Last week, a team of business leaders, elected officials, economic developers, and community partners released a vision for improved job creation, community and environmental health in Klamath County, Oregon. They also asked for support from state leaders to help them realize their vision.
The Klamath team presented the “Vision 2020” report to an audience of local and state leaders on July 19. They also led tours of some of the area’s greatest economic assets, including the Oregon Institute of Technology campus and the site of a planned pumped storage facility.
I went down, and was able to capture some video of the presentation.
The Kalmath report points to opportunities to improve job creation. Many of the items included echo what we’ve heard in community meetings for the Oregon Business Plan around the state: streamlining permitting processes, ensuring the availability of shovel-ready industrial land connected to infrastructure, and stepping up higher education research and commercialization efforts.
The report also highlights some interesting ideas like working with the Energy Trust and Climate Trust to keep more dollars that come from local communities in local communities, where the funds could be used to set up revolving loan programs or grants for weatherization and other energy/climate related projects.
The report remains fairly high level, but if you want to get down into the details of how to support job creation in Klamath County, there are plenty of folks there who will let you know what you can do. I’d recommend talking with Trey Senn, Director of the Klamath County Economic Development Association.
At the meeting leaders also anounced a partnership with Klamath Falls and the new Clean Energy Works Oregon program, the weatherization program sparked by stimulus funds that is expanding from Portland to other parts of the state. Dereck Smith, Director of Clean Energy Works Oregon, Rep. Bill Garrard and Rep. Jules Bailey made the announcement.