Public Power - June 2008 - (Page 69)

opted for Canby because it is just 26 miles from Portland and had a large parcel of land available at a reasonable price with rail service at the site. In addition to bringing jobs to Canby, American Steel’s arrival will bring money to the city. The 10-acre site is located outside the city’s urban renewal district, so taxes will be paid directly to the city, county and state agencies. A similarly sized facility outside the urban renewal district in Canby and paid $187,000 in taxes in 2006, according to the Clackamas County Department of Assessment and Taxation. “The number one thing we did right with American Steel was to be ready, because you never know when a large company will call you,” Comer said. “Prior to using the team con- cept, we would have just mailed a packet of information to the prospect and then had the economic development professional follow up with them. Having a response team creates a more effective marketing program. Other large businesses working with American Steel have also expressed some interest in moving to Canby, although no deals have been finalized, Comer said. After meeting with a prospect, Comer follows up with the team to share successes, help them evaluate their performance and to emphasize the importance of the team effort. Depending on interest, she may then pull together the entire team or just a few team members to meet with the prospect, depending on the prospect’s needs. In addition to using the response team to lure prospects, Canby leaders plan to invest urban renewal money to revitalize their downtown area, said Thompson. They are working with an existing developer and a theater owner to build an eight-plex downtown theater. This should attract restaurants and related businesses to the revitalized downtown and make the community even more appealing. “Our community response team is also working to attract commercial growth to Canby, in addition to industrial businesses,” Thompson said. “Much of the growth we have seen in Canby can be connected to what I learned at the conference.” “When I went, I had no expectation that a power conference would pertain so much to my work as an elected official in Canby,” she said. American Steel’s facility in Canby is currently under construction and should open in fall 2008. ❚ Cathy Swirbul (cathy@chscommunications.com), based in Kansas City, specializes in writing for the power industry. www.APPAnet.org JUNE 2008 69 http://www.teainc.org http://www.metertreater.com http://www.APPAnet.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Public Power - June 2008

Public Power - June 2008 Contents Perspective 10 Questions Finding Common Ground on Climate Change Solutions A Patchwork Approach to Renewable Energy Whose Grid Is It Anyway? The Little Utility That Could Benchmarking Customer Service Can Prairie Hay Power Your Town? Storming the Control Room Investing in the Smart Grid Coming of Age: Superconducting Cables Community Broadband Economic Development Customer Service Human Resources For Governing Boards Safety Parting Shot

Public Power - June 2008

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