COURT HOUSE – Existing economic conditions and implications of the Covid pandemic over the past two years were brought to light June 1, when members of the South Jersey Economic Development District and Cape May County Planning Department presented highlights of the county’s Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan to community representatives.
The South Jersey Economic Development District obtained a grant in support of Covid recovery efforts, and Cape May County elected to use the funds to develop the plan, which looked at pandemic implications on the current state of work, demographics, workforce, and business community.
In addition to the data analysis, identification of future forces, and other areas, there are more than 30 recommendations based on an assessment of these market conditions, which emphasize implementable and measurable activities to achieve the county’s economic goals.
Called a “guiding, living document” to guide the future economic development of the county, county Economic Development Program Coordinator Joseph Molineaux said he and others will be taking the presentation on the road, meeting with various municipal and business representatives to see what issues they want to tackle, how to plan and prepare for solutions, and determine if they need county help.
“The plan is broad enough to approach it and tailor solutions for each municipality,” Molineaux said. “It’s time to begin the conversation.”
The plan was developed by Econsult Solutions Inc. (ESI), a Philadelphia-based firm that provides businesses and public policy makers with consulting services in urban economics, real estate economics, transportation, public infrastructure, development, public policy and finance, community and neighborhood development and planning.
They pulled the report together over a six-month period, engaging various stakeholders through surveys, interviews and roundtable discussions.
The recommendations were categorized as those that could be addressed short-term, or within 12 months; medium-term, within one to two years, and long-term, within three or more years.
During the hour-long presentation, two consultants highlighted recommendations under five categories.
Strengths and Challenges
In looking at the workforce and employment demographics, small business data and entrepreneurial efforts, Corrine Packard Beasely, ESI director, said the consulting firm looked for strengths and challenges for future economic factors.
For example, the county’s population is “aging and declining, the opposite of what is happening across the state,” and summer 2021 “was a great recovery year for summer employment.”
She noted the summer seasonal workforce in 2019 was 56,500 compared to 46,300 in 2020 and up to 58,400 in 2021.
During the height of the pandemic, she said there was “a new trend in the ways people are working,” with about 10% of the county’s working population having the ability to work remotely.
“There is a shift in the workforce and a trend to working from home, or the shore,” added Gina Lavery, ESI senior vice president. “People are thinking more about the quality of their life.”
Packard Beasely reported that 79% of residents lack high-speed fiber optic services, another factor impacting future economic growth. About 600 municipalities provide telecom networks throughout the U.S.
“Pre-pandemic, we saw a 12% growth in computer and math-related occupations,” Lavery explained. “In the next 10 years, this is not a strength in Cape May County. Teleworking and the digital transformation are causing structural changes to the national labor demand that we need to address here, too.”
Federal funding is available, she said, to develop “green infrastructure for sustainable improvements.”
New Jersey plans to reach 100% clean energy use by 2050.
Other infrastructure factors affecting economic development is that 51.4% of land in the county is in a special flood hazard zone, and the sea has risen about 7 to 8 inches since 1900.
4 Core Principles Used
Lavery said the firm used four “core principles” in their recommendations for economic resiliency, so “people will want to live here year-round,”
They are:
* Continue to invest in the thriving tourism industry
* Attract more business and residents
* Provide robust business support
* Ensure infrastructure investments for future growth
Structure/Organization
Packard Beasely highlighted three of eight recommendations, which included improving economic development program resources, establishing a housing task force to address the housing issues (such as home values increasing 20% and people can’t afford them), and supporting and strengthening local businesses with additional resources to help in such areas as marketing, financial planning, management, and strategic planning.
Branding/Marketing
Two of four recommendations were noted, including elevating the county’s profile as a year-round destination to attract new businesses by highlighting key assets and amenities, and promoting niche tourism sectors, such as breweries, wineries, and distilleries, to capitalize on the shoulder and offseason.
Workforce Development
One of five recommendations was highlighted: To create a regional seasonal workforce marketing campaign whereby students can work/intern during the summer for educational credit and job training.
Strategic Partnerships
Of five recommendations, one highlighted at the presentation was to target educational partners to strengthen the culture of innovation in the county, particularly in areas such as bird migration, ocean and marine studies, wind energy, aviation, and smart technology.
Infrastructure
Two of five recommendations were highlighted, including extending the free fare/low-cost bus transportation to key destinations.
“About 10% of county residential households have no access to a vehicle,” Lavery said. “We heard that transportation was a major barrier for jobs.”
The second recommendation was to plan for smart technology, such as electric vehicle charging stations, as New Jersey has a robust “charge up” program.
“We have already started working on some of these areas,” Molineaux said,” such as offseason marketing, implementation of the BizHub business support system, and others. Our next steps will be to meet with community representatives on how we are going to tackle these issues.
“We want community and business representatives to tell us how they want to tackle the issues and how we can help. Let the conversation begin.”
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.
