Strategy to boost economy supported

Goal is strong, resilient county economy

Berks County has endorsed a new initiative to help boost the local economy.

At an operations meeting Tuesday, the commissioners unanimously voted to support the IMAGINE Berks strategic economic development plan that aims to foster a strong and resilient county economy.

Pamela Shupp Menet, director of economic development for the county, unveiled the plan to the board nearly a year after the county hired an economic and community development consulting firm to manage creating the initiative for about $195,000.

Shupp Menet said Tuesday that their expertise, along with community feedback gathered throughout the county, helped devise a plan that is inclusive and innovative.

The mission of the plan is to guide economic development efforts for the next five years.

Shupp Menet said the initiative aims to address four critical issues the firm identified:

• There are unequal dynamics between job seekers and the local job market: For every one job created by industry growth, there are seven vacancies created by labor force exits. That represents an estimated 4% turnover between 2018 and 2028.

• Land availability is a challenge: Only 22% of county land supports commercial and residential activity, greatly restricting opportunities for development.

• The housing stock is not meeting demand: Only 2.6% of all units in Berks were built in 2010 or later, while 25% of all units were built in 1939 or earlier.

• Diversity and inclusion are key to population growth: Without these increases, Berks would have seen a reduction in population by an estimated 3% in the last decade.

The plan

Shupp Menet laid out six goals of the plan to address those issues:

1. Encourage industrial and commercial development.

• Invest in site development where market and environmental conditions call for a public role.

• Support growth in industries that offer opportunity jobs.

• Support agricultural business industry growth.

2. Support small businesses and encourage entrepreneurship to enable the creation of high-growth ventures, main street amenities and wealth building for residents.

• Increase government and school district spending with local businesses.

• Support small business and entrepreneurial strategic plan efforts that are underway.

• Improve access to financial resources and market access for main street and high-growth potential businesses.

• Support small businesses working to scale their operations to increase efficiency and achieve exponential growth.

3. Support land development that increases the tax base in Berks.

• Enhance the permitting process and better preserve the county’s natural resources through Berks County Conservation District’s expanding processing authority.

• Identify growth corridors and specific communities for development opportunities.

• Examine existing and potential public transit and ensure it aligns with business and industry growth.

• Support passenger rail expansion.

• Support growth and positioning of the Reading Regional Airport as a critical economic development asset.

4. Invest in county residents by supporting structures to connect residents to opportunity jobs so that they may fully contribute to and benefit from the Berks economy.

• Retain and add workers to Berks, prioritizing retention and support for the unemployed and underemployed.

• Invest in and support workforce readiness and upskilling initiatives.

• Support businesses in recruiting talent for immediate hiring, retention and reducing the number of labor force exits.

• Match disconnected youth and Latino talent with opportunity jobs and pathways to prosperity.

5. Address the county’s needs for new housing and redeveloped housing that is accessible and attainable.

• Assess and address the mismatch between housing stock and housing demand including age, price point, type and location.

• Promote the redevelopment of obsolete commercial and industrial properties.

6. Invest in and highlight community assets that provide access to a variety of arts, cultural, greenspace and recreational opportunities for residents.

• Fund enhancements to new and existing public spaces located across the county, prioritizing greenspace and inclusive gathering spaces.

• Support main street and commercial district revitalization programs.

• Continue investment in the trail systems.

• Develop a cohesive and collaborative county message, along with shared marketing resources.

Moving forward

Shupp Menet told the commissioners that the plan represents a prosperous path forward for the county.

“This plan was designed to be a fluid plan that we could be very nimble with, and as our economy is changing we would be able to redirect strategies and action steps in order to make sure that we were on a road to success,” she said.

She stressed that in order to turn this vision into a reality the county will need to work with many partners but added that the county will be playing the role of the main supporter on many of the items. And, she pointed out, the county is already taking action on a number of these initiatives.

Shupp Menet said the $18 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds the county awarded to 49 businesses, nonprofits and municipalities for community improvement projects directly align with the mission of the plan. She also highlighted the county’s $450,000 contribution to support the efforts of the local tourism organization and a $100,000 commitment to the O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.

“We were not sitting back and waiting for the planning process to happen without making strategic decisions,” she said. “We think the time is right to bring all of our partners together so that we can embrace this vision.”

The commissioners said they were pleased with the economic plan and eager to make it a reality.

Commissioner Kevin Barnhardt acknowledged that the county has created plans like this before but none has really focused on the key components that are so important to county leaders. And, he said, unlike those previous plans this one has the financial backing needed to make a difference.

“We are going to put money behind these initiatives,” he said.

Commissioners Chairman Christian Leinbach said the plan marks the first time in the county’s history that its leaders have had a comprehensive economic strategy.

“If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind,” he said. “This idea that as long as we maintain the status quo we’ll be fine is a failed strategy. It’s a way to make an excuse that we don’t need to do anything.”

Leinbach said he believes this strategy outlines the goals Berks needs to meet in order to ensure a bright and prosperous economic future for generations to come.

“I want to see our children and grandchildren be in a community that has jobs, that has a future, that has growth opportunities and that is what the IMAGINE Berks plan is all about,” he said.