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Home My WebLink About10-16-2012 ac clark 3 b2~councal memonanOu RECEIVE D OCT 16 201 2 MLO CITY CLER K DATE : October 16, 201 2 TO : Mayor and City Council FROM : Katie Lichtig, City Manage r VIA : Michael Codron, Assistant City Manage r By : Claire Clark, Economic Development Manage r SUBJECT : B2 : EDSP Council Question s The following is a series of questions from a Council Member regarding item B2 on the October 16, 2012, agenda . Staff responses are provided following each question . 1 . How many follow-up contracts or studies are programmed in this document ? A : As part of the Economic Development Major City Goal work program, the City Counci l approved funding for the creation of the Economic Development Strategic Plan, and for a n infrastructure strategy . Strategy 1 .4 in the Final Draft Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) identifies the scope of the infrastructure strategy, which includes identification o f key infrastructure projects that would provide a positive return on investment, analysis of th e City's existing impact fee structure . Also programmed into funding in Fiscal Year 2012-1 3 is the Community Development Department Organizational Assessment that includes permi t streamlining and process improvements . The work on this assessment is currently underway . Additional follow-up studies in the EDSP include : •Strategy 1 .5 (Prioritize land with greatest potential for near term development tha t supports head of household jobs ) •Strategy 1 .6 (Analyze infrastructure plans to ensure they are right-sized ) •Strategy 4 .3 (Identify all businesses with ten or fewer employees within the City , conduct a survey to determine their needs and produce an action plan to help thes e businesses grow ) In addition to these studies, some of the strategies identified in the EDSP may be complete d through contracts with our regional partners, such as the Economic Vitality Corporation, o r through contracts with private sector firms that can help staff with marketing or other specialized services . These activities include : •Strategy 3 .2 (Formulate a program to encourage businesses to implement voluntar y actions to improve the environment ) •Strategy 3 .3 (Prepare a view book of available properties ) •Strategy 3 .6 (Explore opportunities for marketing the City as a place to do business vi a the airport, train depots, and other locations where residents, business people an d tourists converge), MEETING AGENDA DATE ./7'/r-l-ITEM#.02 Council Questions Regarding the Economic Development Strategic Pla n October 16, 201 2 Page 2 •Strategy 4 .1 (Partnerships for business retention activities), •Strategy 4 .2 (Work with regional partners to bring attention to existing businesses ) •Strategy 4 .5 (Develop a plan for business attraction), •Strategy 4 .7 (Reestablish a Shop Local effort). 2.How will they be funded and how much will they cost ? A. The EDSP summary matrix identifies the general timeframe for each strategy, and associate d financial plan . Currently there are no cost estimates for projects that would be funded durin g future financial plans, however, the economic development work program for the 2013-201 5 Financial Plan will include this information so that the City Council can decide whic h activities from the EDSP should be funded in consideration of all other competing priorities . This process will be duplicated in successive Financial Plan periods to request and establis h funding for activities identified in the EDSP during such future periods . 3.Can we be assured that such studies will have a positive cost-benefit or cost-effectivenes s ratio ? A . Each study can be evaluated based on criteria established in the EDSP Matrix and in th e scope of work for the study . In general, the purpose of these studies is to ensure that there is a positive cost-benefit ratio for a given project, before significant expenditure occurs . Fo r example, the purpose of the infrastructure study would be to identify appropriate cost sharin g and return on investment for key infrastructure that the City may wish to move forward . I n general, staff would only recommend projects for approval by the City Council that wer e designed to be effective and result in a positive cost-benefit ratio . 4.Are the per capita income numbers on page 10 adjusted for inflation ? A . Yes, the American Community Survey is the source for that statistic and their data is adjuste d for inflation . 5.Should we add a finding that about a quarter of the City's workforce is self-employed ? A . Staff has not been able to confirm the source of this data and does not recommend the adde d finding at this time . 6.p . 11 : Within the shaded insert headed "Industry Clusters of Opportunity", the last sentenc e notes that the County's Economic Strategy concentrates on "five clusters (which)... were responsible for 89%of the job growth opportunities ." Over which period of time is this 89% figure computed ? A. The period of time referenced is 1995-2008 .