City hires firm for economic strategic plan

<p>Working to accomplish its top goal for the year, the City Council on Monday approved a $139,000 contract with a Walnut Creek firm to draft an economic strategy for Petaluma.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>The firm, Applied Development Economics, will spend the next five months studying Petaluma’s economy, assessing its strengths and weaknesses and identifying ways to boost existing and new businesses.</p><p>“This is groundbreaking for us,” Mayor Pamela Torliatt said, noting that an economic strategy has been long desired in the community.</p><p>City Manager John Brown said ADE was selected after a multi-step process that began with 14 proposals and was whittled down to two firms, with ADE being the preferred choice among a selection committee of local residents and business representatives.</p><p>The company’s proposal “appears to provide a more analytically based, methodical and in-depth approach,” Brown said in his report to the council. The firm will also provide “ample opportunity for businesses and the public to participate in a meaningful process.”</p><p>The first step of the firm’s work will be a “needs assessment” to define Petaluma’s economic position “and identify opportunities to enrich and strengthen its economic base,” the company said in its proposal to the city.</p><p>The firm will be interviewing a cross-section of community members and many Petalumans have already indicated their interest in being consulted as part of the study, Brown said. Anyone interested in being included can contact his office at City Hall, he added.</p><p>Focus groups will also be conducted, and the city will be launching a Web site to update the public on the schedule and progress of the work, Brown said.</p><p>“We are going to conduct an analysis that’s very community-based in its review process,” he told the council.</p><p>One of the potential outcomes of the strategy is the need to hire city staff overseeing economic development and possibly create new programs at City Hall, Brown said. That’s why ADE has an April target date for completion, so any staffing or program changes can be included in the city’s 2010-2011 fiscal year budget, he said.</p><p>Council members said they were happy to see the work begin.</p><p>Councilmember David Rabbitt said he’s looking forward to learning economic data about the city that can be used to take action to improve the economy.</p><p>“It will be very worthwhile,” he said.</p><p>Mayor Pamela Torliatt said the firm should examine a number of questions, including how infrastructure needs will affect future development and how new economic steps fit with the city’s General Plan vision.</p><p>“I hope that ADE moves forward with not what they think is the best for Petaluma, but that they’re really looking at what the community and the people involved in this process want,” she said. “It’s not just what they think we should do, but it’s based on the values of the city of Petaluma and where we have our vision going.”</p><p>(Contact Corey Young at corey.young@arguscourier.com)</p>