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City manager outlines shift in economic development and a downtown parking enterprise pilot
Summary
City Manager Clegg said economic development functions will be centralized in a small core team supplemented by contracts ($1.9M in contract support) and announced intent to pilot a parking enterprise starting with the 18th & I garage and adjacent street parking to reduce general‑fund subsidy and manage parking by technology.
City Manager Clegg told the council that the city will restructure its economic and community development work into a smaller in‑house team supported by contracts and regional partnerships, and begin piloting a parking enterprise intended to separate parking revenues and expenses from the general fund.
Clegg said the economic development function carries about $1.9 million in operating contract support; the city will keep a small three‑person core team reporting to an assistant city manager while contracting for specialized marketing, site‑readiness and small‑business assistance services with regional partners. He said the shift is designed to avoid building a larger in‑house staff while preserving the program’s tools and strategic dollars.
On parking, Clegg described a pilot that would first focus on the city‑owned 18th & I garage and adjacent surface lots and street parking, with community outreach to downtown businesses before changes take effect. The intent is to reduce a small annual general‑fund subsidy for parking, improve ease of parking through technology and potentially generate enough revenue to support additional parking capacity in areas with demand; acquisition of Truxton Towers was raised as a factor that could expand inventory for an enterprise.
Why it matters: the moves shift how the city purchases and delivers economic development services and begin a public‑facing experiment to change downtown parking operations and pricing. Clegg said staff will engage downtown stakeholders before implementing any rate changes.
Next steps: staff will return May 18 with budget summaries including capital project recommendations; the parking pilot and any rate proposals will proceed only after community outreach and council direction.
