Advisory board backs exploring $50K lead‑generation program, asks council for workshop

The City of Fort Myers Economic Development Advisory Board voted to back pursuing a lead‑generation program and asked staff to request a city‑council workshop to explain the proposal.

Steve Weathers, a city economic development staff member who led the discussion, described the approach as "basically your cold calling firm," explaining such firms make hundreds of targeted outreach calls and surface the most promising prospects for follow-up. He told the board the city's professional‑services budget line rose from $10,000 to $62,000 and that typical vendor proposals he has seen range from about $50,000 to $75,000 a year, sometimes on multi‑year commitments. Several members said they prefer a retail‑focused strategy now while keeping higher‑paying light‑manufacturing or tech targets as part of a longer plan.

Board members debated whether the city should hire external site‑seekers or add staff. One member pushed the board to act: "I think we need to put into a motion to go forward with facilitating the need for a ... lead generation program for the city of Fort Myers economic development office," a motion that was seconded and carried by voice vote. The board asked staff to prepare a short, single‑page summary (a "cheat card") of the program for council and to gather procurement details — including whether an RFP would be required — before placing the item on a council workshop agenda. The board signaled it will also individually brief their appointing council members ahead of any workshop.