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Consultant: Dunsmuir survey shows residents favor downtown business support, tourism
Summary
Cosmont Companies presented a July–September survey (about 169 responses, most residents) showing top priorities of improving the downtown business environment, small-business assistance and leveraging natural resources; staff proposed next steps including façade programs and project shaping.
Bob Valente, senior vice president at Cosmont Companies, summarized a downtown revitalization survey and town-hall feedback gathered between July and September. "We received about a 169 surveys...most respondents were residents," Valente said, and noted roughly 93% of respondents identified as city residents.
Valente said respondents ranked improving the downtown business environment, small-business assistance and leveraging tourism as the top three strategic categories. On concrete next steps the consultant flagged pursuing grant funds, fostering entrepreneurship, evaluating finance strategies and investing in streetscape and façade improvements. He described "project shaping" — working with property owners, developers and investors to identify barriers to projects and help bring them to fruition — as a likely early step.
Council members said they expected a follow-up agenda item to set priorities and that staff would bring additional items back in January for deeper discussion. The consultant recommended a mix of business outreach, targeted marketing and infrastructure upgrades to attract private investment.
