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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-07-17 ACE MINUTESALLIANCE FOR COMMERCE IN ENGLEWOOD COMMITTEE City Council Conference Room July 17, 2014 0 I. CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Alliance for Commerce in Englewood Committee (ACE) was called to order at 11 :35 a.m. in the City Council Conference Room of the Englewood Civic Center, Chair Knoth presiding. Present: Absent: Knoth , Miller, Vigliano, Sedbrook, Michels Whyte (Absent -Excused), Weinberger (Absent-Excused), Farris (Absent- Unexcused) Also present: Joe Jefferson, City Counci I Liaison Staff present: Darren Hollingsworth, Economic Development Manager Michael Flaherty, Deputy City Manager APPROVAL OF MINUTES April 10, 2014 Chair Knoth stated that the Minutes of April 10, 2014 were to be considered for approval. It was determined there was a quorum . Chair Knoth asked if there were any changes or adjustments to the minutes. There were none. Miller moved: M i chels seconded: THE MINUTES OF APRIL 10, 2014, BE APPROVED AS WRITTEN. Ayes: Nays: Abstain: Absent: The motion carried. e Miller, Vigliano, Michels None Knoth , Sedbrook Whyte, Weinberger, Farris II. ACE BUSINESS Mr. Hollingsworth reviewed the history of ACE and the objectives set by City Council for the benefit of the new members . e Chair Knoth stated that ACE is a business advisory group and his goals going forward are 1) advise on issues facing City Council now and 2) bring new issues to City Council for them to consider. When bringing issues to City Council , the ideas need to be fully explored including a plan for implementation. Ii] Councilman Jefferson stated that City Council is re-evaluating ACE to determine if the contributions from ACE are substantial enough to continue supporting the group. He believes that the group has value and could contribute a great deal to helping City Council with the vision for South Broadway from Hampden to Belleview. He cited examples of the effectiveness of the Economic Development policies and programs that the City has available (Sprouts signalized intersection and King Soopers at Belleview tax abatements). Ii] Chair Knoth asked the members if they were interested in continuing to work on South Broadway or .if there was another project that they were interested in pursuing. He suggested that projects could be very small in scope or longer term large projects. Ii] Councilman Jefferson believes that should the group develop a plan for South Broadway improvements, the funding may be available. Ms. Vigliano asked what the strategy is for attracting new businesses. Councilman Jefferson responded that Mike Flaherty, Deputy City Manager, and Darren Hollingsworth are in touch w ith business and landowners in Englewood and are able to gather information from them. Englewood's vacancy rates are comparatively ' lower than the surrounding area. Approximately 60 % of Englewood's income is generated through sales taxes resulting in lower property taxes. Retaining existing businesses and attracting new businesses is important to sustain the local economy. Mr. Knoth remarked that per capita, Englewood collects the most sales tax revenue of the cities in the metro area. Mr. Michels asked about the composition of business on the South Broadway Corridor. He remarked on possibilities of marketing the existing businesses. Creating a "mini-tech center" would attract a diverse group of businesses . Ii] Councilman Jefferson reviewed the current programs available for businesses in the City including the Catalyst program and the Enterprise Zone. Ms. Vigliano asked if Englewood's zoning affects the type of development in Englewood with regards to the arts community. Councilman Jefferson remarked that welcoming artists and exploring the live/work options available in Englewood. It would be a marketing effort to attract that community to the area. It is a viable economic driver for the City. Ii] Attracting a hotel to Englewood is a priority. Mr. Miller suggested that a survey of businesses would be helpful to gather information about the business climate in the City. Ii] Mr. Flaherty addressed the board with information regarding his background with the City and the healthy economy in Englewood that is based on a diverse group of industry and business with the largest employers in the medical industry. He reviewed the current residential development that is taking place in Englewood at Kent Place and Alta Vista . He asked the members to come to the next meeting prepared with three ideas for the City. Ii] 2 Mr. Sedbrook expressed that he feels that ACE should strive to work with all businesses in Englewood and seek those that would like the assistance the group could provide. He stated that an action plan is necessary to accomplish whatever goal they choose to focus on. Councilman Jefferson urged the group to tackle one project in the next 6 months .. Election of Officers e It was decided to postpone the election of a Chair and Vice Chair until the next meeting in order to give the newest members the opportunity to acclimate to the Committee . e . Comments from Committee Members e Chair Knoth urged the members to research other first ring cities in the metro area to get ideas for projects in Englewood. 0 Dan Miller shared that Swedish is implementing a major expansion to their campus this year that will increase employment. He stated that the majority of patients at Swedish are not from Englewood. e Mr. Sedbrook thanked the other members of the committee and expressed that he is looking forward to working for the betterment of Englewood. e Mike Flaherty shared information regarding the August 201h meeting for homebuilders and developers that is a forum to gain information about the current market. Meeting adjourned 12:50 p.m. 3