Yukon economic development director outlines incentive policy, retail recruitment and zero‑based budgeting

The economic development director provided a five‑week status report to the Yukon Economic Development Authority on Feb. 3, describing work on a formal incentive policy, workforce engagement, retail recruitment and site‑selection tools.

The director said he had reviewed roughly 15 years of records and is drafting an incentive policy to present to YIDA for recommendation to city council, emphasizing a focus on "quality over quantity" in future deals. He said staff will work with Main Street, the Chamber and other local partners to shape economic development strategy.

On workforce development, the director said he is creating an HR roundtable to collaborate with Yukon employers on recruitment and retention. On retail recruitment, he said the department will attend the International Council of Shopping Centers conference in San Antonio with a retail coach and site selectors to pursue targeted retailers.

The director described current limits on local site‑selection data, noting Retail Coach has provided targeted lists but that other subscriptions or tools (he referenced Placer.ai) may be needed to fill gaps. He said staff will present findings to YIDA and council when ready.

Budgeting and staffing: City Manager Jeff Deckard and staff said the city will move toward zero‑based budgeting to give the director a budget aligned with his plans. Deckard and other speakers praised interdepartmental cooperation and encouraged board members to engage with the new director.

Quotations in the meeting capture the director's priorities: "My goal is to make Yukon a place where people wanna live, work, play, and grow their families," the director said. He also called the first five weeks a "joy" and said the work will translate into concrete projects for residents and businesses.

Next steps described in the meeting record include formalizing the incentive policy for YIDA recommendation, scheduling presentations on data tools such as Placer.ai and advancing recruitment outreach at national retail conferences. The record does not include a finalized incentive policy or specific budget amounts.