9.
City Council Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 03/30/2021
- From:
- John Saltonstall, Business Retention & Expansion Manager
- Department:
- Economic Vitality
Co-Submitter:
David McIntire, Community Investment Director
TITLE:
Economic Development Quarterly Update
DESIRED OUTCOME:
Council will receive information regarding economic development efforts and business activities that have been happening in our community.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City of Flagstaff Economic Development staff provide quarterly updates that often include inviting businesses or economic development partners to present to City Council. These generally relate to a specific business sector and include tours of their facilities or relate to local and regional business development activities. This current presentation will include an update on the economic development website known as chooseflagstaff.com, an introduction of the new Business Attraction Manager Jack Fitchett, and brief presentations by three different businesses that have been awarded a Business Attraction Job Creation Incentive, an Innovate Waste/Personal Protection Equipment Challenge award, or a Business Retention and Expansion Incentive.
INFORMATION:
The City of Flagstaff Economic Development staff have historically used the fifth Tuesday of a single month (which occurs once each quarter) to present an Economic Development Quarterly Update or a Council Business Listening Tour.
The Economic Development Quarterly Update has served as an opportunity for staff to present updates or detailed information to Council and the public on the local economy including any significant changes. It has also served to introduce local and regional partners so that they may provide information specific to their agencies and activities.
The Council Business Listening Tours have served as an opportunity for Council to hear from Flagstaff businesses directly about their operations and any significant developments or challenges within those businesses or their sectors. As the presentations occur on the fifth Tuesday, prior to the pandemic Council had been invited to tour the facilities of the businesses that presented on the following Thursday. The tour itself provided Council and the business greater freedom to engage with each other and to learn more about each other in the process. We look forward to providing those tours again once further progress is made in containing the pandemic.
This Economic Development Quarterly Update also serves as a chance for staff to present updates within the Economic Development Offices. This will include updates to the chooseflagstaff.com website which is the website for the City’s Economic Development Program, an introduction of the new Business Attraction Manager Jack Fitchett, and brief presentations by the three businesses that have participated in recent City of Flagstaff initiatives to positively impact the Flagstaff community. These recipients will discuss their use of the financial incentives. Those programs are the Business Attraction Job Creation Incentive which has been awarded to Katalyst Space Technologies, the Innovate Waste/Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Challenge award which has been awarded to Bee Well, and the Business Retention and Expansion Incentive which will be discussed by its recipient, Cozy Homes.
The Economic Development Quarterly Update has served as an opportunity for staff to present updates or detailed information to Council and the public on the local economy including any significant changes. It has also served to introduce local and regional partners so that they may provide information specific to their agencies and activities.
The Council Business Listening Tours have served as an opportunity for Council to hear from Flagstaff businesses directly about their operations and any significant developments or challenges within those businesses or their sectors. As the presentations occur on the fifth Tuesday, prior to the pandemic Council had been invited to tour the facilities of the businesses that presented on the following Thursday. The tour itself provided Council and the business greater freedom to engage with each other and to learn more about each other in the process. We look forward to providing those tours again once further progress is made in containing the pandemic.
This Economic Development Quarterly Update also serves as a chance for staff to present updates within the Economic Development Offices. This will include updates to the chooseflagstaff.com website which is the website for the City’s Economic Development Program, an introduction of the new Business Attraction Manager Jack Fitchett, and brief presentations by the three businesses that have participated in recent City of Flagstaff initiatives to positively impact the Flagstaff community. These recipients will discuss their use of the financial incentives. Those programs are the Business Attraction Job Creation Incentive which has been awarded to Katalyst Space Technologies, the Innovate Waste/Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Challenge award which has been awarded to Bee Well, and the Business Retention and Expansion Incentive which will be discussed by its recipient, Cozy Homes.