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Home > Economic Development Plan
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South Lincoln County Economic Development Plan
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Goal 1: Aesthetics and Livability.
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Facilitate the improvement of the appearance of South Lincoln County and its communities, and encourage businesses and individuals to improve the South County communities they live and work in. Improving the appearance of local communities, particularly in the “downtown” or “main street” areas of Seal Rock, Waldport, and Yachats, will help both tourism and local business development. The principal goal is to make the appearance of each community more pleasing to the eye while ensuring functionality. Options include: involving local artists/the arts community in shaping policy; maintaining green corridors; community beautification campaigns; and “adopt-a-park or “community pride” campaigns for beach and road clean-ups.
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Goal 2: The Arts.
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Develop the arts as an economic resource. South Lincoln County has arts and cultural activities that support our tourism industry, attract retirees, and inspire our children. One strategy would be recruiting and helping to expand graphic arts businesses, such as computer animation businesses aimed at national and global multimedia markets. The work of talented Pacific Northwest artists should also be marketed to the rest of world, not just to local residents and visitors, through the Internet and other national and international marketing opportunities.
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Goal 3: Economic Diversification.
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Diversify South Lincoln County’s economy. South Lincoln County can be an attractive living location for more software developers, and “high tech” small business entrepreneurs, among other types of business not currently prevalent on the Oregon Coast. With the addition of needed telecommunications infrastructure and support services, we should be able to attract these kinds of businesses to South Lincoln County. The Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County serves as a key contact for businesses interested in locating in Lincoln County, working with the Small Business Development Center of Oregon Coast Community College and Cascades West Financial Services. Chambers of commerce receiving relocation inquiries, but lacking the staff or resources to handle such inquiries, may route them to the Alliance for assistance.
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Goal 4: Education.
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Support and expand local educational services for the community by supporting educational infrastructure. Strong advocacy for adequate resources must ensure that South Lincoln County educational service providers (including the Lincoln County School District, Oregon Coast Community College, and home schooling groups) are able to properly prepare our residents to meet current and future workforce requirements.
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Goal 5: Health Care.
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Improve South Lincoln County’s health care delivery. While South County has two ambulance services and several clinics, care that is available ‘round the clock is not available in South County In order to overcome this deficit, South County health care consumers need to support and enhance the health care services that are located here. Health care businesses in the South County need the support and the business of local residents.
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Goal 6: Natural Resources.
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Expand and add value to our natural resource base. The natural resource base of the South Lincoln County area, including fisheries in the Alsea Bay, responsible forest production uses, and agricultural activities, should be supported.
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Goal 7: Planning and Communication.
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Develop South Lincoln County’s communities through appropriate planning, zoning, ordinances, and regulations, including adequate housing and efficient public services.
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Goal 8: Small Business Support.
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Increase support for small businesses. As South Lincoln County does not have the land or the appropriate environment for large manufacturing businesses, most of our economic growth will come from the retention and expansion of existing small businesses and from selective recruitment, or start-up of compatible small businesses. The on-going computer and telecommunications technology revolution is both a threat and an opportunity for local small businesses. We need to increase support services available to help local businesses with their information technology transitions, both as a defensive necessity and an opportunity for competitive advantage.
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Goal 9: Telecommunications.
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Develop the computer and telecommunications capacity to support and recruit information-intensive businesses and public information services in South Lincoln County. Much of the economic transition reshaping the global economy stems from the technical revolutions taking place in computing and telecommunications. Corporate downsizing and use of outside consultants causing urban layoffs from large businesses can be economic opportunities for rural locations with attractive physical and social environments. With advanced telecommunications capability and connections to the rest of the world, South Lincoln County can become a “telecommuting” location where people live and work, using high-speed data communication and video conferencing to reach their employers and clients in other parts of the world.
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Goal 10: Tourism.
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Expand and add value to our tourism base. Sustainable tourism is the foundation of South Lincoln County’s economic base–tourism accounts for more than thirty percent of the county’s total employment. Expanding year-round visitor events and attractions, particularly if they further stretch out the tourist season, will further the economic impact of the industry countywide. Tourism supports local restaurants, shops, recreation opportunities, and the arts, which also make South Lincoln County an attractive retirement destination. In addition, attractive locations supporting sustainable tourism development and retirement can be used as a selling point to recruit people with appropriate businesses to relocate or expand their businesses here to take advantage of our quality of life and recreational opportunities.
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