Tri-State Advanced Manufacturing Center for Excellene_Letter of SupportTHE CITY OF
Dui
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
band
AI -America City
r
2007 • 2012 • 2013
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Letter of Support for "Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership
(IMPC) Designation" Application
DATE: April 3, 2014
Economic Development Director Maurice Jones recommends City Council approval of a
letter of support for Tri-State Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence (being
developed by NICC) for designation as a "manufacturing community."
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
1„.1-t44 ,,,,,
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Maurice Jones, Economic Development Director
THE CITY OF
Dui
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
katil
All -America City
1111
2007 • 2012 •2013
Economic Development Department
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864
Office (563) 589-4393
Fax (563) 589-1733
TTY (563) 690-6678
http://www.cityofdubuque.org
TO: Michael Van Miliigen, City Manager
FROM: Maurice Jones, Economic Development Director
SUBJECT: Letter of Support for "Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership
(IMPC) Designation" application
DATE: March 21, 2014
INTRODUCTION
The Tri-State Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence (being developed by
NICC) is applying for designation for the City of Dubuque as a "manufacturing
community".
This is not a grant competition. Twelve (12) selected communities will be offered
preferential consideration for up to $1.3 billion in federal dollars and assistance from ten
(10) federal agencies.
BACKGROUND
In December 2013, the Obama Administration launched a national competition to
designate "manufacturing communities." The Federal Register notice announcing the
competition was issued by the Department of Commerce's Economic Development
Administration.
The Tri-State Advanced Manufacturing Center for Excellence initiative to be supported
by this designation will meet WI, IL, and IA regional demand for workforce, specialized
training, consulting, technical assistance, prototyping, research and development, and
related activities in the advanced manufacturing sector.
DISCUSSION
NICC's VP Business and Community Solutions, Wendy Mihm-Herold, has asked for the
City of Dubuque's support for their application to this program.
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The application materials indicate that a community may compete for designation as a
consortium that includes at least one or more of the following eligible organizations:
♦ Regional economic development district organization
♦ Indian tribe
♦ State, county, city or local government engaged in economic infrastructure
development activities
♦ Institutions of higher education
♦ Public or private non-profit organizations or associations acting in cooperation
with local government officials
Dubuque would clearly include several of the above, so should have a strong
application. Furthermore, if selected Dubuque would be in a better position to receive
funding for economic development efforts in the coming years. We would also receive a
dedicated federal liaison at each of the federal agencies participating in this program, as
well as recognition on a government website accessible to prospective private foreign
and domestic investors who are looking for information on communities' competitive
attributes.
Our approach in the letter would be to speak of ways in which we do and will partner
with NICC and the Tri-State Advanced Manufacturing Center for Excellence to support
economic development efforts in the tri-state area and the City of Dubuque. We would
also include a dollar equivalent of our support where possible.
RECOMMENDATION/ ACTION STEP
I recommend the City of Dubuque sign and submit a letter of support for designation as
a "manufacturing community".
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THE CITY OF
DUB'T E
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
AII-America City
1I 1 1 1'
2007
March 24, 2014
City Manager's Office
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4805
Office (563) 589-4110
Fax (563) 589-4149
TTY (563) 690-6678
ctymgr@cityofdubuque.org
www.cityofdubuque.org
Mr. Ryan Hedgepeth
U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Suite 78006
Washington, DC 20230
Re: "Proposals for designation as a Manufacturing Community"
Docket No. 131121981-3981
Dear Mr. Hedgepeth:
The City of Dubuque is pleased to submit this letter of commitment to the Tri-State
Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence submitted by a strong partnership of
education, business, government, economic development, and workforce entities to
designate the project region, anchored by Dubuque, Iowa, as a designated
"manufacturing community" under the Investing in Manufacturing Communities
Partnership (IMCP) program. The Tri-State Advanced Manufacturing Center for
Excellence initiative to be supported by this designation will meet WI, IL, and IA regional
demand for workforce, specialized training, consulting, technical assistance,
prototyping, research and development, and related activities in the advanced
manufacturing sector.
This government -wide initiative to help communities cultivate an environment for
businesses to create well -paying manufacturing jobs to accelerate the resurgence of
manufacturing is certainly applauded in the Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois region working
to garner this designation locally. The 25 -county project region believes the groundwork
it has laid through a recent Economic Development Authority grant (06-06-05877)
reveals significant need and opportunity for the designation to lead to investment, buy -in
from local stakeholders, diligent long-range planning, and the capacity of the public-
private partnership in the region to attract and expand manufacturing to improve the
community's industrial ecosystem.
Governmental and Economic Development partners such as the City of Dubuque will
strengthen this proposal. Commitments will include leveraging ongoing economic
development projects such as:
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
Mr. Ryan Hedgepeth
March 24, 2014
Page 2
• DubuqueWorks regional economic development partnership of employers,
funding partners, workforce experts and educators to meet the workforce needs
of local employers through a focus on human capital, skill development, and
collaboration and evaluation.
• Opportunity Dubuque, an employer -driven workforce solution to train low -skill
workers to meet middle -skill local jobs.
• Staffing time will be leveraged to attend meetings for the Advanced
Manufacturing Sector Board, assistance with meeting businesses to evaluate
their needs and referrals to services.
These programs receive annual support from the City of Dubuque, currently in excess
of $70,000.
Thanks for your careful consideration of this proposal.
Sincerely,
Michael C. Van Milligen
City Manager
MCVM:jh