen resources within the Region. 4. Encourage the BSU Small Business Development Center to set up in an identifiable location in Valley County to offer business planning/counseling services.They have an office in the Council Businesses Park. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 23 Economic and Community Development Plan 5. Encourage community groups such as the Chambers of Commerce to provide business assistance/training services. Tools and resources BSU Small Business Development Center; Idaho Department of Education; Private colleges and universities in the state and region; Larry Selland College of Applied Technology,Boise State University; Treasure Valley Community College distance learning; Idaho Commerce and Labor Job Service; Western Idaho Community Action Programs; YMCA; VARHA; University of Idaho Cooperative Extension Service; South Valley County Recreation District; City of McCall Recreation Department; Churches Idaho Workforce Development Council Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 24 Economic and Community Development Plan A N o) al 44 Ul V y,to v 0 ^ uj r O R Its It s till Q d -R cd u d C w 4,, ea V el 0 eo to. t'D V a) o° i o °. 44 Q;0 0 y T N p ca �Q, y y v y� y b it% y —0:04-1 , � a a¢.. ` 1 � 5 G p a J U 3 .p N H o O m N u t �i a ..2 0 ° m s o W U o 0 5 o ,. .� .A v , v N N m .15, N 4 '- N ' a.) m O' d el os.. 0 Wa O el) � U V0 O 0 O? 0 d U 7 Z - v N6 N O 3 O `d n O O � A, N U Q. N W Cd '' G O ' r0 ) O O ^ y N O V U W r p c4 O Q t17 Q HQ S � C X Focus Area # 6 Public Health and Safety Situation Analysis: With more people come more problems,problems for the medical community as well as law enforcement. Medical facilities: McCall Memorial Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital, is located near downtown McCall.They have been successful in obtaining adjacent properties,largely from nearby churches moving further out,to handle the necessary expansion.They are currently preparing a new master plan,using an estimated five percent growth rate. Cascade Medical Center is also a Critical Access Hospital. Their 24/7 emergency room is affiliated with St. Alphonsus regional trauma center in Boise where patients are taken by Life Flight.Their care modules are women's health, diabetes and cardiovascular care.The long-range plans are to respond to the growth in Valley County by adding services as they become needed.The soon-to-be-added endoscopy service is an example. The facility will need to be expanded or replaced at some point depending on the growth of services and patient volume. Many of the issues shared by both McCall Memorial Hospital and Cascade Health Center are national issues and problems. However, locally it was noted that an increasing number of patients were being seen who have no medical insurance, about 25%at the McCall hospital this past year.More patients appear to be opting for higher insurance deductibles so there is a growing number of self-pay. Also increasing is the number of domestic violence and drug related cases and there is an increasing homeless population.These societal changes have necessitated that McCall hospital add weekend security staff during the summer. McCall Memorial Hospital has responded to the changing demographics with four Spanish-speaking physicians and a telephone assistance line that translates several languages, including Spanish and French. McCall Memorial is concerned about physician recruitment as their physician staff ages. They recently successfully recruited two new women physicians but do not yet have a full compliment of doctors.They are seeing a younger nursing staff, many male nurses. Cascade Medical Center sees recruiting and retaining staff at all levels as a challenge. The big movement in health care, which McCall Memorial is initiating, is integrated wellness, combining alternative medical treatment with traditional protocols. The"boomers"are into fitness and they are making up the largest share of the new population. The medical challenge for Adams County has been heightened by voters not continuing support of the old hospital district. It is unclear what the status of the federally funded health clinic can be without this support. The clinic offers services on a sliding fee scale. Mental health service is huge need. McCall Memorial has a visiting psychiatry program and there are four very busy licensed counselors in the McCall area. However,the State of Idaho funds mental health needs last and referral out is a big problem as there are no specialty care beds available state-wide. The Council Community Clinic offers mental health services on a sliding scale according to income. Between the two medical facilities and the clinics, most of the basic medical needs of the Region are met by relying on"an elastic band"of physicians who come from out of the area several days a month. Of concern is maintaining nursing home availability for the gap between assisted living and the hospital. There is one nursing home in the Region and often the census is low but it is important to assure there is a local facility available. Cascade Medical Center does entertain requests for long-term care from private-pay Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 26 Economic and Community Development Plan patients. Both assisted living facilities in McCall closed Fall 2006, citing staffing as the reason. They were paying 30-40%more than the $8 per hour in Boise. The 20 plus residents were transferred out of county or to in-home care. There is a single facility remaining in Valley County. On the positive side,there is a new assisted living facility planned for Cambridge, an Adams County community south of Council. It will serve Adams County residents. Planning and staffing is a challenge since the approximately 60% of the homeowners in Valley County are non-resident and are not expected to use medical facilities except in an emergency and then more likely be transported out immediately. Domestic violence is on the increase according to McCall Memorial Hospital staff.Rose Advocates,a domestic violence prevention and intervention organization,has an office in Council and provides service in Adams County. Long Valley Families in Crisis offers crisis intervention/management services in Valley County and the Shepherds Home for Kids has guardian services for local children. Law enforcement: As would be expected, an increase in population is resulting in a higher incident of crime in Valley County. Adams County saw fewer crimes and arrests when 2005 was compared to 2004. In Valley County,McCall saw a 52%increase in offenses,while Cascade saw a 43% decline. The unincorporated area was up 34%.These combined numbers bring the county as a whole up 27%. As a result of the changing demographics and over crowded living conditions, domestic violence has increased. Assault, burglary,larceny, drug offenses and weapons violations topped the"A" crime list.DUI topped the`B" arrest list. McCall's police department was expanded from the current 11 to 14 with the new fiscal year. The 63-bed Valley County jail, which houses all adult offenders, is 10 years old. Overcrowding has become an issue as the jail population has increased 20 percent in the last two years. Cots and book-and-release programs are used to deal with a full jail. The Adams County jail was completed in 2000 and is designed to house 32 in three cell blocks. The county currently uses Block B, a 12 inmate capacity block.Blocks A and C are used to house 20 adult female offenders who are in the state prison system.The Adams County jail offers these state inmates a variety of programs with the exception of drug rehab. Work release programs are used by both counties in their incarceration programs. Fire and Emergency Medical Service: Fire service is provided by fire districts and the City of Cascade. Some districts also operate the ambulance services.The Donnelly district includes Tamarack Resort where Tamarack constructed and equipped a satellite facility.The small communities rely on a corps of volunteers and it is becoming more difficult to attract and retain volunteers. Mitigating impacts of development have been an issue as the fire districts struggle with providing service to more and more high-dollar structures, the majority not owner occupied. The non-resident owners are unaccustomed to the response times in rural communities. How far are they willing to be from their 3-minute response time service? Sub-stations may be required to improve response times. The McCall and Donnelly districts can tax only on improvements. Cascade Rural Fire District has the ability to tax on land as well.Tax revenue is not keeping up with the operating and maintenance costs. All the districts have taken advantage of available grants to acquire equipment. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 27 Economic and Community Development Plan Brundage Mountain Resort is in "no man's land."It is in Adams County but not in the New Meadows Fire District. In the past it received some fire services from McCall. The proposed third phase of Whitetail Club is also in Adams County with the same issues as Brundage Mountain Resort. The proposed Horsethief YMCA complex is outside the Cascade RFD as is Smith's Ferry and the development there. All the districts cite examples of private roads having been built too narrow to accommodate their equipment. In some cases,the roads have not been maintained.More recently adopted ordinances address this issue but inadequate,older roads need to be addressed. An associated issue is poorly displayed dwelling/building address numbers. In some cases,there are no visible numbers. Both counties have organized Local Emergency Planning Committees(LEPC)to collaboratively address emergency service issues. This is at the direction of the Department of Homeland Security and is a requirement of their grant program. Goal: Ensure that there are health and safety services to balance the needs of the current and future populations in the areas of medical services, emergency services, including medical and fire, and police protection. Strateies Short-Term (On-Going/1-2 years) 1. The fire districts and counties will work together to develop a uniform method to mitigate growth impacts in their districts. 2. The districts,the county planning and zoning departments and county road departments work together to develop methods to address the existing private drives/roads that are inadequate for emergency vehicles and that addresses are prominently displayed.Review current ordinances to assure that new private roads are built to standards so they are adequate. 3. Encourage the counties and districts to work together to address the developments where properties that, for a better term,are in"no-man's land." 4. Encourage employers to provide health insurance. 5. Develop resources to establish a mental health program for the Region. 6. Explore and develop resources to maintain in-region services for those needing long-term care. 7. Explore developing a work release center for low-risk inmates to supplement county jail beds. 8. Expand weekend work crews in-lieu of incarceration. 9. Explore regional health care options. Tools and resources Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Dept. of Homeland Security Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 28 Economic and Community Development Plan 0 cd Y c c) on ,� T 0 a� o a. ¢ U Cd VI � ��6 cV z cv c v t 2 o0 '179 VI 13 2 Ca 4. �tn ei .11 11 � Z. y � 6ro a U A 6 y LA .. U y o ° w c a ❑ w a � y0 ° a E ed a 3 3 C I .a � 0 0 l o A 0�` . y 3 °D ° = IV. Implementation Plan The planning effort in this document requires a coordinated, focused effort to ensure implementation.The plan recognizes that in order for the Region to be successful in economic development and in meeting the challenges of growth,Regional coordination and a strong public/private partnership must be established. This partnership is based on a clear understanding and acceptance of the various roles and responsibilities of the entities within the communities and the Region.Additionally, good communication and effective coordination strengthen this relationship. Initial Leadership Who is VAPP? What is their role in plan implementation? Valley Adams Planning Partnership is an informal coalition of local, state and federal partners who have come together to address growth issues in the Region.To date they have been self-appointed, or on the VAPP membership list because they have attended meetings and participated at some level. Initial leadership to convene this group was the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor Rural Development staff in cooperation with John Blaye,Valley County economic development professional. Representatives from nearly every state and federal agency having an interest in the Region have been involved in the VAPP process. Additionally non-profit agencies and quasi-public organizations have participated.They bring to the table an understanding of their agency and the programs and service they offer.These contacts are invaluable in developing solutions to problems. As the process matured, and during the strategic planning process, a steering committee of elected officials who were VAPP participants volunteered to serve on a committee. Other local stakeholders are not represented on this committee. This initial steering committee includes: Frank Eld Valley County Commissioner Judy Ellis Adams County Commissioner Bill Robertson McCall mayor(Roger Millar, Deputy McCall City Manager) Cynda Herrick Cascade Councilperson George Dorris Donnelly mayor Gale Stillman New Meadows Mayor Bruce Gardner Council Mayor Because VAPP is not a recognized entity,the Valley County Board of Commissioners made application for the grant funding for this plan to be developed. Valley County has a staffed economic development organization,Upper Payette River Economic Development council or UPRED. This council includes North Boise County but does not include any part of Adams County. Adams County is the regional partner for this planning effort. Council has ED staff but Adams County and New Meadows have none. Defining how this plan will be implemented will require elected leadership to identify and understand the roles and responsibilities of the partners and identify a process for finding solutions. Leadership must keep in mind that no one does economic or community development alone.The communities in the Region are so closely tied and the various stakeholders(e.g. business,health care,education, government) within the region are also dependent upon one another.Assistance and leadership from cooperating state and federal agencies is also a key ingredient. VAPP's role has been to be a vehicle or tool in collaboration within community and economic development. The Next Steps As the Rural Business Opportunity Grant recipient,Valley County elected leadership needs to be the leader in developing a plan implementation strategy. Following is a recommendation: Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 30 Economic and Community Development Plan Future of VAPP It is recommended that VAPP continue to exist as the informal group it is. There is no need to formalize it by making appointments to it, electing officers or providing staff. Participants will be called together to address issues on an as needed basis.VAPP could serve as the Region's round table group. Such groups are effective methods of communication and collaboration. Leadership: This can be as simple as someone in the Region being interested enough in collaborative problem solving to maintain a current e-mail list of VAPP participants and calling the group together when needed/desired. The leadership can come from the volunteer steering committee mentioned earlier or from outside this list. VAPP has an established working relationship and has name familiarity in the community and among state, federal and local partners. Focus Area leadership Most of the six focus areas in the plan have an identified group or organization in place that can carryout the strategies at the request of, and with support and backing, of the local elected officials. This request should/could be made by the Valley County Board of Commissioners. Focus Area 1 Community Housing Valley Adams Regional Housing Authority Leadership will be Board of Directors and Executive Director Focus Area 2 Transportation The elected officials of the two counties and five cities Leadership will be one interested member assuming the role Focus Area 3 Growth Management City/County planning staff and commissions Leadership will be county planning director of each county Focus Area 4 Balanced Economy UPRED and the corresponding group from Adams County(or one or more of the Adams County cities) Leadership in Valley County will be John Blaye and will be identified in Adams County Focus Area 5 Workforce Development McCall staff of Idaho Commerce and Labor Job Service Leadership by Jim Thackeray, manager Focus Area 6 Health and Safety Local Emergency Planning Committee Leadership by Jim Hass,Valley County LEPC chair and Adams County chair Regional Communication There is currently no regular forum for exchanging information and to work together on common problems.Neither county regularly meets with the cities or service districts to discuss issues and share ideas. Sometimes there appears to be distrust of the motives and decisions of the other. VAPP was an introduction to the Region to an opportunity to meet and share. Following are Regional/Community Problem Solving models or approaches. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 31 Economic and Community Development Plan A. Community Solutions Approach This approach draws together community leadership to"staff'an issue,idea or suggestion as workable solutions are sought. Who is invited to the table depends on the problem or issue. State and Federal agency partners are invited for advice and agency resources. Example: This was the approach that was used to begin addressing the housing crisis. Valley County invited the Valley County cities and Adams County Commissioners,city representatives and staff to come together to seek a solution to a crisis.They heard a presentation and,with the assistance of a facilitator, developed a strategy. The decision to fund a Housing Needs Assessment and pledges for the money came from that gathering October 2004. Actions to implement Community Solutions Action 1. The elected officials bring issues and ideas forward for group discussion and suggested solutions as they are identified. The size and make-up of the group is dependent on what is to be accomplished. However,key service providers like schools,hospitals, fire districts and key employers add depth to these groups. State and federal agency representatives are included since they are frequently looked to for solutions. These sessions need to be held regularly so participants can plan and be ready for presentations and to bring issues forward. Action 2: Establish communications. One model is the city-county meeting model where the government entities meet together to discuss what's going on and what needs to be happening. Bi-monthly or quarterly sessions work well with host responsibilities rotating. In one model,the host agency sets the agenda and sometimes invites a presentation or even a project tour. Sometimes these are lunch meetings, sometimes dinner. Be aware of the open meeting laws. Another model is the community round table model where interested leaders get together on a regular schedule to share what's going on. These are frequently breakfast gatherings.They do need structure and leadership to be effective. Care must be taken to keep them from being a clique to gossip! The important thing with either model, or any other model, is assurance that all stakeholders have a seat at the table and the agenda is communication and action to address common issues. Action 3: Plan evaluation and update is accomplished by a simple marking off of projects completed and adding new ones as identified. Success is measured in "getting things done." B. Project funding roundtable or fair (Where is the Money?) Many projects require funding from a variety of sources/agencies. One solution to identify money sources,including money from local sources(developers),is to present the project at a round-table or fair to which agencies and individuals with an interest are invited. A clear presentation of the problem and needs is key. C. Community County Commission meetings Another model is for individual counties to hold county commission meetings in communities outside their accustomed county courthouse.These meetings,which are usually held once each year in each Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 32 Economic and Community Development Plan community, offer locals the opportunity to participate and observe how the Commissioners conduct business and provide interaction between the cities and the county. Project tours are often included. Components Needed for Successful Plan Implementation Professional Economic Development Staff The need for professionalism in economic development has never been greater. There is a tremendous amount of work needed to capitalize on the growth-related opportunities. Professional staff needs to have adequate budgets and community commitment to accomplish their work. This plan,however, is not intended to be a work plan for any economic development group in the Region. Capable Leadership. Qualified leadership is important to any collaborative partnership. Responsible, capable individuals who are knowledgeable about their community and the Region and who are action-oriented should be involved in all phases of the program. One or more persons must assume the key leadership role as contact and meeting convener/facilitator. Clearly Defined Purpose. No organization can succeed without a clear understanding of its purpose and functions. It is important to define the exact role partners, organizations and individuals play. Respective of the time of participants, it is important to be meeting for a purpose and with an agenda that includes actions and assignments not just reports. Adequate Funding. Funds must be provided to accomplish an organization's objectives. Economic and community development requires strong financial support. Lay volunteers may need reimbursement for travel, etc. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 33 Economic and Community Development Plan 4 A . � % . k ƒ $ \ ka«\ ` d A 0 :% f O k 0 07 ir $ °t A ® i f\ � 0 » % ta < A % \% - � k 9--• � o ot % � %d 3 $ \ \ a% o k t ° \ @7% \ \ o � / » e .� 6 \ O \ P�� \ \\ TAA ƒ * § % \ \ % -7 \ VI q /2 '" . \ �" \ < t © ¥ # k 55 ' ° k ° Celk % \ \ 7A % ° ¥ r w V. Overview of VAPP Region An evaluation of the Region's population,including labor force and income, the Region's economy, property tax burden of the residents, condition of the infrastructure,the schools, county and community planning processes, as well as Idaho Department of Transportation plans,are presented in this overview as an aid to understanding the impact of growth on the counties and the communities and to assist in evaluating the overall effectiveness of this planning document. A. Population The population of the two counties in the region is not large.Valley ranks 30 and Adams 41 among the state's 44 counties. For many years the region's population grew steadily, about two(2%)percent per year in Valley County and less in Adams. This changed when timber mills began to close.The last mill in Valley County closed in 2002. Adams County has one mill that continues to operate. By 2004, an upward tick was noted,but the real increase was in 2005 when construction was underway at Tamarack Resort. Table 3 Region Historical Census Population Data 2000-2005 Year Cascade Donnelly McCall Unincorporated Total County %Increase Valley 2000 1,010 139 2,093 4,400 7,642 2001 1,008 138 2,127 4,419 7,692 2002 982 134 2,130 4,362 7,608 2003 984 134 2,208 4,435 7,761 2.01 2004 991 134 2,295 4,527 7,947 2.40 2005 1,005 149 2,415 4,763 8,832 11.14 Population increase 2003-2005 1071 Percentage 13.8% Year Council N.Mead Unincorporated Total County %Increase Adams 2000 810 529 1,741 3,467 2001 788 517 1,777 3,439 2002 776 512 1,832 3,475 2003 754 499 1,864 3,472 (0.09) 2004 743 491 1,915 3,503 0.89 2005 742 492 2,003 3,591 2.51 Population increase 2003-2005 119 Percentage 3.42% Source U.S. Census Table 4 Current Valley County Population Distribution 2004 Population Cascade Donnelly McCall Unincorporated Total County 977 132 2,034 4,557 7,970 12.3% 1.7% 28.9% 57.2% 100% Source 2005 Woods and Poole Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 35 Economic and Community Development Plan Population projections depend on a number of variables and assumptions. Changing these variables will yield a range of possible projections.The table below presents the annual growth rate percentage and the anticipated population in the year 2030, or 25 years out,used for planning purposes by various partners. The Tamarack Resort development is projected to continue to the year 2014 when 2,000 of their 2,043 permitted sites will be built upon. McCall estimates that they will be built out by 2030. Donnelly has a potential of 220 acres abutting the community on the north and west. Full build-out of these 1500-2000 residential and commercial lots is expected to be the year 2015. In every case,the ability to provide water and waste water services will drive the growth rate,the build- out time and the direction and/or community where the growth will occur. The national economy, the housing market in key locations from which Tamarack attracts their buyers and the appetite of the public to be owners of multiple dwellings are also significant factors in the rate and type of growth. Table 5 Growth Projections To year 2030 or 25 years Annual Growth Rate 2030 Population/Households Valley County 6.7 annual 27,000 households McCall 6.5%annual 37,000 population Using 3.5%for sewer plant planning Donnelly 44%for 5 years; 1,960 households 4%per year thereafter Cascade Unincorporated Adams County Council New Meadows Source Transportation and community planning documents Valley County and McCall are estimating that 60%of the properties will be second homes and occupied by non-residents on a part-time basis. Utility services must be sized to appropriately accommodate these properties. In the Valley County Transportation Plan, which is in development, an effort was made to determine the distribution of the new households. Table 6 Distribution of These Additional Households 2030 Area Households McCall 1000-4000 Lake Fork 2000-3000 Donnelly 2000-3000 Tamarack/Daystar 1000-3000 Cascade 3000-6000 Horsethief 0-1000 Round Valley/Smiths Ferry 1000-2000 Source Valley County Transportation Plan Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 36 Economic and Community Development Plan The McCall-Donnelly School District is estimating a six percent(6%)annual growth rate or 60-70 students per year. However, no increases are planned by the Meadows Valley District. McCall Memorial Hospital is planning a five percent(5%) growth rate. B. Labor Force and Unemployment The resourced-based economies of both counties in the Region have had historically higher unemployment rates than the state as a whole. However,timber jobs in Valley County have kept the income higher than many counties in Idaho. Table 7 Region Unemployment Rate 2003-October 2006 Valley County Adams County 2003 2004 2005 Oct 2003 2004 2005 Oct 2006 2006 Civilian Labor Force 4,003 4,233 4,709 5,054 1,824 1,823 1,897 2,013 Those employed 3,686 3,957 4,496 4,866 1,606 1,612 1,751 1,880 Those not employed 317 276 213 188 219 211 146 133 Unemployment rate 7.9 6.5 4.5 3.7 12. 11.6 7.7 6.6 Idaho UE rate 5.3 4.7 3.8 3.2 4.0 3.2 US UE Rate 4.9 4.4 4.9 4.4 Source Idaho Commerce and Labor Table 8 Historical Unemployment Rates Adams,Valley Counties and State of Idaho County Aug 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 2006 Adams 7.1 7.7 11.6 12. 12.3 10.9 9.9 14.2 14.9 14.6 14.4 Valley 3.9 4.5 6.5 7.9 8.2 7.4 6.6 8.8 9.4 9.4 9.4 State 3.3 3.8 4.7 5.3 5.4 4.9 4.6 4.9 5.1 5.1 5.3 US 4.7 Source Idaho Commerce and Labor Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 37 Economic and Community Development Plan C. Income Table 9 Historical Per Capita Personal Income Adams and Valley Counties County 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 Adams $23,189 $22,546 $21,750 $20,113 $19,404 $18,270 $16,381 Valley $30,351 $28,717 $27,783 $25,958 $24,608 $22,895 $22,614 State $27,098 $25,902 $25,597 $25,018 $24,075 $22,786 $21,789 $20,648 $20,248 2003 Per Capita Personal Income=$25,902.Idaho ranked 45th in the United States and was 82 percent of the national average of$31,472. Source Idaho Commerce and Labor Some grant funding is tied to the percent of the population who have low and moderate incomes (LMI) as determined by U.S. Housing and Urban Development(HUD) from the most recent census.Typically, these funds are not available to communities with less than 51%LMI. However, it should be noted that there are provisions in the grant rules for income surveys in order to qualify an area or population for project funding. Some populations are,by definition, low and moderate income and thus projects that benefit them are eligible for funding. Persons over age 65,homeless and others are so qualified regardless of the community LMI. Table 10 Percent of Population Having Low/Moderate Income 2000 Census City Persons with Low/Mod Income Population Population Percent Low/Mod Cascade 413 959 43.07 Council 399 752 53.06 Donnelly 83 153 54.25 McCall 715 2,125 33.65 New Meadows 287 541 53.05 Source Idaho Commerce and Labor D. Economy Lodging Sales Lodging sales,tracked from sales tax reports to the Idaho State Tax Commission, are one indicator of the growing economy in the Region. Though Table 9 below does not reflect the number of new or expanded facilities,part of this growth is due to these new facilities as well as to increased occupancy and lodging rate increases.The chart also illustrates the months of the shoulder seasons and the impact on lodging sales. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 38 Economic and Community Development Plan Table 11 Lodging Sales in Region 2003-2006 Valley County Adams County 2003 2004 2005 2006 2003 2004 2005 2006 Jan $345,256 $520,521 $591,464 $929,882 $22,217 $15,098 $25,281 $65,466 Feb $326,454 $653,160 $819,783 $641,066 $11,190 $30,010 $15,237 $20,497 Mar $613,911 $602,436 $959,127 $1,133,696 $13,279 $16,461 $17,926 $31,184 April $322,341 $532,341 $534,605 $650,977 $12,230 $22,264 $19,011 $51,391 May $164,412 $343,204 $492,605 $719,321 $8,257 $9,875 $14,759 $15,367 June $298,849 $653,195 $401,492 $644,250 $18,032 $27,974 $26,930 $24,506 July $896,104 $1,044,557 $897,795 $1,315,178 $18,667 $43,600 $82,429 $87,531 Aug $1,121,749 $1,482,082 $2,136,220 $2,153,635 $52,984 $46,762 $75,279 $62,111 Sept $1,194,827 $1,478,180 $1,681,940 $1,768,784 $39,652 $52,185 $48,896 $64,232 Oct $689,856 $1,089,299 $1,289,178 $1,952,640 $42,213 $36,275 $136,316 $132,850 Nov $575,770 $992,325 $678,719 $960,914 $28,638 $36,332 $37,899 $44,654 Dec $316,932 $486,970 $767,091 $673,074 $63,159 $50,193 $19,781 $26,553 Total 6,866,461 9,878,270 11,250,019 13,545,423 330,518 387,029 519,744 628,348 Source Idaho State Tax Commission Retail Sales Retail sales can be tracked by sales tax receipts. Both counties held steady at just under 4% gains between 2003 and 2004. However,Valley saw a gain of just over 25%between 2004 and 2005,reflecting the opening of several construction supply firms and local companies expanding to provide taxable goods and services to the booming construction industry. Table 12 Retail Sales by County 2003-2005 Valley Adams Retail Sales Dollar Increase Percent Retail Sales Dollar Increase Percent 2003 65,882,565 18,666,975 2004 68,495,499 2,612,934 3.96 19,397,441 730,466 3.91 2005 85,766,501 17,271,002 25.21 2003-2005 19,883,396 30.18 Source Idaho Tax Commission Construction Building Permits and Subdivisions The Region saw building permits escalate between 2000 and 2005. However, it appears that there will be fewer issued in 2006 assuming the first nine month trend continues through the end of the year.Not as many subdivision plats have been filed as in the two most recent years. It is thought by planning officials that all who wanted to jump on board have done so. However,planners believe there will be another run on building permits when North Lake Recreational Water and Sewer District completes a sewer treatment plant expansion project September 2007. Lack of sewer service has slowed some permit seekers. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 39 Economic and Community Development Plan Table 13 Valley County Residential Building Permits* 2000-July 2006 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 to 9/30 Unincorporated Co 113 107 124 149 298 543 357 Cascade 8 1 2 3 10 2 9 Donnelly 1 0 1 9 21 12 10 McCall 33 36 75 103 220 243 155 _ Total 154 144 202 255 534 800 531 Source Valley County Building Department *New residence building permits include stick built, log construction, manufactured and modular homes. Table 14 Adams County Residential Building Permits* 2000-July 2006 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 to 7/31 Unincorporated Co 51 73 57 55 70 85 112 Council 0 0 0 0 21 24 New Meadows 2 1 1 3 _ Total 51 75 58 56 73 Source Adams County Building Department Meadow Creek Resort,which is largely a second home community, accounts for 12-15 permits each year. Table 15 Approved and Pending Approval Subdivisions/PUD's (Lots) 2000-July 2006 Rural VC Cascade Donnelly McCall Rural AC Council New Mead Ap Pen Ap Pen Ap _ Pen Ap Pen Ap Pen Ap Pen Ap Pen 2000 41 0 0 0 2001 72 0 65 0 2002 4 0 88 _ 0 2003 247 31 9 81 0 2004 207 314 25 167 02 2005 547 1297* 12 15 667 2 2006 529 113 135** 345*** 46 1 324 4 180# 167 80## Source Valley and Adams County Planning Departments *Includes 598-lot Bella Reve PUD ** Includes 14-duplex units for community housing(28 dwellings). *** Includes 121 Affordable Housing lots in the Silverleaf development. Large projects, including Tamarack, accounted for a significant portion of the Rural Valley County approvals. #This proposal is an all-rental project, apartments, duplexes and single family. ##Project is proposed for one nine holes of the Council golf course. Both these projects are outside the city but utilities will be served by the city. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 40 Economic and Community Development Plan McCall's numbers are lots and condos. The 2005 and 2006 numbers above include both approved and pending approval. Table 16 Large Rural Project Subdivisions/PUD's (Lots) 2003-2006 (Project 40 lots and larger) Year Total Lots Approved Project Lots Percent of Total 2003 247 Tamarack Phase I 170 68.83 Eagles Nest II 47 19.03 2004 207 Jug Mountain Stage 1 and 2 65 31.4 Meadows at West Mountain Phase 1 60 28.99 2005 547 Tamarack(3 Phases) 192 35.1 Fir Grove Estates 121 22.12 Whispering Pines 93 17 Hawk's Bay Estates 40 7.31 2006 529 Meadows at West Mountain Phase 2 169 31.95 Crane Shores 90 17.01 Tamarack 61 11.53 Black Hawk on the River 55 10.4 White Cloud Phase 1 44 8.32 Jug Mountain,Phase 2 42 7.94 Source Valley County Planning Department E. Community and Comprehensive Planning Idaho communities typically have comprehensive land use plans. Some communities have updated these plans while others have not.Utility master plans and transportation plans are encouraged, and,in fact, required if grant or low interest funds are sought for projects. One county commissioner feels that planning,including budget planning and long range visioning,is the weakest part of county government when there are part-time commissioners.There is also a continuity issue with part-time commissioners supervising full-time staff. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 41 Economic and Community Development Plan Table 17 Status of Community Planning Documents Valley and Adams County Community Plan area Status Assistance needed Valley County Transportation In progress.Anticipated completion Fall 2007 Comprehensive Plan Plan Updated 2006 Have full time planning Ordinance Sept. 2006 staff Pathways Plan Adopted Cascade Transportation Part of county plan Comprehensive Updated 3-4 years ago but Planning and needs to be revisited. implementation assistance. Do not have area of impact Do not have planning staff. plan. Received planning Currently working on assistance grant through zoning ordinances and ICL. development agreement. Subdivision ordinance revised and includes community housing. Pathways Plan Railroad ROW . Waste Water Master Plan Yes Water System Master Plan Yes Airport Master Plan Yes, 1996.Taxiway extension revision complete in 2000 Donnelly Transportation Complete 2006 Comprehensive Complete,including maps. Do not have planning staff. Zoning Ordinances in place. Planning and implementation assistance Sub-division ordinance and assistance expediting adopted Sept. 2006. hearing process. PUD complete, waiting Received planning grant adoption. through ICL. Some interest in revising Have applied to increase plan. impact area. Pathways Plan No formal plan.Asking developers to include. Waste Water Master Plan Reached agreement with North Lake. Water System Master Plan 90%complete Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 42 Economic and Community Development Plan Community Plan area Status Assistance needed McCall Transportation In development.To be complete 2007 Comprehensive Working on a complete Community has full-time revision that includes planning staff. multi-modal transportation plan.Anticipated completion July 2007; Zoning and sub division ordinance adopted 2/23/06; Community housing policy,9/22/05; Inclusionary housing policy and community housing policy,9/23/06; Moratorium imposed as result of law suite regarding housing program. Urban renewal plan update, 2/14/06; Pathways Plan Adopted Waste Water Master Plan In development Financing anticipated 2009 Water System Master Plan Airport Master Plan In development Adams County Transportation Has not been started.One Received$50,000 LHTAC outcome will be accurate award GIS data for roads. Comprehensive Adopted June 2006 P&Z staff is also the county Ordinances adopted building department staff. Templates have not been prepared Assistance and training to keep current Received planning assistance grant through ICL Pathways Plan Rail Road ROW Land Fill Operating Plan Adopted • Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 43 Economic and Community Development Plan Community Plan area Status Assistance needed Council Transportation Comprehensive Plan updating, County building inspector Maps, assists with planning. Ordinance revisions are in progress. Planning and implementation assistance needed. Received planning assistance grant through ICL Pathways Rail Road ROW Waste Water Master Plan Not current Financial assistance. Applied to DEQ but were twice rejected. Water System Master Plan Not current Financial assistance. Applied to DEQ but were twice rejected. Airport Master Plan New Meadows Transportation In progress Comprehensive Comp plan complete. County building inspector Subdivision ordinance and assists with planning. development agreements Planning and are needed. implementation training and assistance Impact area needs to be expanded. Received planning assistance grant through Community has flood plain ICL. issues to address. Pathways Plan Adopted Waste Water Master Plan In contract discussion Water System Master Plan In contract discussion Source Community Assessment Interviews F. Property Values Property values in Valley County have been increasing sharply since 2003 as shown by the data prepared by the Valley County Assessor. Tax receipts have also increased during the same period. Idaho collects property taxes one year in arrears. Effectively,residents live in a property a year before paying property taxes. Therefore, the taxes collected in 2005 are based on one year old assessed values. Idaho law requires a physical appraisal when a building is completed and then a physical reappraisal every five years. In the years between,values are indexed or adjusted to sales of like property in the county thus keeping the values at 100% of"fair market value." Idaho permits jurisdictions to increase their budgets three percent(3%) annually plus the value of new construction added that year. Jurisdictions in Valley County have not been taking the full three percent. McCall took the full amount fy 2006-2007. Adams County has been taking it. School districts are not held to this three percent growth cap. This growth cap excludes bonds. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 44 Economic and Community Development Plan This past summer,more than 600 property owners in Valley County questioned the assessed value of their property and 250 of these appealed by appearing at Board of Equalization hearings. In Adams County there were a record number of appeals. Table 18 Net Taxable Value Used to Set Levies Valley County 1996-2006 Year Net Market Value Percent Increase Over State-wide Increase (Millions) Prior Year 1996 1,205.7 15.9 10.4 1997 1,281.7 6.3 8.8 1998 1,304.2 1.8 5.2 1999 1,382.8 1.9 5.7 2000 1,386.5 4.3 5.1 2001 1.442.5 4.0 5.8 2002 1,521.5 5.5 7.4 2003 1,579.8 3.8 4.3 2004 1,836.7 16.3 6.7 2005 2,651.2 44.3 14.6 ls`Roll 3,951.1 49.1 2006 Increase between 2003-2006 150% Source Idaho Tax Commission Table 19 Net Taxable Value Used to Set Levies Adams County 1996-2006 Year Net Market Value Percent Increase Over Millions Prior Year 1996 212.1 15.1 1997 224.8 6.0 1998 231.0 2.8 1999 234.8 1.6 2000 239.1 1.8 2001 264.8 10.7 2002 267.2 .9 2003 270.6 1.3 2004 280.7 3.7 2005 311.2 10.9 2006 416.5 25.28 Increase between 2003-2006 53.91% Source Idaho Tax Commission Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 45 Economic and Community Development Plan According to the Idaho State Tax Commission, Valley County leads the state in percent increase in net taxable value between 2004 and 2005. This is the value used to determine the property tax due. 2005 increase over 2004 Valley County 44.45% Bonner 28.1% Custer County 36.2% Blaine 20.5% Kootenai 33.3% Canyon 18.3% G. Municipal Revenues Gross property receipts to the taxing districts began to increase in 2004 as new construction came on line. Note that these are gross numbers and do not include reductions, including circuit breaker reductions. Table 20 Gross Property Tax Receipts Valley County 2003-2005 Taxing Unit 2003 2004 2005 Valley County $3,629,208 $3,848,436 $4,292,081 City of Cascade 491,080 545,392 577,995 City of Donnelly 34,528 40,090 49,874 City of McCall 2,420,895 2,525,668 2,543,992 McCall/Donnelly School District 4.833,707 5,373,847 6,435,256 Cascade School District 1,124,147 1,210,463 1,477,345 Cascade Rural Fire District 112,852 117,185 120,279 McCall Rural Fire District 631,015 699,786 782,978 Donnelly Rural Fire District 353,040 301,096 Payette Lake Rec.Water/Sewer District 87,439 90,907 95,525 N.Lake Rec.Water/Sewer District 38,721 41,152 66,916 S. Lake Rec. Water/Sewer District 57,027 57,141 58,553 Cascade Medical Center District 406,694 459,832 527,760 McCall Memorial Hospital District 1,192,463 1,232,318 1,325,613 Total *Does not include Cemetery Districts $15,113,917 $16,659,206 $18,726,832 Percentage increase 10.22 12.41 Gross property tax increase attributed to increased tax base of county due to new construction and inflated sales prices. Source Valley County Treasurer Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 46 Economic and Community Development Plan Table 21 Gross Property Tax Receipts Adams County 2003-2005 Taxing Unit 2003 2004 2005 Adams County $1,610,732 $1,706,907 $1,814,207 City of Council 116,006 125,050 128,269 City of New Meadows 74,915 77,334 81,645 SD 11 (Council) 544,792 577,181 756,038 SD 13(Meadows Valley) 315,083 319,494 412,003 Council Fire 18,457 19,356 20,348 Meadows Fire 69,475 76,451 87,259 Council Ambulance 49,123 52,097 53,617 Council Library 34,730 36,755 38,664 MV Library 51,065 53,710 56,177 Hospital 210,017 221,820 225,597 Total $3,094,395 $3,266,155 $3,673,824 *Does not include Cemetery Districts or other districts not in VAPP Region Percentage increase 5.55 12.48 Gross property tax increase attributed to increased tax base of county due to new construction and inflated sales prices. Source Adams County Treasurer H. Region Infrastructure Telecommunication Valley County is considered to be "tech friendly."There is less service in Adams County but service is improving as providers expand DSL service beyond the cities. T-1 lines are in business, government and school district offices across the Region. The Region can, and does, support"Lone Eagles"conducting business from their homes. However, there has been no way to track the number of these people.Internet access providers include Frontier, Directway and Strategic Information Services in Valley County and CTC Web and Farmers' Merchants Telephone Company in Adams County. There is a belief that internet service could be offered at more competitive prices were there was more than a single company with the capacity to bring in signals. SpeedyQuick Networks of Boise received a matching Extend Broadband Connectivity to Rural Idaho grant and are planning to provide wireless broadband service to 1,224 customers in Valley County (Cascade, 336; McCall/Donnelly, 888). However, Strategic Information Services has offered wireless service in the same area for a number of years. Tamarack Resort provides high speed internet service via an in-house company, Telecom, LLC. They bundle TV, internet and cellular service for their resort properties. Cellular service is available from several carriers but service is spotty,notably so in Adams county. There are several carriers but no single carrier seems able to provide service over the entire region. Electrical Power Idaho Power Company provides electrical power to the Region. The company is making upgrades to their system,including a redundant 138-kV transmission line for the McCall loop. The new line will be from Cambridge to McCall through to Lake Fork. The project also includes two new substations, one at Cambridge and one at Council. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 47 Economic and Community Development Plan The current McCall Loop cannot handle the power demanded when there is an outage on the current, sole 138-kV transmission line. Customers on the McCall Loop, which includes all the customers in the Region,have experienced many outages,particularly during high winds and heavy snows. Waste Water Treatment Waste water treatment services are provided by two special service districts in Valley County and four of the five communities in the Region. A third district, South Lake Recreational Sewer and Water District, has been formed to serve the rural areas out of Cascade. A matching feasibility-planning grant is paying for work currently underway. The district hopes to be able to acquire the needed land for a treatment plant and move forward with a collection system construction to begin providing service. There are several subdivisions planned in their service area and there is pressure to begin operation. Waste water treatment plants are owned and operated by Cascade, Council and New Meadows. Donnelly and North Lake Recreational Sewer and Water District(NLRSWD)jointly own their plant. It is operated by NLRSWD under an agreement. McCall owns the treatment and storage and the operation accommodates one-third Payette Lake Recreational Sewer and Water District customers and two-thirds City of McCall. PLRSWD was formed to address sewer and water issues from lake-side properties that are outside the city.They also serve several subdivisions on the west side of McCall, including Whitetail,Broken Ridge, Terra Grande and the McCall industrial area. A feasibility study was begun last year by their engineering company to guide the district in future expansion, including the possibility of constructing their own treatment plant. Currently PLRSWD is using only a portion of their contractual capacity in the treatment facility. McCall is using the balance. NLRSWD was formed to serve the rural area at the north end of Cascade Lake west of Donnelly. Tamarack Resort is their largest user and other major developments on this system include Meadows at West Mountain,Hawks Bay, Crane Shores and Fir Grove. By late 2006 NLRSWD will be serving 47 new subdivisions plus an additional 13 existing subdivisions on the west side of Cascade Lake. This is in addition to Tamarack Resort and the area they were serving pre-Tamarack. NLRSWD has been seriously over-committed but have been addressing the issue vigorously since 2004. The district has a$21 million project under construction with September 2007 as the opening date.The system is an all-new membrane bio-reactor or MBR system. It will come on line capable of treating 6,000 hookups. The capacity of the new system can be increased by adding membrane. By using rapid filtration basins, land application will no longer be used. Land near the treatment plant has become so valuable that land application is not feasible. The new facility will be adjacent to the current facility on land owned by NLRSWD. Relationships between the districts and their city partners have been strained but appear to now be improving.There has also historically been little dialogue between Valley County and the two operating districts.Valley County is the grant administrator for the South Lake feasibility project. Valley County has allowed some PUD's and large subdivisions to operate self-contained waste water systems.Notably these include Jug Mountain and Blackhawk on the River. The yet to be permitted Bella Reve PUD may have a self-contained system operated by the PUD. However, they are in discussions with NLRSWD to provide service. Meadow Creek in Adams County operates a self-contained system. Whitetail Club III is planning individual septic systems on their large lots. This subdivision is in Adams County. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 48 Economic and Community Development Plan The communities in the Region are old communities with aging waste water collection systems. Inflow/infiltration from ground water into the old lines adversely impacts the winter storage of the effluent at the waste water treatment facilities. At this point, Adams County has yet to address the issue of rural waste water treatment. They rely on septic systems or small, self-contained systems. Idaho DEQ's position is to encourage regional systems. Table 22 Region Waste Water Treatment Status and Needs Valley County Community/System Current Capacity Improvement Activity Timeline Cost Cascade Planning complete and Underway.A 3- $1.4 financing secured through phase project. million Idaho Bond Bank. Rates have been increased. Donnelly 30-40 EDU remain Project to de-water Community for treatment Donnelly to reduce I/I and approved higher improve capacity. sewer rates to pay for line Donnelly has to replace replacement community lines. McCall 1,919 hook-ups over Recently acquired Have raised rates 7 years or growth of additional 500 acres to be 256 hook-ups per irrigated with effluent, year. adding 700 hookups to be added over next 3-4 years. (6%growth) Looking at golf courses to Anticipate will need irrigate effluent. 4 times current Planning capacity to serve Wastewater Master Plan underway; $24 million 40,000 built-out will include new treatment Construction population. plant. 2007-2014 North Lake Dist. Committed MBR plant.New Under $21 million New plant will add membrane in first phase construction. for current 6,000 hook-ups (building 1) Open Sept.2007. project. $8 million planned for future South Lake Dist. Not in operation Feasibility/planning Hope to begin underway construction by end of 2007 Payette Lake Dist. Using '/4 of their Feasibility underway to allotted 33%of the guide expansion and McCall plant determine a direction. Source Cities and Districts Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 49 Economic and Community Development Plan Table 23 Region Waste Water Treatment Status and Needs Adams County Community/System Current Capacity Improvement Activity Timeline Cost Council Have capacity for Working on dechlorination May need to Increased 10-15%growth and and aeration systems to develop future utility is adequate for 3 remain in DEQ compliance capacity hook-up currently proposed fees. subdivisions New Meadows Unknown Capacity study. Underway Increased hook-up Master plan funded fees. Source Cities and Districts Water Supply and Treatment Most communities in the Region use ground water as their municipal source. McCall is the exception. They use a portion of their water from Payette Lake. Table 24 Region Water Supply and Needs Valley and Adams County Community/System Current Capacity Improvement Activity Timeline Cost Cascade Have 3 wells Meters and line Under $2.2 replacement construction million Donnelly Needs a new well. Are working with local 2006-2007 Do not have a developers to provide well redundant source. as part of their annexation City has applied for agreements.Master Plan water right for new 90%complete well. Water rate study complete. McCall 6 million/gpd capacity and peak at 3 million/gpd so can double easily. Have some fire flow issues in commercial area. North Lake Serves Tamarack and some large developments South Lake Not operating Payette Lake Serve only Pilgrim Cove for state Warm Lake Serves Warm Lake Seeking approval to area expand/improve wells Council Have capacity to handle 25%growth New Meadows Last water system upgrade $20,000 City 1996 and$40,000 Water and Waste water DEQ. master plans underway Raised rates 15% Source Cities and Districts Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 50 Economic and Community Development Plan Natural Gas There is no natural gas in the Region. Propane is widely used. The Council school district has a woody bio-mass steam generation system installed in 2005. There is excess capacity in the system The Cascade School District is using a geothermal heat pump. There appears to be opportunities for additional use of geothermal heat,particularly in Cascade. Solid Waste Disposal Both counties have assumed the responsibility for solid waste disposal programs. Adams operates a county land fill that is in full DEQ and Southwest District Health compliance for the first time in 16 years. This includes an operating plan and a site-fill plan. They are banking a large reserve fund for future land fill closure costs.New-to-them equipment includes a track loader and a compactor. Valley County contracts for trash service. The county has a transfer station with pick-up in McCall and on Spink Lane. The refuse is hauled to the land fill near Mt. Home. Recycling at the Valley County is self- sort. Cardboard,newspaper, aluminum is collected. Glass and plastic is not. There are recycling opportunities at the Valley County sites. Use of the Valley County land fill parallels the growth of the county as illustrated by tons of material processed and trips to move the material out. Valley County increased the land fill operating budget to cover the increasing use and hauling charges. Table 25 Solid Waste Operation Statistics Valley County 2004-2006 Tons Hauled Trips from County Month 2004 2005 2006 2004 2005 2006 October 850 1,188 1,598 41 54 71 November 572 1,191 1,443 29 53 62 December 656 1,041 1,110 31 47 49 January 678 878 1,236 31 39 52 February 581 776 1,205 25 36 53 March 659 1,064 1,441 29 49 60 April 773 1,293 1,369 35 55 58 May 977 1,453 1,750 44 63 81 June 1,230 1,873 1,928 55 79 91 July 1,446 1,699 1,936 67 78 95 August 1,376 2,039 2,166 64 92 107 September 1,349 1,941 1,834 63 91 87 Total 11,147 16,435 19,016 514 736 866 Percent increase 32.17% 13.57% 30.16% 15% Source Valley County Solid Waste Monthly Report Other Infrastructure Issues The communities in the region have, for the most part,not invested in paved streets, curbs, gutters or surface drainage except as required of new developments. The communities that have had"Main Street" improvement projects,McCall, Cascade and Council, are the exception. These issues have been addressed in the core business area. Several of the communities are interested in forming Local Improvement Districts(LID)to pay for these improvements.New Meadows is working on a downtown improvement project that includes a splash park and other amenities. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 51 Economic and Community Development Plan Donnelly Drainage Project The Donnelly community has serious spring run-off flooding. The water table rises so high that basements and crawl spaces are filled with water for several weeks each spring. The high water also acerbates the I/I problem,reducing the capacity for Donnelly effluent in the waste water treatment plant shared with North Lake District. Donnelly's engineer, Holladay Engineering, is working with the Army Corps of Engineers for a solution and the community is a successful applicant to the Corps for 595 grant funds to address the initial phase of the project. A cut-off trench will be constructed and the water diverted to Boulder Creek before it reaches the city. Matching funds are coming from developers,Valley County and from the economic development fund generated by the Donnelly Depot Center. The second phase of the project is expected to be a Rural Community Block Grant matched by local funds generated by an LID. The community is currently forming the LID. The work will construct the community drain system. The drainage issue is preventing business and residential development in much of Donnelly. Storm water drainage is an issue in other communities as well, including McCall. Street improvement projects,including curbs and gutters,may address this for most communities. Public Transportation Northwest Stage Lines (NWSL) serves the area with daily scheduled service between Boise and Spokane. It arrives daily in McCall about 10:25 AM traveling north and south at 6:35 PM.This bus service is heavily subsidized through a Federal Transit Administration(FTA) grant that is dedicated to providing statewide intercity bus service. This service would have been discontinued in October 2005 if not for the cooperation between the Idaho Transportation Department's Division of Public Transportation and NWSL. About 10 people per day currently travel between Boise and Lewiston using this intercity bus service. This intercity service route is unprofitable and its future is depends on the expectations of future growth or subsidy to Northwest Stage Lines to continue. McCall Transit offers free public transportation within the City of McCall. A subsidiary of Treasure Valley Transit,the firm that provides service in Canyon and Ada Counties,is well received in Valley County. Operating 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week,the local flexible-fixed route, flag stop transit service,connects to the Tamarack Resort employee bus. This rural bus service is also heavily subsidized by a FTA grant through Idaho Depai lucent of Transportation Public Transit section. McCall Transit ridership is such that the company expects trip demand to justify operating on a 30-minute schedule, expanding from the current hourly schedule when sufficient funding is available.The city bus service saw a 56%ridership increase between 2004 and 2005. The city bus is wheelchair accessible. The Tamarack employee bus is open to the general public between Donnelly, Lake Fork and McCall with service also to Cascade.Tamarack has its own on-site resort shuttle service.Tamarack contracts with a charter bus company to carry passengers from the Boise airport to/from Tamarack Resort.Negotiations are underway between Tamarack and Treasure Valley Transit to expand and coordinate rural bus services between McCall,Tamarack and Cascade to accommodate commuters for work, leisure, medical appointments and shopping as well as reduce the number of cars on the roads.New commuter bus services should be wheelchair accessible. Service will depend on the amount of federal, local and private funding that is available. Brundage Mountain Resort service includes McCall Shuttle Bus,Boise Coach and West Valley. Local charter service includes Harlow Bus Sales/Charter Services,A+ Specialty Transport, and Prompt Delivery and Transportation. Social services providers include the Senior Centers in McCall, Cascade, Council and New Meadows. The Senior Centers have buses,also funded through FTA grants,to use to Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 52 Economic and Community Development Plan help residents age 60 or older to go to medical appointments, congregate meals at the center and other group functions as limited funding allows. Their buses are wheelchair accessible.McCall's senior bus will need replacement soon. Seniors in New Meadows are able to travel to Ontario for shopping as grant funding and donations permit. I. Schools It is the consensus that K-12 schools in the Region are doing well. However,the property tax measure passed in special session by the Idaho Legislature August 2006 has left some districts, including McCall- Donnelly, concerned about future funding and their ability to respond to growth. Property owners in McCall-Donnelly School District will also not see the full benefit of property tax reform due to a complexity in the new law. All of the Region schools benefit from the federal timber receipts funds. PL 106-393, commonly known as Craig-Wyden, set to expire after the 2007-2008 school year. The schools in the Region have used the money for one-time expenditures. For schools in the region this money accounts for: McCall -Donnelly $600,000 Cascade $213,000 Council $109,000 New Meadows $70,000 Another issue facing the local school districts is mitigating with developers the growth impact on school districts. In Valley County,only Tamarack Resort has agreed to pay for any school impact. In their recently adopted ordinances,Adams County has included school representatives on the P&Z committee that negotiates with developers as they calculate these fees. An education foundation supporting the M-D School district was recently formed. Independent of the district,the non-profit foundation works closely with the District as an active partner in enhancing local education.The group intends to create substantial resources to support science, technology,music, arts and enrichment programs within the District. They do not plan to duplicate or supplant other education support groups. Table 26 School District Enrollment As Reported November 4 School 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006* McCall/Donnelly 985 949 1012 1074 1094 Cascade 369 360 359 381 357 Total Valley County 1,354 1,309 1,371 1,455 1,451 Non-Public 32 24 25 39 Council 180 312 304 297 290 Meadows Valley 342 207 193 199 209 Total Adams County 522 519 497 496 499 schools in Region Non Public 0 0 0 0 *Unofficial school opening enrollment Source Idaho Department of Education and local school districts McCall-Donnelly is planning a school enrollment growth rate of six percent(6%) or 60-70 students per year. There is no projection for growth in the New Meadows district. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 53 Economic and Community Development Plan Voters in M-D SD recently passed a $28.5 million bond issue for(1)a new elementary school in McCall; (2)restore and expand the high school; (3)add to the Donnelly Elementary School and(4)purchase equipment and furniture for the district. Construction will commence April 2007. The Meadows Valley district can accommodate 50-75 students without the need to expand. Growth beyond this will necessitate a bond issue to add classrooms. The district has upgraded electrical and HVAC systems and have maintained their buildings.They plan to renew their"school plant levy"when it expires at the end of the 2007-2008 school year. Cascade SD passed a$3.95 million bond issue in September 2006 to replace systems to make their building more energy efficient. Included is a geothermal heat pump system to replace the worn-out boiler. Lighting will also be updated. The school has a plan developed about five years ago that can be activated to accommodate growth should the district need the space. Council has the ability to accommodate 100 students before plant modifications or expansion will need to occur. The district enrollment peaked in 1996 with 400 students, declining sharply after the mill closed in 1995. An upward trend began in 2003. The two buildings in the Council district have been well maintained and are in very good condition. A new bio-mass heating plant was recently installed at the high school,reducing heating and cooling costs from an estimated $35,000 per year to $3,000. Pre-school programs Western Idaho Community Action Partnership offers Head Start programs in both counties in the Region. However,both programs are"home-based"programs. The center building in Donnelly,which once was used for the county center-based program,now serves only as a socialization site for children to get together twice a month. Head Start is an income qualified program for 3-4 year olds. WICAP uses the federal "free and reduced meals"guideline for qualification. Apparently,there are not enough children in the age group who are income qualified to fill the allocated slots and thus for a center to operate in either county. It requires 17- 20 income qualified 4-year old children who attend 4-days each week to have a center-based program. Post high school/adult education Boise State University and the University of Idaho both want a greater presence in the Region.The U of I owns property near Ponderosa State Park in McCall. Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario approached the community to offer distance learning in McCall.There are sites in both McCall and Council with the needed technology if there is community interest. J. Community Services and Recreation Opportunities Community services and recreation opportunities for resident citizens are sometimes referred to as social infrastructure or the reason people remain in the community. It is important for a community to have activities for all ages. Often mentioned as important are movie theaters and bowling alleys, absent anywhere in the Region. Dining and shopping are also on this list. Community Recreation The Southern Valley County Recreation District(SVCRD)was formed to construct a swimming pool and recreation center in Cascade to serve residents of the south end of the county. It collects a per property fee and is very near the $1 million goal to begin facility construction. The planned center will be similar to the Nampa Center and will be located on a portion of the old Boise Cascade mill site. In the Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 54 Economic and Community Development Plan meantime,they have a cardio and strength training center at the Cascade Fire Station. They have an after- school program in cooperation with the University of Idaho Extension Service. They operated a summer recreation program that included youth and adult softball and baseball, swimming and more. The City of McCall has a community recreation department offering a wide range of activities.The city cooperated with the M-D School District and a gift from Al Harshman,Nampa, to construct a skate park. McCall has an extensive trail system that is pedestrian and bicycle friendly. McCall has no community swimming pool but are working with a developer to include public use of the property pool. Commercially,McCall offers year-around ice skating in an enclosed facility,The Manchester Ice Arena. An attempt to form a library district in Valley County failed and no future attempt will be made, according to the supporters. Table 27 Community Services in Region Community Senior Center/Meal Site Library Service How Funded/Comments Cascade Yes Yes Community Donnelly No No McCall Yes Yes Library city funded. Formation of a county-wide library district to headquartered in Donnelly was attempted in 2005. Senior center update underway New Meadows Yes Yes Library District Council Yes Yes Library District Sports Opportunities Active outdoor sports opportunities,both summer and winter, are the reason many are attracted to the Region. Both counties offer many activities with more planned as the communities grow. There are also many lakes and streams for the sportsmen. Table 28 Active Sports Opportunities Summer Opportunities Winter Opportunities Location(holes) Location Golf Public Cascade(9) Skiing(Alpine) Tamarack McCall(27) Brundage Council(9) Little Ski Hill Resort(semi-private) Tamarack(18) Skiing(Nordic) Many groomed trails Jug Mountain(18) Snowboarding Tamarack Meadow Creek(18) Snowmobiling Region-wide Private Whitetail Club(18) Mountain Biking (on trails) Tamarack Parks Ponderosa State Park at the North end of Payette Lake opened their new RV group campground Labor Day weekend. It is a step in the improvements laid out in a 1994 master plan. To follow will be a renovated boat launch and new visitor center. The 34-acre wooded campground was designed to handle groups of RV'ers but will also accommodate individual campers on a space-available basis. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 55 Economic and Community Development Plan Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is planning a new facility on Cascade Lake near the junction of West Roseberry and West Mountain Roads near Tamarack Falls. Marina facilities will be included. McCall is preparing plans to improve their lake front with park and improved marina access. There are community parks in every city in the Region. Idaho Power Company has developed an extensive park system on the Hells Canyon reservoirs. These include boat ramps and full service camp sites. In addition to Payette and Cascade lakes,there are a number of other lakes with boat ramps and camp sites. Trails The Payette National Forest has about 2,000 miles of trails maintained by a handful of employees and a corps of volunteers who build and maintain trails. Hikers,bikers, equestrians, dirt bikers all use these trails and are the volunteers. Cascade Marina The Cascade community has completed a feasibility study for a major, full-service,marina at their lake site.Proponents feel that moorage facilities,as well as marina services, will allow Treasure Valley boaters to leave their boats on the lake for the season. The feasibility estimates the number of rigs hauling boats over Hwy 55 will reduce by at least 350 rigs every weekend. Hot Springs There is a number of hot springs in the Region. Zims Plunge near New Meadows,Gold Fork, Silver Creek Plunge, Gold Fork Hot Springs and Leisure Time Swimming Pool, in Valley County have been developed for recreation. K. Idaho Department of Transportation STIP Idaho Department of Transportation annually brings forward their work plan or Statewide Transportation Improvement Program( STIP). The 2007-2011 plan now includes a Long Range Capital Improvement (LRCIP) section as well as a Garvee Bond section. As this document is prepared, ITD is in the final stages of STIP completion. There may be some adjustments in projects as the Department balances funds and projects. The Region saw a number of projects in the 2006 STIP moved further out and there were several dropped entirely. Cost outstripping revenue is said to be the reason.The tables that follow track the status of Region projects that have been in the STIP for a period of time. Some projects were removed from the 2006 STIP for various reasons such as lack of funding, inability to construct the project in a timely manner or the project was not recommended for inclusion. In some cases, the project was moved to the LRCIP. • Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 56 Economic and Community Development Plan Table 29 Region Projects Planned for 2007 STIP Key Route Location 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Prel No. 8670 SH 55 N Fork Payette River Bridge X (Cascade) 8811 SH 55 Mission St Turn Bay,McCall X 8813 SH 55 Main St.,Donnelly X 9103 SH 55 Jacob St Turn Ln,McCall X 9345 SH 55 Smith Ferry/Round Valley resurface X 9996 SH 55 Deinhard Ln to Zachary Rd,McCall X 9813 SH 55 Gold Dust Rd Turn Bay,Valley X 9994 SH 55 Paddy Flat to Johnson Ln,resurface X 9965 SH 55 S Fk Payette Rv Bridge,Boise Co X 9995 US 95 Cattle Pass to Smokey Boulder Rd X Source ITD 2007 STIP Table 30 Region 3 2006 STIP Projects Not Recommended for Funding Key No. Route Location Description E301 Off Sys Deinhard Lane Multiuse Pathway Transportation enhancement E302 Off Sys Tamarack Falls to West Mountain Transportation enhancement Campground Pathway E310 SH 55 SH 55 Pedestrian Enhancements Transportation enhancement H302 SH 55 McCall Right-of-way Restoration and Expansion Source ITD 2007 STIP Table 31 Region 3 2006 STIP Projects Moved to Long Range Capital Improvement and Preservation Program (LRCIP) Key No. Route Location Description 1004 SH 55 Smith Ferry to Round Valley Relocation 7024 SH55 Round Valley Passing Lanes Major widening 7792 SH 55 South Bound Passing Lane Cascade South Major widening 7793 SH 55 Donnelly Passing Lanes Major widening 8081 SH 55 North Bound Passing Lane Cascade North Major widening 8615 SH 55 Wetland Mitigation,Valley County Environmental preservation 9489 US 95 Council to Tamarack Passing Lanes Major widening Source ITD 2007 STIP Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 57 Economic and Community Development Plan Table 32 Region 3 Projects Removed from STIP and not Discussed in LRCIP Key No. Route Location Description 8078 STC 3898 Old State Hwy Rd,Cascade STP-Local Rural 9486 US 95 Int Indian Valley Road,Adams Co. Restoration and Expansion 6978 SH 55 Round Valley Rest Area 8092 SH 55 N Fork Payette River Bridge(McCall) 8432 US 95 Council Alternate Route 8818 US 95 Int Transfer Site Rd,Adams 8863 FH 22 Cascade Warm Lake Rd,VC 9054 SH 55 Rainbow Bridge Phase 2 Bridge Const&Approaches 9501 SH 55 Loomis Ln Turnbays 6592 SH 55 Elo Rd&Johnson Ln 9054 SH 55 Rainbow Bridge,Phase 2 Bridge construction&approaches Source ITD 2007 STIP Note: ITD assured a group from Council that they agreed the alternate route was needed and that it would be returned to the STIP as funding became available. In The Idaho Horizons document ITC identified a number of future projects,placing projects into general categories of Near Horizon: 6-10 Years; Mid Horizon: 11-15 Years; Far Horizon, 16 Years and Beyond. Table 33 Horizons in Transportation Long Range Capital Improvement and Preservation (LRCIP) Program Region 3 (Valley/Adams) Key Route Location Description Time Frame No. (Horizon) Near Mid Far 7923 US 95 Fort Hall Hill,Adams Reconstruction/Realignment X 8081 SH 55 NB Passing Lane,Cascade N. Major Widening X 7793 SH 55 Donnelly Passing Lanes Major Widening X 7792 SH 55 SB Passing Ln,Cascade S. Major Widening X 7024 SH 55 Round Valley Passing Lns Major Widening X 9489 US 95 Council/Tamarack Passing Lns Major Widening X 8615 SH 55 Wetland mitigation,Valley Co X 1004 SH 55 Smiths Ferry to Round Valley Relocation X Source ITD 2007 STIP The Highway 55 corridor plan from Eagle to New Meadows is complete and the US 95 plan from Marsing to New Meadows is in progress. Garvee Projects A study of a proposed new route between Emmett and Mesa, connecting Emmett to Hwy 95,was dropped in the 2007 plan. L. Medical Services The Region is served by two hospitals,both in Valley County. The Adams County hospital closed in 2001 but the hospital district remained viable, supporting the Council Community Clinic with a property tax levy. However,voters failed to continue this support at the November 2006 election. It is unclear what Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 58 Economic and Community Development Plan this impact will be. All of Valley County is in either the McCall Memorial Hospital District or the Cascade Medical Center District. The Council Community Clinic,located in the former hospital building, is partially grant funded as a Federally Qualified Health Center and is staffed by a full time physician and provides dental and mental health services. A second clinic in Council, Council Mountain Medical Clinic, and the New Meadows Clinic,are staffed by doctors practicing in McCall. The McCall Hospital will be opening a clinic in Donnelly early 2007.The hospital has leased space and will be sub leasing it to a private entity to staff and operate the clinic. Table 34 Medical Service Providers Facility Location Beds Physicians ER Needs/Comments McCall McCall. Serves 15 9 FM and Yes Certified as"Critical Access Hospital." Memorial Donnelly,New recruiting; Hospital Meadows, 2 IM; Provides OB service; Surgery; Council and 2 NP and 1 Have full mammography and radiology Riggins PA and service;32-slice CAT scan; Radiologist Mobile MRI, lab and X-ray. Cascade Approximately 10 2 on contract Yes Certified as"Critical Access Hospital." Medical Little Donner with who rotate Center South swing in.Also have Can take acute care,skilled nursing and beds 2 mid-level long-term care patients. Operate a 24/7 practitioners ER and Life Flight out trauma patients (PA and to St Al's Nurse Practioner). Affiliated with St Alphonsus for Mobile diagnostic support. 12 visiting specialists from Boise. Tamarack Clinic building at Trained staff Served by Cascade Medical Center. Resort provided 7 days/week On-site X-ray with connection to Boise by Tamarack. for evaluation. Payette Lakes Donnelly 1 physician,. Anticipate opening early 2007. Clinic Council Council 1 Full-time No There is no ER between McCall and Community Weiser. Clinic Council Council Staffed by McCall physicians Mountain Medical Clinic Meadows New Meadows Staffed by McCall physicians Valley Medical Clinic M. Emergency Services, Fire and Law Enforcement Both counties have organized Local Emergency Planning Committees,a requirement of the Department of Homeland Security to be able to make grant applications. The purpose of the group is to coordinate emergency services. At this point, the two county LEPC's have worked independently. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 59 Economic and Community Development Plan Emergency Medical Services Valley County emergency services or ambulance service is the responsibility of the county commission. They contract with Cascade, Donnelly and McCall Fire Districts to provide the service. The county provides the ambulances and pays for staff. This past year Valley County purchased an additional ambulance for Donnelly. At the present time they fund two full-time EMT's at Donnelly and McCall and will be adding the second person at Cascade in the next fiscal year.This allows these services to have staff at the site 24/7,reducing the response time. Valley County has joint agreements with Stanley and Garden Valley to provide service in the areas of Valley County that can be reached quicker from these communities.Most of the back country is served out of Cascade by air transport by St Al's Life Flight. Air evacuation services are provided by St. Alphonsus Life Flight, Air St. Luke's and Access Air,all offering memberships. St Alphonsus has an air ambulance stationed at the McCall airport. Ground and air transport is dispatched by the Valley County Sheriff's office. Parts of Adams County are less well served. They have ground ambulance service but the transport times are long,particularly in Council. It takes about 45 minutes to get a helicopter from Boise and 20-minutes from McCall. It is an hour by ground transport to any hospital from Council.To improve service,the Council ambulance rendezvous with an ambulance from Weiser near the Adams-Washington County line. This crew includes a paramedic.The Council service is provided by a district that approximates the old hospital district boundary. A per household fee is collected for operation. New Meadows operates with volunteers and no regular funding.They need assistance and training with collecting for services. Not surprising, the three Valley County services report an increase in automobile accident calls,many of these on the rural back roads. Heavy duty extrication equipment is available Region-wide. Table 35 Emergency Medical Transport Ground Transport Community Responsible Unit No. No.of Training Level* Transport Transport EMT Destination Vehicles Cascade 3 16 8 Basic Cascade 8 ILS Tamarack Resort Donnelly Fire Come from Ski patrol are first Patient District Donnelly responders preference Donnelly Donnelly Fire 3 24 2 First Responders McCall District 15 BLS 7 ALS McCall McCall Fire 3 30 BLS and McCall District ALS New Meadows Meadows Valley 2 5 BLS McCall Ambulance District Council Council Fire 2 11 BLS McCall or District Weiser *Note There are no paramedics in the Region. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 60 Economic and Community Development Plan Fire Service With the exception of the City of Cascade, Fire Districts operate across the Region. Each district levies property taxes to support the service. The City of Cascade and the Cascade Rural Fire Department share staff. However, each has their own fire quarters. There have been efforts to combine the services. In Adams County the rural and city services are combined. Tamarack Resort, which is part of the Donnelly Fire District, constructed a building and purchased a fire truck in order to have on-site service. In all cases, most of the staff is cross trained. Each has some level of full-time staffing but generally operates with a corps of volunteers who are on call and paid for responding. The time of day impacts the number available to respond since the majority of responders have full-time jobs and in some cases, these jobs are out of town. Council is in serious need of a building capable of housing all their equipment. They have been pursuing funding options and cooperative agreements with the USFS. Their district abuts the Meadows Valley district.New Meadows has five response vehicles but only one, an old water tender, is 4-wheel drive. Access to rural homes, as well as proper addressing, are problems Region-wide. Table 36 Fire District Staff and Equipment Staff Level Needs/Comments Full Part Volunteer Time Time Cascade 1 None 43 Have some area roads that are too narrow for emergency equipment Donnelly 4 24 Need assistance mitigating development impact Split with fees Tamarack Tamarack Will need high rise equipment when new hotel complete McCall 8 plus 20 Service to Brundage and Whitetail Club III secretary could be issue since both are in Adams County. Meadows Valley 0 0 10 Problems with narrow, steep roads; lack of reliable and close water sources outside of city limits; lack of appropriate house numbering in and out of city; lack of volunteers and training for volunteers; equipment needs include additional all-wheel drive response vehicles; Council 0 0 15 Need a new building that will house all the equipment;lack of volunteers. Law Enforcement The county sheriff offices are responsible for rural law enforcement as well as waterway patrol and jail services.Valley County also provides police protection for Donnelly and they have law enforcement contracts with the BLM and USFS. Search and rescue is also a county function. Cascade and McCall have their own police departments. The county jail in Cascade houses all adult offenders. Juveniles are held in a county-owned facility in McCall. All law enforcement services in Adams County are by the sheriff's office. Adams County has been augmenting their jail budget by housing women inmates for the Idaho Department of Corrections. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 61 Economic and Community Development Plan Table 37 Region Crime Report 2001-2005 Agency Arrests Arrest Total Offenses—5 year Trend Rate per 100,000 Population 2005 Adult _ Juvenile 2005 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Valley 344 322 22 7151.8 330 267 224 347 236 Sheriff _ Cascade 37 36 1 3692.6 49 87 37 56 58 PD _ McCall 274 238 36 11595.4 415 272 261 341 309 PD Total 655 596 59 8012.2 794 626 522 744 603 Valley County Adams 115 90 25 3248.6 51 112 93 177 139 Sheriff Source Idaho Agency Crime Report Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 62 Economic and Community Development Plan Tables Table Page 1. Inclusionary Housing Required of New Developments 8 2. Affordable Housing Projects Planned 9 3. Region Historic Census Population,2000-2005 35 4. Current County Population Distribution 35 5. Growth Projections to Year 2030 36 6. Distribution of These Additional Households 36 7. Region Unemployment Rate,2000-October 2006 37 8. Historical Unemployment Rates, 1996-August 2006 37 9. Historical Per Capita Personal Income, 1996-2004 38 10. Percent Population Having Low/Moderate Income 38 11. Lodging Sales in Region,2003-2006 39 12. Retail Sales by County,2003-2005 39 13. Valley County Residential Building Permits,2000-July 2006 40 14. Adams County Residential Building Permits,2000-July 2006 40 15. Approved and Pending Approval Subdivisions/PUD's,2000-July 2006 40 16. Large Project Subdivisions/PUD's(Lots),2003-2006 41 17. Status of Community Planning Documents 42-44 18. Net Taxable Value Used to Set Levies(Valley County) 45 19. Net Taxable Value Used to Set Levies(Adams County) 45 20. Gross Property Tax Receipts(Valley County)2003-2005 46 21. Gross Property Tax Receipts(Adams County)2003-2005 47 22. Region Waste Water Treatment Status and Needs(Valley County) 49 23. Region Waste Water Treatment Status and Needs(Adams County) 50 24. Region Water Supply Needs 50 25. Solid Waste Operation Statistics 51 26. School District Enrollment, 2002-2006 53 27. Community Services in Region 55 28. Active Sports Opportunities 55 29. ITD Region Projects Planned for 2007 STIP 57 30. Region 3 2006 STIP Projects Not Recommended for Funding 57 31. Region 3 Project Moved to LRCIP 57 32. Region 3 Projects Removed from STIP and not in LRCIP 58 33. Horizons in Transportation Projects 58 34. Medical Services Providers 59 35. Emergency Medical Transport(Ground) 60 36. Fire District Staff and Equipment 61 37. Region Crime Report 62 Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 63 Economic and Community Development Plan • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS "Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say, `This is my community and it's my responsibility to make it better:" Oregon Gov. Tom McCall The Valley Adams Regional Economic Development Strategic Planning effort involved the time,effort and interest of a large number of individuals meeeting and working togetherfor more than two years.This list is an attempt at recognizing the particiaption of these individuals and the agencies and to thank them for their effort. Please pardon us if we inadvertenly omitted a name or group. Thank you for assisting us. Valley County Commissioners State of Idaho Idaho Commerce&Labor Local Highway Technical Assistance Council Cliff Long, Administrator Lance Holmstrom Gloria Mabbutt, Manager Pat Madarieta, CD Specialist Neighborhood Housing Services John Panter, Regional Labor Economist Emily Johes Greg Seibert,Manager Tom Lay Jim Thackeray, Manager McCall office Mary Pridmore Carl Wilgus, Administrator,Tourism Development Hank Ebert,Gem Community Coordinator Southwest Idaho Cooperative Housing Authority Jerry Miller,Gem Community Dave Patton,Executive Director Sue McCorkle,RD Office Specialist Valley Adams Regional Housing Authority(VARHA) Department of Environmental Quality Michael David Jason Jedry, Community Affairs Willaim Jerrel,Water Quality Loan Program Manager Federal Agencies Jon Sandoval,Chief of Staff US Army Corp of Engineers Debbi Willis, Project Manager Idaho Transportation Department Brayton Willis, Project Manager Patti Raino, Intermodal Planning Manager Sue Sullivan, District 3 Planner Economic Development Administration Janet Weaver,Senior Public Transportation Planner Rick Tremblay, ED Representative Butch Ragsdale,Public Transit US Dept of Housing&Urban Development Office of the Governor Connie Hogland, Field Office Director Megan Ronk,Policy Advisor USDA Rural Development Idaho Rural Partnership Mike Field, State Director Dale Dixon,Executive Director Daryl Moser,RBS Program Director Tim Wheeler,Business Programs Specialist Associations and Organizations Association of Idaho Cities Local Government Ken Harward, Executive Director Valley County Michael Shaw,Human Rights Coordinator Boise CountyNalley County Economic Development John Blaye, ED Administrator Community Planning Associates of SW Idaho Valley County, COMPAS Phil Davis,County Commission Chairman Frank Eld,Commissioner Idaho Association of Counties Tom Kerr,Commissioner Tony Poinelli, Deputy Director Cynda Herrick,County Planning Director Patty Bolen,Sheriff Idaho Commission on the Arts Jerry Winkle,P&Z Commission Delta Smith, Community Development Director P&Z Commission Members Glenna Young,Valley County Treasurer Idaho Housing&Finance Association Karen Campbell,Valley County Assessor Eric Kingston, Housing Resources Coordinator Lee Heinrich,County Clerk Steve Rector,Public Affairs Director Archie Banbury,County Clerk elect Julie Williams.VP Community Housing City of Cascade Idaho Smart Growth Dick Carter,Mayor John Barrett,Co-director Ed Ahlstedt,City Clerk P&Z Commission Members Sage Community Resources Kathleen Simko, Executive Director Pat Engle,Program Manager Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 64 Economic and Community Development Plan City of Donnelly Special Service Districts George Dorris,Mayor Fire Districts and Ambulance Service K.C.Hanes,Councilperson Jim Hass,Cascade Damon Yerkes,Councilperson Dan Huter,Council Kimberly Zainer,Councilperson Marc deJong,Donnelly Judy Linman,City clerk Dave Sparks,McCall Elwin Butler,Holladay Engineering Jeff Luff,Fire Chief, Mew Meadows Vern Brewer,Project Manger,Holladay Engineering Jacob Qualls,Ambulance Service,New Meadows P&Z Commission Members Recreation,Water and Sewer Districts City of McCall Bill Eddy,North Lake Bill Robertson,Mayor Jamie Melbo,Payette Lakes Don Bailey,Councilperson John Lome,South Lake Bonnie Bertrum,Councilperson and UPRED board member Yvette Davis,Southern Valley County Recreation District Roger Millar,Deputy City Manager Steve Hassens,Planner Local Business Owners and Operators Carol Coyle,Community Development Cascade Businesses P&Z Commission Members Ron Lundquist,Ashley Inn Ann Kantola,McCall Librarian Ashley and Katrin Thompson,Ashley Inn Dave O'Brien,Cascade Lakes Realty Adams County Scotty Davenport,Cascade Store Washington/Adams County Economic Development Kayla Rich,Affordable Housing Solutions Gil Bates,Facilitator Roy Jones,The Chief Dan Gallager,Long Valley Advocate Adams County Mike Stewart,Geothermal Energy Team Bill Brown,Commission Chairman Judy Ellis,Commissioner Donnelly Businesses Mike Paradis,Commissioner Annetta Gray,Gendreau Development Pete Johnston,Adams County Bio-mass Coordinator Gretel Kleint,Needles View Ranch Tom Toomey and other P&Z Commissioners Becky Johnstone,Knipe Land Co. Don Horton,Adams County Building Official Scott Turlington,Tamarack Resort Susan Dorris,Flight of Fancy City of Council Crystal Hanes,Flight of Fancy Bruce Gardner,Mayor Larry Mangem,Dreamworks Construction Francee Wassard,Economic Development Coordinator P&Z Commission Members McCall Businesses Rick Fereday,May Hardware City of New Meadows Tom Grote,Star News Gale Stillman,Mayor Claire Remsberg,Remsberg Architecture John Franks,City Manager Judd DeBore,Brundage Mountain Sandy Schiffman,former mayor Joan Pero,McCall Chamber of Commerce P&Z Commission Members Bill McMurray Melinda Neilson,Si Bueno Grill Boise County Fred Lawson,Commissioner and UPRED Board Consultants Member Auyer Consulting ZaDean Auyer, Owner Education Capacity by Design Local School Districts Deb Krum,Program Director Terrell Donicht,McCall-Donnelly and New Meadows Community Partners Murray Dalgleish,Council Shawn Charters Elsie Krause,Cascade Elesco,LTD Lee Smith Boise State University Rees Consulting William Jarocki,Director,Environmental Finance Melanie Rees Center James 1-logge,Small Business Development Center Director University of Idaho Barbara Brody,Cooperative Extension Service Lori Higgins Medical Services Valley County Medical Services Bill Behnke,Cascade Medical Center Ardean Grefsrud,Cascade Medical Center Karen Kelley,McCall Memorial Hospital Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 65 Economic and Community Development Plan Appendix Business Diversification Strategies Elesco, Ltd. Adams/Valley Counties Strategic Plan Target Business Development Strategies This section examines business development and/or recruitment opportunities in the region that includes Adams County and Valley County in Idaho. It is part of a Regional Economic Development Plan funded by a USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant. While sharing a common border,Adams and Valley counties are separated by the West Mountain range with peaks rising to more than 8,000 feet msl. The range forms a long upland that runs from New Meadows in the north 75 miles to a southern terminus near Horseshoe Bend. The West Mountain Range, a complicated series of ridges and drainages, varies in width from 10 to 15 miles. The two counties have separate river drainage systems and are served by separate highway routes: US Hwy 95 running north/south through Adams County and Idaho Hwy 55 running north/south through Valley County. They are linked only by an 11-mile stretch of Hwy 55 between the City of New Meadows in Adams County and the City of McCall in Valley County. Differences between the two counties are also found in their economic bases. Adams County has historically been tied to the natural resource industries of the region,primarily agriculture and forest products. Valley County,while also having historical ties to the natural resource industries,has more recently experienced significant new economic activities related to recreation,tourism, and the vacation or second home market. Because of these differences,the two counties are described individually in this report.The strategies recommended on the following pages were developed during on-site inspections,interviews and research in Adams and Valley counties. They are believed to offer the best opportunities for both short-term and long-term economic expansion and diversification in the two counties. Planning efforts are not static and since the initial draft of this report was written in October, 2006 several recommendations have been initiated. Notably, work has progressed significantly on the Adams County bio-mass utilization project. Effort has been made to modify the initial document to recognize this progress. Summary and Conclusions The strategies recommended in this report are aimed at achieving positive economic benefits in the shorter term,or at least starting the balls rolling in that direction. There are many other strategies that could be included in a comprehensive plan, especially if a very long range view is taken. For example, it is probable that there will be a need for a regional airport at some time in the future and it would be desirable to protect a site today for when that need arises. However,it may not be practical to tie up land for a project that could be 20 or more years off in the future. This study does not present a list of specific companies to target nor does it address a direct marketing campaign. Instead,it supports the need for the Region to prepare itself by addressing the infrastructure needs—sites, affordable housing, workforce development—all affecting the cost of doing business in the Region and the ability to recruit companies. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 1 Business Diversification Strategies There are target data base programs available on line at www.harrisinfosources.com and www.infousa.com should a direct marketing campaign be desired in the future. Rather than running a "list"of companies,a list that is outdated immediately, this project will purchase a year subscription to a regional Harris Info Source data base to be used by the Region. It will be placed with UPRED. Harris InfoSource, a D&B company, updates data monthly through the D&B collection processes. Because they are on line,they can be used selectively to develop contact information at specific companies that are screened by 35 different criteria. Searches can be stored in several formats, including Excel spreadsheets for detailed information or mailing labels for direct mail campaigns. An all-industries database for the State of Idaho only is priced at$495 and includes all companies with one employee or more. Reducing the number to firms employing 20 or more reduces the price to $365. A Northwest database covering all industries in Idaho, Oregon and Washington costs $1,395 and includes all manufacturers with 1+employees and all other industries with 20+employees. A 13-state Western all-industries database costs $4,100 for firms with 1+employees or$2,900 for firms with 20+employees Coverage of all industries in the United States is available for$13,400 for all companies with 1+ employees; $10,000 for those with 10+employees; or$8,300 for firms with 20+employees. A suggested list of general business areas to search included: • Industries related to tourism; • Industries related to second home markets; • Industries related to growth and development; • Industries related to outdoor adventures and recreation; • "Footloose" or lone eagle industries suitable for the region; • Industries related to existing clusters or a supply/customer chain. FOCUS AREA#4 ENSURING A BALANCED ECONOMY Valley County Strategies A. Underserved Business Opportunities During the several processes of gathering local citizen and leadership input into this planning document, potential business opportunities were identified/suggested. Some of these opportunities provided goods and services primarily for the full-time, local residents. Others target the visitors and are sometimes called "Resort Commercial"businesses. One approach used by resort communities to identify and target"Resort Commercial"businesses is to group and separate them into categories and market to businesses to fill the gaps.Part of the process includes matching businesses to the best location for their group.That allows the commercial operators to pick their location according to the kind of customer base they cater to. Convenience Grocery/convenience store Wine cellar,tobacco products Impulse food—fast food franchise Specialty retail suitable for location Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 2 Business Diversification Strategies Main Street "Main Street"is the largest category with multiple restaurants,cafes,and specialty shops. It is intended to capture the casual tourist who is looking around without a defined objective. Brew pub/restaurant Coffee bar/cafe Soda fountain/old fashion burgers Books&gifts Family sports&bikes Pet specialties Art galleries(paintings, sculptures,weavings,etc.) Resort clothing and fashions Jewelry Ice cream and confections Body&bath Home gifts Home decor Adrenaline The"Adrenaline" category is the high energy section. Outdoor outfitters Sporting goods/fishing&hunting equipment Bikes&blades Extreme sports/climbing wall Guide services/expedition outfitters Sanctuary Destination spa&wellness center Destination restaurant/night club or jazz lounge Destination luxury hotel Because the market seems to be driving what happens in the Region, especially in Valley County, and because many of the underserved opportunities will be used by full-time residents,the recommended. strategy is to concentrate on developing the resources to support what the community wants and needs instead of trying to market to those sectors.That means addressing the issues of affordable housing, skilled workforce and day care. B. Develop a Business Center/Incubator at the McCall Airport Another common interest is the attraction of professional services companies to McCall, or at least small branch offices of firms located in Boise. In particular, it was stated that most of the architectural and engineering work being done in Valley County is handled by Boise companies that send professionals up for a day or two,and then return to the Treasure Valley. It is believed that some of these professionals would establish local offices if suitable space could be provided. Actions • Contact developers who are capable of building a professional office park and work with them to secure a site. The ideal action would be for a developer to take on the project without requiring any financing or other incentives from the community. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 3 Business Diversification Strategies C. Plan for the Relocation of Heavy Industry within the McCall Impact Area Growth of McCall is constrained by topographical barriers such as Payette Lake and U.S. Forest Service lands. The natural direction of growth is southwest of the city, west of the airport. That area is currently the location of several heavy industries including sand and gravel operation and a concrete batch plant. Those are essential businesses in any growing economy. Over the long term, it would be advisable to plan for their relocation to less valuable land south of McCall,possibly in the Lake Fork area or near the existing rock pit between Donnelly and Cascade. Developing a heavy industrial area could also help attract other natural resource industries and manufacturers. While there would be substantial costs for relocation,the value of the land they would vacate should be more than sufficient to recover those costs. Note: Recently Valley County approved the location of an asphalt plan at the county rock pit on Hwy 55 south of Donnelly. Actions • No specific actions are recommended other than keeping a heavy industrial site on the agenda for future planning. D. Plan for a Regional Shopping Center at Donnelly As Valley County grows there will be increased demand for a regional shopping center to house national chain stores in a variety of retail lines. Planning for a regional center now will allow many other elements of planning, such as transportation systems,to be coordinated with the center before de facto development precludes the preferred options. Donnelly is a logical location for such a facility because of its central location and available open land. Actions • Identify a preferred site in terms of location, size, configuration, accessibility, slope, drainage, ownership and availability. • If required, include the site in the drainage solutions proposed for much of the land north of Donnelly. • Carry out the regional planning tasks to protect the zoning of the site for retail use and to ensure compatibility of surrounding land uses. • When the timing is appropriate, solicit proposals from qualified developers. E. Plan an Eastside Bypass for the City of Cascade The City of Cascade is the entrance to the primary recreational and resort areas of Valley County. While its commercial businesses need to be protected, a close-in eastside bypass would reduce traffic congestion in the downtown area and enable expansion of the commercial core. Such a bypass has been planned in the City of Council in Adams County. It is expected to increase downtown business by removing the conflicts between local traffic versus through traffic. Actions The City of Cascade,Valley County, and Idaho Department of Transportation should begin the planning process to identify the suitable route for an eastside bypass. There will need to be right-of-way Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 4 Business Diversification Strategies acquisition,planning to include the project on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan, and funding dedicated to the project. • Commercial business interests in Cascade need to be involved in the planning to make sure there are adequate ingress and egress points to provide access between the bypass and the downtown area. • A signage corridor should be sought on Hwy 55 south of the City of Cascade to advise tourists about the retail shops and services that are available to them in the downtown area. F. Plan Redevelopment of the Boise Cascade Mill Site at Cascade The former Boise Cascade mill site at Cascade offers a great opportunity to develop an entrance "statement"to the valley as well as a major economic asset for the city. It is large enough to support a significant amount of mixed-use development, which would open up the center of Cascade for a more attractive and pedestrian-friendly environment. Over time, a themed mixed-use community similar to the "Old Mill District"in Bend, Oregon might be developed. That project, constructed from remnants of the former Brooks Scanlon lumber mill, contains a variety of retail shops,restaurants, and entertainment facilities. Note: The community,in cooperation with the SVCRD and the owner,has prepared a draft plan for this site. Actions • Contact the land owners and SVCRD to determine their interests in participating in revisiting the site plan to include a mixed-use development project on the site and making the site become an entrance to the community. • With community input, assess the various types of development opportunities that could occur there. There should be a housing component,preferably including mixed housing types,to help alleviate the shortage of available housing in the community and to provide local demand for the commercial enterprises. • Prepare a conceptual plan of how the site could be developed consistent with the various uses. • Prepare a feasibility study based on phasing the project over a time period that matches expected market demand. • Market the conceptual plan to qualified developers,backed up by the feasibility study. G. Develop a Full Service Marina on Cascade Lake Many people traveling north on Hwy 55 do not realize that Cascade Lake is only a few blocks from the downtown area of the City of Cascade. This could be a major economic asset for the community. At local interviews, several people expressed support for constructing a large, full-service marina on the lake as a way to attract boaters to use Cascade Lake for their recreational activities and to base their boats at Cascade during the season. Note: Preliminary work has been done for the project. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 5 Business Diversification Strategies Actions • Develop a feasibility analysis for a proposed full-service marina. That will show the types of facilities and amount of usage required to make the marina financially viable. • Develop a business plan for the construction and operation of the marina. Many marinas are owned and operated by municipalities, similar to airports, so the pros and cons of public versus private development will need to be evaluated. • Identify funding opportunities,especially from grants such as Idaho's Rural Community Development Block Grant program. • Development can be done in phases as the demand for the facility grows. Initial facilities should include mixed sizes of slips and berths,a fuel dock,and a marine supply store. H. Investigate Geothermal Capabilities in the Cascade Area There are known to be geothermal sources in the Cascade area,but their commercial viability is not proven. There are significant federal incentives available to subsidize alternative energy systems such as geothermal power plants but extensive testing will need to be done to determine whether this is feasible. An alternative could be to utilize geothermal heat for growing commercial crops in greenhouses, providing year-round agricultural employment and incomes. Note: Again,preliminary work has been done by a community committee for the use of this resource. Actions The key requirement will be to conduct the tests to determine whether there is a sufficient resource for power generation or other uses. Contacts with the Idaho Energy Division and the Idaho Geothermal Energy Working Group will provide direction for this research. The Idaho Geothermal Energy Working Group is an organization comprised of representatives from federal, state,and local governments,utilities, renewable energy advocates, geothermal energy industry, environmental organizations and other entities interested in the development of geothermal energy facilities in Idaho. I. Plan a Light Industrial Park at the Cascade Airport Cascade Airport is another component of the region's transportation system. Data from AirNav Publications show that the airport has 13 aircraft based on the field and averages 37 operations per day, of which 47%are transient aircraft of 45%are air taxi operations. The airport is obviously an important resource for bringing visitors into the community. There is sufficient vacant land surrounding the airport to allow for the development of a light industrial park. A site of only 10 acres could accommodate up to±100,000 square feet of building space at less than 25% land coverage. Based on average employment densities of 800 square feet per worker,that amount of land and building space could provide employment for up to 125 workers. Actions • Evaluate the land surrounding the airport and identify a suitable site for development of a light industrial park. • Address issues of zoning, access, utilities, airport restrictions, ownership and availability. Determine whether or not the preferred site can be made available for a light industrial park. • Develop a conceptual plan for the light industrial park. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 6 Business Diversification Strategies • Identify funding opportunities to develop the project. • If the project is found to be feasible,prepare a business plan to implement its development and marketing. J. Explore expanding the Donnelly Depot Center Donnelly,in cooperation with Idaho Rural Block Grant funds, constructed a 5-bay incubator building which is leased to tenants supporting the construction industry.The community may wish to consider adding a second building,using the same plans and building style as the initial structure.The project has been successfully rented since it opened. K. Facilitate the Location of"Lone Eagles"in both Valley and Adams Counties Lone Eagles are individuals who move to an area where they want to live and establish a business whose products or services are sold in other markets. Often referred to as knowledge workers, this group includes consultants, free-lance professionals, financial advisors, writers, and others who prefer to be their own boss. They can live and work anywhere and often only require a computer, fax, Internet access,and express mail service to be linked to the outside world. It has been estimated that most Lone Eagles earn substantially in excess of$200,000 annually but bring more than$1 million of new revenue into their communities. Both Valley County and Adams County already have lone eagles operating from offices in their homes or in small professional centers. This kind of employment could be expanded by improving the resources and support services needed to operate from a remote location. Actions • Improve cell phone service to ensure area-wide coverage. • Work with Idaho Power to provide redundant power systems and eliminate interruptions. Note: The redundant power supply is under construction. • Work with package delivery providers to obtain overnight shipments and deliveries at the McCall Airport. • Support Tamarack Resort and other businesses in their efforts to obtain regularly scheduled air service at the McCall Airport. K. Develop a Higher Education Campus/Presence in McCall Many business people and civic leaders in McCall stated that young people graduating from high school in Valley County leave the area to go to college and never come back. It was reported that both the University of Idaho(UI) and Boise State University(BSU)would like to have a greater presence in the area and that UI has a site for a campus. Providing higher education to local residents would solve many of the problems in the area, such as having to recruit skilled workers from outside who can not find(or afford)housing. Realistically,the resident population is too small to support a major branch campus. A more likely scenario would be development of a multi-disciplinary center that offers core programs and specialized Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 7 Business Diversification Strategies education relevant to the types of jobs that are in demand in the area. There is also interest in developing vocational-technical training in the area to provide skilled workers for the growing economy. Actions Form a task force to work with the colleges and universities—private schools as well as public colleges—to determine what is possible and how it needs to be accomplished. Include discussions of workforce training programs as well as on-line learning opportunities. • Identify funding opportunities to support a local campus without putting the entire financial burden on the universities. • Encourage the Legislature to support a higher education opportunities in McCall. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 8 Business Diversification Strategies Adams County Strategies A. Biomass Fuels Generating Plant Officials and citizens of Adams County have been working diligently to pursue an opportunity to develop a biomass fuels generating plant in the county. A group, the Adams County Biomass Working Group, has been exploring the many issues involved in developing such a facility. A site has been proposed on the County's landfill property, which consists of 240 acres but is currently utilizing only 40 of those acres. The biomass plant would produce electricity by using wood fuels to convert water to steam,which would be used to power the generating turbines. The wood fuels would be salvaged from the surrounding forests as part of a healthy forests maintenance program and as an alternative to prescribed burning. There may also be other opportunities to use portions of these biomass resources in a number of products that are comprised of wood fibers. An efficient biomass plant can be operated with about 20 employees on-site,but the off-site employment engaged in collecting and transporting the resource to the plant could be 60 workers or more. The plant would store woody biomass to keep the facility operating year-round. Actions • Continue to work with USFS,BLM, and IDL to identify potential sustainable resources • Identify market opportunities for the product and potential revenue streams • Develop a detailed business plan and financial feasibility analysis • Address local issues such as zoning and transportation needs • Identify sources of capital and operating costs until plant achieves breakeven point • Identify participants/partners to build and operate the plant • Work with Federal and State agencies to put the project together • Work with the Idaho Legislature to enact any needed legislation B. Composite/Robotics Manufacturing Facility at Council The City of Council is working with a company in California that manufactures composite materials and structures using advanced robotics technology. The owner is locating(or relocating) a facility to the City's industrial park,taking all of the available land. The owner wants to develop local sources of supply and/or recruit suppliers to Council. This project has the potential to create substantial employment in the Council area. This project appears to be on track and the community economic development staff feels they have the project under control.We do offer these suggested actions. Actions • Develop a task force approach, similar to the biomass project,to identify and resolve all issues and facilitate the move of this company to Council Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 9 Business Diversification Strategies • Enlist the aid of the Idaho Department of Commerce to ensure continuing communications aimed at removing barriers and solving any problems that may arise • As necessary, solicit financial support for this project from the State of Idaho, USDA, and other government agencies that are potential funding resources • Help the company identify potential local suppliers including those within a two-hour driving distance that can provide same day deliveries C. Ensure Continuing Supply of Developed Industrial Land at Council With the composites/robotics company potentially leasing all of the City of Council's industrial land, additional properties need to be developed in order to offer sites to new or expanding industries in the future. With the successful recruitment of that company, it is probable that other companies will want to look at locating in Council even without aggressive marketing. It would be highly desirable to offer industrial sites for sale, as well as those for lease which has been the policy at the airport. Actions • Identify one or more potential sites with industrial development potential, with aggregate acreage in the range of 40—80 acres. • Master plan the site(s) for one-acre to five-acre lots with potential to combine lots for larger requirements. • Develop a capital plan for construction of roads and utility infrastructure. It would be desirable to have at least five acres ready to sell or lease to a first tenant,but the most important need is to be able to show prospective companies that the land can be delivered in a"ready to build" state within a reasonable timeframe. • Develop policies for marketing and selling/leasing the sites,including setting prices and lease terms. • Develop a marketing plan with actions ranging from passive marketing(listings with State agencies,real estate brokers, etc.),to advertising and other pro-active media exposure. D. Other Development Projects in Council Several other development projects were identified during the research that has potential to create jobs and bring new revenues into the Council area. These are more"opportunities"than"targets", so specific action steps are not listed. Instead,the community needs to be aware of them and respond to private sector interests as appropriate. • Develop a new,modern motel in Council. It was suggested that the clubhouse at the newly remodeled golf course could be a good location. • Develop an RV park in the community • Continue to work for affordable housing • Continue to support internet marketing and retail sales of locally-made arts and craft products Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 10 Business Diversification Strategies • Continue to support local businesses and help them find the resources they need to operate and expand E. Develop a Truck Stop in New Meadows US Hwy 95 is the only major north/south highway connecting southern Idaho with the central and northern parts of the state. There are currently no major truck stops or travel centers located between I-84 in the south and I-90 in the north. It was suggested that there may be an opportunity to develop such a center in New Meadows to service the trucking industry. Actions • Identify a suitable site for a truck stop. Because of parking and maneuvering requirements for large trucks,the site will need to be about eight(8)acres in size. • Arrange to have a feasibility study performed to determine the potential market and revenue opportunities. Good information is available on the Internet for determining what elements need to be included in the truck stop. Most truck stops cater to dual markets of truckers and automobile traffic. • If the study determines the project is feasible,make proposals to independent and chain operators. It is unlikely that Hwy 95 will have sufficient truck traffic to attract the interest of the major chains,but there are some smaller chains and independents that might respond. • When an interest is attained, identify the issues and resource requirements. Look for State and/or Federal assistance in obtaining financing. F. Make New Meadows a Gateway to Brundage Mountain The ski slopes of Brundage Mountain overlook New Meadows. As Tamarack Resort attracts a larger number of skilled skiers,Brundage has the opportunity to become a premier"family-oriented" snow sport area in Idaho. Developing New Meadows as the"gateway" to that facility would substantially increase the visitor traffic to the area, especially in the winter,and bring more tourist dollars to support local retail and service businesses. Already the area is attracting the attention of second home developers since there are a number of approved subdivisions near New Meadows. Actions • Inventory the current accommodations and services that support winter tourism in northern Adams County. Identify gaps that need to be filled. • Begin the process of promoting development of a new family motel in New Meadows. If necessary,develop a prospectus that can be sent to developers. • Create a marketing campaign to promote New Meadows as the gateway to Brundage. Work with the owners of the ski area to coordinate the messages. Inventory and promote all of the non- skiing winter sports opportunities in the area such as snowmobiling,cross country skiing,and snowshoeing. G. Develop Resources for Small Businesses It was found during the research that New Meadows is attracting small service businesses such as a machine shop and an auto repair facility. However, small business recruitment and expansion is limited by lack of certain essential resources such as existing building space in the business park and apartments Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 11 Business Diversification Strategies for families. Addressing these issues will help to accommodate the natural growth of business in the community in addition to assisting in business recruitment. Some of the new businesses suggested by the research include a grocery store, a new Post Office, and possibly a small chain store such as Bi-Mart. Actions • Implement the processes for expanding the New Meadows Impact Area which currently limits opportunities for development. • Develop additional business park space in the expanded impact area. • Develop a master plan for a small business incubator, possibly combined with multi-tenant spaces for lease and a few small free-standing buildings. Financing for capital improvements and building construction will need to be identified so that the actual construction can move ahead quickly when one or more tenants are found. • Address and resolve water and sewer expansion issues. • Encourage the development of family apartments. At a minimum,identify suitable sites and get projects on the drawing boards. If necessary,develop a prospectus and send it to developers. Valley/Adams County Planning Partnership 12 Business Diversification Strategies ZaDean Auyer Auyer Consulting Econonic and Community Development Project Management Strategic Ptannhg Grant Writing Certified Idaho Grant Manager 26 Shakespeare Dr. • Bella Vista,AR 72714 • 479-855-7066(Voice and Fax) • zauyer @cox.net ELESCO, Ltd. Cowt.vu.uw%t j Pa rtvters Site Development&Marketing Planning and Development Services Leland F.Smith,President Shawn Charters,President PO Box 3539 124 W.Main Street Sunnver,OR 97707 541-593-3963 Emmett,ID 83617 208-740-0397 elescotreleport.com