Economic development plans

<p>Two items affecting economic development are moving through the council discussion and approval process. One is a community impact report and the other a strategic economic development plan.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>The CIR seems oriented toward insuring that any new commercial project over 25,000 square feet would not compete with existing businesses in town and would also promote living wages, health insurance, etc., types of social purposes. There goes Target! There goes Borders!</p><p>The economic development plan is more targeted toward attracting new businesses that would have a positive net economic impact on Petaluma. That is, their taxes, payrolls and purchases would add up to more than the costs of their fiscal impacts on traffic, police and other public services.</p><p>What’s not clear to me is whether or not these two documents are complementary or supplementary. That is, do they each stand alone or are they to be considered a package?</p><p>I have little faith that either document will fulfill its presumed use.</p><p>The CIR will end up being used as an obstructionist document to prevent businesses some don’t like from being allowed into town. The economic development plan will end up as simply a City Council wish list of the types of businesses they would like to see in town. Whenever a new business fits the list, the economic development plan will be given the credit. For those businesses that don’t, it will be quietly ignored.</p><p>My problem with studies or reports such a these is that individual councilmembers use the portions that support their positions and ignore or refute the parts that don’t. Imagine a report that supports retail development near the factory outlet. How many councilmembers would support that? </p><p>Before authorizing any consultant agreements to produce such studies, all councilmembers should publicly agree to accept the results. Much money has been wasted in this city on special studies and reports, money the city no longer has to indulge in such wasteful practices.</p><p>I would like to go further and suggest consultants bidding on this work (or possibly the Planning Department itself) present a mock-up document to show how and what information will be made available to the City Council in the final product. Otherwise, each council member will end up simply self-designing with the consultant those portions that interest him or her.</p><p>Alternatively, our understaffed planning department will have to find time to evaluate these documents prior to presentation to the council. It should be noted that fees associated with development aren’t usually generated until project approval is underway. The council will be putting additional work on the planning department while at the same time delaying the receipt of revenue to pay for city processing.</p><p>A question that should probably be asked about any new expenditure is, “Can we afford this expense and how might the cost be reduced?”</p><p>——</p><p>On another topic, the asphalt plant being proposed on the river south of town is raising many concerns from users of Shollenberger park across the river from the proposed plant. </p><p>My initial view of this project was that asphalt had to be available if we want our city and county streets to be maintained. If this negative reaction was just a NIMBY response perhaps they should suggest and support an alternate location.</p><p>But then I began to wonder where all the asphalt the city and county has used during the last 10 years or so comes from? Why can’t those sources continue to provide the necessary material? Are there problems with those sources or their locations?</p><p>It would be nice if those questions were addressed and, if necessary, settled before having an unnecessary fight on the proposed new location.</p><p>I would like to see the City Council devote more time to just running the city and less to developing the “perfect” planning process.</p><p>(Jack Balshaw is a retired transportation planner and former Petaluma City Council member. His e-mail address is jbcolumn@sbcglobal.net)</p>