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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 Minutes_Minutes_SPAC_2017-02-28 MINUTES Strategic Plan Advisory Commission Tuesday, February 28, 2017 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. City Hall, 1st Floor Conference Room Commission members present: Bill Briska, Armida Dominguez, Dustin Good, Steve Knight, Todd Martin, Jeanette Mihalec, Dan Miller, Carolyn O’Neal, Sara Sabo Commission members absent: Judy DiFulvio, Dennis Verges Members of the public: Dave Segel, Sustainability Commission Staff: Rick Kozal, city manager ; Laura Valdez-Wilson, staff liaison A. Chairmain Briska called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. B. Roll call was read by staff liaison Laura Valdez-Wilson. C. SPAC approved the meeting minutes from January. Armida Dominguez moved to approve the meeting minutes, with a 2 nd from Todd Martin. D. Staff liaison Valdez provided a five-year history about the city’s Downtown strategic initiatives, and City Manager Kozal lead a discussion about the next iteration of the Downtown priority area. a. Commissioner Martin noted that the city has spent a lot of resources to rebuild the infrastructure in downtown, and it looks like we have been successful. b. City Manager Kozal agreed that our attention can fully shift from infrastructure spending to making sure that our storefronts are occupied. He asked the group to discuss how the city should p rioritize limited resources to ensure our downtown is a destination. The city has recently focused its efforts on residential developments to build a strong base of consumers and customers, but is it time to focus on our businesses? What, if any, assistance should the city offer its potential property and business owners to attract and retain a stable retail base? Do we incentivize properties to repurpose large spaces? Should we prioritize residential investments over programs such as façade improvement grants? How does the historic significance of downtown play into future projects? c. Commissioner Mihalec expressed that the success of restaurants and stores also depends largely on the day -time workforce that can spend money at lunch or to get coffee. d. Commissioner Sabo brought up the idea of fiber optic cable as a potential draw for businesses that may want to locate in downtown Elgin. e. Commissioner Martin brought forward three broad concepts to guide initiatives: Life safety, historical significance, en ergy efficiency. He also noted that the Fox River and the resources and attractions it can provide should be a significant part of the downtown priority area. f. SPAC collectively agreed that specific grant programs, such as the façade improvement grants, are helpful for a period of time but might not be as impactful to promote progress in downtown. Larger dollar amounts that help Elgin achieve bigger goals might be better (e.g. Tower Building assistance). g. Commissioner Sabo brought forward the discussion about Shared Harvest. SPAC discussed the pros and cons, whether the city should provide assistance, and what the development would do for downtown Elgin. While there are concerns about the income of the surrounding population being able to sustain the store, SPAC discussed the merits through urbanism, social consciousness, healthy living, and the community experience. E. The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m. by Steve Knight, with a 2nd by Dustin Good.