Over two dozen people filled the restored passenger train depot Thursday morning to develop a plan for the future of economic development. City and county officials as well as business owners and residents participated in this meeting to discuss various types of organizational structures for economic development, and to build a plan that would suit Suwannee County. Boyette Strategic Advisors, a company hired by the Suwannee County Development Authority, will then take the data collected to create a professional recommendation for consideration.

Del Boyette, president and CEO of BSA, presented five feasible options the county could consider as a structure for economic development: retaining the current structure using alliance groups, but polishing the mechanism of it; creating an economic development position as a county employee; develop an economic development department under the wings of the Chamber of Commerce; create a public/private non-profit organization; or create a regional department that would be a team effort of surrounding counties.

Based on the consensus of a survey and those in attendance, creating a public/private non-profit organization would be the best route for the county moving forward.

Prior to this meeting, BSA issued a nine-question survey that was completed by 261 individuals in Suwannee County regarding economic development.

“There were 261 who completed the survey. That’s a good response rate,” BSA Senior Associate Charlie Sloan said. “What it tells us is people are very interested in this topic. It’s very timely.”

While reviewing the different options available, there was some consideration in keeping the current system.

“What we got works, it just needs some fine tuning,” said Live Oak Community Redevelopment Agency Board Member Tim Alcorn.

Sloan, however somewhat disagreed.

“The organizational governance of today’s structure is less than crystal clear,” Sloan said.

Some of the pros named in utilizing the current structure is there are several groups who are working for one cause. It provides an opportunity for the Tourist Development Council to be involved and it is already structured. However, the major downfall is no one understands how the system works. 
The current system has four agencies under the umbrella of the the Suwannee County Economic Alliance: the Chamber of Commerce, the Council for Progress, the Development Authority and the Tourist Development Council with the primary goal of promoting Suwannee County. Each organization has a specific role to play.

Sloan told the audience in talking with several community members, there were those who didn’t know which group did what or which groups received funding.

“You can build any type of organization, but until the people understand that they must work together, it’s not going to work,” Economic Alliance President Dennis Cason said.

Council for Progress is the only group that receives $57,000 in funding from the Suwannee County Board of County Commission and also receives about $5,000 each year in membership dues.

Another issue the attendees found with the current model is the overlapping in leadership and committees.

“The Chamber and Council for Progress needs separate leadership,” Lyn Fletcher, Council for Progress board member, said. “Right now, Dennis is having to wear several hats. And as long as they’re (his titles) are seen in the paper, it’ll always be one or the other.”

With having four committees and not enough volunteers, many individuals are serving on multiple committees.

“In the short time I’ve been here, I’m seeing the same faces on the boards,” said Live Oak City Administrator Kerry Waldron.

Sloan suggested developing a system more streamlined and less complicated, consolidating the boards, and encouraged the crowd to look at the option of a non-profit organization.

Sloan said, “We’re here to provide you with a plan that you can use and will work here. What you need to ask yourself is, ‘What would go over better? Something done years ago with a new face or create something new?’”

With designing a non-profit organization, Sloan said it would give the people a chance to start fresh with a new name, a new face and a “new and approved” approach to economic development.

“If we’re not moving forward, we’re moving back because our competition is moving forward,” Sloan said. “Where you are headed, there’s going to be a lot of less confusion in the marketplace.”

When it was recently announced that Cason would be retiring at the end of the year, conversations then began about restructuring or creating a new economic development department. The project was launched in August when officials held a phone conference with BSA to begin the planning stages of a new organization.

BSA was hired by the Development Authority to facilitate an organizational assessment to obtain an inclusive, consensus based report for revising the organizational structure and staffing of economic development activity in the county.

Within 30 days, BSA will provide SCDA with their opinion of what organizational structure would be most beneficial to Suwannee County.