MINOT, N.D. (AP) - Minot officials are considering taking action to boost the city’s brand following a report that says the city needs a more coordinated approach to economic development.
International Economic Development Council President and CEO Jeffrey Finkle recently met with the Minot City Council about unifying the city’s economic development efforts, such as the Minot Area Development Corp, downtown activities and tourism, the Minot Daily News reported .
“They are going to have to think about the brand of Minot,” Finkle said. If stakeholders “are spending marketing money, you don’t want to overlap or send different messages. You want those messages consistent.”
The economic development council released a report in June, which said that Minot is threatened by inaction, lack of a strong voice and fragmentation among stakeholders. The IEDC report also identified Minot’s strengths as its diversified economy, downtown assets and attractions as a regional destination. The city also has $8 million in an economic development fund, the MAGIC Fund.
The report urged the city to better define the role of the fund and the Minot Area Development Corp.
Minot resilience program manager John Zakian said the report recommended creating an umbrella organization over its economic development efforts.
“The question is who manages the umbrella,” Zakian said. “In most places, the city has an active role. In Minot, the city has a very passive role.”
Zakian suggested that the city play a more proactive role by forming a partnership with the groups engaged in economic development efforts.
“The city can be the glue that holds it all together,” he said. “It all needs to be connected, and the city can be that connecting portion.”
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Information from: Minot Daily News, http://www.minotdailynews.com
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