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our energy. Commissioner Macht advised that he contacted the State <br />Department of Commerce and they stand ready to fund the things that <br />the Council of 100 is planning. That Department produces grants to <br />print brochures and he was astonished that the Board does not know <br />that. He advised that John Robbins of the Department of Commerce <br />agreed to come to Indian River County to discuss the possible ways <br />of maximizing our efforts. <br />Commissioner Eggert stated that we are aware of some <br />Department of Commerce programs, but we have found that there is no <br />funding to carry out the programs. She further stated that Mr. <br />Robbins was here relatively recently. She understood Commissioner <br />Macht's reasoning but cautioned that we cannot take an either-or <br />stance. We are going forward with expansion of the industrial <br />park, and industrial park development has been discussed and it <br />continues to go forward through the County staff, the Council of <br />100 and the private sector. The Council's proposal is not to <br />replace that effort; it is in addition to all our other ongoing <br />projects. Commissioner Eggert stressed that we must make personal <br />contact with prospects and tell them all the good points about our <br />county. She was not in favor of dropping one project for another. <br />Commissioner Macht did not want to drop any project in favor <br />of another project. He argued that we will not impress anybody <br />with a $6,000 brochure because a brochure is out of date a month <br />after it is published. He would vote for funds to send a <br />delegation from the county to a specific person's premises for a <br />specific presentation but that presentation must include hard cold <br />facts such as site location, available utilities, community roads, <br />an efficient permitting process; that's what they want to know. We <br />need to deal in a business -like way. <br />Alan Campbell, director of economic development for the <br />Council of 100, felt there is a sense of urgency in the county, and <br />if it were a simple case of "if we build an industrial park, they <br />will come" scenario, he would not be so frustrated trying to get <br />400,000 square feet leased out that is available at Piper. An <br />industrial park is a tool, like a tax abatement program is a tool, <br />and no single tool is the complete answer. Marketing our community <br />is no different than marketing any other product. There are many <br />people who do not know who we are. We begin with the various <br />networking methods. That means working with realtors, speaking to <br />various service clubs as well as attending trade shows. It is a <br />shotgun approach but it is a way to relate Indian River County to <br />the people at the trade shows and Piper has invited us to use their <br />booth at several shows. Direct mail is another approach to contact <br />possible prospects, even though the return is a small percentage. <br />33 <br />MAR 2 3 1993 BOOK 80 FAGE <br />