2009-07-16 Economic Development Commission MinutesCITY OF EDMONDS
CITIZENS ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
July 16, 2009
The Citizens Economic Development Committee meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Community
Service/Economic Development Director Stephen Clifton in the Brackett Room, 121 5th Avenue North,
Edmonds. The meeting was opened with the flag salute.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
Michael Bowman
Marianne Burkhart
Stacy Gardea
Don Hall
Darrol Haug
Betty Larman
Beatrice O'Rourke
Evan Pierce
Kerry St. Clair Ayers
David Schaefer
Rich Senderoff
Bill Vance
Rob VanTassell
Bruce Witenberg
Frank Yamamoto
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT
Bruce Faires
Rebecca Wolfe
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT
Council President D. J. Wilson
Councilmember Peterson
Councilmember Wambolt
STAFF PRESENT
Stephen Clifton, Community Services/Economic
Development Director
Cindi Cruz, Executive Assistant
Jeannie Dines, Recorder
1. OPENING REMARKS BY CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Community Services/Economic Development Director Stephen Clifton thanked the Commissioners for
volunteering to participate, advising the Commission would expire on December 31, 2010. He identified
materials provided to the Commission in their notebooks including a handout "What is Economic
Development;" the City's past economic development activities; Economic development Strategies,
Programs, Projects and Opportunities; Resolution 1198 Addressing the Long Term Revenue Challenges
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Facing the City of Edmonds; Ordinance No. 3735 establishing the Citizens Economic Development
Commission; a summary of Ordinance 3735, and the Economic Development Plan adopted by the City
Council in 2006.
2.
Each Commissioner introduced themselves and described their hopes for this group/reason for being
involved:
• City has reached a crisis and little has changed
• This is an important effort to be involved in
• One of the Port of Edmonds' charges is Economic development, need to take this effort into
account during the Port's master plan for Harbor Square
• Business owner, interested in promoting businesses
• Look at businesses in other areas of the City contributing to sales tax generation as well as tourist
uses downtown.
• Economic development will slow property taxes increases
• Want to understand how the City can generate new revenues
• Look at different revenue streams and curbing expenses
• Love the City and want to help it get back on its feet
• Developing/promoting business in other areas of the City
• Address development issues
• Learn about city finances, be of service
• Use experience to leverage creativity from non-profit world.
• Put aside any political agendas to develop plan for sustainable economy for the entire city
• Use nonprofit, affordable housing as well as other public -private partnership opportunities
• Economic development is key to the City's survival
• Think outside the box, put aside preconceived notion, political agenda to develop revenues
needed to continue current lifestyle
• Survival of businesses depends on good economic development plan; without businesses
• Need local residents as well as visitors to shop here.
• A lot of untapped potential in Edmonds
• Build synergy between businesses and community, hope the Commission can find a way to do
that in a positive way
Councilmember Strom Peterson introduced himself, thanked the members for volunteering and offered
his assistance. Audience members Natalie Shippen, John McGibbon, Don Abadacola, and Brian Larman
also introduced themselves.
Council President Wilson explained Mr. Clifton and Ms. Cruz would staff the Commission but this group
would establish their own rules, elect a Chair, establish meeting schedule, etc. He relayed the
Commission has been asked to provide an interim report in late November/early December with some
initial thoughts/strategies. He cautioned this was not a budget review committee, but rather a revenue
generating committee. The purpose was to maintain and improve the commercial viability of Edmonds
businesses to increase sales tax revenue, draw more visitors, and increase property values which also
increases revenue to the City. He clarified this Committee's task was not to solve the City's budget crisis;
the focus was on economic development strategies.
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Council President Wilson explained another component of this Commission is to educate the public,
letters to editor, etc. to increase awareness and to build public support for the strategies the Commission
recommends.
Commissioner Burkhart suggested staff provide the Commission reports/studies the City has had done in
past but did not acted on. Mr. Clifton offered to provide summaries or links to studies on the City's
website as some were very voluminous. Commissioner Burkhart offered to provide studies done by the
Port such as in regard to business leakage outside the City.
3. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA
Mr. Clifton explained this item would be where Commissioners and/or staff could propose change to the
agenda.
4. PURPOSE OF MISSION OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
Mr. Clifton reviewed a summary of Ordinance 3735 that described the membership, term, officers,
meetings, powers and duties, deliverables, and coordinated report.
5. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW
Mr. Clifton advised the packet includes information regarding economic development as it relates to past
activities, as well as program, projects and opportunity presented to the City Council during their 2009
retreat. He commented there has been a great deal of effort with regard to economic development as well
as reports prepared that were not implemented due to a lack of consensus with regard to the
recommendations in the reports. Commissioners will also be provided a copy of the Community Trade
Economic Development booklet, "The 10 Commandments of Economic Development."
Mr. Clifton reviewed programs, projects and opportunities that Ms. Cruz, the City's former Economic
Development Director Jennifer Gerrand and he have worked on in the past with regard to:
• Promoting and sustaining a vibrant cultural community
• Tourism
• Tourism website
• General Marketing
• Business Retention, Expansion and Recruitment
• Business Improvement Area
• Development/Redevelopment
• SR99 Enhancement Project
• 4th Avenue Cultural Corridor
• Shop Local Campaign
• Fiber Optic Project
• Waterfront — acquisition, maintenance and preservation
• Amenities (beaches, Wayfinding, flower poles)
• Use of WSF, Sound Transit and FTA/FHWA funds
• Transit Oriented Development
• Edmonds Crossing
• Sound Transit Edmonds Station
• Ordinance 3735
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6. FUTURE GOALS
Staff and Commissioners discussed goals/missions/ideas for this group:
• Hold a workshop meeting where ideas are brainstormed, recorded and prioritized on a
whiteboard. Include the Chamber, Downtown Merchants Association, etc.
• Invite speakers to this group such as the City's former Economic Development Director Jennifer
Gerrand to talk about hurdles, what works and doesn't work, what she is seeing in other cities,
etc.
• The Planning Board would like to have a joint work session with this group. Biggest fear is if
there is a different messages from the Planning Board and CEDC presentations, nothing will
happen
• Commissioners need to read the City's adopted Economic Development Plan as it has and will
serve as a guide to economic development
• Involve the Chamber of Economic Development Committee
• Rumors that it is difficult to get property leases in the City, need to make it easier for businesses
to open Some businesses that wanted to locate here went elsewhere because it took too long.
Property management issues.
• City's code is not user friendly. Staff working on a code rewrite
• Issues exist with property management companies. Need property managers and developers to
see themselves as partners
• Need retail downtown, not service companies.
• Need determine goals, how bring people here, what is driver
• City is huge transportation hub — ferry, train — need to encourage people to stay in Edmonds
• The City's streets roll up at night, nothing to do
• Need more nights like tonight (Artwalk)
• Need to bring people to experience what Edmonds has to offer and bring more businesses in such
as food walk, etc.
• Shop and eat local map
• Charm of Edmonds is individually owned stores
• Encourage Commissioners to attend Downtown Edmonds Merchant meetings to see community
spirit
• Hold events to bring people in
• Need a nice hotel downtown to attract and keep visitors in town
• Edmonds not just downtown, need to get entire city involved, owner -occupied businesses in other
areas of the city also
• Renton reinvented itself, good example. Their economic development staff said whatever it takes
to assist a business, they will make it happen
• Edmonds has a downtown which many other cities lack
• Edmonds has unique business districts similar to Seattle
• Fastest way to turn an economic buck is tourism; the hard work is business growth, business
development, business retention, recruitment
• Thousands of people past through the City to/from the ferry
• Staycations are huge in this economy
• Have done noting to attract people to Edmonds who are here for the Winter Olympics
• City not open to doing what is necessary to bring in businesses. Businesses find better attitudes
elsewhere
• When Council passes an ordinance, no effort to go back and see whether the intent was realized
or if it needs to be changed
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• There may need to be an effort to reduce codes
• Simple, inexpensive ways to promote Edmonds, such as a sticker saying "I shopped in Edmonds
today"
• How does bringing people to city generate revenue? Need to understand the current economic
levers, which ones can be enhanced, determine how they can be enhanced and develop new ones
• Financial crisis has been coming for a long time. May need go back to what was working when
city had adequate funding compared the current situation
• People leaving ferry do not know how get downtown.
• Staff to provide revenue amounts for City REET, sales tax, property tax, utility tax
• Need to determine what want to be; the City has no industry
• What are the Port's plans for development?
• What type of businesses does the City/Port want, what businesses foster other businesses
• Does Edmonds have adequate staff to recruit businesses?
• Determine what business structure needs to be in place to foster other businesses
• When a business wants to locate in Edmonds, what needs to be done and what is the cost
• Signage regulations are too restrictive
• Trends in revenue in recent years, what sectors contribute more than others, be strategic and long
term in determining what needs to happen
• Broadband effort studied demographics of Edmonds. Older, more educated and wealthy and
more of a bedroom community than average
• Edmonds is only 1/2 a city due to the water, typically a core that radiates. Look at other 1/2 cities
adjacent to the water such as Mukilteo, Des Moines, Bellingham, Bainbridge Island, Kirkland.
Port Townsend and Cannon Beach , Oregon — what have they done or are doing with regard to
economic development
• Need to retain businesses, become destination
• Some are resistance to change, no building stock appropriate for businesses, need redevelopment
• Need to formally identify stakeholders and align them, there has never been a place where all
were brought together
• Bremerton Mayor brings property owners, businesses and developers together. Good cities such
as Renton and Kirkland bringing them all together. Discuss how to align toward goals
• Determine where revenue is coming from, trends, and identify what revenues could be increased
7. CHOOSE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR
COMMISSIONER HALL NOMINATED FRANK YAMAMOTO AND COMMISSIONER
LARMAN SECONDED THE NOMINATION. NOMINATION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Chair Yamamoto provided his email address: Frankgrunninginmotion.com
Commissioner Gardea volunteered to serve as Vice Chair.
A question was raised regarding the applicability of the Open Public Meeting Act to this group. Mr.
Clifton offered to confer with City Attorney Scott Snyder and report to the Commission regarding
quorums, email, etc.
It was agreed to add a public comment section to the agenda. Mr. Clifton advised minutes, agendas, etc.
would be available via the Economic Development link on City's website. Commissioners requested
there also be an opportunity for the public to submit comments with regard to economic development via
the website.
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It was suggested Commissioners identify their goals, staff provide financial information and the Planning
Board's goals/work plans be provided at the next meeting.
Mr. Clifton advised the Hwy. 99 Taskforce was making a presentation to the Planning Board at their July
21 meeting.
8. SET MONTHLY MEETING SCHEDULE
The next meeting was scheduled for August 13, 6:00 — 8:00 in the Brackett Room. It was agreed the
Commission would discuss the schedule for future meetings at the August 13 meeting.
9. SET AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING
Mr. Clifton requested Commissioners read the materials provided particularly the adopted Economic
Development Plan. He also offered to send Commissioners the Community Trade Economic
Development booklet, "The 10 Commandments of Economic Development."
Commissioners were invited to submit agenda topics to Chair Yamamoto who will set the agenda for the
next meeting.
10. ADJOURN
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:08 p.m.
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