Blythe/Palo Verde Valley Economic Development Partnership

 

Project Summary
The Desert Regional Consortium is comprised of community college workforce and economic development leadership within the Inland Empire/Desert Region. In 2006, the Consortium received funding from the California Community Colleges to enhance the Consortium’s capacity to support economic and workforce development efforts within its rural and remote sub-regions. The Blythe/Palo Verde Valley region was selected as a pilot region for the demonstration project. Project experience and strategies will inform similar efforts throughout the region and state. Palo Verde College, located in Blythe, is most closely involved in the project and is one of eleven community colleges within the Desert Regional Consortium. Representatives from Riverside Community College currently chair the Consortium and provide additional project management and support.

A local steering group met in Fall 2006, framed the project’s local purpose and action plan and selected a project name – the Blythe/Palo Verde Valley Economic Development Partnership. Michael G. Dolence and Associates (MGDA) was contracted to facilitate project planning dialogues and develop a synthesized economic development view the Blythe/Palo Verde Valley region. Planning sessions throughout the project included representatives from the City of Blythe, Palo Verde Valley College, Blythe Chamber of Commerce, Riverside County, Palo Verde Unified School District, Palo Verde Irrigation District and other community and regional representatives.

 

Project Purpose
The Partnership will employ and assess the effectiveness of several strategies intended to:

• Promote development of the Partnership and its capacity to support and create workforce and economic development opportunities.

• Develop an organizational approach to coordinate and integrate the various projects and efforts that serve the economic development needs of the Palo Verde Valley.

• Assess the needs, barriers and critical pathways to developing and implementing an effective economic development strategy for the Palo Verde Valley.

• Document and draft a synthesized view of a Palo Verde Valley Economic Development plan to serve as a platform for continued economic development planning and action.

 

Project Partners:

Palo Verde College
One College Drive
Blythe, CA 92225
http://www.paloverde.edu/
Contact: Quenton Hanson, Director
Small Business Economic Development Center
760-921-3804

City of Blythe
235 N. Broadway
Blythe, CA 92225
http://www.cityofblythe.ca.gov/
Contact: Charles (Butch) Hull, Assistant City Manager
(760) 922-6161, Extension 240

Blythe Area Chamber of Commerce
201 S. Broadway
Blythe, CA 92225
http://www.blytheareachamberofcommerce.com/
Contact: Jim Shipley, Executive Director
(760) 922-8166

 

Links to Project Resources

Blythe/Palo Verde Valley Vital Statistics
Meeting Minutes/Agendas

 

• Economic Development Action Plan (Final Report)
• Blythe Executive Summary (Final Report)
• Blythe/Palo Verde Valley Economic Development Partnership, Meeting Minutes, 8/13/07
• Blythe Mayor, Robert Crain, summary of report to Rotary 8/29/07
• Colorado River Indian Tribes and Blythe, CA Economic Impact Analysis (prepared by Ernst & Young, dated January 12, 2005)
• 2004/2005 Socio-Economic Benchmark Statistics Palo Verde Valley, California (prepared by M. Cubed, dated February 2006)
• Palo Verde Valley Community Improvement Fund Business Plan (prepared by Claggett Wolfe Associates, dated August 31, 2006)
• Economic and Community Profile Year 2005 (brochure prepared by City of Blythe Development Services Department)
• Blythe California-The City of Outdoors on the Colorado River (brochure prepared by the Blythe Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Information Center)
• City of Blythe Residential Project List and City of Blythe non-Residential Project List (prepared by City of Blythe Planning Department, dated May 2006)
• City Manager’s State of the City Report (2007)