City economic development plan highlights sustainability and capacity gaps, seeks commission help

Wayne Olson, the city’s Chief Economic Development Officer, told the Palm Springs Sustainability Commission on Jan. 20 that the City Council approved an Economic Development Strategic Framework in November and that sustainability is embedded in several of its guiding principles. “Economic development at its basis is an exercise of business retention, expansion, and recruitment,” Olson said, adding that the plan’s vision explicitly references “climate-resilient infrastructure” and “sustainable prosperity.”

Olson said the department currently has two core staff and a scheduler, and noted limited internal capacity as a primary implementation constraint. He said the framework contains more than 100 tactical action items across principles and that staff have identified 38 short-term actions for years 1–2. “I can’t implement 30… action items in the first one to two years,” he said, urging the commission to help prioritize and operationalize those items.

The presentation linked demographic and transportation challenges to economic goals: Olson described an aging local population with relatively few younger workers and warned that workers who live outside Palm Springs are more likely to drive. That, he said, underscores the plan’s emphasis on multimodal transportation and partnerships with transit providers. He also highlighted an initiative focused on the Palm Springs Convention Center District to improve walkability and incorporate green initiatives in facility improvements, and pointed to local energy and battery innovation as potential “green innovation” clusters.

Commissioners asked about specific community impacts. A northern Palm Springs commissioner described a local food desert in Chanview Heights and College Park and asked how the framework addresses grocery access; Olson said short-term responses could include targeted multimodal connections and store recruitment and noted staff coordination with Councilmember Grace Garner. Commissioners also pressed for clearer assignment of lead entities for actions; Olson said the plan’s implementation matrix includes a blank “Lead Entity” column that staff will fill as priorities are mapped.

Olson identified three enablers for success: institutional will (internal support across city departments and commissions), resource alignment (staffing and coordination mechanisms) and community tolerance for experimentation on forward-looking policies. He closed by identifying immediate next steps: reestablishing an economic development committee (he noted Naomi Soto and Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein would be involved), mapping year-1 and year-2 priorities, and returning to commissions for implementation input.

The commission did not take formal action; Olson invited ongoing feedback and offered staff contact points for businesses seeking assistance.