093_HR0465

 
                                     LRB093 13202 HSS 18470 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic
 3    Opportunity  (DCEO)  is  charged  with  enhancing   Illinois'
 4    economic competitiveness by providing technical and financial
 5    assistance  to  businesses,  local  governments, workers, and
 6    families; and

 7        WHEREAS, As the State's lead economic development agency,
 8    DCEO works to capitalize on Illinois' strengths as  a  center
 9    of    transportation,    manufacturing,   and   technological
10    development; and

11        WHEREAS, DCEO's website, illinoisbiz.biz, is designed  to
12    provide  easy,  fast  access  to  the  information  needed by
13    economic developers and businesses; and

14        WHEREAS,  In  March  2003,  DCEO  added  LoopNet,  a  new
15    Statewide Sites and Buildings  database  to  illinoisbiz.biz,
16    providing  economic  developers and businesses with access to
17    more than 6,000 available Illinois commercial and  industrial
18    sites; and

19        WHEREAS,  The  General  Assembly  finds  that  a  key  to
20    economic development in Illinois is an easily-searchable site
21    selection database; and

22        WHEREAS, Many out-of-state companies utilize the Internet
23    and  state  site  selection  databases  to relocate to and/or
24    expand existing commercial facilities in Illinois; and

25        WHEREAS,  The  House  Republican  Task  Force  on   Rural
26    Economic   Development   held  more  than  a  dozen  hearings
27    throughout downstate Illinois in the summer of 2003; and

28        WHEREAS, At these hearings,  the  House  Republican  Task
29    Force on Rural Economic Development heard numerous complaints
30    from  local economic development officials regarding LoopNet,
 
                            -2-      LRB093 13202 HSS 18470 r
 1    including the problem that many  downstate  commercial  sites
 2    are  not   listed  on  LoopNet  and  can  only be accessed by
 3    calling DCEO officials directly; and

 4        WHEREAS, DCEO's Statewide Sites and Buildings database is
 5    not  easily-accessible  from  the  illinoisbiz.biz  homepage;
 6    therefore, be it

 7        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
 8    NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
 9    we urge the Governor and Department of Commerce and  Economic
10    Opportunity to work with the Illinois Development Council and
11    other  local  economic  development officials to redesign the
12    Statewide Sites and Buildings database and illinoisbiz.biz to
13    provide  easy  access  to  a  site  selection  database  that
14    includes downstate commercial sites; and be it further

15        RESOLVED, That suitable  copies  of  this  resolution  be
16    delivered  to  the  Governor,  the  Director  of Commerce and
17    Economic Opportunity, and  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the
18    Illinois Development Council.