Oregon’s Economic Revitalization Team: A Comparative Case Study of Two Development Projects Within the Willamette Valley Region

Abstract

In order to prepare for incoming industry and economic growth opportunities, local government and private interests alike must receive guidance from a host of state agencies regarding land use, water resources, building codes, and the like. The Economic Revitalization Team (ERT), consisting of ten state agencies, was created in 2003 by House Bill 2011 to streamline state and local efforts and coordinate state resources for economic development projects around the state of Oregon. The purpose of this study is to look into how the ERT’s efforts at streamlining and coordination contribute to its goal of better serving local and regional government through a comparative case study of two Willamette Valley ERT projects, one in Newport, Oregon, and one in Junction City, Oregon. While customer satisfaction surveys serve as one assessment of the ERT’s efforts, this study compares and collates the perceptions of both service recipients (customers) from the public and private sector as well as representatives from the ERT member agencies. The results include an analysis of the primary themes that comprise the ERT’s streamlining and coordinating efforts as well as recommendations for enhancing these efforts going forward.