Maricopa residents asked for input on economic development plan

An organization tasked with helping spur economic development in the city of Maricopa is looking for resident input for its economic development strategic plan.

“It is important to hear what the residents of Maricopa want included in this plan in terms of where economic development will be located and what types of employers should be targeted,” said Maricopa Economic Development Alliance (MEDA) Executive Director Jim Rives.

MEDA is a private, non-profit organization established in 2009 to work as a non-attached limb of the city to help attract businesses and jobs to Maricopa.

“This is a group that can help us get over the economic hump,” said Councilmember Marvin Brown.

To help move the city forward, the group has contracted TIP Strategies Inc., to complete a plan that will serve as the city’s road map for economic development during the next three to five years.

“The final plan will include specific goals, priority strategies, an implementation matrix (including responsible stakeholders), target industries and an economic assessment of the community,” Rives said. “This is a very qualified group we have contracted to complete this study.”

To help craft the plan, the group is asking residents to complete a quick 10-question survey. The survey is available now and interested residents have until Nov. 30 to respond.

While Rives said the input from residents is important, residents are not be the only group driving the plan. “TIP has met with landowners, developers, colleges and others with a vested interest in the development of Maricopa,” Rives said.

The group is also scheduled to host a workshop, open to the public, this Tuesday, Nov. 16, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the MUSD administration building on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.

“We are very fortunate to have the assistance of such highly skilled experts, as well as the support of Jim Rives and the MEDA board in tackling such an important project,” said Danielle Casey, economic development director for the city. “The result will be a critical building block for our development efforts that reflects the desires of the citizens of Maricopa,”

To complete the survey visit http://maricopameda.wordpress.com/