Goals

Goals

1. Economic Development

2. Workforces Preparation & Education

3. Small Business

4. Community Networks & Leadership

5. Housing

6. Technology
   

1. Economic Development

Goal: to increase the number of living wage jobs in the Empowerment Zone for residents of the Empowerment Zone by 20% per year

Implementation Strategy

1. Contact all businesses located within the Empowerment Zone.
   Targeted direct mail piece for businesses.
   Follow-up with phone calls & personal visits.
   Direct mail piece available for neighborhoods and faith based organizations.
2. Direct mail piece would provide a definition of an EZ business, a description of EZ wage Credits that are available to businesses in the Zone whether or not they meet all requirements of an EZ business, a sample “work Pad” that may be used to determine the potential benefits to the company. Included in this communication will be telephone and internet addresses of the persons able to answer questions concerning the communication.
3. Develop and distribute general flyers describing all available EZ incentives to employers in the Zone with appropriate contact information for follow-up.
4. Conduct a “door to door” campaign with students from the area technical school and colleges.
5. Seek opportunities to make formal presentations to all known business organizations in the Zone.
6. Ask Chamber, Mayors, county Judge to sponsor a workshop, breakfast or etc.
7. Conduct orientation sessions on EZ Wage Credits for job development organizations whose markets include Zone businesses.
8. Develop and distribute “EZ Location Benefits Kits” to Developers whose business is recruiting businesses for location in Central Arkansas.
9. Contact the Brownfield’s Assessment project operating in the Zone for identification of sites recently assessed and reports on those sites located in the Zone.

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2. Workforce Preparation & Education

Goal: to increase the number of EZ residents eligible for and placed on jobs by employers that use the EZ TAX Incentives made available.

Implementation Strategy

1. Identification of all workforce preparation and job development contractors.
2. Develop a working relationship with workforce preparation and education organizations.
   Recruitment of residents
3. Downtown Partnership partner with local businesses to ensure EZ job seekers or residents of EZ are aware of Empowerment Zone Opportunities
4. Conduct formal orientation sessions with the appropriate workforce preparation and education organizations on EZ business employee qualifications and the potential placement opportunities EZ incentives
5. Propose collaborative agreements with workforce preparation and job development contractors to work together on a joint marketing and outreach strategy.

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3. Small Business

Goal: to increase the number of small businesses using Tax Incentives to expand and create jobs in the Zone.

Implementation Strategy

1. Provide small business with information on the Empowerment Zone
   Utilize databases developed by HUD, Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Partnership.
2. Distribute a communication that provides a definition of an EZ business, a description of EZ Wage Credits and other wage incentives that are available to businesses in the Zone whether or not they meet all requirements of an EZ business, as well as a sample “Work Pad” that may be used by the small business owners or accountants to determine the potential benefits available to the small business. Included in this communication will be telephone and internet addresses of persons able to answer questions concerning the communication and provide technical assistance to business
3. Presentations to Civic Clubs, Small Business Organizations.
4. Develop and distribute general flyers in locations where small business owners may frequent, describing all available EZ incentives to businesses in the Zone with appropriate contact information for follow up.
5. Partner with area College business departments to recruit students to assist with distributing flyers door to door.
6. Conduct business planning workshops and seminars at times and places where small business owners may be able to attend without major interruptions to their operations– Organize with presentations from volunteer professionals

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4. Community Networks & Leadership

Goal: To expand the distribution of information about the opportunities of EZ initiatives supported by the TAX Incentives for organizations established for overall community development

Implementation Strategy

1. Create an EZ advisory Group
   One group with representation from the various empowerment areas

   • 1-L.R. Port Developable site

   • 1-Dowtown Developable site

   • 1-Asher & University Developable site

   • 1-Tax attorney or accountant

   • 1-CDC representative

   • 1- Developer

   • 1-Faith Based Organization representative

2. Meet quarterly with EZ advisory Group to generate ideas and measure progress.

3. Identify all Community Development Organizations operating in the EZ and solicit their assistance in developing a target list of organizations to invite to Quarterly Roundtable Meetings on the

4. Empowerment Zone implementations progress.

5. Develop an agenda for the Roundtable Meetings based on the

6. Implementation Strategies of the EZ Goals.

7. Facilitate a discussion as the Roundtable Meetings on the progress to asses ways to improve the EZ implementation in the Zone.

8. EZ Advisory Group will be made up of 7 members:

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5. Housing

Goal: To increase the supply of mixed income housing in the Empowerment Zone and the overall population of the area.

Implementation Strategy

1. Engage developers in EZ areas to determine suitable areas for housing.

2. Work with the Downtown Partnership Housing Task Force and Developers Task Force

3. Work with neighborhood organizations/CDC’s to identify potential home buyers.

4. Seek the assistance of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) in developing a target market of housing developers, mortgage lenders and homebuilders to discuss the use of low Income Housing Tax Credits and suggestions on reaching that market.

5. Prepare mail out literature on Low income Housing Tax Credits that include information on how other developers have successfully used the credits and other EZ incentives to create mixed income housing in their Zones.

6. Solicit the cooperation of mortgage lenders and the Realtors Association in conducting a workshop on Low Income Housing Tax Credits in the Zone.

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6. Technology

Goal: To establish a computer-based Information Service Platform that allows PEZA to store critical information for retrieval from PEZA Web Site.

Implementation Strategy

1. Solicit assistance in developing a website.

2. PEZA website used extensively to make info accessible

3. Links to all partners/participating organizations

4. raining tool for workers

5. Promote EZ workshops and seminars

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