>> Good evening and welcome to building KET Forum, a town hall-style conversation about how cities and counties are strengthening communities through economic development.

Thank you so much for joining us.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Kentucky has a variety of strikes that make it the best place to do this.

This in the U.S. from low utility Costa on match, logistical advantages and its geographic location at the center of a 34 state distribution area in the eastern U.S. we've assembled a group of economic development officials from across Kentucky to discuss strengthening the state's economy with even more business recruitment and jobs expansion.

We began by looking at where the state is now.

Earlier this month, the governor Andy Beshear gave a tally of the record setting recruitment, an expansion, a private sector projects.

>> Since the start of 2021, companies have announced more than 400 new location and expansion projects for an incredible 20.0.

4 billion dollars in new private sector investment and created 32,500 full-time jobs.

So I can report even though we're not through this last month, the 2022 that this is and will be the best two-year period for job growth and for new economic development in the history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

>> Where the jobless rate under 4% and record level job investment.

Where is there room for more growth and how can cities regardless of their size position themselves to attract and retain high quality, good paying jobs that improve the lives of all of its citizens.

Our panel today represents a cross section of Kentucky cities sharing the successes and the challenges they face.

We're glad to have with us.

Jay Teach a president and CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities, Gary Moore, Boone County, Judge Executive Haley McCoy, president and CEO of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development, Amanda Davenport, executive director of the Lake Barkley partnership.

Ben Pratt, chief of regional Economic Growth and senior vice president of Greater Louisville, 8 and Bruce Wilcox, president and CEO of Produce got economic development.

We'll hear from a few others later in the program as well who are seated in the audience and we're so glad to have an audience today.

So let's give everyone a round of applause.

So Ms McCoy, I want to begin with you.

Let's talk about what it takes to grow.

Well, and you or someone in your organization consist of more than 900 members, 600 companies, and you're really focused on policies that help expand economic growth in this state.

So talk to us about what that looks like.

What does the state have to offer when it comes to taxes, incentives?

How well are we doing when we are competitive?

If we are competitive in those areas?

>> Well, thank you so much for having me.

First of all, it's great to be here.

I would say that, yes, we are competitive.

Clearly this level of investment that we've experienced recently is unprecedented.

And Kentucky is competing, but we have a ways to go with the change that where facing now in this new era of economic development, let's say.

I think the most important thing we can do is continue to analyze our all of our programs are tax structure are incentive programs.

You know, Kentucky has been leading the way in performance-based incentives for a long time.

How does changing tax structure impact that now these are questions that the chamber and our partners are having every day.

As you mentioned, we're a large organization.

We've got so many folks from private business, government education partners, looking at this collaborating hopefully keeping us on that competitive edge going from right?

>> So there is still more room for growth.

Let me ask you about the Kentucky Product Development Initiative Kpd I that aims to help all 120 counties.

What is this and how does it help them?

>> This is a fantastic new program.

The General Assembly has appropriate 100 million dollars to the product development initiative now launch statewide.

This is an investment the state is making in Kentucky's economic development assets.

there has been a maximum funding amount.

A lot of to every county in Kentucky.

They apply to this for things site preparation, due diligence studies building and renovation projects, road extension, infrastructure improvements to help make Kentucky's assets that we already have more competitive because you just can't have too many good assets in economic development.

But it's the issue that's most important to me.

He's communicating the return on that investment.

This is not just grant funds.

These are investments.

The states making to see return for all of our communities.

>> And that's a 2 million dollar maximum for some communities.

It's based on population, OK?

So it could be more could be less than that.

Not nobody has more than 2 million could be less depending on popular.

Okay, great miss Amanda Davenport, thank you for being here with us.

I want to ask you, particularly a rule communities, which I'm sure really trying to take advantage of this.

A new initiative in this program.

So talk to us.

You know, economic development looks different for your area.

Then it would be for Lexington or Louisville.

So can you talk about what rule communities can do to be competitive and also how this initiative is helping you?

Sure absolutely.

with the pdi it was started back in 2018 and at that time we had an industrial that was on a highway that we've never really thought all the assets that has it.

>> Haven't really been utilized to its full advantage and going through the pdi program really made a stop and take stock of what are the features that are part, has it a mile from the interstate.

It has a rail service.

It has population within a 45 minute drive time of several 100,000.

So going through the pdi process really kind of opened our eyes to the site that we had in the park that we had.

I'm in the 2019 cycle we received a grant of to build a site.

Since then we've invested over $500,000 in our industrial park all through going through the pdi process and stopping to evaluate what kind of park we had and what return on investment we can make within our site.

So what does your park look like?

it has to building path?

We've to really large building pads.

We removed a road.

We plan to build new We've had partnerships through our utility There are county.

It A's and we're looking at how we can fund a spec building.

So all of this happened because of Pdi and before going through that process, we just have never really thought about what our park could be.

When you say spec building, can you to find that your non economic a spec building is basically a day speculative building that you build in order to attract a company.

And so it could be >> typically manufacturing facility, some communities do warehousing or but we would be looking at potentially building a building to attract a manufacturer and so that they have a faster time open their operations.

Yeah, OK, that makes sense.

Thank you for that explanation.

JD Cheney, good to see you right to the Kentucky Lake City's so yes, there been a lot of good announcement.

The time that we recorded this particular conversation.

We know that the battery plant was telling us about their progress and we're seeing some of that video about how they're acting thing.

So it really looks more than just like a large dirt field.

The bourbon industry booming.

So talk to us about the kind of industries where we're really seeing a lot of growth.

And where are they located?

>> He and even though they might not get as much attention.

But you look in the aerospace, I think that's the number one running in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The whether it's a plant down in Madisonville.

You see a lot with health care out the fire to Judge Moore on logistics and distributions where he's where he certainly has expertise.

But all those you can't measure these projects equally of their sales or sales might be very different.

Then and their economic, the industrial development from Berea Building stuff around arts and culture.

Mayor for alien Mayor Trauger here and then Charlie Cleaves here from Bellevue, where they have example of of of redoing retail downtown, along along the riverfront.

And so each community's very different and local officials are very well positioned to know what the best advantages, their unique assets and their community have to offer.

So I want you to talk about that because cities may >> have an idea of what they want to be when they grow up, but they don't know how to get there.

What should they do?

First step.

>> But you've got the standard checklist.

I mean, you need to know you need to have the infrastructure.

Obviously, cities come in and they do that with water, gas sewer, on many occasions.

They also a need a workforce.

I think that's something that's been discussed at least the potential to develop workforce housing we're seeing is a major issue in a number of communities across the state.

Looking at that checklist.

One thing that's overlooked a lot, though, is quality of place.

You know, I like to officials are creating hometown's home towns where people want to enjoy a quality of life.

That's what their jobs are.

It's what their mission is as elected.

That city officials and in collaboration with all the various it's not just city and county collaboration, which is very important.

The city's deliver an infrastructure, creating the hometown, the county's delivering statewide services.

The state has a role to play, but so does the school board.

So does special districts in so many of those cases.

And I think you're looking to see that there are some synchrony or are symbiotic relationship between all of those units of government coming together with the with a shared vision and that that I think is very key in Korea in advancing Kentucky's hometowns.

>> Fiber broadband fiber broadband.

Got to have a look at Haha.

Well, because we know now, right?

So we have now John Beddington who works with LG.

Any KU you the director of business and economic development there.

But you worked for 9 years for the Cabinet.

>> For economic development.

So, you know, a lot about this topic, work 9 learning every day, learning every day and hopefully So talk to us about what does it take, what community should do?

Some communities may think I don't know what we have to offer.

I'm afraid to even try about even know how to start.

What would you say to get them to develop a plan to stick to the plan and go forward with the plan.

>> I think it's important to know that, you know, Kentucky, if if you think about this as a business prospects right, and think about Kentucky as a as a business district.

Large communities, midsize communities, a small communities can be those different store fronts.

Right?

So large communities might have different needs and different opportunities in a small community does.

And that's okay.

So I think the first step really is, you know, trying to determine as as my community or as my region, what role do I play in the grand scheme of economic development right in and once you determine that I once you determine whether you know, you're going to be focused on small business development or downtown districts or or you're now going to go and recruit big companies that sets the stage for the creation of the checklist to go forward right?

And so I think that's a very important point that communities need to factor in.

The next step in the process is really try to get community buy in on what we're trying to do right?

You know, because we not only owe it to ourselves to make that business planning kind of stick to it.

But we also owe it to the businesses that located in our communities because they want to be part of controversy or a changing environment and community.

They want consistency and and less risk and greater certainty so that they can be successful.

Something those are 2 major components that communities need to figure out.

>> Developing a communications and marketing plan for the community at large and for the existing business community.

Because as Jamie mentioned, you know, culture place is important.

And even the citizens who live there may fear having a bigger business or something that may change their quality of life in a way that they're not accustomed.

>> Absolutely.

Yeah.

And then, you know, let's let's say, for example, that you are a community that wants to earn more primary jobs.

I think, you know, the references to a lot of this discussion as we read in the newspapers, great announcements.

You mentioned the Louisville SK Battery Park.

You know, record-setting investment here in Kentucky.

But, you know, let's assume that your community that wants to earn more primary job creation, right?

It's it's a process of elimination for companies and a lot of cases.

And so you really need to look at all of the requirements that are necessary for to, you know, to locate a business there and really product is number one.

So we go back to the product Development initiative and going through that process.

Communities get the chance to have access to a 3rd party consultant that will tell them.

Are you doing something?

Well, do you need to do something different and really set them up for longer term success?

>> And they have the metrics to know it's not just subjective.

It's an objective view of that.

>> Absolutely.

Yeah.

They're dealing with companies on this process every day.

So when they look at a community, they look at it with the end in mind that return on investment calculation that a man was talk.

How critical is patients all super I can't stress it enough.

Really, if we think about again, that blew over project that that that site was purchased in 2018, it's taken 22 years to to land on a project like that.

And then you think about Bowling Green as well with their trance part that started when I was a student at Western.

I didn't really know what it was all about, but now they're having great success based on that patients and that long-term investment strategy.

Thank you, John Beddington, appreciate you so very much.

Judge Moore, I want to come to you because then you mentioned earlier about logistics.

>> When we look at northern Kentucky Boone Kitten, Campbell, we say it like it's one county right, but experienced exponential growth since you took up to since you've taken over is Judge executive era in the 1990's, logistics juggernaut.

Northern Kentucky is so talk about what that's done in changing that region and how the region has come together with to make sure that there is growth and prosperity for all.

>> Well, thank you, Renee.

I have for many years, area that logistics has just blocked it.

And a lot of that is geography.

I sometimes get the question.

Do you incentivize big box distribution now?

The million and a half 1.7 million square foot building.

No, we don't.

Because they're 18 to 20 to.

22 got dollars an hour.

Jobs.

So we have not done and centers on distribution for about 4 years now.

But what we do is offer a climb and a community climate.

As you mentioned a minute ago where these companies can be successful.

Of course, we have a great asset of Cvg airport to get people where they need to get to.

But we're also geographically centered to get a truck.

24 hours from northern Kentucky to over 70% of the U.S. population so we get the label of distribution.

But let me tell you a result of that work as well.

We just broke ground the couple weeks ago on another series of maintenance repair and operational hangers.

It's called theme and it's out of Miami and now that will be their 4th bay at Cincinnati, northern Kentucky International Airport.

Those jobs will pay in the neighborhood of about $80,000 a year and without the distribution center.

Jen, without Cvg airport, we wouldn't be attracting those jobs one, our greatest accomplishments over the last several months has been our average salary generated by try its work has been $67,000.

Her employ.

So it all works together.

Sometimes you've got to have one to get the other.

But we did just have a private sector capital campaign building elevate Northern Kentucky can be Nky was the the campaign slogan.

We were to slide to raise 4.5 million over a 5 year sector.

we raised 4.7, so very successful that Bland's with our rental car license fee of about 2.2 million a year to generate the funding to fund triad in 3 counties.

No general fund contributions to try it from the 3 counties or said or the city.

So that we think that's quite remarkable.

>> And tell us a bit more about what try it stands for.

And it's yeah.

>> right now we're done some studies on rebuilding and rebrand it.

But Triad is the Tri County Economic Development Corporation.

So the Triad ad is economic development.

It's been there since 1987.

We think it might be trying time for a triad.

2 point.

Oh.

>> I sounds like it sounds like it.

Thank you, Mister.

Been welcome.

Bruce Wilcox, thank you so much for being with us.

Let's talk about there's recruitment.

And then there's expansion.

And I think a lot of people may not know about this week.

Success of Dippin dots, which I loved growing up and love.

Now even has a sweet treat.

But this company has made some non conventional choices about expansion.

So can you talk about that and its impact on your area?

>> Absolutely.

Dippin dots has become an iconic brand that's known all across the country.

Even across the world.

And it was founded in 1988 in a very small rural community grand chain in southern Illinois.

Not far from my hometown.

Shortly thereafter, the company relocated to Paducah and after 15 years there was a multi-million dollar expansion project that was in the process and our organization Greater Paducah, Economic Development was the incentive package that was before the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, the Cabinet for economic city of Paducah.

So typically 60 to 80% of most all economic development growth comes from existing industry.

So we were fortunate to have dippin dots in our community and help them with actor oath.

The company was subsequently sold in 2012 to the Fisher family out of Oklahoma.

They continue to grow.

bought I a dot popcorn brand.

And then just this past summer J and J Snack Foods actually acquired the company as well.

With that acquisition, Dippin dots of still in place and the cryogenic processing peace that business will spawn off into a different industry.

So subsequently to that, we continue to work with Dippin Dots, J J Snack foods on their pieces and then with a new company that's paying off of that.

So with any organization, any time there's acquisition growth there, spinoff induced indirect benefits associated with it.

>> And there's also a very thriving arts and culture scene in Paducah.

I have to say you're a UNESCO city right?

>> Very much so very much so it's not uncommon to walk down market street and see people from literally all over the world from California.

So we're very fortunate to have that designation.

And it's a great attraction to our community.

>> We'll talk a bit more about diversity a little But now to economic development and South Central Kentucky, a hub of industry on the outskirts of Bowling Green for a couple of decades.

The Kentucky transport that we talked about earlier has been home to manufacturers and businesses bringing thousands of jobs to the area.

The growth continues today as the biggest investment yet broke ground this summer.

>> With Trance Park is indeed 1, One of the biggest things very, very proud of and has helped change lives throughout this region.

Around 2004, 2005, we landed Bowling, Green metal forming, which was kind of our flagship employer up there for for many years.

>> With trance par, if you look over the past 20 plus years.

>> It was about 900 acres.

And over that time we've landed some of the leading projects in Kentucky.

Roughly 2008, 2009, we started getting more aggressive with job development incentives.

>> From the city where the city would give one percent of withholdings back to the companies that would locate here, that the state would match it with 3%.

Along with that.

We bonded the city issued GEO Bonds we partnered on with the county.

Our city and county had the vision to invest in the Trans park all these years to create that foundation.

>> And then even though we're going through a worldwide pandemic and have a tornado, they invested another 46.5 million.

And then another 12 million on top of that.

>> During the pandemic, we realize that we're going to need more land.

And the at was able to buy a piece of property to the tune of 7 million dollars and the city and county also went together and bought another piece of property that was was a roughly 12 million dollars.

And those 2 pieces of property help land these other additional 5 or 6 companies, including the big one envisioned as well as Tyson Ball Corporation that really helps her this last 12 months or 18 months worth of development.

>> We've been very blessed and that that we've had, you know, several of the number one new projects announced a Kentuckyian then, you know, past 12 months, we announced and vision, which is the second largest capital investment and all of Kentucky history, 7th highest job creation with the 2000 jobs in Kentucky history.

So it's obviously the largest project ballroom, one kind ever to be announced.

It's much easier for it.

Community like ours that has 85 different languages spoken in our school system.

>> To get the attention of international.

Businesses.

>> Scott CDC has another facility that we can do training and work with the company.

Steph, help train their employees.

>> We've got a DC leads the state annually and training for manufacturing.

So that talent strategy backed up by our school districts backed up by Sky.

CDC has proven to help us win project after project.

As far as the there's an for creation of jobs and higher paying jobs.

It certainly paid off much better than we ever anticipated.

>> So JD Journey, I want you to pick up on a couple of those points.

85 different languages, right?

Being spoken.

And and that region to help attract international business.

Talk about the growth of Bowling Green.

And as John Beddington said before, that was an idea.

The Kentucky transport that dates back to to put myself in that Category college days.

And that's been a while.

>> That is a that is a perfect example of what I said on the earlier segment.

You've got Judge Buchanan there, a visionary leader, absolutely visionary leader for that community.

Big his work with 4, 5, 6, Myers over the course of his term where you've got the city and county coming together where they're cooperating with the community and technical college system where their community where they're cooperating, collaborating with the school board's both Bowling Green and the Warren County to to school ports.

They brought them together.

Yes, they have the benefit of logistics and the transportation there with last 65.

They've done this this and that infrastructure.

The county's played their role, the city's play, their role.

It is a perfect example where you can have those synergistic relationships in with the university to the left off the word.

That's right.

Which has been which has been key to all that as well.

Yeah.

>> First carpenters with He is with the southern Kentucky Economic Development Agency.

It's good to have you.

So your reaction about stick to it at this right and the critical role that local leadership plays and making sure that these projects have longevity and that they become legacy investments.

>> Well, and in our we we have to start working together.

Russell County wants for years.

We're in rulers age as you often find is, you cities and counties are doing a separate thing.

And what we realized but several years ago that we really start put had put our emphasis, meaning our office and what we do as to bring those judges and and leaders together in the in the mayors of those communities, you know, Corbin lies in 2 counties and you had 2 counties there will in Knox County that really did not have an economic development office.

We were the economic development office in corporate.

the other.

We have a 6 county regional Park that came out Pat Aministration.

That is located in court and that encompasses 6 counties.

However, my main focus is in court and winds burned Whitley and Knox County.

And so what we had to do was show that it our success was going to come from working and I guess one of the first things we had early on was was an international company core of Kentucky, which is Japanese company.

And we have to demonstrate to those folks that we had the necessary infrastructure in place that we are as community leaders.

They were going to work together to take care of that company and promote that company and help them be successful.

So that was kind of the beginning.

And that was, you know, I guess so somewhere in that neighborhood.

But so as as we've had that success in our spec building program and continue to move on, we're starting to see some success from that and and realizing that the better we work together because we get we have some great assets in our region.

But we've got to really work together a smaller communities to do away with the county lines and be successful.

>> What would you say is your greatest challenge?

>> The continuing of that getting a new elected officials or by the understand that we've got to stay focused on the on the ball and and really continue working together just because one community has a success doesn't mean it's not successful for the whole area.

You know, we've had some great announcements in the last few months, a year, 12 to 18 months in Williamsburg, in Bell County, in London, in Corbin.

And so what we have to do is it takes time.

To nurture that as an area and in the proof, 2 companies that were able to handle the work force that way to handle the growth that we have the quality of life that you what you see in larger communities that we might, you know, that people sometimes overlook that we have in our area.

So it's just a continuing keeping focused on on what you have to do.

Work forces at a challenge should is a challenge boost to its challenge everywhere.

>> But what we're also realize and we're seeing that in our educational system from all the colleges and universities in the schools, in the area, working together to develop vocational programs.

We've had 2 new one new one that just opened.

We have another vocational that will be open hopefully in the near future.

And so we've we've got to show that that we have the training.

That we have, again, the quality of life for folks that want to move into our area and a lot of times international companies bringing their families to our area that they can be very comfortable.

You know, we have a lot to offer in the area but were only.

An hour and a half 2 hours from northern Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, so it's it's making you realize that there's a lot of benefit in that local regional effort and small community life.

>> Well, congratulations on your success in continuing Thank you so very much.

So let's talk land use and downtown development, quality of life.

And Hala in return.

Back to you because you've talked a lot about having what you call people ready, communities.

What do you mean by that?

>> People ready.

Communities is just this idea.

When people are looking at Kentucky, they're thinking about investing their business, their lives there.

The communities are prepared for anybody that might calm.

We're situation where we're not just looking for corporate investments, but we're looking for people to come to Kentucky and as John Beddington mentioned, that product is the number one thing we have.

As Jamie mentioned, that quality of life is really what closes the deal.

We're seeing more and more questions on these requests for information that come in from site.

Selectors saying what is it like to live here?

What is your diverse makeup of this community?

How is that reflected in your leadership?

So community sometimes feel intimidated by those questions when they don't have a high population of minorities within their community.

What we do, how do we show and demonstrate the Kentucky is a place they want everybody to come and you're welcome when you get here.

>> Example of the Ford plant.

I think you have an example that kind of illustrates this point.

It is a wonderful example.

And I couldn't be prouder.

>> Of the Elizabethtown area there in preparation for that visit with Ford and Louisville SK, which happens to be a Korean company.

There was conversation about that particular community having a large population of people of cream background.

This was a major feature of the community.

And so as we looked at, who should be at the table, who should be in the room they were able to incorporate a quality of life peace within that pitch.

So that local leaders of Korean background Cain and shared what it was like to live in the community to raise your children in the community to participate in the school system, housing just that the built-in community that was there and it was a significant it had significant entitled deal had jailed.

Yes, yeah.

>> Well, thank you for sharing that been prep.

Thank you for being here with Greater Louisville Inc.

I want you to pick up on that idea because Louisville is is such a big driver of the state's economy.

And and so much of the population resides there in Louisville and Jefferson County.

So talk about how you balance all of that is a Metropolitan City, a vibrant downtown with arts and culture and maintaining a quality of life.

And also you have your challenges as well.

>> Well, I'm sure you hear this a lot from all of us, but it has a lot to do with coming together as a community working together a lot.

And so and Louisville, we just have more people.

We get to work together within a lot of great partners that make it become reality at the neighborhood level, working with neighborhood organizations all the way too that city and county's and regional partners like a utility providers, I would say our I mean, is a huge driver to our community, including our convention centers and the Kentucky Fairgrounds There's been a lot of news about their pitches in the state in.

I mean, it's a tremendous asset, an economic driver to have those and not only our community, but in the state of Kentucky.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky.

So we're excited to have the be one of communities that have 5 of the key arts for anywhere from a professional ballet to a professional opera.

All within a A what is it to 2 and a half 3 hour drive or anywhere in Kentucky.

So yeah, we're pretty excited to have a lot of those cultural assets and really leverage the culture amenities that Louisville has to offer.

>> Professional sports team in the future.

How we can.

>> Only Haha.

>> Are those conversations >> I know we're always looking for ways to activate our venues.

I can say that it I'm sure it will come up every year until we get one.

certainly the new mayor, perhaps that could be because so what would you say to because I think will Louisville's is just different.

>> It said it has a different a higher population level and density.

How could a city glean anything from Louisville that may be so much larger?

What would you say?

>> Well, and building a community of quality of life in a destination or a semblance of a quality of place is important to any community and creating an environment where people want to live raise their families and and work is is critical to any economic across the commonwealth, but also across the country.

So emphasizing very value propositions of great education institutions, great infrastructure, all critical elements that we all consider.

>> And affordable housing and talk about that.

>> Absolutely.

You know, when we are creating we're seeing great.

>> Amount of job creation and a lot of growth and expansion.

It's important to make sure that we maintain a cost a lower cost of living.

That's also one of our big competitive advantages for attracting the talent that we are trying to make.

Sure not only stay in the Commonwealth but also relocate here.

Yeah.

>> Jenna.

Great houses with U.S.. Executive VP of Economic Development for Commerce.

Lexington, good to have you think you can.

You pick up on some of the things you just heard been talk about?

Yeah, we were.

I heard you talk a lot about diversity and Commerce, Lexington and everywhere, diversity, equity and inclusion.

>> Create a sense of belonging, a commerce, Lexington, you know, we have held long that diversity and creating wealth for creating a welcoming city has been said is part of what helps us with our recruitment efforts in our retention efforts.

And we work really hard and we strive to do that equity and it's a vital go an incredibly important.

Also, a commerce, Lexington.

You know, we do this through our Access loan program.

Tyrone Tyra, on our team helps us with our access loan program.

He's distributed 29 million to a variety of different companies.

Over the past 18 years.

We recently just did 6.9 million dollars in small business stimulus grants to over 500 companies.

59% of those were women and minority in veteran owned businesses.

And we have our Black Faith leaders initiative where we work with our faith leaders in Lexington to make sure we have procurement opportunities available for all.

Yeah.

Talk about land use planning.

How critical is that land uses very critical in Lexington and the surrounding counties for us.

So we're not just commerce Lexington's, not just an economic development group for Lexington, where 9 county region so for us right now, we're going through the comprehensive plan process and we are trying to be prepared because if you have no product, you have no projects.

So we're blessed to Over the past 4 years, we worked on a project with the city and the University of Kentucky.

And we've now created the start of what we call our Legacy Business Park.

So we have 9.9 million dollars in arpa funding.

Set aside, we're striving to receive a 2 million Dollar product development grant.

But while we're constrained in Lexington, we market the 9 county region.

So we're lucky again to have 700,000 people in that region and in all 9 counties.

Yeah, downtown, really vibrant, vibrant, much more vibrant in the past 10 years, 330 million dollars invested in our convention center and Rep I think we came up with the number day, 30 million dollars in our town branch in legacy trails starts off in the Isaac Murphy Memorial Garden.

Again, going back to diversity and the equine industry.

And we are continuing to improve our product all the time.

Yeah.

>> And lot of arts culture, especially with the new Central Bank Center being such a great venue for performances, etcetera, arts and culture.

It's been it's been a big change with the Central Bank Center and the new management of the Lexington, the Central Bank Center with Brian Sipes and his team now recruiting fabulous concerts.

Lots new venues.

Lots of lots of.

All kinds of things are related to the arts.

Yeah.

So where does Lexington go from from here?

What would you say, OK, let's work on a B and C what at least would that needs to be worked on.

>> Well, we're in that process right now.

So you need to have a continuum of >> The legacy business parks, only 130 acres usable land to its 200 will have trails and parks and amenities within it.

But you have to be prepared going forward.

So again, that continuum of property, we need to be prepared like Bowling Green was and thinking about our future next phase.

Next thing I think we all need to work on our workforce development.

So, you it's different now.

Someone said it earlier, workforce development's nationwide.

But we have to figure out how to be creative in Lexington to address those questions.

And we are working with site Selection consultants.

It.

>> We do know that the Lexington, Fayette County has a high, highly educated work force.

More advanced degrees are in the top 10 are or something like that.

So there's a lot of educated citizens, lot of educated citizens, 12 colleges and universities within a 30 mile radius.

We're blessed to be a globally fluent community because of the horse industry because the University of Kentucky.

>> The influencing very international community from other companies as well 199 languages and dialects spoken in our public schools here.

So we need to open and welcoming.

Yeah.

>> Well, thank you, Jennifer.

Given us the breakdown on all that.

Well, let's talk now about Owensboro Owensboro in Western Kentucky, revitalize its downtown and improved its transportation infrastructure.

Our Casey Parker Bell went to the Commonwealth's 4th largest city to ask economic development leaders how they did it and what other communities can take away from their success.

An economic development.

We're all about attracting new industry as well as helping our existing businesses grow in Owensboro is using its glitzy renovated riverfront.

>> To attract business and grow the community.

>> It's completely different from when I was growing when I was here when I was younger, it was just a grassy area, small playground.

There was a boat ramp at the end of But now, you know, the last you can see they free completely redone.

Everything.

>> Brad Davis grew up in Owensboro he now works for the city's economic Development Corporation.

And he says the renovated five-block Riverfront Park has completely changed, owns Borough's downtown.

It's known for having the top playground in the world.

First water features.

For space for public art.

But the changes were the result of forward thinking investment starting a little over a decade ago.

>> have Mayor Ron Payne who actually one of his first actions when he was in office was to raise that insurance insurance tax premium 4% to 8%.

>> Elizabeth Griffith Mud says the tax increase was controversial at the time, but it's direct result is a revitalized downtown.

The roughly 80 million dollars raised from the tax increase.

Help pay for improvements to Smothers Park and led to over a billion dollars in economic impact.

It led to a new convention center at one end of the park and the new Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame nearby.

>> I think back in 2009, we had a lot of people who were scared and just nervous.

Nobody likes change.

It can be.

Yeah.

Scaring WinStar when starting at.

But I think you have to sometimes take that leap of faith because it it just leads as we can see here.

You know, it's just lead to our growth.

>> Owensboro population has grown over 5% since the tax increase.

But the community is looking at other ways to grow.

Part of the way is by using the river, not just for show, but for transportation.

The Owensboro River port uses river and railroad to ship products all over the world.

One of the river ports success stories he's using rail transport for Jeep Gladiator chances.

The parts are made in Davies County and shipped to another plant across the Ohio River.

The railroad allows 500 chances to be shipped today.

More than could ever be moved by a truck that can only hold 15 at the time.

That infrastructure deal brought over 110 new jobs to Owensboro alone and the report has a new dock.

He's looking to take advantage of the improved infrastructure.

>> That is very unique for and anyone that's looking to utilize multi modes takes huge advantage and opportunities to have direct access to the water and rail service at the same time.

>> The new dock is tall enough to prevent flooding improving the number of days.

It can be an operation and driving additional commerce over 6 year period.

The report facility help transport almost 6 billion tons of cargo.

Brian Wright reports president says it will make it easier to transport goods and provide opportunities for growth.

>> Economic development is a is a team sport.

So Dana find those people in the community that really want to to start a business and provide them with as much support as you can provide them.

>> Owensboro, he's taking advantage of what their community has to offer and was willing to adjust to improve business.

>> Back in 2009 with that revitalization, having those leaders take that leap of faith in bring change in that into the community.

It's really been an asset for us.

>> Brad Davis is advice for other communities is to go their own way.

>> That may be the one piece of advice is kind of contrary to that list.

Don't try to replicate what another community is I think it's great to go out and look in C what successes are in different communities.

But what you really have to do is is look and see.

What folks, you know, what strings to we have 4 K E T I'm Casey Parker Bell.

>> Thank you, Casey.

So much for the examination of Owensboro Sonego huge a detainee and ask you don't try to duplicate what somebody else is doing.

>> No, I and that's one of the benefits of the of this state.

One of our greatest asset is the diversity in our communities.

And we talked about diversity, equity, inclusion, but, you know, Elkhorn City down in Pike County couldn't be more different than Wickliffe down on the Mississippi River.

And we have such diversity in their communities, their assets that they can leverage, whether it's in the eastern Westerner, other part of the state.

We do.

We do say look at what they've what other communities have done like Elizabeth them.

For example, we used to we used to joke about Elizabeth Town in the when the other 414 cities in Kentucky solid Elizabeth town.

It was was able to do because of their laws and their been the policies, the tax policies they were able to pursue.

The may not be able to replicate what Elizabeth down did exactly.

But looking at that and getting ideas.

Beaver Dam did that and created the Ampitheater, which is a really popular in that in that region.

But they that's what the league us.

It brings together these community leaders so they can share ideas and and spin off and make it unique to their own communities.

>> I do remember the headlines from the paper in Elizabeth town about that restaurant tax which wasn't really in the word tax is not a popular 3 letter word anyway, but we're talking about raising them.

But the sports complex that has come from that, though, I think the community certainly has rally behind.

You know, the mayor, the mayor was defeated to head to break the tie.

He was president of the league a few years before but he was defeated.

He broke the tie on the council, made that decision.

The subsequent Mayor, Kay Man who was against it ended up passing away.

But with that came just a huge champion seeing what happened to tourism and the influx.

You know, the restaurant industry grew 53% over that 10 year period, Kentucky cities and counties are having to tax their residents and the people that work in their communities.

We don't have any real elements.

Restaurant tax is an exception to the rule where you can tax people who come in and take advantage of the infrastructure in who get advantage from the services that are being provided in the community and not all cities can do that restaurant tax.

That's a big that's a big deal for Owensboro.

He just had a lot of those Burleson.

Look at what we would be able to land.

Paducah, what would we be able to do if we had that that opportunity and that that pushes well, I know this is going to be my rhinestone cowboy moments in the Sinai hustling the same.

Also, we've got to amend the Constitution because we're so reliant local communities about taxes, unproductive.

>> I was hoping you were going to do this JTA Cheney and you took the bait.

So want to go to Mister Wilcox to talk about having more a local tax options.

What are you for?

What would you be pushing for the Kentucky General Assembly to consider?

>> So our local county commissioners recently passed or increased and insurance tax.

That is enabled our community to develop a new sports complex 42 million dollar sports complex.

Similar to what I want.

Our Elizabeth Town has done.

That's a partnership between the city and the county.

So it is certainly opening up a new door site construction on that facility that's expected to start next summer.

So we're excited about that.

>> Anyone else want to comment on having more and better tax options.

Amanda?

>> I think what we're hearing from everybody that has instituted a restaurant, tourism tax, a rental car tax is all of our communities are getting so created within the framework of the existing law to find ways to bring in more tax in their community, too.

Invest in more quality of life programming, right?

That's all the stories that we're hearing are talking about.

But none of us have a really easy way to do that.

And I think that the conversation around tax reform that we're having at the state level, it's a way to empower communities to say this is what will make my community thrive.

And all of us know best what will make our community thrive.

I couldn't put in a rental car tax, but if I could put in some other tax that brings and dollars for my community from everybody that comes to Lbl lane between the lakes into the summer.

My communities can grow so much and it wouldn't have to be the people who live there every single day.

The bear, the tax burden for the terse to come in because our tourists are coming in and they don't have to pay any taxes, which is great.

But would it be nice if they could kind of share in the cost for our state so that we provide more of these amenities to everybody that comes in.

I mean, even Louisville's a great example so I'll I'll climb down off my high horse about tax reform.

But I'm I think that it's something that statewide really needs to be considered in.

>> Yeah, I know that we're very interests exploring tax flexibility.

You know, the 10 county region of Kentucky in 5 counties in Indiana, Greater Louisville, Inc serves a pretty big area with very different needs all across our region and and so creating an environment where each community can create the tools necessary to and power and realize each individual economic vision for each county is really important to end.

We're just looking for more tools in our tool box to help them realize that.

>> Does more give you a word on this.

Just real I do believe that we would import more dollars into our commonwealth and into our cities and counties.

If we had local sales tax.

Using that to replace local income tax or occupational tax would take some of the tax burden off of our residents.

We have 13 interstate exit in Boone County and we know that people are traveling those interstate and getting off and on.

They're buying things the that would be importing of tax dollars.

So I do believe it needs to be looked at I've got to be careful because our occupational taxes, what's allowing us to annually lower our property taxes on our residents.

But it could be a win-win.

Yeah.

>> the 8 minutes and 47 seconds we have remaining.

I do want to talk about talent, attraction and retention.

That talent pipeline and workforce development.

I want to go to Haley McCoy again because you are executive director of economic you'd like to read or economic development for Kctcs.

The Kentucky Community Technical College system.

So now you have a job where you're kind of melding that it with your previous job efforts like Kentucky fame and other things that Kctcs and the 4 year institutions are doing to help with this workforce development issue.

What do you want to see more of or from Kentucky to even start conversations about?

>> Well, first of all, I want Kentuckians to realize the asset that our public, higher education institutions actually are.

We have a unique selling proposition as a state just having our network of community and technical colleges in a single system.

So, you know, you heard in the envision example about Sky CTC, the Bowling Green, local community college.

That's one of 16.

There's a 16 community and technical colleges within a 30 minute drive of 90% of Kentucky's population.

They are doing Kentucky fame, which is being able to work while you And while you learn.

And the state invests in workforce training for businesses to be able to offset that cost.

So that individuals can gain skills and are more.

And it's just a wonderful cycle.

That is a partnership between state government, state institutions and our economic development partners.

>> So does more to question to you.

I mean, the training opportunities in northern Kentucky, of course, you have in KU there, but talk about workforce development issues and how your meeting those.

>> Well, we right now are doing a workforce development study to try to determine where our workforce initiative is going.

It is going to be housed.

We're hiring a consultant we've had parts of workforce development at the chamber with their grow program.

We've had part of the triad through the year and of course, the Gateway Community and Technical Technical School and Nku Thomas more college.

And so looking at all those things we want to get it right this time and not that we've got the wrong before.

But the world changed.

We want to look at the governance model over workforce.

We feel that this needs to be a stand-alone.

It doesn't need to be housed at the chamber are at triad, but it's so important right now.

It needs to be its own entity.

And we're building that as we speak.

We have our key leaders on our with and on some of our other efforts.

Superintendent been county Schools, Matt Turner, 21,000 students and 6 high schools, 5 high schools.

He sets on the workforce investment board himself.

He's not sending a delegate.

He and I talked twice a month on the phone or in person to talk about collaborative efforts.

Those are the kind of things that we think needs to be done and something I want to come on men on before I lose the mic for Everything we're talking about may sound both fall are bragging or, you know, but what makes this group and our Commonwealth special is that support the most part we don't compete with each other.

I can't remember the last time I've competed directly with any of the folks around the room my competition is Nashville, Indianapolis, Charlotte so when we're doing that, you know, look where we are on 12 minutes from the Bengals and read Stadium FC the new major League sports team, the Aronoff Center.

We talk about quality of life so we're talking about it in a different phase.

Not competing with the rest of the commonwealth and we need to support each other because when we do and we win the Commonwealth winds, I'm still only bringing back about $0.30 on every tax dollar that generate to the commonwealth.

That means $0.70 of every dollar is going to rural.

It's going to other parts of the commonwealth and its data competing or maybe I'm not being supportive of each other.

We can do much more when we work together.

Mister Carpenter and let you pick up on that.

>> You know, in our area in the southern part of the state, obviously we're very proud of our beauty and all that we haven't someone falls.

Daniel Boone Forest and what we're starting to see now, again, through that cooperation working together.

And I know this figure is low, but I can just in my mind, you know, spit out, you know, 20250 million dollars in that area.

That is being spent or are built with our quality of life.

And in turn, what that does is we're able to attract companies and track the workforce.

We have the training mechanism now in place for the for the workforce development, but being able to train or to recruit companies that see the benefit of a small rural area, but be able to still have the same quality of life that you would have.

Again, we're not competing against Northern Kentucky or anyone else.

But, you know, we realize now that we have to do to really take and build on that, we have a Kentucky down just the racetrack.

We've got to a church, our facilities.

You know, I know in Knox County, they're doing of a multimillion dollar complex, Williamsburg, to Laurel County.

So again, it's bringing all those things together that make us, I think a little bit more attractive when you look at new companies in the spores, our existing companies, when you have a new companies bring coming to them that raise that level income, then our comings are having to take a look at 3rd income or their wages.

What they're paying both.

Are we in management, which tracks folks to our area.

you know, it's it's just working together on those different aspects and trying to build upon.

>> Yeah.

Symbiotic competition, perhaps.

Amanda Demme for I want you to talk about that.

The rule.

Thank you so much, Mister Carpenter and talk about that.

How communities also can can boom and prosper in their own way.

Absolutely.

So one of the big things that we focus is a strategy both with our workforce and our manufacturers to ensure that the companies that we're bringing into the community understand what our community actually is.

>> I cannot touted that.

I have, you know, a major international airport and, you know, and world class musicians coming for symphony.

I don't have it in my community.

It's in Paducah, 45 minutes But what I do have is a small town where you still know all your neighbors were, you know who the teachers are, where you know where your kids are doing and what your friends kids are said that there is that quality of life A lot of our workforce attraction comes from retaining the kids that are in the school system right now that don't have a plan because we so often hear about the kids that when they graduate, they have a support network and they have a plan.

They know exactly what they're going to go.

Do a lot of what we want to work with this.

Those kids that don't have a plan to make sure that they know what type of training is available at the local vocational school at the community.

Colleges and what our manufacturers are doing with the on the job training and a lot of them will pay for continued education.

So making sure that kids know if they're staying here without a plan, that they're going to be taken care of and the kids that leave that there's a great place for them to come back with affordable housing, great and a really great quality of life.

Well, then I'm gonna let you give the last word here in about 45 seconds.

Sure.

Well, you know, for talent attraction, we're really proud of our live in lieu campaign.

>> It's national.

Recognize the best practice of the town opportunities that we have in the greater Louisville region that coupled with our recently launched workforce Ecosystem Hub were able to help demystify the workforce ecosystem that can be somewhat daunting with the number of different programs, tools, certificates.

And I mean, we have a lot of great tools available for people who are interested in and trying to find it been billed that career pathway, that workforce ecosystem have a really proud of.

>> And so if you're looking live in LA Dot com would be a great opportunity for you to connect to work a job opportunity in the community, but also highlights those quality of life metrics that we were all talking about earlier in the program.

>> Thank you all.

This has been a really engaging a robust conversation.

Appreciate all your participation in our others who are in the audience.

It's been really, really swell.

And you can always watch this program online anytime at KET DOT Org after its broadcast.

Once again, our gratitude to our panelists and to our studio audience.

Let's give them a round of applause for being here today and being a part of this conversation.

Thank you so very much for watching.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Take good care.

Not to use it.

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