2009 News

March 23, 2009

Economic Development Advisory Board Decides First Strategic Step is to Listen

With a roomful of eyes toward improving job opportunities for Bucks Countians, the inaugural meeting of the Bucks County Economic Advisory Board was held Friday at the Heritage Conservancy in Doylestown. Co-chairs Commissioner Jim Cawley and US Congressman Patrick Murphy kicked off the meeting with only three parameters as members rolled up their sleeves:  Consider where we are now, where would we like to be, and how will we get there?  Cawley called the latter their most critical challenge. Both encouraged a free-flow of information in the coming months.

Ex oficio member Lynn Bush, the county’s Planning Commission executive director, provided the members with a set of recommended tasks such as examining the county’s current economic state, exploring best practices, and establishing timelines for action.  The board has set an ambitious goal of presenting a plan to the Bucks County commissioners by December 2009.  “This process has gone from ‘good idea’ to ‘necessity’ based on today’s economic conditions,” Cawley said.

The next three months could be looked upon as a research phase, as the board will delve into the county’s current economic development infrastructure. They will also hear from businesses who have set up shop here in Bucks County, as well as those who chose not to, or who have moved.  Recognizing that businesses might be attracted to the greater Philadelphia area, the board will approach part of its plan from a regional perspective.

A “virtual suggestion box” has been established for members of the public who would like to contribute ideas to the board. E-mails can be sent to the Economic Development Advisory Board at EDAB@co.bucks.pa.us.

The next meeting will take place at the Bucks County Community College, Tyler Hall, in Newtown on April 17 at 1 p.m.  Meetings will typically last one hour to one-and-a-half hours. For a full list of members, see the release, "Commissioner James F. Cawley, Esq. Introduces Members of Bucks County’s Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB)."