Salinas officials unveil two-year economic development work plan to focus business retention, attraction and infrastructure

Assistant City Manager Lisa Murphy presented a two-year economic development work plan to the Salinas Finance Committee on Aug. 12, describing a working document for the newly created Economic Development Division that sets priorities, actions and metrics for the next 24 months.

Murphy said the plan is a work plan rather than a strategic plan: it will define roles, immediate projects and performance indicators while the division fills new positions. “The proposed two-year work plan sets out a road map to establish the foundation of what the division will look like and what our priorities moving forward are,” Murphy said.

The nut graf: the document frames five goals intended to strengthen the local economy and serve as an operational playbook while the city hires a deputy director of economic development and aligns community partners. Committee members emphasized accountability and…