EDCUtah Development Ready Communities Program Underway in 20 Communities
Support service is designed to help cities and counties know their strengths, grow their economies
SALT LAKE CITY (April 18, 2019) —The Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) announced today that its member initiative called the Development Ready Communities (DRC) Program has more than 20 cities and counties now participating statewide. The five-stage program better prepares Utah communities to attract and grow competitive, high-value companies and to foster the expansion of local businesses.
“The Development Ready Communities initiative provides EDCUtah members with data, research, marketing, and strategic planning tools to facilitate a business development strategic plan. Our goal is to simplify the economic development process, provide increased capacity for our community partners, and foster business retention, job growth, wage growth, and capital investment in Utah communities,” said Theresa Foxley, president and CEO of EDCUtah.
Available to public members of EDCUtah, the program provides a structured, comprehensive and efficient methodology. EDCUtah’s Community Strategy team assists members through the five stages of economic development preparedness:
Community Assessment – EDCUtah’s community strategy team works with communities to evaluate local industry expertise, occupational concentration, real estate availability, and other site selection criteria. EDCUtah’s research department compares this data to nationwide, statewide, regional, and community-specific data.
Planning – Stage 2 of the DRC uses the information and analysis from Stage 1 to create a Development Ready Plan for a community. This plan is a customized approach to a community's economic development goals, capitalizing on its strengths and planning to resolve its weaknesses.
Community Marketing – Stage 3 equips communities with the needed marketing materials to effectively promote to companies and site selectors, both proactively – before an official request for information (RFI) is released – and reactively in response to an RFI. During Stage 3, communities work with EDCUtah to develop marketing materials and tools to use throughout the site selection process.
Training and Preparation - In Stage 4, communities receive training on key components of site selection, including the site selection process, incentives training, RFI training, site visit training and trade show training.
EDCUtah Integration and Support - In Stage 5, communities gain access to critical support via EDCUtah’s programs and staff. In particular, communities have access to the Community Match Grants Program, the Utah Mega Sites program, Global Strategy and Outreach missions and the Business Development staff.
“The program has been two years in the making, and is built on practical, proven approaches,” said Alan Rindlisbacher, ECCUtah director of community strategy. “There’s no better way for a community to make the most of the internal and external resources it can deploy in pursuit of economic development. We’re excited that dozens of our members recognize the value of this program.”
For more information on the DRC Program, contact Alan Rindlisbacher at 801-323-4241 or arindlisbacher@edcutah.org.
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A private, non-profit organization founded in 1987, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) is a catalyst for quality job growth and increased capital investment in the state. EDCUtah is a statewide economic development organization (EDO) specializing in corporate recruitment, economic research, site selector marketing, and community development. A partner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development for corporate recruitment, EDCUtah is supported by state government, local governments, and organizations from the private sector. For more information, visit www.edcutah.com.
EDCUtah, 201 S. Main St. #2150, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
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Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plans and how it affects Utah
The Colorado River and Drought Planning
To keep Utah citizens informed, the Utah Division of Water Resources (DWRe) provides the following explanation/clarification on Utah’s use of its Colorado River water and the development of Drought Contingency Plans (DCPs) needed to protect water storage levels at lakes Powell and Mead.
Colorado River Water Use • All Colorado River basin states have the right to develop and use their allocation of water • State apportionments of Colorado River water are not based on priority dates • Utah’s apportionment is 23 percent of the water available in the Upper Basin • Currently, Utah’s annual reliable water supply from the Colorado River is 1.4 million acre feet • Utah currently uses approximately one (1) million acre feet annually of its apportionment
Utah and the other states in the Upper Basin are not currently using all their apportionment of the Colorado River as defined by the “Law of the River.”
The Law of the River requires that the Upper Basin states not cause the flow of the river at Lee Ferry to be depleted below an aggregate of 75 million acre feet of water on a 10-year rolling average. During the last 10 years, which include some of the driest years in history, the Upper Basin has delivered 92 million acre feet of water to the Lower Basin – 17 million acre feet of water more than the Lower Basins’ compact allocation.1
About the Drought Contingency Plans (DCPs)
The seven Colorado River Basin states have been working with the Department of Interior and Mexico to develop DCPs which, if implemented, would reduce the risk of Colorado River reservoirs declining to critically low levels. • The DCPs affirm the right of each state to develop their Colorado River allocations • The DCP agreements have been signed by all Colorado River basin states, including Utah • Congressional legislation for implementation has been obtained • There are two separate plans: one for the Upper Basin states (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico) and one for the Lower Basin states (California, Arizona and Nevada) • There is a binational agreement wherein Mexico will also take voluntary reductions once the Lower Basin plan is in place • The Upper Basin plan is to protect water levels at Lake Powell from reaching its critical level of 3,525 feet above sea level • The Lower Basin plan is to protect water levels at Lake Mead from reaching its critical level of 1,020 feet above sea level
Because of differences in operation between the Upper and Lower Basins, the terms of the DCPs vary by basin. The Upper Basin DCP is designed to protect against Lake Powell falling to critical elevations to help assure continued compliance with the 1922 Colorado River Compact. The Lower Basin DCP is
1 69th Annual Report of the Upper Colorado River Commission Report, September 2017 http://www.ucrcommission.com/RepDoc/UCRCAnnualReports/69_UCRC_Annual_Rep...
designed to: a) require Arizona, California and Nevada to contribute additional water to Lake Mead storage at predetermined elevations and b) create additional flexibility to incentivize additional voluntary conservation of water to be stored in Lake Mead.
Upper Basin Plan
Consists of two agreements: Drought Response Operations and Demand Management Storage • Agreement 1: Drought Response Operations o Requires the Upper Basin states prepare a drought response to minimize the risk of Lake Powell reaching its critical level o Authorizes water stored in other Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) facilities to be used to augment water levels at Lake Powell, if needed • Agreement 2: Demand Management Storage Agreement o Will allow water users in the states to participate in a voluntary and compensated program to reduce consumptive use and store the conserved water in Lake Powell
Lower Basin Plan • Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan Agreement o Requires the Lower Basin states prepare a drought response that minimizes the risk of Lake Mead falling below critical levels through a reduction in use based on identified elevation triggers in Lake Mead
Companion Agreement (both Upper and Lower Basins) • Ties the Upper and Lower Basin DCPs together • Requires performance by both basins under their respective DCPs • Process for resolution of controversies and enforcement • Agreement to consult on operations and future implementation
For more information on the DCPs, visit https://www.usbr.gov/dcp/.
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By Karla Phillips
Utah’s steady journey toward next generation learning took another step forward last month.
The state announced the recipients of the Competency-Based Education Planning Grant program. Seven school districts and charter schools will form the first cohort of the state’s competitive competency-based learning pilot program—and will have the chance to apply for an additional $2 million dollars lawmakers appropriated this year for future implementation grants.
“The legislature is committed to ensuring there are no barriers standing in the way of Utah’s innovative leaders as they strive to meet the needs of all students and ensure they are truly college and career ready.”
- Utah State Senator Ann Millner
This commitment has opened the door for these local education agencies (LEAs) to pursue new student-centered approaches to learning.
“We are excited for a competency-based structure allowing educators to work 1-on-1 with students to truly personalize their education, no matter their ability or prior knowledge in the content, whether they need credit recovery or access to early college,” said Cory Henwood, Digital Media, Teaching and Learning Coordinator for Iron School District, in a Utah State Board of Education press release.
He added, “By highlighting their interests and focusing on the essential skills, hands-on projects, and business and tech partnerships with local post-secondary and industry partners, learning will become more relevant and empowering for students to better meet the needs of ALL Iron County Students.”
Utah has been working toward this important step for years.
In 2016, the state established the Competency-Based Learning Grant Program to offer competitive planning grants to support LEAs in their planning for systemic change to transition to competency-based education. But the program was capped at just three grants.
In 2018, however, the legislature removed that cap and paved the way for more pioneering school districts and charter schools to explore new ways to personalize learning and prioritize students.
The Utah Competency-Based Education Framework was adapted from the LEAP Personalized Learning Framework and was developed utilizing feedback from 14 Utah districts and charter schools that were involved in the exploratory pilot. The framework incorporates the Utah Effective Teaching Standards and Indicators as elements to define a comprehensive approach to competency-based learning for schools.
Along the way, Utah has been removing potential barriers to the success of competency-based education.
A frequent challenge noted by educators and parents is that nontraditional transcripts—like those from competency-based education programs—can place high school graduates at a disadvantage when accessing higher education opportunities.
This year, the Utah legislature took an essential measure to offer these students fair and equitable access. The new S.B 91 amends statute to require Utah higher education entities to recognize competency-based high school transcripts for financial aid and scholarships. (Law already required recognition for admission.)
While working with states to implement innovative student-centered learning policies and programs, ExcelinEd has identified policies and practices that hinder new student-centered learning models.
Learn more in our brief: Transitioning to Student-Centered Learning: Higher Education Requirements.
Undergirding Utah’s transition to next generation learning is the development of the Utah Portrait of a Graduate, which will redefine the education system’s goals and identify the knowledge and skills graduates should possess. This project is currently available for public feedback prior to State Board review in May.
Utah lawmakers and the State Board of Education have taken a deliberate and thoughtful approach to implement competency-based education and improve the state’s education system as a whole. These actions will, no doubt, inspire other states and benefit schools, educators and students across the nation for years to come.
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