HomeMy WebLinkAbout1/12/2023 Item 4a, Chamber of CommerceJanuary 10, 2023,
City Council
City of San Luis Obispo
9910 Palim St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 913401
Subject: City Budget & Goal Setting Process 2023-25
Dear Mayor Stewart and Council Members:
As the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce looks toward the City's 2023-25 financial' planning and
Major City Goals work, we felt it wouldn't be appropriate to talk about the future without first
,discussing the City's efforts of 2021-23. During our advocacy for the 20,21-23 budget and Major City
Goals, we highlighted the need for Community ,& Economic Recovery to be at the top of the City's
priorities given the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City responded with Economic Recovery, Resiliency & Fiscal Sustainability as one of your four major
goals. The investment and leadership that you, and the city staff put forward regarding this major goal
showed what the public and private sector can do when we all work together. Programs including Buy
Local Bonus, fast -tracked permits for tenant improvement, Mission Plaza pop -ups downtown lighting,
and childcare startup, funding helped ensure a healthy community would prevail through the rough,
waters created by COVID. Thank you for all your efforts.
To continue this progress, the SLO Chamber Board of Directors respectfully submits recommendations
for consideration in the 2023-25 financial and goal setting process, These key priorities for the business
community were determined after extensive, work, discussion and evaluation by multiple Chamber
committees and our Board, involving more than 80 business leaders and representing, more than 1,200
businesses and their collective 35,000 empIoyees,
We support continuing the below Major City Goals as they were constructed in the previous cycle:
r Economic Recovery, Resiliency & Fiscall Sustainability
• Diversity, Equity, and inclusion
• Climate Action, Open Space & Sustainable Transportation
The only existing goal that we would like to see modified with additional budget allocated is Housing
and' Hornelessness. Finding housing stock (both for -sale and rental) and addressing the homelessness
issue are key to our continued economic growth and the (long-term viability of our community. A lack of
significant progress on, these issues willl continue to hamper our ability to shape our community to the
place we all know it is capable of being.
The creation of more housing will likely have an indirect, positive impact to dealing with homelessness,
but it becomes too easy to lose sight of the individual efforts needed for each issue when they are
connected as one goal. For that reason, the SLO Chamber recommends that we decouple these items
and give each their own goal.
In separating Housing into its own goal, we must include the public infrastructure necessary to sustain
the housing we need. These items work together to create the sustainable community that is a key pillar
to San Luis Obispo's long-term vision. In addition, the County is currently working on a Housing and
Infrastructure Plan for our region. Ensuring the City has its own specific Housing goal, that includes our
infrastructure needs, will capitalize on the energy to develop a regional housing strategy.
To further support the Housing goal, the SLO Chamber recommends the City dedicate the funds
necessary to, begin a "Focused" General Plan update now that would allow needed adjustments to meet
the current realities of our development environment. That Focused General Plan update should
consider what steps need to be taken to create bandwidth for more housing, appropriate planned
infrastructure, and the development process to support a welcoming environment for the new housing
growth that is so desperately needed.
Regarding Homelessness, the SLO Chamber continues to stress the importance that this remains a
Major City Goal. We gladly offer our assistance and collaboration with the City to compel the County to
meet its obligation as the lead agency, addressing our unhoused population with both services and
facilities. The Regional Homeless Plan that the County passed which connects the county and the cities
in a concentrated effort is a great start, and we offer all our support to move this plan to action.
Thank you for considering this input from, the business community. We strongly believe that to create a
prosperous and sustainable future for all those who live and work here, we must continue to tackle
these key challenges and harness opportunities to preserve and enhance our collective quality of life.
SincerelYo—,
Aim antona
President/CEO
San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce
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