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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-08-2013 pc yetterGoodwin, Heather RECEIVE D IAN n Q 2ni l *From: Sent : To : Cc : Subject: Attachments : Codron, Michae l Thursday, January 03, 2013 4 :46 P M Grimes, Maeve; Goodwin, Heathe r Lichtig, Kati e FW : SLO Chamber letter - major city goals 2013-1 5 010313 Budget Priorities 2013-15 .pdf SLO CITY CLER K Agenda correspondence for Tuesday . Michael Codro nAssistant City ManagerCity of San Luis Obisp o990 Palm StreetSan Luis Obispo, CA 9340 1(805)781-7112 office (805)540-0767 cel l mcodron@slocity .orq From :Courtney Kienow fmailto :Courtnev©slochamber .org l Sent :Thursday, January 03, 2013 2 :16 PMTo:Lichtig, KatieCc: Codron, MichaelSubject:SLO Chamber letter - major city goals 2013-1 5 •Hi Katie and Michael – I hope you each had a fantastic New Years . Attached you will find the letter regarding the SLO Chamber's positions o n the Major City Goals for the 2013-15 budget . I have already sent this to all of the council members . Please let me know i f you have any questions . See you Tuesday ! Courtney Kienow Director of Governmental Affairs San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce 805 .786 .2770 wwwslochamber .orq www .visitslo .com www.slo-businessco m • 1 • • ® San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerc e 1039 Chorro Street • San Luis Obispo, California 93401-327 8 (805) 781-2670 • FAX (805) 543-125 5 Ermina Karim, President/CE O January 2, 201 3 Mayor Jan Marx and Members of the City Counci l City of San Luis Obisp o 990 Palm Stree t San Luis Obispo, CA 9340 1 Re :City of San Luis Obispo goal-setting and budget process for 2013-1 5 Dear Mayor Marx and Council Members : The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors respectfully submits our top prioritie s listed below as the most important goals for the City to accomplish in the next two years . Thes e recommendations were reached after extensive discussion and evaluation that directly engaged nearl y 250 business and community leaders . You'll notice that many of them are directly consistent wit h priorities the Chamber has advocated for in recent years and that they represent long-term investment s in the quality of life for San Luis Obispo's residents and businesses . As indicated in the City's recently published Five Year Fiscal Forecast, the projected budget surplus in th e coming budget cycle creates unique opportunities as the City's planning efforts move forward. It i s important to keep in mind that the road to fiscal sustainability is ongoing, despite these projections . Efforts consistent with the cost containment measures such as the reform of the City's retiremen t benefits, of which the Chamber advocated for and that began in the 2011-13 budget cycle must b e ongoing . We submit the following recommendations with those realities in mind . 1.Implement the Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP ) Investment in economic development improves the lives of our citizens by providing greate r opportunities to live and work her e Increases our city's base of revenues so city services can be preserve d Creates opportunities to retain and grow businesses and the pool of head of household job s •Sends a message that we are "open for business " •Assists the local community to navigate economic challenge s •Supports development of much-needed infrastructur e •Implement the strategies of the community-driven EDSP focusing on those initiatives identifie d for completion in years one and two, including : a) Provide predictability and clarity in the permitting process : identify opportunities for permi t streamlining (Strategy 1 .1); build on existing efforts that offer site selection assistance , business liaison services, pre-application meetings, quick response team meetings, and fas t track permitting and review (Strategy 1 .2) Why: slochamber@slochamber.org • www .slochamber .org • www .visitslo .com • www .slo-business .com b)Analyze infrastructure plans : ensure they are "right-sized" for the community and reasonabl e (Strategy 1 .3); incentivize creation of head-of-household jobs through city investment i n infrastructure projects (Strategy 1 .5E); convene a broadband infrastructure team (Strateg y 2 .2) c)Conduct a fair share analysis (Strategy 1 .4); expand to include development impact fe e analysis of surrounding communitie s d)Provide a regularly updated portfolio of available properties (Strategy 1 .8 ) e)Evaluate the supply of land in expansion areas to prioritize areas ready for developmen t (Strategy 1 .9) j) Invest in local efforts to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem (Strategy 2 .1 ) g) Continue and increase support of diverse programs and events to promote San Luis Obisp o (Strategy 3 .4 ) h) Enhance data collection (Strategy 4 .3A, 4.4) i) Continue to provide support for the downtown (Strategy 4 .7) 2 . Focused effort on revitalization of Mission Plaz a Why: •With hazardous bridge conditions, poor lighting, and the appearance of blight, this area need s focused attention to bring it back to the high standard expected of our landmark location s •Continuous care is needed to enhance Downtown SLO, particularly the Mission and Mission Plaza , which are the physical, cultural, and spiritual heart of the cit y •Mission Plaza is critical to our city's economic development and tourism bran d •.Attracts residents and visitors to bring in needed sales tax and TOT revenues •Enhances the image of San Luis Obispo as a unique destinatio n •Core to the city's sense of place, community pride and community gatherin g How: •Develop a plan to finance public improvement s •Further implement the vision of the Downtown Concept Plan, with a focus on the Palm and Broad to Nipomo and Higuera street are a •Invest in adequate lighting for safety and beautificatio n •Through public-private partnerships, work with businesses that face the Plaza to create a safer , more attractive ambianc e The Chamber believes that our two top priorities address the City's desire to both increase revenues an d cut costs . In addition, the following recommendations will further these goals . 3 . Long-term fiscal health : pension reform and a contingency budget for Measure Y Why: •Ensure long term fiscalsustainability by controlling costs in order to be able to meet the curren t and future needs and priorities of the communit y •Continue to address growing operating costs, particularly in the area of staffing How: •Continued focus on addressing a reduction in General Fund staffing costs as a percentage o f revenu e •Engage public discussion on future pension liabilitie s •Create a contingency budget without Measure Y funds and provide enough time for adequat e community understanding of impacts ; make documents publicly available no later than Januar y • • 201 4 • Continue to employ a bottoms-up spending approach that critically evaluates the entire ecosyste m of city operation s Thank you for your consideration of these suggested goals and for inviting input from the community . We look forward to participating in the Community Forum on January 8 and in the other remaining steps i n the budget and goal-setting process for 2013-2015 . We believe your leadership on these priorities wil l ensure a sustainable and prosperous economic future for those who live and work here. Kris Yetter Chairperson of the Boar d Cc: Katie Lichtig, City Manage r Michael Codron, Assistant City Manager •