Consultants leading Palm Springs’ economic development strategic plan presented preliminary findings at the Jan. 9 City Council meeting, outlining the project scope, initial strengths/weaknesses and an implementation timeline.

The presentation by Adam Fowler of CVL Economics, who led the briefing, said the plan is intended to set priorities, identify funding options and recommend policies and programs. “The economic development strategic plan is a collaborative and systematic process that's designed to set out a couple things,” Fowler told the council.

Why it matters: City staff hired CVL Economics to reduce dependence on tourism, grow jobs and broaden the tax base after the city created an economic development officer position last year. The consultants said Palm Springs has strong brand identity, festivals and airport infrastructure, but faces rising housing costs, seasonal workforce shortages and an overreliance on hospitality.

Early findings and opportunities: CVL’s preliminary SWOT cites these local strengths: a recognized tourism brand, festivals and proximate outdoor recreation. Weaknesses include high housing costs and a narrow talent pipeline. Opportunity areas flagged include climate/renewables (“green zone” investments), a distributed technology ecosystem that can support remote workers and creative industries, and airport expansion for tourism and cargo logistics.

Fowler highlighted three priority buckets emerging from stakeholder interviews: economic diversification (bolstering tourism and developing new clusters such as film/entertainment, technology and renewables); “business climate” reforms (streamlining processes, branding, new incentives and city hall capacity building); and human capital initiatives (workforce development, partnerships with regional academic institutions).

Process and timeline: The consultant team said it has completed document review, data analysis and stakeholder interviews and will continue public engagement through February with industry focus groups and public meetings beginning in March. Fowler said a second draft SWOT and a public review period are planned for April, with a full final report available for public comment in mid‑April and an anticipated council return in June or July.

Council and staff response: City Manager introduced the team and said no council action was required at the meeting; the briefing was intended as an update. Council members thanked staff and the consultants and asked about next steps for public outreach and how recommendations would align with the upcoming zoning code update.

What’s next: Staff and consultants will continue interviews and surveys through mid‑February, hold public meetings in March and return to council with a draft strategy and appendices in spring for public comment and finalization later in the year.