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City manager updates council on business permit guidebook, predevelopment meetings and downtown strategy
Summary
City Manager Jeff Deckard and Development Services staff gave the council an update on a permit/permit‑FAQ guidebook, predevelopment meetings to reduce delays, and a new downtown strategic approach that consolidates Main Street duties under a community enhancement director team led by Jenna Roberson.
City Manager Jeff Deckard told the Yukon City Council on Sept. 9 that staff are developing a guidebook and related tools to help prospective businesses understand permitting and licensing steps. “The discussion was about a guideline that you could hand a person who wanted to open up a business and so forth and give them at least a direction of what they needed,” Deckard said. He introduced Development Services staff member Danielle, who outlined recent changes.
Development Services updates
Danielle (last name not provided in the record) said staff has reviewed permit processes, fee schedules and internal procedures and is making changes intended to speed approvals while maintaining code compliance. “We have looked at a lot of our different processes and a lot of our permits and things like that, and we are making changes as we go,” Danielle said. She described a concise frequently asked questions handout for building permits, a forthcoming licensing overview for businesses, and the start of formal predevelopment meetings so prospective applicants can identify issues such as easements, water lines or sewer capacity before purchasing property or filing applications.
Why it matters: Danielle and Deckard said predevelopment meetings help developers and staff identify likely snags early, which reduces surprises and speeds project delivery. Staff noted OKIE Safety is assisting the city with a fee schedule review and permit-process improvements.
Downtown strategic plan and Main Street
Deckard told the council the city will take “a different direction” for downtown planning by creating a community enhancement director team to absorb Main Street duties. He named Jenna Roberson as the team lead, with Andrea and Christina Stump on the team, and said the city will recruit a new economic development director and coordinate with the chamber and Main Street board on a comprehensive downtown enhancement program that includes marketing, tourism and economic development. Deckard said ongoing downtown events such as “cruising for a cause” will continue without interruption.
Council and volunteer comments
Council members and volunteers on the Main Street board praised the predevelopment meetings and expressed support for the new downtown structure. David Goodwin, a longtime Main Street volunteer, said the program has value and noted Jenna Roberson will be the new point of contact for Main Street activities. One council member announced a series of “lunch mobs” to help local restaurants and offered the schedule to council.
What the council did: informational and administrative
The updates were provided for discussion; no ordinance or formal action on the guidebook or downtown plan was taken at the meeting. The council did approve the minutes of the August meeting by roll call vote during the same session.
Next steps
Deckard said staff will continue to refine the guidebook and fee schedule, formalize predevelopment meeting procedures, post materials online and move forward with hiring for an economic development director and implementing the community enhancement team. Danielle said staff will ensure the permit‑FAQ is available at the office and online and will schedule follow‑up meetings with applicants when needed.
Ending
The council received the report; staff did not request immediate policy action. Council members encouraged publicizing the predevelopment meetings and the permit materials to help prospective business owners and developers.
