Committee opens discussion on community-impact measures for incentive applications

Economic development staff on June 3 presented a package of three proposed community‑impact measures the city could add to economic development incentive applications to better document workforce and community benefits.

Leah Bowling, economic development, said staff reviewed sample measures used by peer cities and proposed optional questions applicants would complete for Community Improvement Districts, tax increment financing districts and Reinvestment Housing Incentive District applications. The three measures would (1) encourage workforce training and development (apprenticeships, on-the-job training, safety/skills training and hiring from training programs); (2) document job creation and job quality (number of permanent/full‑time jobs, estimated wages and fringe benefits); and (3) describe broader community impacts such as local‑hiring commitments, partnerships and workforce pipelines.

"The measures would provide a structured way to evaluate the broader community impact of an economic development incentive," Bowling said, adding staff recommends the measures be optional and reported to the governing body as part of the incentive review.

Community advocate Luzon Grama urged stronger outreach and said there are multiple training providers and funding sources available, including Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds and Department for Children and Families supports. "There's more than enough money to pay for training," Grama said, and suggested compiling a list of local training providers so developers could connect with those programs.

Deputy mayor Hoefer and other members pressed staff on real‑world enforceability and flexibility. Hoefer noted the city cannot always require a specific contractor and asked how substitutions would be handled if an intended subcontractor becomes unavailable. Marcus Miller (staff/council participant) said local‑preference approaches raise legal issues and that the intent is to start a conversation about measurable commitments that could, if appropriate, be included in development agreements with contractual enforcement or amended before governing‑body approval.

The committee did not adopt mandatory requirements; staff emphasized measures are a starting point for negotiation and that more work will be done with community providers and developers before any mandatory policy is proposed.

What’s next: staff and council members agreed to continue refining the measures, to meet with community advocates such as Luzon Grama for input, and to return with a refined proposal at a future meeting.