The Clark County Commission has approved the Laughlin Economic Development Strategic Plan, including its implementation element.

This is the only known economic development plan created for any outlying area under Clark County’s jurisdiction.

At its April meeting, the Commission received an executive summary of the work conducted over the past 20 months by a local committee comprised of 15 residents from various fields, chief Clark County departments and consulting firm, Applied Development Economics. The project included a vast amount of research, input from specialists and a collection of credible data – all used by the whole group to draw conclusions and propose an implementation plan.

Laughlin Town Manager Jackie Brady called the formal acceptance of the plan “a watershed moment for Laughlin.”

“The Laughlin Economic Development Strategy will motivate and encourage our community in numerous ways. We now have a template that identifies our main objectives, our necessary partners and the steps needed to diversify Laughlin. It is important to point out that nearly every undertaking in the past decade has led up to this project having substance and significance at this time.”

Jackie Brady’s comments before a large audience at the Laughlin Town Advisory Board in December included lengthy discussions and a thorough presentation by Town Manager’s Office staff about the overall undertaking.

How to diversify the business climate beyond tourism and share key marketing messages with the right audiences that touts Laughlin’s unique recreational offerings were primary topics at the local meeting. Brady said the Laughlin Economic Strategic Plan is dynamic and will involve various stakeholders at both public and private levels. It will change as opportunities and conditions change.

“We have already taken steps toward success of this plan – in the past decade we have worked to make more public land available, furthered transportation infrastructure improvements and completed our land use plan update,” she explained. “Collectively, all these projects, including extensive studies on our regional economic base, demographics and growth trends, had significant impact in the timing, credibility and consequence of our economic development goals.”

The stated goals of the plan include:  

• Diversify Laughlin’s economic base to ensure economic stability and prosperity into the future.
• Encourage the location of retail, professional and business services within Laughlin. 
• Establish an economic development program for Laughlin.
• Increase Laughlin’s supply of qualified workers.
• Encourage renewed investment and development within Laughlin.
• Collaborate with other agencies, organizations and jurisdictions to achieve the goals of this economic development strategy.

This plan considerably intensifies the focus of Laughlin’s government on economic development-related work. Renewable energy, expanding medical facilities and distinctive commercial, retail and residential offerings are priorities of the plan.

Brady, Laughlin Development Manager Deborah Murray and Management Analyst Jo Elle Hurns have shared many sections of the plan and the area’s socio-economic data with the Town Board and public in the past three months.

“Delivering on what we are going to go out there to promote, sell and develop is a must for Laughlin’s future success,” explained Hurns. “We must have the answers about where utility lines are and what kind of incentives might be considered for each individual project. This is a very competitive and confidential arena we’ll get into. But, generally, our residents and everyone in local governments should be very positive and factual about our community and its many assets.”

Educating entities involved and engaging developers and business operators in discussions about Laughlin’s future are already underway. 

This strategy itself, compiled by Applied Development Economics, is an accumulation of existing conditions data as well as an inventory of Laughlin’s land, water, wastewater, utilities and roadway capacities. Projects of regional significance are also featured.

Murray explained to the Town Board that the plan is “a blue print” that will be used to further action and specific projects with partnering entities such as the Nevada Development Authority, the Laughlin Chamber of Commerce, the Nevada Small Business Development Center, leaders in land planning at the University of Nevada, the American Planning Association, the Urban Land Institute, and many state organizations.

“Laughlin is in an enviable and unique situation,” Murray said. “We have the ability to grow in an orderly and positive fashion given our current infrastructure and new land availability. Those items coupled with un-used water allocations, our proximity to rail, a major interstate and one of the nationals largest airports are all fundamental elements many communities do not have. Our resources can be used in more practical ways and within the visions of the Laughlin community. Laughlin residents have provided valuable input during this process and the Land Use Plan update.”

One primary next step in the economic development plan of Laughlin includes marketing the township. Hurns said promoting the 11 resorts and casinos as well as area golf courses are not the main messages in the marketing plan. Rather, Laughlin leaders will develop roundtables of stakeholders and create specific messages and collateral, depending upon the audience.

But generally, messages will be focused on the County’s recent acquisition of 9,000 acres of Colorado River Commission lands in south Laughlin expressly for future development. Sharing Laughlin’s unincorporated status in a state consistently ranked among the top three in the nation in which to operate a business (because of its tax structure), Laughlin’s location on the Colorado River just 90 miles south of Las Vegas, its traffic-congestion free reputation as a recreation paradise for “soft-adventure” enthusiasts all would be important assertions.

The Laughlin Economic Development Strategy will be available for review on www.accessclarkcounty.com under “L” for Laughlin. The button for the plan will be located near the bottom of the Laughlin Town Manager’s Office Homepage. 

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