Things to think about when planning Yuma’s future

Soon 4,000 lucky residents will receive a request for things they want to be added to the strategic plan. So I’ll offer some things to think about if you’re one of the lucky ones. When you get a request like this you think about what you want. Swimming pool, pickleball courts for your kids. But now let’s change the thinking a little. Yuma County has the highest unemployment in the state at 11 percent. If we half that for agriculture, we are still the highest. Our spendable per capita income ( the money you get to go out to eat with, go to Sea World etc) is some of the lowest in the state. What if you could change that? What if you could create more job opportunities for yourself? Increase your income, advance. Because that’s the opportunity in front of you.

Agriculture is our biggest contributor to our economy. If it gets impacted, let’s say by water shortages, our economy goes down. That means the raise you wanted and earned isn’t going to happen. That promotion is on hold. The employee that quit isn’t going to be replaced, meaning the rest of the team has to work that much harder. Or worse you get laid off. I can tell you that every civic leader knows this and is trying to do what they can to diversify our economy.

The spaceport is designed to try and do that. But spaceports are run by people. People that would have to make a choice to move here. Trust me when I say that’s going to be a problem. I experienced it myself when Bridgestone thought about joining GM at the YPG test track. The head engineer in testing told me, after looking at Yuma, no employee in that department wanted to move to Yuma.

But you can help change that. In business we have rules. One is “never build for today, always tomorrow.” Another is to focus on your assets, both manmade and natural then capitalize on them. And last, know who your customer is GOING TO BE.

In this case Gen Z’s, and then we look at recreational trends. So let’s say you want bike paths. Well is that a growing or demining group? So what group of bicyclists is out there that is growing. In this case mountain biking, electric bikes, trail biking. Then there is Gen Z. They want to decompress by enjoying nature and at the same time be challenged. In this region are there mountain bike trails? Exciting trails that are challenging? No. Does the City of Yuma or the County have the funds to develop something like that? Maybe, as grant money is available if approached right. Then there are crazy trails.

In any case your goal should be to suggest items that make the region attractive to the rest of the world so they (the businesses we want to attract and their employees) want to relocate to the Yuma area. In the meantime you get to enjoy those same amenities. A win win.

So please, if you’re one of the lucky ones please think about tomorrow.

DENNIS R. FRANKLIN Yuma