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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEconomic Advisory Board - Minutes - 06/21/2023Page | 1 04/19/23 – Minutes Economic Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, June 21, 2023 – 4:00 PM 300 LaPorte Avenue, Council Information Center 1. CALL TO ORDER: 4:00 PM 2. ROLL CALL a. Board Members Present –  Renee Walkup (Chair)  John Parks (Vice Chair)  Mike Colwell  Thierry Dossou  Denny Coleman  Mistene Nugent  Richard Waal b. Board Members Absent –  Erin Gray  Braulio Rojas c. Staff Members Present –  Jillian Fresa, Economic Health Manager, Economic Health Office  SeonAh Kendall, Economic Health Director, Economic Health Office d. Guest(s) –  Kevin Jones, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Board approved May Minutes 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. No unfinished business to discuss. Note the last memo the team submitted to Council was the Land Redevelopment Code – does anyone know when that happened? Council pulled down in January or February. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Economic Advisory Board Purpose & Role – SeonAh Kendall 00:12:01.810 --> 00:12:24.930 Renee: Well, hi! Everybody! And welcome to so far away from each other. Hello! To our Wednesday June meeting, and all to order, so we'll call pretty obvious. And I I suspect John's coming a few minutes late. and Let's see, everybody has a copy of the agenda and do we have any citizen participation? Page | 2 04/19/23 – Minutes Sounds like, no, but we have a couple of visitors. So thank you for coming. okay, so far, so good. We're just like rolling along here. Okay, So minutes. Are there any changes or comments? Minutes like every month? It's just. you know, Jillian, just you do such a great job on the minutes. We don't have to correct every comma, and Jillian: that was Wendy. But she's left us this month. We'll see how that turns out this month. Renee: so we won't nit pick the commas and the periods this time. So anyway, sounds like we might be good to go perfect timing SeonAh. So okay. So everybody has a copy of the Council calendar and What we'll do is after SeonAh does her presentation we talk about the goals and objectives, or we can talk more about the calendar lists or something else on this thing. I mean, it's mainly so. We can talk about our priorities. And we can do that after the presentation. Right? Okay. so new business. SeonAh thats, you 84 00:14:02.090 --> 00:14:22.219 SeonAh Kendall: so sorry. I ran off because I just ate some egg, and I am allergic to egg. So if I start to lose my voice, my epipen is here if anyone needs if I but I just took some antihistamine stuff. So we're going to hope that helps. So, economic health and conversations around economic advisory. So Jillian just asked me to come in and talk about the Economic Health office and maybe. really, this is more for you all. And what discussions and what you want to talk about more than like me talking at you right? So happy to have any discussions really open it up to, how can I help? 87 00:14:52.880 --> 00:15:01.989 Renee: So for for a little background, so so you've been to the city? How long? SeonAh: 11 years? Renee: Wow, okay. And all that time in the economic health office. Right? And so part of the objective of having SeonAh here is so she can answer our questions as well. Every month we say, how can we get councils? Attention! What can we do? What can we do? What are our restrictions? And the city has restrictions? So we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to have SeonAh of fill us in on. How can we get you know, and we'll ask questions, of course. But you know, how can we get councils attention more? What's the protocol? What are we allowed to do as a board? You know, as far as communicating with Council? And you know what's appropriate and what's within the rules and so forth. So that's why we asked SeonAh to be here. I probably should start with that. So we can talk about you know what, how moving forward, and this is a perfect segue to our later discussion of what we can do as a board, in order to move forward with some new objectives or different initiatives, or whatever. So that's that's the key. And SeonAh been around for so long that you know everything. Page | 3 04/19/23 – Minutes Really, you know about how the city works and so forth. So anyway, take it away. SeonAh Yeah. So I also was staff liaison on for the economic advisory at that time Commission and they were very clear in terms of the differentiation of commissions versus boards. Right? commissions are really quasi, right? Being able to really make decisions or on policies versus the Economic Advisory Board is really helping in inform council as well as making recommendations as we move forward. An example would be the economic health strategic plan. And really, what our areas that we should be focusing on. But not only in that space. But also I would say not just today. But what does our future look like in that space? so example is. Yesterday we went before council and talked about the chips zone, right preaching up a chip zone to encourage all of our semiconductor manufacturers to grow and support the chips manufacturing in our community. we have 11 semiconductor manufacturers specifically in Fort Collins. that would have been an opportunity for the economic advisory board to send a letter to say they are in port or not in support of that. Now that one was very fast moving. A couple of things that I would say we've been really working on is, how do we make sure we're communicating to the Economic Advisory Board of what we're doing? So we've set standard practice that if we are putting a memo together for a city council after it goes to to city council that we are sending it to you as well, so that you are informed of follow ups or additional questions all of those aspects. typically, if their memos to council, they have to be seen by council first . Yes. So that's the protocol of but typically what we've done is we've submitted, gotten all signatures. It goes to council packets the minute it's released in council package is when Jillian will then, and trigger and send to the economic advisory board as well. and we've done in the past, where the Economic Advisory Board will be for or against policies or incentive projects, all those opportunities. 110 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:05.849 SeonAh Kendall: So happy to answer anything. I'm just kind of, you know, rambling. What we have done in the past in terms of interaction and I guess question for you is, why did you join economic Advisory Board? And where do you think you want to lean in right and at value in in this space? And how do you think our office can support that? Renee: Thats a great question 113 00:19:22.550 --> 00:19:28.620 Mike: I'm probably one of the newest people here? I worked in economic development, I'm retired now and when I read the description I found it to be a very proactive opportunity to actually have influence to do things that would be helpful in the adivosry stand point. My experience so far, has been watching people present stuff that most cases is done and in a few cases the presenter honestly didn't know their material and couldn't answer any questions. So it kind of left me going I don't understand why I'm here. So I was basing it on the description on the website of what the role was. So I try, you know i've read a lot of Council minutes, and whatever I can get my hands on. But it's just so far my own experience, I can't speak for anyone else is I'm reviewing Powerpoint presentations and in some cases I don't know why the people are in front of us. I really don't know, and they're not telling us they're not saying, this is what I want, those what I wan t Page | 4 04/19/23 – Minutes from here, and people that I'm not sure they really came for feedback. or it's what we've already presented. This. This is over. It's a done deal. I can read that in the newspaper and on the way to the website. They have a great website, all that stuff out there. So that's where I'm at. 130 00:20:40.050 --> 00:20:42.930 SeonAh Kendall: I would say, minimum wage, sustainable revenue funding would be areas where I would actively encourage the economic Advisory board to be involved right to make statements. So in when we do what we call the agenda item summaries where we put together like here's the outreach we've done, there is actually a section specifically for boards and commissions. Have you talked to boards and commissions? Right. And which of them have you talked to? Mike: do we get that information pushed at us or do we have to go find it? 135 00:21:19.770 --> 00:21:21.620 SeonAh Kendall: I would say it's half and a half. So it it's upon, I think us to also look at the 6 month calendar and say here, the ones that I think economic Advisory Board can lean in on in that space. for sure. 137 00:21:36.580 --> 00:21:51.839 Mike: Yeah, definitely, I think, on the minimum wage one I remember asking, really on. And I think we'd already commented once, yeah. And then it was like, Well, that's done. So, I guess. So you SeonAh: I would have said, Do it again. Mike: Okay, SeonAh: right? Because information had changed every time Staff went to council for minimum wage. Additional information was given additional information and insight that might change the way the Economic Advisory Board's recommendations would have shifted. Same thing with sustainable revenue right, that actually shifted to property tax for and sales tax opportunities versus a large emitter fee or tax. Sorry they don't want to call it fee. Honestly the Economic Health Office, We did not lead minimum wage because we were in a rock and a hard place, but what we did was the back end analytics.Here's how many folks make under what is being proposed under minimum wage. So we had that information, and in helping and trying to inform that decision as it was moving forward. So. And I Page | 5 04/19/23 – Minutes think that's where the Economic Advisory Board could really look at the data and say, What is it trying to say? And making a recommendation for council? We know Council will both the way they need to vote. But having the Economic Advisory Board in the recommendations for against is also super helpful. We had someone from Air Quality Board yesterday, Kevin, that got up and talked specifically about the large emitter tax and the Chips Act. And so that's again where he said. I'm not representing the Air Quality Board, but I'm on the air quality board, And I have issues with this. 144 00:23:32.320 --> 00:23:35.310 Mike: So you're looking both for a group feedback and individual feedback? 145 00:23:38.130 --> 00:23:42.499 Mistene: I think, I think I mostly agree with everything that Mike is saying, I think to this point. which I think is gonna f or this discussion. we've not been very proactive as an organization to try to understand necessarily what's coming. So we were involved early on when minimum wage and we did submit a recommendation. I guess I haven't occurred to me personally, any way, that we would continue to do that. And that actually makes a lot of sense particularly sustainable funding, because watching those conversations evolve. They were different every time. we did as a group, We were way behind the 8 ball on that, though, and we did as a group decide that that train is probably left the station. 152 00:24:25.080 --> 00:24:36.159 SeonAh Kendall: another one I would talk about is land use code and the discussions there. Right? And because, remember this, this might be phase one where we're looking at residential. we know affordable, attainable housing impacts our workforce and economy as a whole. In addition after phase. One is phase 2 which is commercial, industrial. We anticipate. Eab will be leaning in on that. However, I do think that that conversation aound land use code, Economic advisory already has an opportunity to lean in, ask questions and make a recommendation. 156 00:25:02.740 --> 00:25:04.950 Jillian: So Rebecca came in December and then I reached out and we had a conversation about bringing them back. So I have this in there tonight to talk about. 161 00:25:18.670 --> 00:25:22.299 Mike: Oh, no, i was gonna follow up on your land, use code on on phase 2. When do? How do we track that? So we Page | 6 04/19/23 – Minutes know. I'm trying to figure, how do we know when to engage, how do without calling every day to asking, how do we do that? Jillian: Yeah, yeah. So during the planning meeting. That's when we have this discussion with John and Renee. so yeah, that's how we can determine that Mike: So, not to be, I just want to understand how It works. So John Renee meet with you. Are you filling them in on all these things? Jillian: So we review the 6 month calendar Mike: Just the city 6 month calendar. Does that include your stuff? 167 00:25:59.120 --> 00:26:04.989 Mistene: Does the 6 month calendar really capture everything? 168 00:26:05.130 --> 00:26:15.360 SeonAh Kendall: So it doesn't have items that are on the consent calendar. However, I get a review of a more detailed 6 month calendar, which I'll have every consent, item, every proclamation, and all those aspects that We could make sure that you have, that Jillian has access to it for the planning meeting, so that you can take a look at it. Right? Example is Chip Zone was on the consent. Calendar, right? I was like, please leave it on the calendar, because city is not financially contributing anything. All we are doing is enabling a zone so that businesses can take advantage of the credits that every other business will be able to take advantage of right, and so that you wouldn't typically see on a 6 month calendar, but it would be in our detailed one which talks about where the second readings, where the first readings, where the proclamation. So I'll make sure that Jillian has access to that the week of the planning team. 173 00:27:09.940 --> 00:27:19.260 Mistene: So is it appropriate for us to ask that there are conversations that happen here before the first reading of anything. SeonAh: yes Mistene: Okay. 174 00:27:19.860 --> 00:27:47.029 SeonAh Kendall: so an example would be strategic plan, right? We actually won't go to first reading until September. We have a work session, another work session, August eighth. So that's your opportunity to talk about that as well as any recommendations or changes that should be before we go to first reading. Page | 7 04/19/23 – Minutes Mike: so you'll be presenting that at our august meeting. 175 00:27:47.300 --> 00:27:56.370 SeonAh Kendall: Actually, you'd want that at your July. Mike: I would think so, again that SeonAh: It's a very condensed right? But yeah, so and because by the from the time presented to you, Eab, to the time when materials are due to the time it gets to council things might have shifted. So our materials are due 2 Wednesdays. So about 12 days before Council. So the Wednesday at noon, 2 weeks before that council meeting. Right? is when all materials must be turned into council. If anything changes, we have to do a read before me out to council for those materials, And depending on timing of the E conomic Advisory Board, you could see it could be a 6 week, It could be a week or a couple of days, Mistene: and we may get a formal presentation, We may not. but we could at least have an informal discussion kind of on what Staff is doing, what's being prepared? SeonAh: yes Mistene: So then, I don't know if this is a question for Rene and John. Are you in terms of timing of recommendations, city Council? So if we have some sort of discussion before first reading, do, should our memos go in before first reading, do we let them settle out? Is there a a point in the process? That is comfortable for us? SeonAh: There are 2 types of readings. So there's first reading of resolutions or ordinances. Resolutions only have one meeting, So it's first and then done. ordinances are 2 meetings, and you'll see, like the discussion around rental licensing. There has been some shifts between first and second reading, right? So they might ask for a spacing of time to be able to do some adjustments, those aspects. And then, after that second reading, there's a 10 day window, and then it goes into effect. So it's always better to do it the day you could do it as a read before memo the day of but they get inundated with documents. so my recommendation would typically be the the week prior when they get their back for the screen. Mistene: so before first reading? SeonAh: Yeah. 191 00:30:12.850 --> 00:30:14.780 Denny: SeonAh Hi. Thanks for being here. I have a question about the Strategic plan Review, is the possible incorporation of the e mulberry tract is that in that plan I'm kind of losing track of where that went after we get that initial presentation some time ago. 194 00:30:30.420 --> 00:30:40.170 SeonAh Kendall: so Michael Bussmann and myself are on the East Mulberry team and I believe that is also going August. I was just looking at the calendar on the calendar. Yeah, it was August or our September calendar. Let me pull that up. Renee: September nineteenth. Page | 8 04/19/23 – Minutes 198 00:30:58.550 --> 00:31:13.840 SeonAh Kendall: So it's this actual reading of economic health strategic plan First, reading as well as Mulberry plan. Denny: I think that's a critically important thing for the long term future of the city. 199 00:31:18.650 --> 00:31:20.780 SeonAh Kendall: So yeah, What I've been trying to do is making sure that Jillian has as much of the information as possible to forward to you know, all of you, and so that any information we're sending to council. You also are getting. So if you run into council and others, you will be just as informed on that. Mistene: But if we wait for that information to come, it could be, in most cases that's going to come 2 weeks before a presentation to council. Right? 203 00:31:52.430 --> 00:32:24.040 SeonAh Kendall: depending on the timing, it could be. Yeah. Mistene: So we need to be more proactive than that, at least an understanding. Richard: Well, are these documents available to the public? Could we get access to them so that we could? Mike: Yeah, cause right now we're kind of waiting SeonAh: so 6month calendar is available on FcGov.com as well as all of Council member packets including read before memo. Jillian: And I do send that in email to you all too. Richard: Okay, alright. So I'll look. 204 00:32:25.190 --> 00:32:38.869 Mike: I've looked through. So it's just a matter of timing, though, because we don't have that. So a 2 week window at a 4 week schedule. So it's if there's no communications. 205 00:32:39.090 --> 00:32:53.840 Jillian: Its also hard to, I feel like some project managers, Staff isn't necessarily ready to present to boards and commissions. So it is, It is about a timing thing. But if we do look ahead on this calendar. I think that's our best approach . 207 00:32:56.930 --> 00:33:00.569 Renee: yeah, it. The timing is always a challenge, because there are the presentations. Then we have to talk about, you know. Then we have to compose the memo. We have to get there in time for the packet. I think that's something we could talk about this afternoon, as far as being more proactive and planning better to get in those packets. Page | 9 04/19/23 – Minutes 213 00:33:24.950 --> 00:33:27.459 Mistene: and I think as a group my impression has been. We've been kind of dependent on SeonAh's team to bring information to us rather than being more proactive about understanding what city council is talking about and what's coming. So I don't have insight to what happens in your conversation, which maybe that's where that happens in that monthly planning meeting. I think, individually, as members on this board. I think we have a responsibility to seek out that information. 221 00:34:05.710 --> 00:34:13.409 John: Yeah. And you know, I think one thing I'm hearing interest and having a much more proactive and engaged board and I think you're absolutely right. It requires the you know, individual engagement as well as the group engagement. So it's been well, it's been about a year since Rene and I moved into our current roles and it was kind of off cycle because the chair At that point moved away. So you know, I think that we haven't really identified exactly what our, when the next elections will be, you know, and that's something that I think they could come up, you know, because I'm hearing a lot of interest and engagement in the monthly planning meetings, you know, and so I would be welcome. I'd be interested in trading my seat as vice chair with somebody else who might be, have more time on their hands, and be more engaged, and want to be more proactive on that. So that's something, you know. Just bring that up and we can. We haven't really talked about what the timeline is going to be, because in the past. We there's been a timeline that usually it's at the beginning of the year. But then you know, then there's people who don't really even know each other on the board. And so it seems to me that, at this point, halfway through the year, might 237 00:35:45.060 --> 00:35:48.469 Renee: the other challenge. Is that the way the Council has been meeting? They have their big planning meeting in what may, june? 239 00:35:56.250 --> 00:36:03.779 SeonAh Kendall: it used to be, but now, with elections moving to November we will see council priorities shift and they'll do the their big planning meeting. so we'll probably see council priorities. The new council priorities January, Renee: January. Okay? Because yeah, cause it's been, We've been calendaring like off cycle since we've been on the board, and it's by no fault of anyone. It's just the way the system has been designed, and you know. So you know, we'll be halfway into the year. Then we see the 6 month calendar. So the first half of the year, for the Eab is kind of like. Well, let's see what they're planning, you know, where their priorities are, so that will probably be an improvement since January is when we'll have new officers, and that's something we'll be talking about a little bit, you know, but we'll have new officers. We'll have their priorities, of course it won't be January first, but at least it'll be that first month or so, at least by February. We'll know you know what Council's priorities are. I think that will be helpful. so, SeonAh thing that keeps coming up is, you know, we've been talking about as a board, you know. How can we get councils Attention more? And I know about the packet. Of course we've discussed that. And we also know realistically that the Eab recommendations may or may not be under consideration, read by everybody on council. And so I think you know, And of course there's an election in November, so everything will probably change again. But in the meantime, Are there other things we can do to maybe bring, you know, bring our economic health from the Board to Page | 10 04/19/23 – Minutes Council's attention. So off, kilter, you know, memo, that may not be read, I mean What else could we do? That is more proactive. 250 00:37:58.920 --> 00:38:03.489 SeonAh Kendall: Coming to council, speaking during public comments, I would say, is one. If a council member is part of your district and your They're hosting a listing session. I think that's an opportunity where you go to a listening session and just say I'm John, and I also sit on the Economic Advisory board right? Like making sure they know that you're active, I think, is a big component of that. we're going tonight to South College listening session. both Council Member Peel and Council Member Cononico will be there right like those are things that again. It's the more they see you in the community, the more they understand that you have passion for it. Right this is. I saw councilmember peel last week, and she was like, I haven't seen you in like 2 weeks, and I'm like what I have been around. I've been trying right like, but I think it's an important piece for them to visually see, because memos only get you so far right as we know. So it is an important component of and not only talking about economic Advisory Board, but also, what are you seeing in the community? I think the whole purpose of having a community board like economic Advisory is to be the eyes and ears, and tell us if we're missing something, we're not seeing it ourselves. Right? I think t hose are really important spaces to be in, and not only telling us, but also telling council. So, council priorities, they have 31. Kevin: 31 Seonah: They have 31 council priorities, and in terms of what does economic health own in terms of those 31 workforce and collaboration with Pooter school district circular economy. They specifically say that they didn't put small biz as a priority, because it should be known just like housing Affordability is not a priority, but it should be knowing that it is right. But then those metrics are not recorded in a dashboard and not communicated at a quarterly basis. So I would say, knowing that workforce, specific in collaboration with Poudre school district as well as circular economy and the Economic Health Strategic plan, are priorities. Those are 2 that you can and should influence in terms of that work. 265 00:40:37.250 --> 00:40:43.270 Mike: So from your perspective, is it up to us to go find those things from you and others? Or is that delivered? I'm just trying to figure out what the function is, because I don't disagree going and talking with in person. It's a great idea, but it's it's kind of removed from it and saying, Yeah, by the way, I'm also on the board. So what the group function is, is it? SeonAh: They're being informed by their interest in the people who talk to them. Are you talking to Council? 270 00:41:04.120 --> 00:41:09.160 Mike: I'm not disputing that, I was saying that I'm trying to understand what you're saying. I just, to be frank, they're not really always reading everything, and I get it. They've got 31 priorities which there's a lot. i'm trying to figure out, it sounds like we have to go find all this stuff ourselves. That's what sounding like. 276 00:41:29.590 --> 00:41:40.759 SeonAh Kendall: I wouldn't say that you have to find them yourself. I think this is where you can rely on us, but also be as proactive as you want in this space, right? Because we're only, there's 8 of us right, and we've got our day to day stuff, But we also have What should Fort Collins look like for 2, 5, 10 years, Page | 11 04/19/23 – Minutes Mike: which seems like that would be the place we could do. There's a day to day nobody wants. I don't. I'm not going to speak for those. I don't want anything to do with the day to day. It's there's great people elected and paid to do these jobs. So 279 00:42:05.050 --> 00:42:15.209 SeonAh Kendall: it's been an interesting conversation the last few weeks I've been really talking about our economic health strategic plan during a couple of years. And I've been saying it looks like a regular strategy plan. right? Which is great. But where are we being bold? Where are we actually trying to really put in what does Fort Collins. an example is. we've got to talk about jobs and what good jobs look like right? It's not just the wage component of it. It is the opportunities within the careers that are happening in this space, right? The benefits, not just the pay, But the benefits that come along with that? So we've been talking a lot about we are going to do a visioning strategy session on, how do we become bold even circular economy right? I've been really like, how does this tie? Where does this work? And we are never going to move the needle and circular economy unless this Council gets comfortable with us attracting manufacturers to our community. Are they comfortable with that? Because right now I'm hearing No. but that does mean we have to go out and be proactive and attract. But those are going to be good paying jobs, one that align with the Fort Collins vision. Right? So those are ways that I think again, it's a lot of yes, saying the same things but also trying to be bold. 291 00:43:42.030 --> 00:43:50.829 Richard: So I thought about this, because when I've been listening to some of the Council conversations, and we talk about attracting businesses and stuff that nature. do we, We Fort Collins, have an idea when a business looks at Fort Collins, what other cities or towns are they looking at? What do they perceive for strength or weaknesses versus these other cities. And when someone goes to another place to understand, why is there kind of that type of process and things that we can read or get access to 297 00:44:33.220 --> 00:44:48.649 SeonAh Kendall: So we do have a site selection group. So when we get site inquiries we typically do not get follow up on why we were not selected but you can find out. The example would be, we lost a company to Loveland, right It's a small company. It will eventually be bigger, right? a big conversation around incentives, but also connection to resources and right. And they had something that was already site ready. We had said here's a couple of sites, but they're going to need to go through development review process, this right, all of these aspects to get you site ready versus they already had, But then you go Why do they already have one, that site ready. That's vacant. 300 00:45:05.630 --> 00:45:19.099 SeonAh Kendall: Yeah, right? Mistene: There are also things that are in talks about minimum wage, emitter tax. There are things like that that are not business friendly. 301 00:45:19.200 --> 00:45:29.320 Page | 12 04/19/23 – Minutes SeonAh Kendall: development fees Mistene: development fees, All of that that goes into it. And so sorry I'd like to go back to Mike's comments and questions, because about how proactive we are. I mean, my viewpoint is this members on this board. It's our individual responsibility to be proactive and seek out information and to read the economic plan and the strategic plan and all the information that's coming out. And so I think, what's happening is we're evolving as a board as new members have come, and as topics in the community have gotten more intense right land use code, minimum wage the tax, the taxes that are coming. So I think that stuff has come up, you know. Previously it was plastic bags, and trash collector, which is you know, pretty mundane. And so I think, as we've moved through some of these new topics, we've said, Okay, wait a minute. Now. We're kind of behind the 8 ball We don't have the influence or the conversations that maybe we should. 308 00:46:30.270 --> 00:46:32.520 Richard: So part of my question, kinda was linking back, the taxes that they're looking at asking in the next election. I would, You know, it's not that, i'm for or against taxes. I just want to know where the money is going and why, and if the investments be made, it's going to attract businesses or get the right housing or whatever economic outcome those taxes are. And I've been struggling, And it could be me, It's struggling to find what the Board or the Council thinks those economic outcomes are And we you, I guess it doesn't exist the Why, but you know, just because on the last one they said, okay, let's put a 5 mill tax on our property taxes. Okay? Why? you know. I just asked my wife, do you think they should You know, Renovate the mulberry pool. She d oesn't swim. She doesn't know about it. She doesn't know about the rec centers and I learning about it and We dont work out at the rec center but I just kind of want to understand why, what the vision is of why it's going to be good for fort collins. and is there any numbers or any thought behind it, besides platitudes? And I, when I hear it, it's mostly this will be great, because attract business, But what are the numbers behind it? What? What type of business are you attracted? And that's really, if you want us to help you my estimation. That's where we can really help you. 330 00:48:10.210 --> 00:48:14.399 SeonAh Kendall: Yeah, yeah. Here's what I would say. I know Mistene does it. She calls me or will send me an email. I'm happy to talk through all of right, like she's been pretty proactive about, hey? I'm finding this or I need to understand this more right. And she and I have also talked about why are you talking to me versus development review or right? And so that I can help inform my counterparts in the development review team like, Hey, do you understand? It's not good cop back cop. It's really- Here's the conversations that are happening here. What our job is to huma nize businesses in our community. Plain and simple. Because right now, what it was happening, especially with a large emitter is the fact that they were like, this is the easy but button. It's going to hit 2 businesses. Mike: that was the first part of the presentation i perceived part of that Point. General topic was, its only going to be two. I'm thinking, they're big. Mistene: And they're bringing new jobs. SeonAh: And it's impacting all those jobs. Right? Mike: and that vendor pool that supports them. Mistene: and they have free will and can pick where they have those jobs. 337 00:49:25.210 --> 00:49:29.959 Page | 13 04/19/23 – Minutes Matt: citizen reporter initiative. I'm going to speak on as a private citizen, if that's okay. So finance committee, I think, is where you guys want to be And my other question is, is, Who is your council liaison? 339 00:49:39.840 --> 00:49:46.180 Jillian: Excuse me, can you hear us? Matt: Can you hear me? I can hear you guys. Jillian: So this is unfortunately, this is board time. for board members 341 00:49:49.520 --> 00:49:51.120 Matt: Sorry about that. 342 00:49:51.510 --> 00:49:57.570 SeonAh Kendall: No, Matt is right, though, you know. here's what I would say is, there is those conversations in Council finance which is an open public meeting. you can't speak, but you can hear and get really informed about what's coming up in conversations there. Right? So the sustainable revenue one has changed a couple of times and it's gone through council finance. Now, council finance has 3 council members on there, but it does it needs to be then moved forward to council to go on. 346 00:50:30.960 --> 00:50:37.540 Richard: So, because I'm new to this board. So some of this native information about contacting, I apologize. I know you didn't know until today, so I don't know if that's something, for lack of a better name, like a new member packet like these are people you should reach out to this is maybe website you should go to just so that we or me to be more informed and maybe do the proactive stuff because I joined to be proactive. I don't. I didn't join to be here once a month. And so that would be great information for me. Mike: I agree, because first thing I did was I went out to the website and found everything I could sign up for. And I mean everything. It's a lot of it didn't matter. But I want to know what you do. And it's the overload, right? It's like I get a packet. I got one of the 1 2 months ago. It was like 279 pages, and it was I set for an hour and a half and reviewed. I didn't read the whole thing, but i reviewed the whole thing. I'm like, Wow, this is really challenging. And so Renee: I think that's a great idea. And I I believe that we've just always taken things for granted. at least since I've been involved in this board. So I think that's an excellent idea. I know one of my first Eab meetings, I said, well, I've been going to council meetings, and I blah blah blah whatever I said, and I remember people just staring at me because they weren't attending council meetings. We didn't have them on zoom in those days, but you know it was sort of a foreign concept. So I think that's really a a great idea for us to put something together for this next group? SeonAh, I had a question for you. So You know, we were talking about you mentioned like lost business. and you know, we were today. Of course, we're always talking about competition where the competition is going and everything. So would it be possible for us to get information on What companies did we win? So who's coming in? I know some of it's sort of secretive, depending on the agreements. But can we find out who's coming in, and how many employees they might hire, or what they may be looking for in the community. Can we get that information? As far as the board goes, Page | 14 04/19/23 – Minutes can we get that. 361 00:52:50.110 --> 00:52:58.089 SeonAh Kendall: I would say. Yes. However, site selection is very rare in terms of winning. What I would share with you is we've been doing and we might want to think about this, We have done in the past where we do business retention visits, and then we just I used to do this for our city manager, our previous city manager, where I would say I had x amount of business visits, Here's the common themes I'm hearing here some a need to knows, Here is some opportunities here, some challenges. So we used to do those on a quarterly basis for our city manager that might be worthwhile to provide for you as well. way back in the past. It would be like before marijuana was past health care, and right then, or right after marijuana was passed, insurance right. And then A lot of conversations we've been having right now is about workforce retention and affordable housing and attainable housing. Right? So that might be opportunities for us to kind of share that insight of where we're seeing. So our team is split, we've got our business retention, I keep changing the name of this group, Sorry because Jillian's team also does research as well as site selection and business retention, so at 1 point I was calling you guys, the bear team or the bread team, beard. So Jillian's t eam does a lot of that work. And then we've got Shannon Hein's team, That is very specific for what we I would call our main street companies. So our small businesses that are your restaurant, retail. And what we're talking about is, when I first started in the city, we focused on one pandemic happened, We focused on one. And how do we really support both in an ecosystem as we move for right? So that's been kind of why, I think our divisions look The way they do is in the past, We've only focused on one or the other. If we focus only on our primary employers, our manufacturers, our Intel's or HPs. what does that do for Our new businesses, and vice versa. So happy to share that information with you guys moving forward. I do think it is a value of the themes we're hearing about without also breaking confidential information, because it in essence they're inviting us into their home and sharing like showing us their cabinets. Yeah, that's I had some come through my house, and everything was shoved into a drawer. Mike: That's exactly the environment I worked, is that whole site selector, you know, and the area I was in, We were very successful, but one of the things they did not get to get it. They masked all the names, they just everything a project number, and we everybody in the group. There's 45 with this whole group found out what the top reasons for why we weren't winning. So we got, we didn't get names, We got manufacture. We got service company, tech service, and that was it. And that changed everybody. We did stuff. We had a huge art fest. We started inviting people that were potential candidates. We'd pay to fly them in just to see this nationally huge art test. It changed everybody's view. And I just think, if there's data like that available, we might be able to lean in a little bit on the longer term. You can't change what's coming in 3 months but longer term. I mean, you worked in this environment Denny, you were the leader of a big area. so we Jillian: we can share that data. Mike: I think it'd be great. Just to be able to look further out and say, wow, okay, that's we might both know other areas, what they did about it. I could share that you may not have them. Jillian: That would be valuable to us as well. Yeah. Seonah: And the annual ready meeting, the regional economic development initiative. I would say we hosted that last October and so we do those as a region, and the rationale is, if we lose that, if we really start going, only that fort Colli ns is the only way you are losing right? And so, how do we really collaborate? So the company that chose love one? We're happy those chose Loveland. right? And we also ask, why did you choose Loveland right, their site readiness, their availability and acts fort Collins, right are components of that. And when we did our ready meeting last October, we talked about many of the companies that we're looking at fort Collins are very specific to bio and life sciences, right? Because of our amazing land, grant university and the amount of research it's doing Page | 15 04/19/23 – Minutes Mike: well just knowing you are holding those is incredibly valuable. I might want to go to one of those because again, for those of us who want to have an interest or have worked in it. That'd be great to know. SeonAh: Yeah, yeah. So those are things that we could share. Richard: So when people are looking at fort collins, do They look at the noco-region, and say, we want to live, bring a business here, or they look at fort collins, but also maybe looking at Montana or Arizona and New Mexico other places? Or is it just when they look at fort collins? They want to stay within this region. SeonAh: So we get both. Every company is a little different. an example is And I could share this because it's 5 years out class pass looked at fort Collins to set up their headquarters, and they picked Bozeman Montana. right? So we actually had a conversation with class pass and asked about. Well, why did you choose to choose bozeman versus fort Collins? Right? And they talked a lot about the integration and their work with universities right? And so it does help insight and inform us on a lot of stuff. Our major community competitors, I would say, is bozeman a lot Salt Lake City, Boise and we do get a few who are looking at us, but are also looking at Arizona. and I will be honest, there is people playing the incentive game. And one of the biggest pieces we talk about is, I've said no to a lot of companies, and said that we will connect you with as many resources and as many people as we can. Right? And so those are opportunities within that. So we talk about. We provide exceptional customer service when they're here, right like, how do we help connect them. Because that's really what they're looking for in terms of the region, We work as a region, and we've had times where we'll say we don't have an available site. It does not meet Fort Collins' ethos. Have you looked at loveland, or windsor, or greeley? Because, again, if we can keep them in the region, we know that their employees might choose to live here, they might choose to shop and eat here. And so that's an opportunity that is really important in thi s space we have. Yeah, we have a 5 county region of workforce. So people don't just live and work in fort collins And we have to understand that. Renee: So you mentioned earlier that our previous city manager ask for a report on a regular basis. So what about since we've had a newer city manager? Does she not require that to things changed. SeonAh: So our city manager and the Economic Health Office, actually, we meet monthly and I think, with Darren, who was our previous city manager. Exceptional, busy, right? We would have 30 min with them, Kelly. Actually, we spend an hour and a half with once a month and talk about things that need to be discussed that might have NDA's or sorry, non disclosure agreements, or any other challenges and opportunities. So we do meet with Kelly and Tyler Marr, our deputy city manager once a month for an hour. versus, I love Darren, and everyone knows I love Darren. We'd get 30 min we'd get 30 min. He would show up late that he would have to leave early. And so you're just spitting information. And so it was helpful for him also to have it written versus we can have those conversations with Kelly, and she can help in terms of sharing insight that she's also hearing, because she's out in the community quite a bit. And so it's a collaborative opportunity. Renee: And I had missed that. I yeah, it sounded like you said things that changed, or I picked up on something. Okay? SeonAh: Oh, yeah, yeah. So that it was just at that time where there was only one, you know, at that time a smaller department, city manager, being as busy as he was in that space like making sure and just helping inform 413 01:02:34.880 --> 01:02:38.590 Renee: are there? We have time for what? One more question, 2 more. 414 01:02:39.710 --> 01:03:03.230 Page | 16 04/19/23 – Minutes Thierry Dossou: I do have one. hey? I do have a so, are things that I mean the previous board has done in the past that has, you know, shown to be super effective, or they approach that they have use, or tips and tricks that can actually be very useful to this board in terms of attack it to be very effective at the board. 415 01:03:05.100 --> 01:03:14.939 SeonAh Kendall: I would say, inviting your council member representative in has been super. 416 01:03:15.240 --> 01:03:29.229 Jillian: Shirley came right? Renee: Pardon, Jillian: Shirley came. Renee: Yeah, Shirley came several times. SeonAh: Oh, wonderful! I think that has been a great kind of component of the relationship building with the council number. it's the one that I would always point to. super boards. So when they do the super board and commission. I do think that's a very good opportunity for economic advisory to be in attendance. So it's one topic, maybe 2 topics right? Gosh! It's been so long. I had done one with broadband, and so we invite every chair and vice chair to a board meeting at night, and we do one or 2 projects and talk about it. So it's how do they hit all the boards at once, in essence for that. Jillian: And so I think I did share that, Renee. it's super issues 420 01:04:22.930 --> 01:04:33.660 SeonAh Kendall: But they're in essence your liaison to come back and say, here's what I've heard here the questions. What do we, as the Economic Advisory Board want to support, not support, Or, right, ask more information out of curiosity. Jillian: If you want to join, I think that's okay. SeonAh: Yeah. Yeah. John: I wasn't aware that it was only open to chairs and vice chairs in the past i thought it was anyone who was on a board. SeonAh: in the past it had been chair and vice chair. and i think we've moved to any board or commission members who are interested in coming. Mike: It'd be nice to the invite John: but there's been a lot less since the pandemic. Mistene: So those are the ones are the lincoln center right? Jillian: Yes, Mistene: ya so jillian sends those out. Page | 17 04/19/23 – Minutes Richard: and that's just Monday nights at this time? Jillian: maybe having a designated representative and decide who's going to show up and participate would be good too. 423 01:05:18.060 --> 01:05:22.209 Renee: So I guess some feedback might be, You know who, I don't know how they're organizing who's invited. But when I went there were people from, not from boards. so anyways, just a little confusing. And yet it would be great like if everybody on our board could attend, or more. A more representative number, you know. So I just feedback for the city. I know how they are handling the invitation list and culling the list Jillian: I can reach out. I know the contact. I'll just go ahead and sign everybody up. 426 01:05:55.760 --> 01:06:12.269 Renee: That'd be great. Jillian: Yeah. Mike: So we can always get the information. It's coming, And I didn't know it was. I didn't read closely enough to really understand what that was. 427 01:06:12.910 --> 01:06:16.950 Renee: Well, I think it's useful to if I mean, typically you know, when people have shown up from the same board. We don't necessarily sit together, which is good. You get that cross pollination. There are discussions, one of the tables that are valuable, and you're sitting next to a park and rec person and a transportation person. And you know a lot of hybrid ideas per table, because a lot of things are done tabling, you know, kind of focus group tables and that kind of thing. But anyway, that would be really, that'd be great for the next time. I don't know when the next one is planned. 430 01:06:44.470 --> 01:06:45.690 Jillian: It's quarterly. 431 01:06:45.800 --> 01:06:54.210 Renee: They might have them on Mondays to cull out the weekend warriors 432 01:06:54.300 --> 01:06:57.729 Renee: Are there any other questions or comments for SeonAh. 433 01:06:59.350 --> 01:07:07.489 Mike: I'll get. I'll make one last comment to the person that puts all those packets together hot links from the agenda to Page | 18 04/19/23 – Minutes the section that's relevant would be lovely. because right now you just try to figure out what page I was trying to help a business with the minimum wage stuff, and I know it's public information that was in those packets and trying to. It took me 30 min to find it just in. I knew it was in the packet, I'd read it, I can remember. And so just Hotlinks would be wonderful SeonAh: or bookmarks in the Pdf, Mike: yeah. Well, same idea. Yeah. However, you want to do it, whatever, just Mistene: or search. 437 01:07:34.100 --> 01:07:51.130 Mike: Well, search can work sometimes, but it doesn't always work. SeonAh: ya putting in minimum You'll probably get quite a few. Mike: Yeah, and you get it every yeah, I won't go there. But yes, I did that because I use adobe. You can search a whole library, and I would get like 58 hits in a document. That's like, Oh. 438 01:07:51.820 --> 01:08:05.810 Renee: so SeonAh, just to kind of recap some of the value that you brought, and thank you so much for coming today. You know that we, I think most of us on the board agree that we want to participate more. and so attending the listening sessions City Council, I mean, excuse me that the representatives have and incidentally, and go to any of those listening sessions. You don't have to be in that district to attend any of those speaking to council meetings, so showing up offering during public comment or comments. so more visibility with council members, You mentioned, you know, writing to them, getting to know them better, building deeper relationships. I think I know for me. I'll just speak for myself. I got out of the habit of some of that just during the pandemic, you know, in your home, and you're doing other things. Just you know, that whole idea of kind of networking and building relationships became like foreign. And again, you know, it was like i was 13 and you know, being some of the eyes and ears for economic health and paying attention to what's going on in our city, and maybe offering ideas or observations. Is there anything else that you want to add? This is so valuable? SeonAh no, I think like, I said, how? How you would you like information? So such things as hyperlink that's helpful for us, right like. And again, my contact information is available, you know. I won't always respond right away. But I try in this space. And I'm trying to think what else I think. Really it is, how can we help? And how do we? We continue to support businesses in this space? and I think we don't see everything. And that's where, if there's opportunities to collaborate, we're open to it. again, We're trying to figure out how do we be bold in our spaces. Right? we're moving away from only focusing on just one type of business. To how do we really support the ecosystem as a whole? Sometimes it's a lot of work, internal, and sometimes it's work that we need to do external and how we might in support that. So I will share that with you. in terms of focus areas. I think we're really working on the economic health strategic plan. business retention is a big deal for us. It's easier to focus on those in our community, then go out and attract right? And I think we're not done. We've got a lot of work to do in that space. Talented workforce is a really big component. I came from higher education. So prior to this, obviously, I worked at front range community college and then also had a small business. So I think, being able to really help and support. What does a good job look like? And what does upskilling, reskilling to meet Those jobs is a real big component of it that we've been talking about. And how do we Page | 19 04/19/23 – Minutes support the whole ecosystem which includes our CSU research And in the bio and life science cluster that we have that is very active. And I just so that you're all aware I do sit on innosphere's board. And we've been talking about bio-life sense, but also clean tech. And especially as a lot of work is in that space. diversity, equity, inclusion and access are really big in our office. and that goes and weaves into all of it. Talent, retention is a big deal, and our employers right now are talking about diversity, equity, inclusion, and the sense of belonging and not feeling like their employees belong. So that's a big one for us that we've been working on in this space. so believe me, we have a lot of work to do. We're not perfect. And I need you guys tell us when we're not being right and we're not hearing. Mike: So yeah, I think the only other thing I would say For how us Is more frequent communications would be great. Don't wait till you're doing a packet. if you if you can. If there's something you see, send it. I mean it can't hurt unless you need it to go through chair or whatever. I just, I think just knowing you have a high focus on DEI, There's a bunch of stuff I might be able to give you resources to other people already done things that you might be able to piggy back on. SeonAh: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah. And Thierry is actually on my steering committee. So actually, Thierry, I met before Thierry joined the Economic Advisory Board right? in that space specifically, so also know that I sit on the International Economic Development Council Board of Directors. And I'm always looking at How do we not recreate the wheel and look at what is being done Well, in other communities? Or how are they talking about challenges? So example was we were talking DEI specifically on circular economy, and net-0 and I was moderating a panel and one of the oil and gas Gentlemen, we're talking about. Well, we talked to the indigenous community, and I was like, well, that's great. But what else are you doing like? Are we looking at HR and PTO’s and the challenges that happen in this space, right? So those are things that we're always constantly looking at. And if there's ways that we can continue to leverage. That's even better. 473 01:13:55.670 --> 01:13:58.490 Renee: Great. Thank you so much for coming today. Really appreciate the information that we, because we've had some gaps, and I think you filled a lot of those gaps. Thank you for doing that. SeonAh: Thank you. I'm gonna head over to South College and hopefully did not hail on the car, so we will see. But again feel free, and Jillian and I will continue to talk about how we communicate and Know that sometimes we over communicate. So if you all say please stop, we're happy to stop too. Richard: i dont believe you can over communicate Denny: hows IEDC doing? 478 01:14:38.020 --> 01:14:48.329 SeonAh Kendall: good. We're gonna host to annual Conference 2024 in Denver, Colorado, it'll be great. Yeah. So we had new president. So he's amazing. 479 01:14:48.710 --> 01:14:52.350 SeonAh Kendall: Thank you. Renee: Thanks for coming. Page | 20 04/19/23 – Minutes *BREAK* b. Internal board discussion on objective and succession planning – Board Discussion • Discussion around chair/vice chair elections since it has been off schedule with the last chair’s leaving schedule. o John and Renee are both looking to step down due to time constraints and wanting someone who has more time to dedicate to take over. o Elections are usually in January – but no set rules to this other than usually on an annual cycle o All agreed that having votes before new members are brought in would be helpful for new members to get settled in o Main priorities of chair/vice chair: ▪ Organize agenda and identify priorities o Chair/vice chair is about interest not tenure o Jillian to send out roles and responsibilities of chairs to the board so they can look at it and determine if they’d like to run o What is needed to apply for chair ▪ Couple of paragraphs around why you are interested o Decided to do elections in September with annual term – next election would be Sep 2024 ▪ Aligns with new council schedule • There is a new city staff onboarding that will be liaison for all boards and commissions • Goals for next few months: o Sustainable funding – taxes ▪ Getting clear picture on stance and if making recommendations to council ▪ Jillian reaching out for updates on this topic o Develop relationships with council and within city infrastructure ▪ Being aware of rules around engagement with council members • i.e. can’t buy them coffee ▪ attending council meetings and speaking o Identifying top 5 priorities from council’s 31 priorities ▪ Being in alignment with council to advise council ▪ Jillian to make google survey for board to identify priorities • Including topics that aren’t priorities but are hot topics o i.e. land use code • Moving July meeting up 1 week to account for several board members travelling Page | 21 04/19/23 – Minutes • EHSP to come present? 7. OTHER BUSINESS 8. ADJOURNMENT a. (5:59 pm) - minutes approved by a vote of the Board on XX/XX/XX