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Gig Harbor council frames economic vitality: customer service, inventory of roadblocks and possible advisory group proposed
Summary
At a study session staff and council discussed narrowing strategic priorities and defining 'economic vitality.' Councilors pressed for an inventory of top barriers to business (sewer connection costs, grease‑interceptor requirements, impact fees), near‑term customer‑service improvements and consideration of a task force or advisory commission to craft implementable actions.
City Administrator Katrina Knudson told the Gig Harbor City Council on March 12 that staff seeks clear direction on what the council means by "economic vitality" so the administration can convert council priorities into work programs and budget requests for the next biennium.
"Economic vitality can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people," Knudson said, urging council members to identify specific goals and metrics so staff can cost options into the upcoming budget. She outlined three council‑aligned priorities from recent retreats — economic vitality, housing and strengthening council‑community connection — and said the discussion will inform work plans tied to the city’s biannual budget process.
Council members and staff identified recurring barriers that affect new and expanding businesses. Costly sewer connections and grease‑interceptor requirements for restaurants were raised repeatedly as hurdles, along with transportation impact fees and building‑code changes that increase renovation costs for older downtown buildings. "Sometimes lack of sewer availability can be a barrier to development," staff said, noting expensive lift stations and related infrastructure costs.
Staff explained a possible calibration: if a business can show most of its customers arrive by walking, biking or are pass‑by trips, trip‑generation studies can reduce or eliminate additional impact fees. Council members suggested targeted, near‑term steps — better customer service, continued promotion of business assistance meetings, and outreach to recent new businesses to replicate what brought them to Gig Harbor — and a medium‑term effort to inventory the top roadblocks to investment.
Several councilors proposed forming a task force or an economic development advisory commission to produce a prioritized list of 10 to 15 roadblocks and identify low‑cost actions that the city could accomplish in the next year. Staff noted the comprehensive plan already recommends potential creation of an economic development advisory group and suggested any new body be aligned with that guidance to avoid duplicative effort.
Councilors also discussed larger capital drivers, including the sports complex under construction and a potential community center, both of which staff said could boost tourism and bring multi‑day tournaments that support local lodging and restaurants. Knudson and others cautioned that large projects require funding commitments and long‑range planning, while near‑term reforms — like clearer communication with businesses and better customer service at permitting — can offer immediate progress.
On regional connectivity, staff said past feasibility work briefly considered passenger ferries but concluded harbor depth precluded a downtown docking and thus limited ferry options; councilors asked staff to maintain loose coordination with neighboring agencies about transit links and ferry possibilities.
Councilors asked staff to return to a future study session with more refined options after staff inventories roadblocks, explores partnerships with business organizations and provides estimated costs for proposed actions. No formal policy decisions were made at the session.
