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Upper Shore
Regional Council
Fostering
the physical, economic, and social development of Cecil, Kent, and Queen
Anne’s Counties, Maryland. |
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Regional Plan
Community
Introduce the work of the Council to community
stakeholders with the objective to partner with stakeholders in efforts to
obtain feedback for review of current and future products, and elicit
information and potential community support membership for committees and
sub-committees.
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Communicate with local press members
to announce USRC projects and success; present issues and projects to
community based organizations and identify community leaders and
citizens with skill sets to match project needs.
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Encourage media and community based
organizational leaders to attend USRC functions.
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Foster ongoing dialogue with community
stakeholders to develop projects that will benefit the Council and the
upper shore region.
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Develop and establish a presence at
community and business events that will increase knowledge of Council
activities and Council projects.
Business Development
Identify opportunities to enhance business
development and retention in the Upper Shore Region.
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Infrastructure: Work with the county
economic development offices, county planning departments and county
information technology departments, and the individual county chambers
of commerce to identify and support development of infrastructure needs
to accommodate appropriate business development.
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GIS Mapping: Work with county
planning departments and county website developers to implement and
maintain current GIS mapping and information for economic development
activities in an effort to promote business retention and solicitation.
Work with Washington College and/or other resources to continue updating
data base and GIS mapping of business parks, industrial parks and other
regional facilities for concentrating economic development activities.
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Infrastructure: As a member of the
Maryland Broadband Cooperative, create a business plan, and oversee the
construction of a fiber optic cable infrastructure to provide wholesale
bandwidth to Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP) and Internet
Service Providers (ISP) to bring ubiquity of broadband to the region and
create competition that will stabilize prices at an affordable level
consistent with urban rates. Identify and work with private sector
Internet Service Providers (ISP) and Wireless Service Providers (WISP)
within the region to provide last mile service to both business and
residential customers.
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Investigate potential development of
high tech industries and programs that can utilize the development of
Broadband capability for economic development or for the general welfare
and education of the region.
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Oversee the construction of the fiber
backbone connecting existing components in Elkton and on Kent Island
through the upper shore region.
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Expand Economic Development Committee
to include regional industries and educational representation to
accomplish objectives.
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Hold quarterly Economic Development
Committee meetings and sub-committee meetings as necessary to complete
objectives.
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Support and investigate implementation
of affordable housing report developed by the Kent County Chamber
Workforce Housing Task Force to stimulate action of County governments
by providing information and program support necessary to move forward
with implementing initiatives, suggestions and guidelines to agencies
and County representatives.
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Seek funding to research the potential
for secondary level vocational education on a regional scale by
determining the business need for vocational training, working with the
Chambers of Commerce within the region and other groups to explore the
need for vocational education to supply trained personnel for the
region’s workforce.
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Research and explore the possibility
of partnering with the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, the
Department of Business and Economic Development and Chesapeake College
to provide opportunities for businesses to access training in an effort
to build, support and sustain sufficient workforce.
Agriculture
Support alternative approaches to
profitable agriculture and preservation of agricultural land.
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Expand the certification of the
Maryland Department of Agriculture ISO 65 Certification for the
exportation of agricultural non-gmo and Identity Preserved (IP)
products.
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Assist Chesapeake Fields Institute in
the development of a regional educational and production facility.
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Assist Chesapeake Fields Institute in
the development of marketing and promotion of regional ventures as it
pertains to packaged and wholesale products.
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Assist in the marketing of regional
agricultural products.
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Identify and educate congressional,
state, and local legislative bodies on laws, ordinances, and policies
that are reducing the potential for successful and sustainable
agricultural programs within the region.
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Track and support legislative issues
that impact agricultural interest and provide essential information to
individuals and businesses within the region that are affected by
government programs.
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Maintain active membership on the
Rural Maryland Council Board of Directors as well as explore
opportunities to membership in national agricultural affiliations.
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Convene quarterly and as necessary,
monthly meetings of the USRC Sustainable Agricultural Committee.
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Assist regional agricultural sales
through publication of goods and services and assisting small businesses
marketing programs.
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Prepare a legislative agenda for
distribution to and review of the USRC membership.
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Determine the feasibility for
establishing the position of a USRC Regional Agricultural Coordinator.
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Research, update and implement
reproduction and reprint of the Upper Shore Harvest Directory to include
enhanced features for online accessibility and use.
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Complete the development of multiple
business plans for the creation of a vineyard management company (VCM)
and other activities to support and encourage the development of
vineyards and wineries within the region: solicit vineyard management
companies to expand operations to the upper shore region or assist local
farmers/entrepreneurs to establish a VCM in the region.
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Initiate dialogue with the Upper Shore
Workforce Investment Board to develop, research, and implement workforce
training opportunities to increase labor pool necessary to support and
sustain vineyard management company project.
Regional Detention Center
Facilitate
the Architectural and Location Study for a Regional Detention Center to
serve the Upper Shore Region.
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Participate in the Regional Detention Facility Planning Committee along
with representatives of Kent County, Queen Anne’s County and Caroline
County Detention staffs overseeing the Phase II Assessment of Planning
of New Institutions by the United States Department of Justice, National
Institute of Corrections.
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Facilitate discussion and exploration of modern telecommunications
functions within the County Justice and Court systems incorporating
plans and telecommunications abilities into the regional facility.
- Utilize
infrastructure of NetworkMD and the Maryland Broadband Cooperative to
provide teleconferencing abilities within the County justice system to
reduce transportation time and cost and enhance safety.
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with the Upper Shore Regional Detention Facility location Committee
consisting of County representatives, engineering staff and citizen
representatives to recommend, hold public hearings and facilitate a
location for the regional facility.
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Participate in touring of Regional Detention Facilities in the Tri-State
area in an effort to gather information necessary to move forward the
Upper Shore Regional Detention Center project and draft management and
organizational operating plans.
Planning
Assist Counties and towns within the region and on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland to establish regional planning efforts through facilitation and
leadership of Smart Growth programs and providing information to encourage
collaborative efforts and consideration of individual comprehensive plans.
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Maintain membership on the Delmarva
Leadership Team incorporating the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Sussex
County, Delaware of the Urban Land Institute.
· Follow-up
the 2007 Upper Shore Regional Council Smart Growth Planning Conference
with informational updates and meetings to bring municipal, county, and
state efforts together by partnering with the Urban Land Institute
Delmarva Leadership Team and the Maryland Department of Planning for the
annual Smart Growth Planning Conference which will incorporate all Eastern
Shore Counties through utilizing the Tri-County Councils.
· Participate
in county efforts to accommodate issues related to BRAC planning for
potential residential growth and economic development of technology
transfer to private sector applications.
· Participate
on the Eastern Shore BRAC Opportunities Subcommittee to research, explore
and discuss opportunities for regional inclusion for BRAC related business
activity for economic development on the Eastern Shore.
Tourism
Assist regional
tourism efforts by coordinating programs of collaboration by County
Tourism Directors.
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and distribute pamphlets of citizen and visitor interest relating to the
region.
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Facilitate discussion of collaborative efforts to assist individual
County tourist plans by utilizing regional programs and activities.
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Investigate the expansion of the Delmarva Low Impact Tourism Experiences
(DLITE) to the upper shore region.
Council Operations
Expand Council
operations to assist local and regional efforts by coordinating
collaborative programs.
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Research opportunities for funding sources to enhance, develop and
expand local and regional projects and programs.
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Investigate
the potential of establishing a Research and Development position to
assist County Chambers of Commerce, County Economic Development Offices
and USRC with specialized projects.
Transportation
Explore regional transportation efforts by coordinating
programs of collaboration with established transportation agencies.
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Research opportunities for utilizing existing transportation agencies to
develop a rural, regional transportation plan for the Upper Shore and
Mid-Shore Counties.
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