Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City launches business-visitation outreach, eyes façade grants and predevelopment loans
Summary
City staff reported early results from a business-visitation program and a vacant-property inventory, outlined regulatory-streamlining steps and proposed incentive ideas (faade grants, predevelopment loans); council directed staff to continue outreach and return with a 60-day update.
Assistant City Manager Hillary Roveru told the council the city has begun a targeted business-visitation program to assess needs and opportunities, and is compiling an economic profile to guide incentives and regulatory changes. "We really want to focus on things that'll give us a big bang for the buck or return for our community," Roveru said.
Staff reported preliminary findings from visits and a 2024 business walk: most small businesses indicated stable or positive outlooks, but common barriers included seasonal demand swings, parking availability, staffing, and permitting complexity. Staff proposed potential incentives to help existing businesses and attract new employers: façade-improvement grants, signage-replacement grants, and short-term predevelopment loans to cover architects and permit costs. No funding source was identified; staff recommended scoping program guidelines and seeking council direction.
Why it matters: Council members emphasized the need to protect general-fund priorities and explore sustainable funding (TDA, SB125, parking revenue) while reducing permitting friction and targeting support toward projects with demonstrable local job and revenue benefits. Several council members and public commenters stressed including nonprofits and large local employers (Barton Hospital, Lake Tahoe Community College) among outreach targets because they are major local employers.
Council action: A motion directing staff to continue business outreach, pursue a general-plan economic-development update, study regulatory streamlining and explore funding options for façade grants or predevelopment loans was moved, seconded and supported; council requested a 60-day status update.
Next steps: Staff will expand the business-visitation effort to more employers (including nonprofit and institutional employers), develop metrics and program guidelines, and return in about 60 days with a proposed work plan and potential funding approaches.
