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Economic director outlines contractor and staffing tradeoffs as board weighs options
Summary
Steve Weathers told the advisory board that contracted lead generation is a measurable, fixed‑cost way to get volume of prospective company leads while internal staff lack capacity to make the required outreach; he cited travel and personnel constraints and recommended trial contracts before hiring full‑time staff.
Economic Development Director Steve Weathers told the board that, while the department has staff, lead generation at scale is resource intensive and that contracted firms offer a measurable, fixed‑cost option.
Weathers said the office’s operating budget is roughly $300,000 and described how travel and staffing needs limit the department’s ability to perform sustained outbound lead generation. He told the board that outside firms present a way to run a fixed‑term pilot: “If it really goes well…we—an hire one or two staff to take that on as fully benefited employees,” he said. Weathers also described tracking metrics and return‑on‑investment considerations and flagged the need for political support from council and the mayor to sustain ongoing contracting.
Board members asked how to measure results and counter objections from council members who may prefer staff or question recurring expenditures. The board concluded that a fixed‑term contract with clear deliverables and a plan to measure leads, site visits and conversion would give staff and council data to decide whether to scale or hire internal staff.
