HomeMy WebLinkAbout092718 EDC packetCouncfl Economic Development Committee
Members:
Councilmember Cousens
Councilmember Mendez
Councilmember White
Second Floor Conference Room
Yakima City Hall
Thursday, September 27, 2018
1:30 p.m.
Staff:
Ana Cortez -Steiner,
Assistant City Manager
Joan Davenport, Community Development
Director
Agenda
1. Minute Approval
a. Review Draft Minutes from September 4, 2018 meeting
2. Discussions
a. Main Street business development
b. Downtown Central Plaza
c. Committee reports
d. Partner reports
i. Opportunity Zones — Johnathon Smith
e. Staff reports
3. Other business
4. October meeting cancelled — next meeting November 15, 2018
5. Future agenda items
6. Audience Participation
Others:
Cotinc
Members:
Councilmember White
Councilmember Mendez (alt)
Councilmember Gutierrez
Economic
Committee
2nd Floor Conference Room
City Hall
September 4, 2018
1:30 p.m.
gent
Staff: Others:
Ana Cortez, Assistant City Manager Luz Gutierrez
Sara Watkins, Senior Assistant City Attorney John Baule
Glenn Denman, Supervising Code Inspector
Julia Cruz, Permit Technician
Cally Price, Assistant to the City Manager
White called the meeting to order.
1. Review draft minutes from July 5, 2018 meeting:
The July 5, 2018 meeting minutes were reviewed. Gutierrez motioned to accept the
minutes as presented and White seconded the motion. The minutes were approved with
Mendez abstaining since she was not in attendance.
2. Review draft notes from July 26, 2018 meeting:
The July' 26, 2018 meeting notes were reviewed. Since there was only one Council
member in attendance, the July 26 meeting was not an "official" city meeting and therefore,
no formal minutes were taken.
3. Discussions:
White asked that the agenda items be changed and that Committee member reports be the
first item of discussion, followed by Main Street business development, Downtown Central
Plaza, Partner reports, and staff reports.
a. Committee member reports
i. Ellensburg Economic Development Conference
White reported that the Economic Development Conference in Ellensburg
was held recently and he thought it was a good conference. One of the
presenters indicated that the tourism focus has changed and that
communities need to build from within and move away from the traditional
model of building from the outside in. There was an emphasis on diversity,
walkability, and multi -model transportation.
b. Main Street business development
White suggested that committee members meet outside of this meeting to talk
about implementation of a Main Street program based on new thinking that
emphasizes community, urgency, flexibility and smaller financial
commitments. Gutierrez motioned and Mendez seconded that once the
committee members have a recommendation, they will present their concept
to the full Council. The members felt that full council needed to agree on how
this strategic priority should be defined: traditional economic development vs
unorthodox community economic development. The motion passed
unanimously. Once the full Council has provided input, then the Committee
will better define main street business development as a strategic priority.
c. Downtown Central Plaza
Cortez reported that the RFQ for maintenance and operation had a deadline
of 5:00 p.m. today.
Gutierrez and White expressed concern that the City's website had a direct
link to the Yes on the Plaza campaign website. City staff will follow up with
the Plaza Committee members to ensure that their website does not reflect
the City of Yakima as a partner and the City will remove any links to the plaza
website from the City's website. Staff further indicated that any links to
political sites was not appropriate and that the oversight was a mistake.
Gutierrez indicated that mistakes are often one sided.
d. Partner reports
Jonathon Smith was unable to attend the meeting so Cortez gave a short
overview on Opportunity Zones. There is funding available for cities to apply
for if they are an Opportunity Zone. Staff will ask Jonathon Smith to present at
a future meeting.
Staff reports
i. Proposed change to the business license ordinance per state statutes
Glenn Denman reviewed the proposed business license ordinance
changes necessary to comply with state law. Committee members
discussed the options and asked that option 2, with the threshold being
increased to $12,000, be presented to the full Council for
consideration.
e.
3. Future agenda items
a. Main Street business development
b. Yakima Central Plaza
c. Committee member reports
d. Partner reports
Jonathon Smith — Opportunity Zones timeline
e. Staff reports
Mendez asked about vacant buildings and if staff could look at the RCW for
utilization that Spokane recently adopted.
4. Audience Participation
Luz commented on Empowerment Zones, Cinco de Mayo and a new business recently
featured in the Business Times, vacant buildings, and a program being offered at Davis
High School.
The next meeting is scheduled for September 27 at 1:30 in the 2nd Floor Conference Room.
Jason White, Chair