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Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element <br />community from outside areas and can also help to retain money within the County. That money <br />can then turn over in the local economy a number of times as it is spent and re -spent on food, <br />products, and services. When visitors come to the County for medical services or when residents <br />use insurance for medical procedures, money is brought into the local economy via the medical <br />profession. Money is also retained in the local economy when residents use one of the existing <br />hospitals or surrounding doctor's offices for medical procedures, as opposed to traveling to other <br />hospitals outside of the area. <br />Encouraging the development of medical uses within the County is an excellent way to build and <br />retain jobs. Where possible, the County should assist the medical sector in its expansion plans. <br />Because of the similarity between the medical and biotech industries and the regional efforts to <br />recruit bio -tech companies, the County should have a policy to market the existing hospital/medical <br />areas to potential biotech industries. <br />Development Regulations <br />Compared to other communities, the County's land development regulations are not considered to be <br />an economic development constraint. Through its review processes, the County has established <br />mechanisms to assist development projects. This assistance is provided through the Planner of the <br />Day office and regular pre -application conferences are held that are designed to provide information <br />to potential businesses up front. Also, the county has regulations in place that allow certain <br />development projects to be expedited (based on size and type of use). Qualifying developments can <br />be reviewed and approved at the staff level rather than having to be reviewed by the Planning and <br />Zoning Commission. <br />For economic development purposes, the county Planning Director is the designated staff contact. <br />In that capacity, he helps targeted businesses through the application and review processes, assisting <br />if there is a slow down in the review process. <br />Going forward, the County's policy should be to review and evaluate the LDR's on an annual basis to <br />identify possible economic development impediments and to remove those impediments when <br />possible. <br />Economic Development Initiatives <br />Target Industries <br />In the past, the county has recruited target industries as one means of enhancing economic <br />development. Although significant numbers of new jobs have not been created through this strategy, <br />the county was successful in retaining Piper Aircraft when Piper considered relocating. <br />Community Development Department Indian River County 39 <br />