Crescent City Economic Development Strategic Action Plan …Also Known As the Economic Cookbook Adopted June 21, 2021
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Economic Development Strategic Action Plan Adopted June 21, 2021 This document is designed to be printed double-sided. Cover photo provided by Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce Crescent City Economic Development Strategic Action Plan …also known as the Economic Cookbook Adopted June 21, 2021 Prepared for: Crescent City 377 J Street, Crescent City, CA 95531 Prepared by: Planwest Partners 1125 16th St. Suite 200, Arcata, CA 95521 CRESCENT CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN Messages from Community Leaders MESSAGE FROM MAYOR MESSAGE FROM CITY MANAGER Being elected to City Council has been a remarkable Like is true for any community of our size, the staff of the honor. I find it difficult to express how strongly I care Crescent City government must wear many hats. There about Crescent City, its people, and its businesses. This is a lot to do and too few people to get it all done. past year has been a tough one for our community. The Fortunately, the City is blessed with an absolutely COVID pandemic and quarantine hurt so many of our remarkable staff with boundless passion and a universal local businesses. Now more than ever, we need a belief in a positive future for our community. We are strategy for economic recovery and prosperity. driven to accomplish the goals and visions of the City Council and the general community. In facing the challenges of this past year, I have received continuous confirmation that we have a wonderful Though the pandemic and subsequent lock down caught community with boundless potential. This was clearly us off guard, we are and have always been a resilient reflected in the public workshop held for this project and community. But how do we strategically plan for the subsequent survey, in which over 70 people economic development when a once‐in‐a‐century event expressed optimism, enthusiasm, and ambition for our impacts our business community in a way that has never future. I hear these same common themes when I listen happened in living memory? How do we chart a future of to people talk about their hopes for our community. prosperity at a time when our local businesses are There is a pervasive and powerful love‐of‐place that suffering? As the pandemic comes to a close, should we permeates our town. I see it in the doorways of our local plan on doing things differently or will things bounce businesses and I hear it in the cheers of the crowds at back to the way they were? Answering these questions high school athletic events. This shared appreciation for forced us to re‐think this plan in mid‐stream and led to our magical part of the world is evident in every event I the idea of structuring this document to resemble a attend and every conversation I have. I believe this cookbook or instruction manual. The bulk of this mutual appreciation for our home and way‐of‐life is document consists of step‐by‐step directions for how to clearly reflected in this document. accomplish individual projects designed to drive Crescent City towards a more prosperous future. Individually, Another common theme I notice throughout the each project may have a small overall impact. But, each community is that the people of Crescent City are hungry small success will accumulate and generate momentum for a prosperous future and there is a strong desire to towards a level of prosperity that we cannot yet imagine. grow our local economy. It is for this reason that we City staff cannot and should not do this alone. undertook this project in the first place. I think nearly Accordingly, the most important set of projects everyone can agree that Crescent City has unrealized (“recipes”) appears in Section 1, which focuses on ways potential. What we need is an agreed‐upon systematic for the City to cultivate partnerships and invigorate strategy to unlock that potential. Fortunately, I am not teamwork with partner agencies/organizations. We will the only one that feels like the City is on the verge of a do so much more with friends and partners working new era. There is a sense in the air that something together. powerful is happening and that we are barreling towards an unrealized level of prosperity that our community has ERIC WEIR, CITY MANAGER not experienced in a long time. JUNE 1, 2021 I sincerely believe that the implementation of the ideas in this document can unlock our potential and drive us towards the future we crave. MAYOR JASON GREENOUGH JUNE 15, 2021 CRESCENT CITY 2021 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN i CRESCENT CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN Contributions and Acknowledgements ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE* Mayor: Jason Greenough Adam Goldstein Jennifer Gisler Alanna Powell Jon Olson City Council: Blake Inscore Billie Kaye Tygart Kevin Hartwick Beau Smith Blake Inscore Kevin Hawkins Isaiah Wright Charlie Helms Leila Roberts Ray Altman Christy Hernandez Linda Leaver Heidi Kime Cindy Vosberg Rory Johnson Alex Fallman Crista Stewart Ross Welch Eric Wier Sara Barbour Planning Commission: Ray Altman Gina Zottola Sunny Valero Holly Greene Heidi Kunstal Tim Petrick Brad Kime Holly Wendt Tim Rodreguez John Wendt Jason Greenough Tony Barnes Raymond Walp Jay Sarina *The above individuals attended at least one of three Technical Advisory Committee Meetings conducted during this project (see page 3 for the dates of the meetings). Feedback from TAC members received during and following those meetings was incorporated into this plan. However, attendance of meetings and providing feedback regarding this plan does not necessarily represent full endorsement of this entire document, especially since there are over one hundred proposed project ideas, some of which individual TAC members may not support. CITY STAFF CONSULTING TEAM City Manager: Eric Wier Prime Consultant: Planwest Partners City Attorney: Martha Rice Project Manager: Colette Metz Finance Director: Linda Leaver Assistant Planner: Raquel Menanno Recreation Director: Holly Wendt QAQC: George Williamson HR Administrator: Sunny Valero GIS and Data Analyst: Jason Barnes Public Works Director: Jon Olson Principal Planner: Rob Holmlund IS Administrator: Fritz Ludemann Sub-consultant: RRM Design Group Landscape Architect: Leif McKay CHAMBER OF COMMERCE* Executive Director: Cindy Vosberg Board of Directors: Ashley Bowers Emily Reed Blake Inscore Irene Contreras Bob Berkowitz Kim Floyd Carol White Larry Timpe Chad Freeman Leila Roberts Chelsea Sanyaolu Melodee Mitchell Chris Serbin Rory Johnson *The entire Chamber Board did not participate directly in the production of this document. The Board is listed here in recognition of the Chamber’s importance in the business and social community in the Greater Crescent City Area. CRESCENT CITY 2021 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN ii CRESCENT CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN Testimonials: Doing Business in Crescent City FOG BANK CLOTHING COMPANY “If you want to be successful doing business in Crescent City, you need to put the community first. This means supporting adult and youth sports programs, scholarships, and events. What this does is create a sense of what really matters. People are more likely to spend their money at a business that puts a lot of effort into being a part of the community.” HOT ROLLERS SALON “Having a small business during times of disaster can feel just like that, no one but yourself to rely on. What a very wrong perception. From day one the Crescent City staff on the Del Norte Economic Resiliency Team have been there for me. Zoom meetings, phone calls, emails, helping track down resources such as PPE for my business, and finding financial support. I feel like they have gone above and beyond for myself and my business creating an awesome sense of community and caring about my well-being. Without their dedication and positive outlook my business might not be here today.” CRESCENT CITY/DEL NORTE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE “As the local Chamber of Commerce we find that many times throughout our work week we come into contact with our local City Manager and City Staff on various projects. We have found the team at the City of Crescent City to be by far, some of the most talented and accomplished City employees we have ever had the pleasure to work with. Whether it is something we need from them or just the sharing of information we find City Staff to be true professionals and well informed. Thank you to the team at the City of Crescent City for the fine work you do.” BICOASTAL MEDIA “As the major Media outlet in the community, the current City administration makes our job of informing the community much easier. The openness to share the information concerning any changes that affect the community runs through the entire city government. Whether its road work, police matters, City Council decisions or any of the other issues involving the several different departments in the city government, we can count on someone from the City being able to provide us the information. More often than not, they have someone knowledgeable, available to talk directly to our listeners. Working hand in hand, they help us achieve one of our main goals – keeping our listeners informed about where they live.” CRESCENT CITY 2021 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN iii CRESCENT CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN Table of Contents Part 1: Introduction ................................................................................ 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................................