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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/12/2023 - Meeting Minutes MINUTES FOR THE BUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD Wednesday, July 121h, 2023 1. Roll Call The following members of the Business Advisory Board were present: Jeff Carleton, Chair Andy Robertson, Vice-Chair Scott Lyttle Jocelyn Kearl Abudujannah Soud Siliveninusi Niu Karen Gunn The following members of the Business Advisory Board were absent: Darin Piccoli Pook Carson Alfonso Brito Sue Rice Also Present: Veronica Cavanagh, Department of Economic Development; Lorena Riffo Jenson, Department of Economic Development; Roberta Reichgelt, Department of Economic Development; Peter Makowski, Department of Economic Development; Will Wright, Department of Economic Development; Cathie Rigby, Department of Economic Development; Ibrahim Ramazani, Department of Economic Development, Andie Feldman: Department of Economic Development; James McCormack, Building Services; Michelle Saucedo, Suazo Business Center, Allison Rowland, City Council Office; Darin Mano, Salt Lake City Council; Bill Vitek, Dig Studio; Cassie Younger, Planning Division; Aaron Bartlow, Planning Division, 1. Approval of the minutes A. Review and Approval of May loth, 2023, BAB Minutes. Vice-Chair Robertson made a motion to approve the minutes from May 1 Oth, 2023, meeting. Ms. Gunn seconded the motion. Upon roll call, the motion passed unanimously. 2. Briefings by the Staff Mr. Makowski announced that the Economic Development team has hired a new Project Manager, Brian Pantle. Mr. Pantle briefly introduced himself, highlighting his 11 years of experience working with the City. EDLF Updates Ms. Reichgelt said City Council has approved a $100,000 loan for Salt Lake Sandwich, a food truck, and shared details about the startup. Construction Mitigation Program Ms. Reichgelt announced City Council provided additional funding of$300,000 to the Construction Mitigation Program. The program aims to support businesses affected by construction, focusing on commercial corridors like downtown and Sugar House. Open Streets Update Ms. Reichgelt provided an update on the upcoming Open Streets event scheduled from September 1 st to October 21 st. She mentioned improvements being made to the road closure process and emphasized the goal of making the event a vibrant and engaging destination for the community. 3. Business A. Council Member Mano Introduction Coumcil Member Darin Mano briefly introduced himself, mentioning he represents District 5 on the City Council. He outlined the boundaries of his district and highlighted some of the key business nodes and neighborhoods within his district. He also mentioned his background in architecture and urban planning and expressed his enthusiasm for supporting neighborhood businesses and urban design. Vice-Chairperson Robertson asked Council Member Mano how the Business Advisory Board could support his goals and if there were any areas of collaboration or focus that he had in mind. Council Member Mano expressed his appreciation for the invitation and mentioned the importance of supporting businesses during construction projects and the need for grants to mitigate the impacts of construction. Council Member Mano further discussed the potential of revitalizing the Ballpark neighborhood after the baseball stadium's departure. He highlighted the opportunity for creative urban design and vibrancy in the area. He discussed his interest in exploring new business nodes and improving zoning ordinances to promote vibrant business districts. He welcomed input from the BAB on identifying suitable areas for new business and addressing zoning-related challenges. Vice-chair Robertson inquired about Council Member Mano's perspective on homelessness, its challenges, and potential solutions. Council Member Mano discussed homelessness as a multifaceted issue that requires collaboration across different levels of government. He emphasized the City's role in addressing immediate issues related to public safety, including mental health support and housing accessibility. He noted the City's initiatives to improve downtown cleanliness and safety, including mental health support for police and fire departments. He also highlighted the need for long-term solutions, such as affordable housing and comprehensive case management services. He mentioned the challenge of finding suitable locations for encampments and the City's efforts to address this issue. B. Main Street Pedestrian Mall Study Mr. Makowski introduced Mr. Bill Vitek from Dig Studio who the City has chosen to carry out the Main Street Pedestrian Mall Study. They have just begun their public engagement portion of the study and wanted to present to the BAB what they have done thus far and get the BAB's feedback. Mr. Vitek highlighted the study area, which extends from Temple south to 400 S with a consideration for extending the scope to 100 South. He discussed the importance of creating a place that caters to people and enhances downtown activation. The project's goal is to increase vibrancy, support local businesses, and make Main Street a destination. Mr. Vitek discussed the team members working on the project, including city representatives, consultants, and local experts and highlighted the collaboration between various departments and divisions for the project's success. Mr. Vitek presented the initial analysis findings, including the study of the street's fabric and building conditions. He mentioned the importance of accommodating different modes of transportation and creating inviting spaces for the public. He announced the plan to integrate components of the study into the upcoming Open Streets event and mentioned interactive displays, engagement opportunities, and real-time feedback collection during the event. Mr. Vitek outlined the project timeline, which includes presenting alternative plans based on stakeholder feedback, developing a preferred plan direction, and ultimately shaping a high-level vision concept plan for Main Street's revitalization. BAB members expressed concern for businesses and the overall impact of construction that may make things challenging. Mr. Vitek highlighted the challenges and considerations related to the construction that will impact businesses on Main Street. He addressed the need for careful planning, especially regarding the mitigation of disruptions. He discussed that the mitigation piece will be an essential part of the project and emphasized the importance of planning for actual construction. Chairperson Carleton asked what the time frame would be for the Pedestrian Mall. Mr. Vitek said it will take several years to complete the project and highlighting the importance of feedback from participants. Mr. Soud raised concerns about coordination between private companies and the City during development projects. He brought up the need for better communication and coordination to prevent disruptions to local businesses. Ms. Reichgelt acknowledged these concerns and explained that the City is aware of the challenges and is working on improving coordination efforts through liaisons and regular meetings. Vice-Chair Robertson commented on the need for a liaison who is both visible and accessible to business owners to provide support during construction projects. Ms. Reichgelt said they have a liaison that is contracted with the City, Bill Knowles, for the Sugarhouse area but with all the construction currently that someone full-time in that position might be needed. C. Child Daycare Center Amendments Ms. Cassie Younger and Mr. Aaron Barlow, from the Planning Division, presented on the proposed child daycare center and home daycares zoning text amendments and addressed the current daycare crisis in the country and highlighted the shortage of childcare options and rising costs. Ms. Younger explained that the proposed amendments aim to simplify and align City regulations with State regulations, reducing barriers for new daycare businesses. Ms. Younger explained the different types of daycares being considered: home daycares and daycare centers. Mr. Barlow followed with further details on the proposed amendments and discussed the limitations and challenges posed by the current zoning regulations for daycare centers. He highlighted the proposed changes that would allow daycare centers in all parts of the City, except in incompatible districts. Mr. Barlow also mentioned the plan to increase the maximum number of children allowed in home daycares to align with State requirements. Ms. Gunn inquired about any existing data on daycare centers opting out of Salt Lake City due to confusing codes. Ms. Younger responded that they had not received such feedback, but the audience might be biased as they were mainly communicating with existing daycare providers. D. Special Event Permitting Subcommittee Update and Letter to Mayor Chairperson Carleton provided an update on the work of the Special Event Permitting Subcommittee have discussed and what recommendations they have included in the letter to the Mayor. Here are some of the recommendations: • Large Event Notification: The most significant recommendation was to increase the notification period for large events from 30 to 60 days prior to the event. Chairperson Carleton noted that a "large event" would be defined as an event with more than 500 attendees. • Deadline for Permits: Chairperson Carleton mentioned that if event organizers had not completed the permitting process at least 5 days before the event's start date, a hard stop would be enforced, and the event would not proceed. • Develop a visual dashboard so that as organizers work their way through the multiple approvals they are presented with alerts that they're in good shape, or cautions that they're falling behind and need to concentrate their resources and time to catch up. • Develop a video/YouTube recording, walk through of the approval process so that applicants can gain an understanding of time frames, requirements and departments they'll need to interact with to gain approval. Mr. Lyttle made a motion to approve the letter to the Mayor. Vice-Chair Robertson seconded the motion. Upon roll call, the motion passed unanimously. 4. City Council Announcements Ms. Rowland provided a high-level summary of the following items: • Ms. Rowland provided an overview of the budget for the fiscal year 24, totaling about 2 billion dollars which included airport operations and various business-related items such as more funding for the Construction Mitigation Grant and a proposed Granary District study for a potential Special Assessment Area. • She highlighted the Redevelopment Agency's 3.8 million dollars in commercial assistance programs. • Ms. Rowland discussed new investments for programs to address housing instability and homelessness. For the past four years the City has provided over 57 million for the creation of affordable housing and this year the budget included 20 million in new affordable housing funding. • She mentioned City Council approved 39.7 million for the Capital Improvement Program and they are currently finalizing the project list. She added that in August there will be public comments at a Truth and Taxation hearing. Vice-chair Roberston asked if the City runs the same size budget surplus year to year.Ms.Rowland said that the budget surplus percentage has been around 13-14%. 5. BAB Member Announcements A. None Adiournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. jp,#Le� C Catetoit Jeffrey a�n Nov 3,202309:54 MDT) Jeff Carleton, Chairperson This document and the recording constitute the official minutes of the Economic Development Business Advisory Board meeting held on July 12th, 2023.