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 Greater
Eatonville Chamber of Commerce 
Strategic Plan
Vision:
Eatonville is a community with a thriving local
economy. It embraces local and sustainable industry, cottage merchants,
and tourism. Eatonville honors and maintains its heritage which is rooted
in agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries. Eatonville grows
within sustainable limits, maintains its small town feel, protects its
natural environment, and nurtures a harmonious community. Eatonville
concentrates its services within the town to support a regional rural
economy. It provides an economic structure that supports all, including
low-income senior housing, local employment opportunities, education, and
a comprehensive transportation system.
Mission:
The Greater Eatonville Chamber of Commerce
facilitates a healthy and thriving local economy. The Chamber promotes
individual success, small business development, and entrepreneurial
activities by providing information and education, umbrella services, and
leadership to local businesses and members. The Chamber actively
participates in the projects and activities of other agencies and
organizations to communicate and further Chamber objectives. The Chamber
encourages broad participation among the community, local organizations,
the Town of Eatonville, and other government agencies in all matters
affecting the economy, environment, and community. The Chamber supports
efforts to protect and conserve natural and cultural resources,
recognizing that stewardship of the natural environment and Eatonville’s
heritage are essential to the local economy.
Values:
The Greater Eatonville Area Chamber of Commerce
values the uniquely American view of freedom – with its reverence for
personal independence and individual rights. The Chamber prizes the
special character and spirit of the Eatonville community – especially
visible in its giving, sacrificing, and coming together in time of need.
The Chamber champions fair business practices and inclusive economic
planning.
Ethics:
The Greater Eatonville Area Chamber of Commerce
advocates optimism, positive thinking, transparent decision-making, and
“subsidiarity” (making local decisions locally). The Chamber employs a
personal touch, helping people to maximize their potential.
Goals, Strategies, and Actions:
Goal One:
Develop and
implement a regional economic strategy.
Strategy 1:
Position the Greater Eatonville Chamber of Commerce as a leader in
regional economic strategic planning and implementation.
Actions:
·
Participate
in key meetings where regional economics are being discussed
·
Maintain a
role as a ’convener’ to encourage collaboration and coordination of
regional economic actions among stakeholders
·
Be a source
of current and accurate economic information for businesses, media, local
governments, etc. Stay informed of regional business and economic trends
and activities. Know what is going on in the area (e.g., attend
conferences, maintain library, send representatives to training
opportunities, post information on the website)
·
Develop and
implement a marketing strategy that consistently brands the Eatonville
Chamber of Commerce as a leader of regional economic policy.
·
Establish
and maintain a presence as a player in area economic activities,
discussions, and decisions.
Strategy 2:
Promote a healthy regional rural economy.
Actions:
·
Actively
participate in and support projects that implement downtown revitalization
planning and implementation.
·
Create a
web-based platform to support and promote internet marketing for local
goods.
·
Maintain an
inventory of trade area businesses.
·
Develop and
implement a program to encourage and match local services to local buyers
·
Support
rural transportation initiatives.
·
Include an
environmental ethic that supports conservation and stewardship of natural
and cultural resources.
·
Assure the
regional economy includes (at a minimum) the following components:
1.
Local agriculture (farming and forestry)
2.
Light industry
3.
Performing arts and artisans
4.
Tourism (food, gas, lodging, shopping, activities, etc)
5.
Public health
6.
Government (police, fire, emergency medical, parks, planning)
Strategy 3:
Support and promote
centralization of services in Eatonville.
Actions:
·
Establish a
regional medical center in Eatonville that includes an urgent care clinic,
provides physical therapy, and operates on extended hours.
1.
Develop a ‘concept paper’ describing the opportunity, barriers,
issues, etc.
2.
Send a formal letter to area hospitals, medical centers, and
physician’s associations describing the Town’s interest and requesting a
meeting to discuss the opportunity
3.
Meet and learn about one another’s interests, needs, issues,
etc.
4.
Form a committee to keep moving the project forward (develop
incentives; respond to issues and/or requests for further information,
etc).
·
Reorganize
and consolidate local police, fire, and emergency medical services into
one regional emergency services district that provides comprehensive,
efficient, and economical coverage for the entire region.
1.
Develop a ‘concept paper’ describing the opportunity, barriers,
issues, etc.
2.
Send a formal letter to area emergency services providers
describing the Town’s interest and requesting a meeting to discuss the
opportunity.
3.
Meet and learn about one another’s interests, needs, issues, etc.
4.
Form a committee to keep moving the project forward (develop
incentives; respond to issues and/or requests for further information,
etc).
5.
Consider the potential for establishing a shared Public Safety
building housing:
§
Fire/Emergency
Medical
§
Eatonville police
§
Pierce County Sheriff
§
District Court
·
Establish a
regional tourism center that provides both local and regional visitor
information.
1.
Establish a regional tourism partnership between the Town of
Eatonville, Chamber of Commerce, Mount Rainier Visitor Association, Visit
Rainier, and the Tacoma Convention/Visitors Bureau.
2.
Establish a Board of Directors.
3.
Develop a budget and a business plan. (Note: if National Park
Service presence and display of the Arrowhead is desired, include budget
item to reimburse Mount Rainier for the cost of employing a uniformed
position to staff the visitor center)
4.
Secure funding.
5.
Lease/remodel a building or buy land and construct a building
·
Establish a
regional transportation center and provide public transportation links to
regional destinations including Mount Rainier National Park, the City of
Tacoma, and Sea-Tac Airport.
1.
Participate in the planning, formation, and operation of a regional
rural transportation entity.
2.
Develop a budget and business plan.
3.
Secure funding.
4.
Lease or buy land.
5.
Design, permit, and construct the facility.
·
Establish a
Regional Non-Motorized Trail Network
1.
Organize a planning process to prepare and print a plan for a
regional trail network. Assure the planning process includes a public
involvement component.
2.
Formally adopt the trail plan by the Town of Eatonville and Pierce
County.
3.
Write grants/secure funding
4.
Enter into cooperative trail management agreement partnerships with
adjacent jurisdictions for the use/inclusion of existing trails.
5.
Assemble corridors and rights-of-way (land acquisition, easements,
agreements, etc).
6.
Develop design and engineering drawings and specifications for new
trails.
7.
Submit trail plans and drawings for the appropriate permitting
requirements.
8.
Construct new trails
9.
Empower a volunteer ‘Friends of the Trail’ non-profit organization
to steward the trail system
·
Establish a
Senior Care Center in Eatonville for independent and assisted living and
to provide home care nursing services.
1.
Develop a ‘concept paper’ describing the opportunity, barriers,
issues, etc.
2.
Send a formal letter to area senior services providers describing
the Town’s interest and requesting a meeting to discuss the opportunity.
3.
Meet and learn about one another’s interests, needs, issues, etc.
4.
Form a committee to keep moving the project forward (develop
incentives; respond to issues and/or requests for further information,
etc).
·
Provide
Pierce County services in Eatonville (e.g., building permits, vehicle
licensing, social services, etc).
1. Set up a study
session between the Eatonville Town Council and the Pierce County Council
to discuss/study the need for a county services satellite office in
Eatonville
2. Form a committee
to keep moving the project forward (develop incentives; respond to issues
and/or requests for further information, etc).
Goal
Two: Support
existing business and recruit new business.
Strategy l:
Provide business marketing, business plan creation, and financial
consulting services for existing businesses and those entrepreneurs
entering the local economy.
Actions:
·
Develop a
business mentor program (e.g., established business paired with startup)
·
Identify
resources that will assist in business and marketing plan development
·
Develop
local lending institution resources to provide business finance consulting
services
Strategy 2:
Maintain useful demographic information, business trends information and
economic analyses of the rural regional economy.
Actions:
·
Maintain
updated data set from Pierce County, regional and state collections
·
Develop
economic model to assess impact of Nisqually-Mashel State Park project
·
Develop
economic model to assess impact of ‘Train to the Mountain’ project
·
Develop
tourism economic model to guide that planning element
Strategy 3:
Market the Eatonville area and do outreach to recruit and welcome new
businesses.
Actions:
·
Establish
formal collaboration with communities and businesses in market area
·
Find
sponsors and grants to develop market segment planning (e.g., tourism,
agriculture and natural resources, and sustainable industries)
·
Develop
marketing materials and a welcome packet.
·
Consult/collaborate with the Pierce County Economic Development office.
·
Create
incentives to attract new businesses to the area and help them get
established (e.g., delay payment of development impact fees for the first
2 to 3 years).
Strategy 4:
Support and strengthen existing business.
Actions:
·
Support
strategic planning for cottage merchants.
·
Identify
all service industry businesses and attract them to join the Chamber
·
Create a
coordinated tourism strategic plan
·
Create an
area Wi Fi for free wireless internet access
·
Improve
business visibility on Internet search engines
·
Support
development of a “knock-out” website for the Town of Eatonville
·
Update the
Chamber of Commerce website.
·
Implement
SCORE program (senior retired executives provide mentoring services for
business planning, marketing plans, etc. See SCORE website.)
Strategy 5:
Establish a ‘business trust’ (or cooperative) with the ability to buy,
hold and resell businesses in transition between owners and to administer
a small business assistance program.
Actions:
·
Expand business definition to include agriculture,
natural resource and timber based business
·
For agriculture and natural resources, work with existing
land trusts and local agricultural agencies to identify potential for
transfer of development rights, conservation easements, and outright
purchase
·
Research and develop the business trust concept, such as
describing a business model, required capital and grant or private funding
partnerships.
·
Develop a small business assistance program to help new
businesses with ‘start-up’ costs (e.g., meeting building codes, permits,
applying for grants and/or low interest loans, etc).
Strategy 6:
Develop a regional
cooperative program that offers employee benefits and services for small
and rural businesses.
Actions:
·
Pool resources to purchase and maintain office equipment
(copiers, fax, mail service, etc).
·
Offer a benefits package that includes health and life
insurance, and a tax-deferred savings plan.
·
Maintain liability insurance for small business cooperative
members.
Goal Three:
Promote a comprehensive continuing education program in partnership with
business, industry, government, education, and community.
Strategy 1:
Develop a partnership between schools, businesses and local government to
provide continuing education programs.
Actions:
·
Develop a process for collaborating with local community,
school and town government for facilities use and instruction
·
Encourage participation by offering learning
opportunities in a variety of styles (e.g., seminars, conferences,
classes, workshops, guided tours, etc)
·
Establish a separate community college training center
(e.g., Pierce College branch campus)
·
Collaborate with the administration at Pierce College in
curriculum development
·
Coordinate with the Washington State Board of Education
to assure compliance with state laws
·
Include
opportunities for handicapped training and support
·
Promote job
mentoring, job shadowing, and internships with local businesses
·
Support
development of high school curriculum on business education
Strategy 2:
Offer a wide variety of learning opportunities on an array of
business
subjects.
Actions:
·
Develop
learning opportunities on the following subjects:
o
Management
o
Marketing
o
Advertising
o
Technology
o
Motivational
programs
o
Customer service
techniques
o
Networking skills
o
Decision making
o
Ethics & social
responsibility
o
Hospitality
Strategy 3:
Offer a wide variety of
learning opportunities on an array of life skills and general
interest subjects.
Actions:
·
Develop
inventory of life skills training (e.g., Town of Eatonville, Nisqually
River Council, Nisqually Tribe, UW Pack Forest, Mt. Rainier National Park,
Pioneer Farm, Good Samaritan Hospital, NW Trek, Camp Arnold, etc)
·
Develop learning opportunities on the following subjects:
o
GED
o
Parenting
o
Managing personal finances
o
Personal health
o
Environmental stewardship
o
Recreation/Outdoor Skills
o
Foreign language
o
Arts
Strategy 4:
Explore barriers and
develop plan to entice community college to operate in Eatonville.
Actions:
·
Develop a
‘concept paper’ describing the opportunity, barriers, issues, etc.
·
Send a formal letter to area community colleges
describing the Town’s interest and requesting a meeting to discuss the
opportunity
·
Meet and learn about one another’s interests, needs,
issues, etc.
·
Form a committee to keep moving the project forward
(develop incentives, respond to issues and/or requests for further
information, etc).
Goal Four:
Create a permanent, sustainable,
comprehensive, and inclusive community-based planning and governing forum
for the Greater Eatonville (the geographical area encompassed by the
Eatonville School District) based on a big picture vision for the area.
Strategy 1:
Nurture the creation of a
permanent stakeholder organization (existing or created) as the process
facilitator and keeper of the big vision.
Actions:
·
Identify stakeholders (e.g., who is working in the area?
What is their geographic footprint? What are their goals? Etc.)
·
Prepare a ‘white paper’ promoting the concept of a
“whole systems visioning approach” and explaining preliminary ideas for
the organization
·
Invite participants to become part of a new organization
Strategy 2:
Develop and publish the
“big picture” vision for the Greater Eatonville region through an
inclusive and collaborative planning process.
Actions:
·
Jointly develop an organizational structure while
facilitating an inclusive and collaborative planning process to develop
the big picture vision for the area.
·
Convene a ‘visioning summit’ intended to analyze and
explore the inter-relationships and commonalities between past and current
planning efforts of the Ashford, Eatonville, Ohop, and Tanwax communities
and kick-start interest in preparing one shared vision for the area.
·
Write, illustrate, and publish the big picture vision
document.
Strategy 3:
Integrate the forum process
into all local public and private planning activities; keep the vision in
the forefront of community efforts.
Actions:
·
Nurture and sustain a network of relationships with
public and private ‘stakeholder’ groups, organizations, and individuals to
maintain a shared understanding of roles, responsibilities, mission,
agendas in a collaborative partnership..
·
Develop a written media and marketing plan for
communicating and promoting the activities/accomplishments of the forum
and publicize regular forum gatherings (at least once a year).
·
Encourage Pierce County Planning and Land Services (PALS)
Department to develop a community plan for the remaining area of southeast
Pierce County that does not have a plan.
Strategy 4:
Develop, practice, model,
and promote the concepts of “teamwork”, “partnering”, and “proactive
change.”
Actions:
·
Participate in the projects and activities of other
agencies and organizations to communicate and further the objectives of
the forum
·
Organize community projects, events, and activities for
purposes such as fundraising, volunteer work parties, and PR promotions.
·
Practice values and ethical behavior. Model
participation and positive thinking.
Note: The Greater
Eatonville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors approved this strategic
plan for dissemination and implementation on December 1, 2007.
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