Laredo committee hears update on Bloomberg–Harvard innovation track to streamline permitting

The City of Laredo Economic Development Committee received an update Feb. 11 on the city's participation in the Bloomberg'Harvard City Leadership initiative and its selection for the Center for Public Impact's innovation track to streamline business development and building-permitting processes.

City staff described the eight-month program as a structured coaching and benchmarking effort that brings outside experts to work with a core team of city leaders, department staff and community stakeholders. Cesar, a city staff member who presented the update, said the initiative aims to "offer expert training and coaching to develop new ideas that can help cities and leaders and departments and, public, servants, innovate and apply new methods on how we can improve our services." He said Laredo was selected after an application and formally joined the…