Board seeks clarity: what Main Street does versus Economic Development and permitting responsibilities

Board members asked staff to clarify which duties and data belong to the Main Street program, Economic Development and development services. The question focused on who controls incentive dollars, who manages recruitment and who carries out regulatory permitting.

Staff explained economic development handles recruitment, incentives and grant funding, saying those funds and decisions are not under Main Street's control: "It's the money always came from economic development...they are the ones that can fund the new recruit. They're the ones that can fund the expansion of something, and we cannot." For regulatory and permitting questions, staff said development services manages notices, permits and the regulatory pathway; Main Street's role is liaison and programming support.

The board requested clearer, periodic reinvestment and development reports from Economic Development and development services to complete the Main Street self-assessment. Staff committed to providing quarterly reinvestment reports and to advocate for board access to relevant information while noting legal restrictions on some development or recruitment details.