Hollister
– Hollister’s economic development is moving past the discussion
phase with the creation of a work plan aimed at hiring a person to
market the city and the drafting a long-term plan for the city’s
economic development.
Hollister – Hollister’s economic development is moving past the discussion phase with the creation of a work plan aimed at hiring a person to market the city and the drafting a long-term plan for the city’s economic development.
Foremost in the work plan is an idea to create an economic development director position, which received a lot of attention during an economic development workshop held by the city council in June. In the past, council members have said they envision the economic development director as a person who will go out and market Hollister to businesses looking for locations and work with other regional agencies with the goal of creating economic stability in the city.
“It’s important to have someone who is part of the city government who may be able to coordinate efforts. We’re not going to get different businesses that have never thought of us without a key person to market the city,” said Councilwoman Monica Johnson, who sits on the city’s ad hoc economic development committee that drafted the work plan.
Among the economic development director’s tasks will be creating a marketing plan for Hollister and then going outside of the city to trade shows and other events in an effort to attract businesses looking for sites.
“I’m hoping they’ll also have some ideas to tackle it,” Johnson said.
City council members will review the plan Monday and likely direct city staff on which items to pursue. If the council tells staff to go ahead and draft a job description for economic development director, the position could be filled within four months.
Councilman Robert Scattini said he hadn’t had a chance to look at the work plan yet, but he agrees that the city needs a person in charge of marketing Hollister.
me of these companies,” he said. “We need someone to go out and harpoon a big company and bring some businesses into town,” he said.
But, Scattini said, businesses won’t want to come to town until the building moratorium is lifted and the city can provide housing for employees.
“We’re not going to get anything done with that (moratorium) on,” he said.
City Manager Clint Quilter has told the city council that he expect the building moratorium to be lifted in November, 2007.
In addition to creating an economic development director position, the work plan calls for forming a committee that will draft a comprehensive economic development strategy and implementation plan, which will include developing a marketing plan for the city, establish “power centers” – which are retail areas with one or two large stores and several smaller businesses – and develop downtown Hollister as an area with commercial and residential space where people can live and work.
Hollister Downtown Association Executive Director said the HDA supports mixed-use development in downtown because it furthers its goal of making downtown Hollister the social and economic hub of the city.
“The Hollister Downtown Association is in favor of mixed-use for downtown, because with people living here they will shop here,” she said.
Also the work plan includes creating an online inventory of the city’s vacant and industrial space so the information will be easy for real estate brokers and businesses to access.
Johnson said she saw the work plan as a positive start to addressing the city’s economic future, but it will take time.
Scattini said the Hollister’s financial situation is dire and he is eager to see the city begin taking steps toward long-term financial stability.
“We’re starving to death,” he said. “We’re not dead yet, but we’re getting thin.”
