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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS A DIFFERENT MEANING FOR EVERYBODY BUT IF SOMEBODY ASKS WHAT OUR OFFICE DOES I WOULD SAY OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO INCREASE TAX BASE OF THE CITY. GARLAND IS BUILT OUT SO IN ORDER FOR US TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL, OUR JOB IS TO REIMAGINE, REPURPOSE, AND REDEVELOP.ESSENTIALLY, WE'RE MATCHMAKERS. WE PAIR BUSINESSES WITH AVAILABLE LAND THAT THE CITY OWNS TO DEVELOP NEW REAL ESTATE TO REVITALIZE AND REFRESH EXISTING REAL ESTATE, EVERY PROJECT IS UNIQUE, IT COMES WITH ITS OWN SET OF CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. THERE'S NO STANDARD WAY TO APPROACH.
WE ALSO REALLY REALLY LOVE BEING ABLE TO USE DATA TO HELP DRIVE OUR DECISION MAKING, WE TEND TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, UNDERLYING DEMOGRAPHIC, ECONOMIC AND OTHER DATA, TO KIND OF SEE WHAT THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES THAT THE CITY MIGHT BE FACING SUCH AS ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DRIVE BETTER POLICY MAKING IN THE CITY THROUGH THOSE DATA FINDINGS.
[MUSIC] SO ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT WORKING IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS THAT WE GET TO DO A VARIETY OF PROJECTS AND IT'S REALLY BECAUSE IN A CITY YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT ADVANTAGES THAT YOU'VE DRAWN OR YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME TO HELP YOU GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
SO WE CAN HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE REALLY JUST GIVING SOMEONE AN INCENTIVE AGREEMENT OR IT CAN BE A MARKETING PROJECT THAT'S GOING TO TELL GARLAND'S STORY IN THE REGIONAL COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OR IT CAN JUST BE A QUALITY OF LIFE PROJECT THAT WILL BRING AMENITIES TO VISITORS AND RESIDENTS HERE SO IT CAN JUST BE A LOT OF VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS. BUT ULTIMATELY THEY'RE ALL JUST GOING TO MOVE THE WHEEL OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY FORWARD.
[MUSIC] IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH DEVELOPERS BUT OFTEN GETTING IN FRONT OF A MUCH LARGER SCALE MARKETING THE CITY.
[MUSIC] WE ENJOY SHARING OUR VISION WITH DEVELOPERS, CORPORATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS EACH PROJECT IS DIFFERENT, EACH PROJECT HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS AND CHALLENGES BUT IF THEIR VISION MATCHES WITH GARLAND'S VISION, I WOULD LOVE FOR THEM TO INVEST IN GARLAND.
[MUSIC]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.