Final Report
Posted on May 8th, 2008 by admin
The final report for the Matthews Strategic Economic Development Plan is available as a PDF file. Click on this link to download.
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Leadership Team Meeting Notes - August 1
Posted on September 27th, 2007 by admin
Matthews Economic Development Leadership Team
Meeting Notes of August 1, 2007
A PowerPoint presentation by consultant Frank Warren of Warren & Associates guided the content and discussions of the meeting. The presentation may be downloaded by clicking here. Key points and questions raised by participants included:
1. Several potential marketing/branding messages were presented by consultant Tracy Russ of Interactive Decisions.
• Do other communities have marketing/branding messages? One member wanted to know what some others might be, and Frank said the consulting team would check that out.
• Some said the possible branding statement “Make It Matthews!” was positive with multiple meanings.
• But one said the statement “Matthews – Where Futures Live” may send the wrong message in terms of suggesting the community is wide open to newcomers who want to change things for the future.
2. Lat Purser pointed out that the Southwest Quadrant of Independence and 485 could be a good location for a new hotel, providing fairly quick access to the airport.
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Public Meeting Notes - June 12
Posted on July 17th, 2007 by admin
After introductions (Section 1), participants were asked to share reactions to the data presented in a PowerPoint presentation which you can download via this link. Comments included:
• The issue is whether we focus on economic development on a large or small scale – sometimes we get caught up on too large scale a discussion.
• There aren’t enough zoning options in place to build real options – what would it take for someone to come and develop in Matthews?
• Does Matthews want to have one or two employment centers? What about our downtown if and when we develop these other parcels that are closer to interstates?
• R-20 zoning has been a placeholder, but now may be the time for changes – this may leave Matthews behind.
• It’s time for those in power to really listen to those that aren’t or haven’t been – new small business people and others who are now here that haven’t been around for a long time and may not be in the “power structure” that seems to decide everything. Is the process including these people?
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Notes from Focus Groups
Posted on May 8th, 2007 by admin
Matthews Focus Groups
Summary of Feedback
May 1, 2007
This document summarizes feedback from two focus group meetings designed and facilitated to inform a process to create a strategic Economic Development Plan for the Town of Matthews. Two constituencies were asked to participate in two separate facilitated sessions, each of which drew approximately one dozen participants representing a mix of stakeholder interests.
April 2, 2007: Group 1 - Elected Officials
April 3, 2007: Group 2 - Business Owners
Outcomes and findings from these focus groups will be used, in combination with work by Town staff, the consultants, the Leadership Team and results from a public meeting, to create an overall economic development strategy.
Participant’s names have been omitted from this summary.
The document begins with key findings, followed by an outline of the focus group process.
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Notes from Feb. 27 Leadership Team Meeting
Posted on February 28th, 2007 by admin
Town of Matthews
Economic Development Planning
Meeting #1 - February 27, 2007
6:30 – 8:00
NOTES
1. Purpose and Scope
2. Economic Development 101
3. Roles and Review of the Process
Please see the Power Point Presentation included on the website in the post below for the full presentation given during these sections.
4. The Matthews Vision and Economic Development
Participants were then asked to choose which of the twelve components of the Matthews Vision would have the greatest effect on economic development planning. Each participant had FIVE blue dots and one RED; BLUE for one affirmative vote, RED for Hot Button, Most Effect vote.
Results as follows in order of Effect indicated by vote (Items receiving RED votes are aggregated at top)
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Leadership Team Presentation Feb. 27
Posted on February 28th, 2007 by admin
The first meeting of the Leadership Team was held Feb. 27 at Town Hall. The consulting team gave an overview of the process and the fundamentals of economic development. Then the Leadership Team participated in an interactive process of identifying which elements of the Matthews Vision were most relevant to economic development planning, and which broad business/industry categories were moste desirable.
You can download the consulting team’s PowerPoint presentation (2.4MB) by clicking on this link.
More results of the meeting will be posted here in the future, so come back often.
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Welcome to the MatthewsED.com Blog!
Posted on February 20th, 2007 by admin
MatthewsED.com is a weblog for posting and tracking news about the new Matthews Economic Development Strategy being developed for the Town of Matthews by a consulting team from Charlotte. The initial meeting with a Leadership Team is scheduled for February 27 at Town Hall, and details of the project will be posted here. Your comments are welcome any time.
You may also send an email with your ideas or questions about Matthews Economic Development to the consulting team and key Town staff leaders, using:
info @ matthewsed.com
Your message will automatically be distributed to the consultants and staff.
Thank you in advance for your constructive comments!
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Filed under: Project Background