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 the need for measurable internal metrics.

Murphy described the five goals and related early actions. First, support existing businesses by rebuilding a business retention and expansion program that includes a business survey, a business inventory and a customer-relationship management system to track outreach and needs. Second, proactively attract new businesses by marketing Salinas’s assets — agriculture, workforce, the airport, the Salinas Soccer Complex and local venues — and by developing real-estate tracking and a business-facing website. Third, promote Salinas as a destination through branding, social-media marketing and coordination with partners such as the Steinbeck Center, Sherwood Hall and the Chamber of Commerce. Fourth, optimize land use and modernize infrastructure to prepare opportunity sites, including Chinatown revitalization, the airport and city-owned lots, and to support projects such as hotel development and an enhanced infrastructure finance district. Fifth, enhance city services by simplifying regulatory procedures, improving customer service and deploying technology to create a business-friendly environment.

Murphy said the city has already posted the deputy director position and is coordinating with an existing business navigator in Community Development. She also noted the city may seek an economic development analyst in a future budget cycle to support data analysis and tracking. The plan identifies six indicators staff will track over time: new business licenses, business discontinuations, transient-occupancy tax (TOT) revenue, the unemployment rate, sales tax revenue and building permits.

Committee members pressed for specific accountability measures. Mayor Donahue and Councilmember Margaret asked how the city will measure internal responsiveness and track contacts that do not lead to development, and how to ensure process improvements do not remain only aspirational. Community Development staff said they are meeting weekly on major projects, are reviewing turnaround times and drafting standardized communications and internal tracking so the city can report outcomes back to the council.

Murphy and committee members said the work plan is flexible and intended to evolve as priorities and opportunities arise. Murphy closed by saying the division will “hit the ground running” when the deputy director is hired and will report back as projects advance.

The committee did not take formal action on the work plan at this meeting; the presentation was informational and staff asked for feedback and direction.

Ending: staff said it will return with implementation details and metrics as positions are filled and projects progress.