Economic growth and job diversity were prioritized as two central goals, especially as the PCDC moves to meet the needs of Pflugerville’s high growth rate.
The PCDC’s CEDS 1.0 was unveiled in 2016 and helped create 1,362 full-time jobs and $128.9 million in capital investments, according to a presentation submitted to council Dec. 10.
The main vision of the CEDS 2.0, according to PCDC documents, is to help turn Pflugerville into a “thriving, inclusive community that attracts and supports quality employers through aligned strategic investments, education, and marketing.”
The CEDS 2.0 was guided by a 34-member steering committee, along with the efforts of city and county officials, residents and local business owners, PCDC Executive Director Amy Madison said. The process, Madison added, included nearly eight months of studying, review and engagement with Avalanche Consulting to help identify key goals for continued economic prosperity.
The five tenets of the 2.0 plan are accelerating job creation, creating space for business, leveraging education, aligning efforts and telling the story. Collaboration is a recurring theme throughout the 2.0 plan, valuing continued partnerships with Pflugerville ISD, city staff, and regional business and workforce partners.
Tony DeLisi of Avalanche Consulting went over the results of the CEDS 1.0 plan and said that for the first time, the city's job growth has outpaced population growth—a balance between being a bedroom community and a primary job hub, DeLisi added, that needs to continue.
"Making 'some place' work doesn’t just happen," DeLisi said.
Mayor Victor Gonzales said following the success of the CEDS 1.0 and with the vision of CEDS 2.0 on the horizon, Pflugerville can continue to develop sustainable economic growth while also being an attractive place for new residents to call home.
“We’re already 'some place,'" Gonzales said, "and without a doubt, it’s the best place to be, and we intend to keep it that way.”
To determine the success of the plan, documents outline both global and internal metrics. Global metrics help to measure the economic health of the community, while internal metrics test how much activity is generated as a result of the CEDS 2.0.
Key global metrics highlighted in the report include the total jobs-to-population ratio, industrial and office square footage within the city, educational attainment of residents and sales tax revenue. For internal metrics, these include the number of jobs created and assisted by the PCDC, the average salary of jobs created, the number of workforce programs promoted and the number of job training workshops hosted by the PCDC.
“And now," Madison said, "we are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
