Connecting Us - Sustaining Progress (CUSP)

CUSP Economic Development and Business Climate August 20, 2020 5:35 Meeting called to order by Dana Kirkham Attendees: Dana Kirkham, Chris Pelkola Lee, Michelle Covert, McKenzie Willmore, Doug Webster, Dana Briggs Absent: Brennan Summers, Paul Keele, Allison Nef, Daniel Barrick, Tyler Kraupp Review of Presentations: A significant portion of the meeting was spent reviewing the previous weeks presentations from the different city facets. Positives and negatives were pointed out. The observation was made that after hearing from City officials many of the ideas that might have been recommended already exist in some capacity. Positives: Residential and Commercial Fiber Optics, Water and Sewer Capacity, Planned Infrastructure Negatives: Downtown Parking, Housing, Transportation (air, public, traffic) Dana Briggs explained the three things incoming businesses consistently express interest in: 1. What land or buildings are available? a. Indicated there could be better consistency in resources 2. Utilities – costs, availability a. Suggested there would be a benefit to having a comparison document. 3. Can the market sustain their business? Does Idaho Falls have the customers and workforce. Suggestions that came out of discussion: • Require developers to provide easements for pathways to lead to a more walkable community. • Investigate more tools in the tools chest (what are economic incentives that could exist that don’t now)  • Provide incentives for businesses to infill • Provide data for price point for downtown and housing in general • Find ways to involve the public and market the assets (welcome package) • Implement digital hook up for utilities Next Assignment Committee was tasked with doing a simple web search to see what comes up for the City of Idaho Falls. Consider the positives and the negatives of the city marketing strategy. Next Meeting: Committee will meet every Thursday at 5:30 until the end of September as they work to produce and interim report. Adjourn Adjourned 6:30 pm