Okotoks Town Council approved some further recommendations regarding the Economic Development Implementation Plan at Monday's meeting.

Angela Groeneveld, Economic Development Manager for the Town of Okotoks, says the last few months have been spent compiling information.

"We need to be building relationships with the business community and finding out what their needs are. The last three months we've hit the ground pretty hard talking one on ones with the not for profits, with the different business organizations. We needed a more formal conversation to be compiling information," she said.

She adds there is much more to come as she continues to build and work with the team to ease business operations and expansions in town.

Groeneveld says the next steps look to strengthen the local business community.

"We're going to be bringing in a change-maker, facilitator bringing us all to the table and like a memorandum of understanding of each other's roles, and how do we compliment each other, how do we tie in to all of the traffic flow that's happening on the outside of the business community, and just be one strong business community," she said.

Over the next year, Groeneveld and her team will continue to build relationships with the local business community, while developing strategies to promote new and retain existing business in Okotoks.

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