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Council adds funds, planning staff form downtown focus group to pursue facade improvements
Summary
Council budgeted $50,000 to the Economic Development Corporation; $30,000 is for a facade improvement program. Planning staff will form a 6–10 person focus group to recommend ordinance changes and strategies to boost downtown vitality; staff reported about seven vacant main-street storefronts in the last count.
Planning staff updated the commission on downtown-revitalization efforts and next steps to encourage investment and activity in the central business district.
Staff (Speaker 5) said the council added $50,000 during the recent budget process to the Economic Development Corporation (DRDC), with $30,000 earmarked for a facade-improvement program meant to support cosmetic upgrades downtown. "A lot of $50,000 that we added to what we usually give to the Economic Development Corporation, DRDC... That was for the purpose of considering perhaps what we could do to aid with cosmetic changes downtown," staff said.
Staff proposed forming a downtown focus group of about six to 10 people to meet over roughly six months to develop strategies, review ordinances that may encourage or discourage downtown development (including vacant-building ordinances), and bring recommendations back to the commission and council. Staff said their last spreadsheet count showed roughly seven vacant main-street business fronts; commissioners supported forming the committee and asked staff to provide regular updates to the commission as work progresses. No immediate ordinance changes were adopted at the meeting; staff will proceed with outreach and committee formation.
