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Quartzsite council hears pitch for portal, business-license reform and downtown capture as I-10 work approaches
Summary
Council members and the chamber proposed a town portal and upgraded billing to support graduated business licensing and tourism promotion; ADOT's I-10 project was cited as a time-sensitive chance to bring traffic back to Main Street.
Quartzsite council members and a Chamber of Commerce representative outlined technology and marketing steps to boost downtown business and improve town communications.
The chamber representative (speaker 10) urged a technology upgrade that would automate billing and create an online portal, making a graduated business-license model feasible. "If we upgrade our billing systems and if we upgrade our computer systems, that's an automated thing," the representative said, arguing the change would let small home-based enterprises pay proportionally less than larger businesses.
Council members said the town's reserves, including HEERF funds, create an opportunity to hire a communications-focused staffer and invest in signage and downtown beautification to capture redirected traffic from ADOT's I-10 project. "We don't want them just pulling off and then going back off. We wanna get them back into town," the mayor said, urging work with engineers and ADOT on signage and route design.
Speakers also flagged the risk of overpromising: staff cautioned that announcing projects or tenants prematurely can create expectations that may not materialize, and that careful, accurate communication is vital to avoid rumors. Council asked staff to return with a communications plan, options for a portal and an assessment of business-license enforcement and fair fee structures.
