Council asks for deliverables as economic development seeks RDA funds and extra downtown coordinator hours

David Johnson, the city’s economic development director, reviewed the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) budget and answered questions about restricted and unrestricted project funds. He said the RDA unrestricted fund balance is approximately $557,000 and noted project-specific restricted funds exist for Port 15 and other areas. Council members pressed for clarity on how RDA or other funds could support downtown priorities and whether property owners should bear some of the cost of downtown improvement districts.

Separately, staff requested increasing the historic downtown coordinator from roughly 10 to 20 hours a week (a $20,000 request). Johnson said the coordinator performs grant management, maintains Main Street designations and builds relationships with downtown businesses; he argued more hours enable better grant capture and proactive business recruitment. Several council members said they supported the concept but asked staff to provide a short list of measurable deliverables — for example, an inventory of vacant properties and tenant-ready spaces, the number of grant applications to be submitted each month, and targeted sponsorship or revenue goals — before committing to the ongoing funding.

Council direction: Administration will return with a one-page deliverables plan tied to the requested hours and suggested short-term metrics so the council can evaluate the expected return on the additional staffing investment.

Ending: The council signaled broad support for downtown efforts but withheld a funding decision until staff provides specific outcomes and cost-offset estimates.