The City of Morrow Planning + Economic Development Department was recently created to manage current and future development issues, and to ensure quality growth in both residential and commercial areas of the City.

Mission Statement
The Mission of the Planning + Economic Development Department is to ensure that the future of the City of Morrow will be a livable community and that it has a sustainable economy.

Action Statement
P+ED will accomplish the Mission by taking Actions that are efficient, effective and focused, and will be clear, concise and achievable based on the data from professionally performed studies and proper due diligence.

Purpose Statement
The Department's Purpose is to provide attractive neighborhoods and a strong business community that creates/retains jobs for the residents of the City and the surrounding area.

Overview of Core Services
The Planning + Economic Development Department is responsible for managing the future of the City through the administration of the Comprehensive Plan and associated, Zoning, Land Use, and Development Ordinances, and through the direction of the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council.

P+ED is also responsible for managing the economic issues within the City by providing tools and incentives that help the business community thrive and therefore provide job opportunities. In addition, the P+ED Staff serve as the administrative arm of the Downtown Development Authority, the Urban Redevelopment Agency and the Morrow Housing Authority, including responsibilities of managing the properties owned by these entities.

P+ED will serve as a link to all the community including the residents and the business owners through outreach programs and community involvement. Residents depend on P+ED for information about infrastructure issues in their neighborhood as well as details about the process of property regulations and zoning ordinances that manage the common good and protect property values. Business owners can depend on the P+ED to understand their issues and needs, and will work to offer sophisticated programs that help businesses reach their goals. The Department will also serve as a resource for all census information and economic data and the studies that help to assess and plan for the City's future.

Department Objectives
Customer Service – P+ED Staff acknowledges we are public servants and therefore wish to behave and take actions that continually recognize that we are responsible for the citizens, business owners and visitors to the City of Morrow. The directive will be to provide friendly, proactive and responsible customer service where all those assisted are assured that we have their interest as the central focus.

Management Objectives - The Planning objectives and the Economic Development objectives require seemingly unrelated tasks however effectiveness and success of each is required to ensure the City can sustain itself in the future. The following priorities have been established that describe the tasks necessary to complete and reach the management objectives:

Priority 1 - Create Business / Financial Management / Asset Review Plan
Priority 2 - Begin Marketing Group / Public Relations Program / Outreach
Priority 3 - Development Plan for the Olde Town Morrow Site
Priority 4 - Create "One-Stop-Shop" for Assisting Business and residents in Morrow
Priority 5 - Restructure Zoning and Comprehensive Planning Approach
Priority 6 - Design Redevelopment Plan for Area Identified in LCI Study
Priority 7 - Focus on Hotel, Senior, Multi-Family/Mixed Use Development
Priority 8 – Investigate Charter + Private Schools / CID's / TAD's / Opportunity Zones / Small Business Programs / ED + CDBG Programs
Priority 9 - Cooperative Effort with CCED on Gateway Village Project
Priority 10 – Partnerships to Promote Parks/ Active Recreation / Nature Preserve

These management priorities have further been detailed into short and long-term tasks:

Short Term:

• Streamline Operations/Financial Clarity-Transparency-Simplification
• Effective Management tools and processes
• Organization of Department/Outsourcing – Broker Leasing, Landscape, Maintenance
• Begin Public Relations Program including Website Makeover
• Re-imagine OTM – Market Study / Feasibility/Business Plan/Operations Program/Pro-Forma – Business Modeling
• "One-Stop-Shop" – Ordinance Review/ Zoning / Permitting / Plan Review / Licensing/ Inspection /Code Enforcement – Simplifies process and more efficient internally
• Complete Zoning/Development Ordinance review + rewrite to coordinate Comprehensive Plan
• Detail Redevelopment Plans for Targeted Areas including Incentive Programs
• Gateway Village Management Process

Long Term:

• Relationship Re-Building w/Citizens, Businesses, CSU, Archives, County, State
• Promotes Charter/Private School, CID's, TAD's, Opp Zones, Small Biz, ED Incentives, Passive/Active Recreation, Reynolds Nature Preserve