Economic Vitality Committee Agenda and Packet 2025 07 24

Home Browse Search

City Council Economic Vitality Committee Meeting Minutes June 12, 2025 Page 4 of 6 Manager Zarate also recommended that the "business friendly" questions remain in the survey, but acknowledged that it does not need to be at the beginning. Mayor Leh asked whether there should be questions around impacts, specifically citing broadband, Front & Center, and Highway 42. He also recommended that there be a question regarding levels of City services. He concluded with a request that the survey identify which questions will be published and which questions will remain confidential. Councilmember Kern encouraged Manager Zarate to trust her instincts around what she thinks the business community would like to see in a survey. She also wondered whether the "business friendly" question can also include an "improving response", or some other way to identify whether there has been progress made since the last survey. Manager Zarate concluded that she will review Committee feedback and begin working on a draft survey. She added that she will send the draft to certain counterparts to help identify any confusing questions or issues with semantics. She noted that she will then plan to meet with the Committee individually to discuss the draft survey during the Councilmembers' meetings with City Manager Langley. Councilmember Fahey asked whether businesses are more likely to answer yes/no questions or questions that allow for additional comment. Manager Zarate responded that she feels businesses are more likely to respond to yes/no questions, but added that the survey can include additional comment around bigger questions that can potentially lead to policy change. Mayor Leh urged the Committee to consider what future conversations around the survey might look like once the results are available. He noted that he heard from businesses that the last Committee response to the survey was not helpful and hoped that there could be more opportunities for listening to the businesses that took the time to respond to the survey. Councilmember Kern agreed and hoped that there can be something a little more concrete following the survey results. BUSINESS BEAT UPDATE Manager Zarate gave an overview of the May Business Beat meeting and noted that there will not be a roundtable in June. The Business Beat Roundtable will return in July with a meeting for both commercial brokers and commercial property owners. The July meeting will be held in DeLo.