Chamber of Commerce and City of Wauchula Host
Business Exchange
In late May, the Hardee County Chamber of Commerce
and the City of Wauchula co-hosted a business card
exchange at Mojitos on Main Street in Wauchula. The
attendees were treated to Mojitos appetizers and had
a chance to talk and network with other business
people in our area.
Rick Giroux, Manager of the City of Wauchula spoke
to guest bringing them up to date about developments
within the City of Wauchula. Here are some excerpts
from his discussion:
Since 2005, the City of Wauchula is pursuing a new
strategic plan and administrative agenda, and has
determined that there is a critical need to
implement and facilitate community development,
community promotion, growth and management
initiatives to take advantage of current and pending
population shifts and development trends.
Basically, by utilizing a three-prong approach:
•Develop
the necessary infrastructure to attain, support and
maintain our goals.
•Develop
and promote the City and its amenities as an
attractive investment location
and
“the place to be” when the requisite infrastructure
is in place.
•To
control and nurture the shape and content of the
growth and development while
maintaining
the City’s integrity and heritage.
This planned approached was designed to specifically
address what the Wauchula City Commission has
outlined as the City’s key objectives:
•Addressing
the spectrum of residential housing needs.
•Improve
the City’s ability to retain the young people in the
community.
•Address
the City’s short and long term economic and
community development
challenges.
•Set
up mechanisms to accommodate growth and development.
•Set
up mechanisms to promote growth and development.
•Set
up mechanisms to sustain and control growth.
Many
key infrastructure items need to be addressed in
order to do this, but there are three in particular:
•Wastewater
Treatment Plant Expansion
•Water
Treatment Plant Expansion – 5th Deep
Well
•Electrical
Substation Rehabilitation
Enhancement of the infrastructure foundation will
not only accommodate new community investment but
will attract it as well. Platforms for promotions
are now being developed, which include:
•Video
info-commercials to be aired and distributed
regionally, statewide and
nationally.
•Active
invitations to prospective investors via meetings,
tours and conferences.
•Redesign
of the city website to make it more user friendly,
more informative and even
interactive.
In closing, Wauchula has a bright future and the
City is working very hard to help create and usher
it in.
