Tumwater City Council approved a new contract with Thurston Economic Development Council (EDC) on Tuesday, December 5, to provide the city with economic development services.
The contract costs $50,000 in total, with the city compensating the EDC $25,000 each year for two years.
The two parties currently have a two-year contract set to expire this year.
The EDC currently provides the city with business retention, recruitment, and marketing activities, as well as provides several support programs for business owners. The EDC also helps conduct economic analysis and market research and supports the city in the redevelopment of the Brewery District.
Economic Development Program Manager Austin Ramiriez told the council that the EDC would be providing additional services with the renewal of the contract.
The EDC would convene business leaders and conduct roundtables to gather input about the upcoming Economic Development Plan update and discuss redevelopment opportunities in the Brewery District and Capitol Boulevard Corridor.
Ramirez also spoke about the new Innovation Cluster Accelerator Program, a state program to support entrepreneurs and the creative and maker sector. EDC has been tasked by the state to coordinate a pilot team in the county which Tumwater is a part of through the Craft District.
The EDC would also conduct an economic impact analysis of the Tumwater Artesian Brewfest, an event that features several craft breweries across the entire Pacific Northwest.
On the part of Tumwater, the city has agreed to allocate a fifth of its annual compensation to the Lacey MakerSpace, a crafting and fabrication workshop in Saint Martin's University.
Ramirez told the council that despite being in Lacey, several Tumwater businesses use the facilities in Lacey MakerSpace to test new product lines and conduct on-the-job training.
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