Estes Park EDC Accomplishments of 2020
1. Operating Plan Objective A0: EDC Plan for addressing the COVID-19
A. Coronavirus A program of communication to the Estes Valley Business Community
∙ Between 3-16 and 6-31-2020, nearly 400 business served with 806 employees impacted ∙ 3,500 individual communications with business owners
∙ 13 Volunteer Business Advisors trained and working with business owners
∙ Four Small Business Development Consultants working with business owners ∙ Daily communications with business owners through email lists, phone calls, texts. ∙ Community newsletters sent multiple times per week in some cases and at least once a week
∙ Continuous outreach to J1 Worker Visa companies to ascertain availability of summer workforce
B. Partner with Estes Valley businesses to assist in their immediate and long term recovery needs
∙ Worked directly with business owners on applying for and receiving SBA PPP and EIDL Loans resulting in $30.5M for the Estes Valley.
∙ Administered $300,000.00 in Business Relief Funds to local small businesses with ten or fewer employees. (In partnership with the Town and Estes Chamber)
C. Work with local, state and federal partners to share and receive latest data about the economic health and business impacts in the Estes Valley.
∙ Became part of the Towns Accelerated Recovery Team (ACT)
∙ ACT transitioned to Estes Valley Recovery Team (EVRC)
∙ Took the lead in the EVRC’s Fall / Winter Business Assistance Team
∙ Team member of the Northern Colorado Regional Economic Development Initiative (NOCO REDI)
∙ Initiated Northern Colorado “Re-Ignite Colorado” Long term recovery plan with NOCO REDI
∙ Ex-Officio member of the Estes Chamber Board of Directors. Worked with them on Business Relief Funds and EVRC programs
∙ Increased participation in Larimer SBDC Business Consultations for business owners by 200%
∙ Worked with Larimer Workforce Center through NOCO REDI and EDC Board of Directors on programs and projects.
2. Operating Plan Objective A1: Accelerate growth in the Entrepreneur Center (E-Center) through increased client participation, programming and sponsorship
A. A Working with partners, stakeholders and the community, continue to expand E-Center programming and participation and value to our startup-up and scale-up communities
∙ Transitioned from quarterly programing to six month programming to accommodate for employer availability due to seasonality.
∙ Increased participation from four to ten cohorts.
∙ Developed a six month program dedicating each month to a specific subject area taught by subject matter experts in each field.
∙ Developed a Mentor Program so each cohort is assigned their own business mentor for the duration of the program.
∙ Helped create five new businesses, two business pivots, two new product lines and two nonprofits.
∙ Helped initiate two business pivots.
∙ Accelerated and increased attendance in monthly E-Center Meetups for the business community.
∙ Ten Jobs created, three Jobs retained.
∙ Applied for an EDC Cares Grant for $800+k which would allow us to hire two new full time employees and scale up the BASE Program from ten to 30 cohorts a year for three years. The application has passed the technical review and is moving into the merit review stage.
∙ Wrote, designed and printed an eight page glossy E-Center document explaining the BASE program to use for recruitment, marketing and educational purposes.
3. Operating Plan Objective A2: Continue efforts to retain, strengthen and expand existing businesses in the Estes Valley through our Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) Program
A. Serve the needs of our local business community through increased BEAR Survey visits
∙ The COVID Pandemic and summer season hampered our ability to conduct BEAR Surveys but we expect more availability through the fall and winter. That being said, we conducted over a dozen in person / online surveys with local business owners.
∙ 80% experienced a decline in profitability.
∙ 82% created no new jobs in the last year.
∙ 36% anticipate negative sales growth for the upcoming year.
∙ 64% did not lose any long term jobs this year but over 75% did experience layoffs. B. Partner with Innosphere and Larimer SBDC to offer business services
∙ Thomas Cox has been regularly talking to Innosphere personnel resulting in a comprehensive partnership for programming in our Fall Cohort Program.
∙ Adam Shake meets weekly with the Larimer SBDC resulting in Federal, County and Local Loan and Grant information and workshops in addition in addition to unemployment program information dissemination to our local businesses.
C. Strengthen our Economic Development Regional Partnerships
∙ Meetings with the regional economic development teams NOCO REDI and Larimer BR&E Professional Group four times a week resulting in long term strategic planning, business relief planning and programs like “Keep NOCO Open.”
∙ Adam Shake is also a Task Force Member of the Larimer County COVID-19 Response Collaborative.
4. Operating Plan Objective A3: Build a more sustainable Estes Park EDC funding base through the creation and implementation of a year-round Investor Relations Plan.
A. Broaden the Estes Park EDC Investor Base
∙ Working with Chair McGibney, initiated a Sustaining Supporter plan which is still being worked on.
B. Expand Board member participation
∙ Re-initiated the Workforce Housing Committee after a brief COVID lapse.
∙ Chair McGibney continues to reach out to add new members to committees.
∙ Successful board turnover of four organizational Board seats (Estes Park Health, YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Chamber of Commerce and Estes Area Lodging Association) due to changes in in leadership.
∙ Currently seeking a new Treasurer and another Executive Committee member. C. Secure grants for long-term operation costs.
∙ $800+k EDA Cares Grant application initiated.
5. Operating Plan Objective B1: Continue support and advocacy efforts to expand workforce housing
A. Engage with Town of Estes Park and the Estes Park Housing Authority to assist with the creation of an EPHA Workforce Housing Strategic Plan.
∙ From January – March we were making good progress on this but that progress slowed down due to COVID and the construction of a new workforce housing project called Peak View. EPHA is wrapping up Peak View and progress on their Strategic Plan will resume this fall.
B. Support workforce housing development with an eye towards best use land sites and proper zoning
∙ The Estes Park EDC continues to work with developer Westover Construction on their 119 unit “Wildfire Development”. We’re also in communications with Four Points Funding for a project at Elkhorn Lodge.
6. Operating Plan Objective B2: Continue Partnering Efforts to Improve Business Climate A. Assist in updating and adding new programs to the Town’s business incentives toolkit.
∙ Worked with the Town on the Embrace the Views program which resulted in businesses being able to expand their outdoor patio services into right-of-ways and easements, allowing for increased overall occupancy levels due to COVID-19.
∙ Working with the Town on a program called Embrace the Seasons which would allow for expanded outdoor patio usage through winterization of outdoor areas to include tents, awnings and heaters.
∙ Continue to work with the Town on amortization of tap fees for workforce housing projects which were allowed in the Peak View project.
B. Continue to support and grow the Estes Arts District through business offerings and services.
∙ Purchased a laptop and set up a dedicated online meeting station so Estes Arts District members (and others) can meet virtually with Larimer SBDC Consultants.
∙ The Estes Arts District’s major funding event is the annual Friends of Folk concert which went virtual this year. Due to COVID, the Arts District has postponed many of its events like First Friday Art Groove but we continue to reach out to them to offer assistance.
C. Continue to be involved in and advocate for the Estes Chamber of Commerce.
∙ Worked with the Chamber to administer Business Relief Funds.
∙ As a Chamber Board Member, we continue to assist them in their first year of operations as they transition out of “membership goals.”
7. Operating Plan Objective B3: Enhance our partnership with the Estes Park School District and its students.
A. Partner with the School District to provide mentorship and/or services for their classes or programs as requested.
∙ Adam Shake and Chair McGibney met with School District Superintendent Sheldon Rosenkrance to determine their needs and how the Estes Park EDC can help.
∙ The School District has continual childcare and workforce housing challenges with its staff and we continue to work on those challenges.
∙ Mentorship and programming assistance for students will be discussed in 2021.
8. Operating Plan Objective C1: Assist in the Monitoring and Advocacy of Significant Community Projects.
A. Assist the Town of Estes Park in developing the Comprehensive Plan.
∙ Adam Shake regularly meets with Town Administrator Travis Machalek and recent discussions indicate that the Comprehensive Plan work is being postponed until 2020.
B. Work with the Town of Estes Park, Visit Estes Park and the Estes Chamber of Commerce to promote the Estes Valley as a great place to live and business friendly.
∙ Through our work with the Estes Valley Resiliency Collaborative, of which VEP and the Chamber are a part, we’ve completed the Estes Valley “Safe and Strong” document, Estes Valley Town Hall meetings, Embrace the Views program, Mask and Distancing Marketing, De-escalation training and Safe Place program.