(1) To identify policies and strategies that will:

(a) Promote workforce development, including development of residential housing necessary to attract and keep employees in the region, and economic development;

(b) Facilitate development or prevent decline of regionally significant industrial sites;

(c) Create or maintain jobs in the region; and

(d) Improve access to career and technical education, workforce training programs and higher education to enhance the availability of a qualified workforce for employers in the region.

(2) To make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly for policies and strategies intended to improve the availability of career and technical education, workforce training programs and higher education for the purpose of improving the availability of a qualified workforce for employers in the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Region.

(3) To identify specific laws that place specific workforce development or economic development efforts in the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Region, including development of residential housing necessary to attract and keep employees in the region, at a competitive disadvantage to the same type of efforts in the areas across the Oregon border as described in ORS 284.786.

(4) Subject to the availability of funds in the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board Fund, to make grants or loans to qualified applicants pursuant to ORS 284.791, not to exceed a total of 10 active grants at any one time.

(5) To establish a means to evaluate grants or loans made by the board and the department, including, but not limited to, determining the number of businesses or regionally significant industrial sites assisted, the types and amount of resources leveraged, return on investment criteria, performance and outcome measures and methods to evaluate the impact on jobs and wages in any area of the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Region to which grant or loan moneys were applied or in which they were utilized.

(6) To facilitate collaboration among employers, local governments, state agencies and stakeholders for the purpose of enhancing and expanding workforce development and economic development in the region.

(7) To consult with affected school districts, community colleges and universities and the Employment Department in identifying policies and strategies that will enhance and promote workforce development to improve the availability of a qualified workforce for employers in the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Region.

(8) To report annually on or before December 31 of each year to standing and interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to economic development regarding implementation and administration of the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board and grants or loans made by the board and the Oregon Business Development Department pursuant to ORS 284.791. The report may include recommendations regarding proposed legislation and strategies to improve workforce development and economic development in the region. [2017 c.703 §4; 2019 c.72 §2]