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Citrus Heights highlights early wins in six‑month economic development work plan update
Summary
City staff reported early progress on the 2025–2027 economic development work plan, including a development liaison role, an opportunity site inventory, small‑business design support that helped Black Sales Coffee open, and marketing efforts under the 'Love Local' campaign.
City economic development staff on Sept. 24 provided a six‑month progress update on the 2025–2027 Economic Development Work Plan, outlining five focus areas and describing early programmatic wins aimed at attracting and retaining businesses.
Megan Huber, the city’s economic development and community engagement director, told the council the plan focuses on business attraction and development services, retention and expansion, small business support and innovation, marketing and placemaking, and organizational culture. Huber said staff have completed an opportunity site inventory, created a development liaison role to coordinate entitlements and projects, and launched a small business design support program.
Huber cited Black Sales Coffee as an example: the program helped the business expedite design and permitting work after its concept evolved from a pop‑up to a fixed location. Huber read a quote attributed to the business owner, Sean McCullough: “I’m grateful for the design support fund because without it, I would have been significantly delayed in obtaining the proper permitting in order to open my business.”
Communications officer Marissa Brown described marketing efforts that amplify the Love Local campaign and business highlights across social channels and a business bulletin. Staff said they are using data tools to create targeted recruitment cases, will attend trade shows and continue business site visits (50 per year target) to fill vacancies along Auburn Boulevard and other corridors.
Council members praised the work and asked about proactive recruitment of specific tenants and vacancy catalogs. Huber said the city maintains an opportunity site inventory and conducts outreach to property owners, brokers and managers to influence leasing decisions; she warned that property ownership decisions remain with private owners but said the city acts as a facilitator.
