HomeMy WebLinkAboutEconomic Advisory Commission - Minutes - 05/22/2007For Reference:
Minutes
City of Fort Collins
Economic Advisory Commission
Regular Meeting
300 LaPorte Ave
May 22, 2007
Christophe Fabvre, Chair 227-0282
Mayor Doug Hutchinson, Council Liaison 416-2154
Mike Freeman, Staff Liaison 416-2253
Erin Gill, Minute taker 221-6505
Commission Members Present
Christophe Feb%re (Chair). Beena Bawa, Jim Clark, Blue Hocatter, Kevin Shaw, Sarah
Hach, Bill Timpson
Commission Members absent:
Stuart MacMillan, Rick Price
Guests:
Eric Krona all
Ann Hutchison
Staff absent:
%like Freeman
Meetin- called to order l I :05 a.m.
Public Comment
None
Agenda Item 1
The meeting e%as designated to open discussion which urould lead the team to�%ards a
Commission Work Plan. Initially, after a reading of the City Council's EAC Function
Statcnlem, the conlniksion members agreed on a simple mission statccrnent:
The EAC «ill ad,, ise the C'it,r Council on matters pertaining to the economic
health and sustainabiht� or tile cite.
Agenda Item 2
Dis,ussions nlcused on ideas surrounding, the .once j,t of a health. Fort Collins ecommn%
and sign ncant1% on the Ideas surrounding gro%'th.
The teats seericd to settle (perhaps not unanimous I%) on the idea of establishing
quaIILIN%e metrlc3 as compared io quantitaiit e targets re'gardm- cltF zro%%th. Some
MCLICS that came Out So tar Wert:
The cit% should focus on sustainable th -this is a broad concept that may
need further definition and study by the team
Question: Is the implication that a healthy economy by definition has �_,ro%%th' Or
is this not necessarily the case.'
The city should focus on a diverse economy
There was discussion regarding the importance of sales tar revenues to the city.
The reason for this tk as to understand the ciWs revenue stream from di%erne
sources.
Some current commission members may be on the commission for no more than 6
months, some short term objectives should be established and worked on by the
commission as well as long tern
One Short term objective may be to evaluate and advise Council on the current
budget proposal based on the Economic Health Results Map presented by the City
Staff Economic Health Results Team Leader Terri Bryant May 1, 2007
Request by commission for a 6 month Council meeting agenda be distributed 1 week
prior to each commission meeting. The 6 'month agenda will help The Economic
Adc isory commission advise council on agenda items.
Rork Plan Ideas Discussed
In the course of the open discussion several potential ideas came up that should be
recorded as possible inclusions in the eventual EAC Work Plan.
The EAC could act as a review or advisory panel for issues of economic bearing under
consideration by the City Council. The EAC should receive regular updates regarding
the City Council's 6 month agenda. Mayor Hutchinson agreed to actively report to the
commission as council liaison on the council agenda. Kevin and Blue also agreed to
receive the agenda from the ma, or and review it and make suuuestions to the rest of the
commission - although the entire commission mac receive the agenda from the nhacor.
The EAC could in,, ite other local and rq,.ional boards to report into the EAC. This could
be as part of an as -yet -to -be -established stud%to be defined be the %' ork Plan. or as part
Of a Stud', that l%oUld lead into the \% ork Plan.
l he EAC cola;l ei-cate a regional economic panel disc UssiOn Of fortlnl flT1t llOUlt1 diiCUsi
the trend; and the Iona tern health and %iability of the regional economy. The intent
would be io generate Open C011111lUmca(iou bett6cen different Organizations stud,ling and
monitorim, the econnme.
The EAC could propose and or launch a study of the re_vional economic trends. This
should incorporate feedback from %arious entitles that ma`, alread% be,,%UrkInY on iuch
intortriatlon.
The EAC could propose and or launch a stud% of the cites business environment with the
intent Of Underitandin!? %k hat it `. outd take to impro,. e that Sector of the eco nt)im
Agenda Item