2012-07-18 Economic Development Commission MinutesCITY OF EDMONDS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
July 18, 2012
The Citizens Economic Development Committee meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. by Community
Services/Economic Development Director Stephen Clifton in the Brackett Room, 121 5th Avenue North,
Edmonds.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
John Dewhirst
John Eckert
Kevin Garrett
Darrol Haug
Marc Knauss
Evan Pierce
Nathan Proudfoot
John Rubenkonig
Gail Sarvis
Rich Senderoff
Karen Shively
Darlene Stern
Evelyn Wellington
Bruce Witenberg
PLANNING BOARD LIAISON
Planning Board Member Kevin Clarke
COUNCIL LIAISON
Joan Bloom
PORT OF EDMONDS LIAISON
Bruce Faires
STAFF PRESENT
Stephen Clifton, Community Services/Economic
Development Director
Cindi Cruz, Executive Assistant
Jeannie Dines, Recorder
PUBLIC PRESENT
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT Ron Wambolt
Stacy Gardea Bob McChesney, Port Director
Don Hall
Doug Purcell
1. OPEN REMARKS AND INTRODUCTION OF NEW COMMISSIONERS
Community Services/Economic Development Director Stephen Clifton explained the Economic
Development Commission (EDC) was created in July 2009 with 17 members. Each Councilmember
appointed two members and the Mayor appointed three. The Council recently extended the sunset date to
December 31, 2015. There are seven members returning from the original commission and ten new
members. The Commission will select a Chair and Vice Chair to run meeting; Councilmember
Yamamoto was the Chair before becoming a Councilmember.
The EDC holds monthly meetings; the EDC previously met the third Wednesday, 6:00 — 8:00 pm. This
group can discuss and chose another date/time. The ordinance states date/time is selected by the Chair or
a majority of Commissioners.
The EDC is empowered to advise and make recommendations to the City Council and Mayor and work
with the Planning Board and Architectural Design Board (ADB) when necessary. The Planning Board
and EDC have held joint meetings in the past. The EDC is also tasked with determining new strategies for
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Economic Development Commission
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economic development and identifying new sources of revenue as a direct result of economic
development projects for consideration by the City Council. The Commission also may provide
reports/recommendations regarding strategies for economic development and other matters that will
improve commercial viability, tourist development and activities, etc. Deliverables include an annual
written and oral report to the City Council. The Planning Board and EDC created two combined reports,
delivering the first report in 2010 and the second in 2011. No report was created in 2012 due to
uncertainty whether the EDC would be extended. He anticipated the first report from this group would be
provided to the City Council in early in 2013.
Commissioners, staff and liaisons introduced themselves and Commissioners described their interest in
serving on the EDC and their thoughts regarding economic development:
• Would like to see progress on the work the EDC has done to date, many of them are valuable and
worthwhile to pursue
• Want to get involved, have a say and try to help the City grow and develop
• Believe citizens should do more than vote in their community
• Tremendous opportunity for economic development, not just the seven initiatives that the City
Council adopted. The EDC can play a role in the redevelopment of Harbor Square and the old
Safeway property, two very important issues facing the community
• The arts offer a tremendous opportunity; arts in the community are not being tapped to their full
potential
• Concerned most of City's energy aimed at the bowl area; Edmonds needs to grow on Hwy 99.
More interested in how it happens rather than what happens
• A lot of ideas have come from this and other groups but nothing happens
• When serving on last year's levy committee, saw depth of City's financial issues and limited
revenue options. EDC needs to look at opportunities to generate revenue because that is key to
helping the City grow
• EDC has a unique opportunity to evaluate and work on issues such as the waterfront; the
waterfront is more than just Harbor Square, includes old Safeway property, Senior Center, Union
Oil property, etc.
• EDC championed the idea of a Strategic Plan for the City; the results are beginning to emerge.
Hopeful the Strategic Plan will generate agenda items for the EDC
• Interested in coordinating EDC's efforts with the Strategic Plan
• Interested in a method of crossing the railroad tracks to improve access to the waterfront
• Interested in year-round public market
• Look at economic development as a bridge and find synergy within the community. Find
compromises to generate revenue to maintain traditional services
• Hope the Strategic Plan will help set priorities but also important to continue efforts EDC was
doing before
• Interested in more and better outreach, via the Commissioner to the Councilmember who
appointed them, formal presentations to the Council, and liaisons communicating with their group
• The EDC's job is to promote ideas that increase revenue and are acceptable to the Council
• Interested in developing tourism in Edmonds via new ideas and perspectives
• Want to see development of Edmonds as a whole not just the downtown core. Edmonds is not just
the bowl. A lot of people pass by other areas such as Firdale Village but nothing going on there
• Downtown Edmonds Merchants Association (DEMA) promotes downtown but need effort to
promote entire City
• Stronger relationship with the City Council is paramount
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• Suggest Commissioners review the 1999 HyettPalma Study as there are a lot of similarities
• Want to see things happen
• Planning Board meeting regarding form -based code very interesting; recommended the Council
consider that method
• Want to become more knowledgeable so can communicate with and educate the public
• During 10 years in Navy saw a lot of ports and near -water cities and how they developed a
tourism base
• Interested in role City government can/should play. Looking forward to discussing things the City
can do with the existing resources and to work with the business community, synergy from the
private and public sector working together.
• Want to help the City grow, not necessarily get larger but to improve its economic health
• As former business person, recognize the need for cohesiveness between the areas outside the
bowl. Hope to disperse some of the good ideas that have been developed into other areas. Hwy 99
is good place for growth
• If Edmonds does not do something, other cities will take advantage of the revenue opportunities.
The EDC's job is to improve the economic health of the City
• Interested in being involved with EDC due to perception that the community's economic vitality
is continuing to slide. Edmonds does not have the tax base that neighboring cities have
• Have seen form -based code work very well in other communities. Possibly a hybrid form of
form -based code can be coupled with the Strategic Plan
• Interested in capturing opportunities on Hwy 99; that is the closest many people get to Edmonds
• Concern there is an "us versus them" attitude with regard to the bowl and other areas of the City.
Without the bowl Edmonds not have an identity but Edmonds is more than just the bowl
• EDC has a vital role to play. Current economic situation and decline in the real estate market has
impacted the City's budget.
• Interested in how downtown and other areas such as Five Corners, hospital, Hwy 99, Westgate,
Firdale and residential areas will evolve
• Greatest opportunity is tourism. Edmonds has a unique waterfront environment, need to capture
that
• EDC needs to act pragmatically. When identifying ideas to pursue, consider, 1) whether will have
a material impact on the City's revenue situation, and 2) whether the idea is consistent with the
community's values. If an idea is identified that is economic feasible and consistent with the
community's values, the EDC needs to advocate for it and convince the community and the
Council it is a good idea. Council makes final decision.
2. AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA
There were no changes requested to the agenda.
3. APPROVAL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 16,
2012
COMMISSIONER HAUG MOVED TO APPROVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
COMMISSION MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 16, 2012. COMMISSIONER WELLINGTON
SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
4. PURPOSE AND MISSION OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
a. Ordinance 3735 and Resolution 1198
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Mr. Clifton advised the purpose and mission of the Commission was described in his opening remarks.
Ordinance 3735 created the EDC and Resolution 1198 described the need to address revenue shortfalls
and ways of generating revenue.
5. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW
a. Past Economic Development activities
Mr. Clifton referred to information he provided regarding past economic development activities 1984-
present, noting the emailed version includes hyperlinks. A number of presentations have been made to the
EDC by the Port's Executive Director Port, Snohomish County Economic Development Council, and
from the Economic Development Directors of Lynnwood and Bothell, and Mountlake Terrace's City
Manager.
b. Programs, Projects and Opportunities
Mr. Clifton reviewed the document he provided entitled, Programs, Projects and Opportunities,
explaining this is a preliminary framework of ideas the EDC may want to work on and programs that are
underway.
C. EDC/Planning Board Proposed Initiatives/Priorities
Mr. Clifton encouraged Commissioners to think about and propose initiatives and priorities.
6. FUTURE GOALS
Mr. Clifton offered to send hyperlinks to the HyettPalma and Heartland studies and PowerPoint
presentations made to the EDC. He invited Commissioners to inform him of topics they want information
and/or a presentation on. Last year the EDC created four subgroups, 1) technology, 2) land use, 3)
tourism, 4) strategic planning.
7. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR
a. Although Stephen Clifton has been designated to staff the Commission, a
Chairperson chosen by fellow Commissioners runs each meeting.
Mr. Clifton explained staff is here as a resource; the Commission is facilitated by a Chair that is selected
by Commissioners. The Commission may want to delay selecting a Chair and Vice Chair for a few
meetings until Commissioners get to know each other.
In response to a question regarding Commissioners' terms, Mr. Clifton explained the term of seven
returning Commissioners expire at the end of this year. The ten new Commissioners' terms expire
December 31, 2014. The term of Commissioners appointed in January 2013 will expire December 31,
2015. Commissioners whose term expires can ask to be reappointed.
8. SET MONTHLY MEETING SCHEDULE (THE COMMISSION SUNSETS AND EXPIRES ON
DECEMBER 31, 2015)
It was the consensus of the Commission to continue meeting the third Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
9. SET AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING
Mr. Clifton encouraged Commissioners to read the document he provided entitled, What is Economic
Development, created by the Washington State Department of Commerce.
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A brief discussion followed regarding Commissioners emailing each other. Commissioners were
cautioned not to create dialogue via email as it can be a violation of the Open Public Meetings act. A
quorum is eight or more Commissioners. Discussion continued regarding the role of liaisons and the
Council's recent approval of an ordinance to allow Student Representatives on all boards and
commissions.
Mr. Clifton suggested at the next meeting staff provide the status of the Five Corners and Westgate
Special District Studies, the status of the Harbor Square Master Plan process and an update on the
strategic planning process. He invited Commissioners to attend the Strategic Plan retreat on July 31, 6:30
— 8:30 in Council Chambers.
Mr. Clifton offered to provide Commissioners a link to the form -based code that was presented to
Planning Board and the Westgate form -based code that the UW is revising based on the Planning Board's
input. The form based code presentation is airing on the City's government channel (Comcast Channel 21
and Frontier Channel 39) at 4:30 p.m. daily. Links to the PowerPoint presentations are available on the
City's Strategic Plan webpage.
Commissioner and liaisons comments/suggestions included the following:
• Provide Commissioners a copy of the EDC's original vision and mission statement
• Provide an update on the Highway 99 Task Force
• Suggest Commissioners read the minutes of prior EDC meetings to get a flavor of the group,
ideas that were presented/stalled, etc.
• Review progress to date in Lynnwood, Bothell and Mountlake Terrace
• EDC needs to do a better job communicating with the public about work done on areas outside
the bowl
• Slow economic times provide opportunity to do groundwork to establish vision for community
before development starts again
• Learn from failures such as private/public partnerships in Burien, Everett waterfront, and
Woodinville
• Previous Commission spent time preparing business districts for potential development, not
significant effort on incentives to attract development. Suggest that as the focus of a
subcommittee
• Research what incentives other municipalities are adopting
• Provide update on CTAC and fiber optics network
• Commissioners should tell others they are on the EDC, opportunity for outreach, solicit opinions
• Provide information regarding public markets in Bellingham, Everett. Seattle Times article
regarding five top public markets in Washington
• Consider smaller markets in areas outside bowl
10. MISCELLANEOUS
11. AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Ron Wambolt, Edmonds, commented he was on the City Council in 2009 when the EDC was
established and 17 knowledgeable Commissioners appointed. He was excited the EDC has been
reconstituted with new knowledgeable people and he looked forward to their ideas.
12. ADJOURN
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
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