craigdailypress.com

Moffat County has all the makings of a business-friendly community, according to a regional competitiveness survey completed by the Craig/Moffat County Economic Development Partnership.

There are a few actions that could be taken to make it better, though, including considering a business incentive program, creating a database of available properties and upgrading local job training programs to develop technical skills.

EDP director Tom Flavin presented the report to the EDP board Wednesday. It was his conclusion that Moffat County is competitive from an economic development standpoint.

"We looked at some basic, core business categories," he said.

The survey compares Craig with 10 other cities and Moffat County with 10 other counties in terms of taxes, infrastructure, work force and quality of life.

"The purpose of this effort is to better understand the competitive profile of Moffat County for not only business retention, but for the purposes of generating community discussion on areas where we can improve our competitive profile," the report reads.

Actual taxes paid in Moffat County rank in the middle of those surveyed and the city sales tax rate is the lowest of the cities surveyed. Cities included Cortez, Delta, Durango, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Gunnison, Montrose, Rifle and Steamboat Springs.

"When combined with the lack of a business license tax, the overall cost of doing business in Moffat County ranks in the upper 1/3 of the survey group.

The Craig City Council's recent decision to trim its parking and landscaping requirements helped it into a better category for "ease of doing business."

"The region ranks well in this area," Flavin wrote.

The overall business climate was ranked strong "as long as a strong business friendly commitment continues."

Infrastructure also was ranked strong, in that good infrastructure exists in terms of air, rail and broadband services. The problem, Flavin said, was getting businesses to take advantage of them.

"It's important infrastructure and the investment has already been made," he said.

The labor pool and work force training was said to "need improvement." The region compares favorably in cost and availability of a work force but low in the labor pool's skill and technical abilities.

Quality of life, Flavin said, is one of the areas biggest assets and needs to be marketed more heavily.

The survey was very important and will be used heavily as a recruitment tool, Flavin said.

"You have to know what your assets are," he said. "The worst thing you can do from a recruitment standpoint is go out and market something you're not."

The EDP's next step will be to survey financial incentives offered by other communities.

Flavin expects to have that completed by April.

He will present his findings to the EDP board then.