Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission recommends codifying Economic Development Strategic Plan to guide ERU prioritization
Summary
The commission voted to recommend the City Council adopt the Economic Development Strategic Plan as an amendment to the comprehensive plan so it can be used to prioritize projects, including distribution of a contingent 190 ERUs; staff said codification will give the plan more legal weight.
Planning staff told the commission that the Economic Development Strategic Plan — originally adopted informally in June 2023 — should be adopted by ordinance as a comprehensive-plan background document to give it more weight when prioritizing projects and distributing limited ERUs.
Staff explained that codifying the plan will create criteria that can be used to evaluate projects competing for the contingent 190 ERUs expected after state environmental approvals. The plan was developed previously by the economic development director and advisory board and later recommended to council; staff said the proposed adoption aligns the plan with statewide planning goals and gives city decision-makers clearer guidance.
Commissioners asked questions about how the plan would be used to prioritize jobs and economic outcomes; staff said the City Council will determine the weight the plan carries when ERUs are allocated. The commission moved to recommend that the City Council adopt the Economic Development Strategic Plan as presented (Exhibit A) and supported by findings in Exhibit B. Commissioner Lowe moved the recommendation; Commissioner Lee seconded. The commission approved the recommendation by voice vote; the motion passed and the item will move to the City Council for a public hearing.
The recommendation formalizes use of the plan as a guiding document for long-range economic-development decisions and short-term ERU prioritization once the ERU allocation is released.
