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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEcon Dev Adv 2009-05-27 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES May 27, 2009 City of Kitchener The Economic Development Advisory Committee met this date, chaired by Adrian Conrad; the following members were in attendance: Councillor Christina Weylie, Alan Anderson, Mark Collins, Mary Alkerton, Bob Denton, Ian Cook, Bernie Nimer, Dan Piedra, Rebecca Short, Len Carter, Mark Bingeman, Brent Richardson, The following people sent their regrets: Jeremy Auger, Peter Benninger, Howie Budd, and Steven Voll The following people were absent: Staff in attendance: Rod Regier, Tracey DeVille, Janette MacDonald, Terry Boutilier, Valerie Bradford, Cory Bluhm, Robert Morgan, Kim Feere Minutes – On motion by Bernie Nimer, seconded by Alan Anderson, that the minutes of April 2009 be approved. Carried Item 1.1 Economic Reality Check Janette MacDonald, Technical Analyst provided the Committee with a continuation of the Economic Reality Check presentation, which explained in detail, employment and unemployment rates in Kitchener. The Committee provided the following feedback: Does this information tell us that we are not that bad off, we are where we should be, what is the outcome of this information? - in the contents of the labour force data, the unemployment numbers are not good, whether they lost job or just entered workforce, we have to look at where we are positioned in relation to other communities – we are in a good position in terms of growth and that will serve us well Is there an opportunity for us as a Committee to provide a one page communication summary that will explain what these numbers really mean, perhaps on a monthly basis? ? We do try to get the message out, and we do struggle in terms of process. One solution could be a circulation of a labour force briefing on Labour Force Friday. That will serve as a key message. Complexity is hard to understand and the take out in terms of unemployment is becoming clearer, is what we are hearing telling us when we come out of the current economic situation we will be better positioned and if so, is there anything we can do, the city can do that will help our community get there sooner? - That is a difficult question to answer, since so much of what we are experiencing is out of our control, for example the situation in the United States. There are actions the government can take and as a municipality we have had opportunities to apply and in some cases be successful with those programs As a Committee, is there a message we can communication that is not negative that we can get out in the media and to the people. (The Committee members provided the following ideas in response to this question) We need to adjust the media’s image of the local economy. There o are people that are working and we need to celebrate that, it is unfortunate that there are people unemployed but to advertise that causes the community to be in fear and not spend. We need to focus on those businesses that are expanding and o coming up and it is positive to see those stories about companies that are moving forward The local automotive / manufacturing business has been slow with o the current situation but there is optimism within the industry that it will turn around The Committee agreed that overall this is not necessarily a negative discussion and as leaders of the community it is important for all members to communicate the positive message to sustain our local economy and help it grow stronger. The Committee requested that since we are in agreement that we are a well positioned community to pull through the current economic situation well, that we have a discussion and pull together some points as to why we are. Brownfield Successes Terry Boutilier provided the Committee with a presentation on the Brownfield program. The presentation included information on the current progress to date, the future challenges of the program, the situation with Kitchener gas stations and the current policy issues. Terry also provided information on the Brownfield Economic Development Initiatives. The Committee was asked to provide input on any ideas people may have regarding undersized Brownfield lots. What programs are available and how much of an issue are these properties and if there is an increase maybe the programs need to be looked at again. - We are working with the property owners of such properties, trying to get them to use the programs and clean the properties for resale. Can we not get the Ministry of Environment involved in forcing a clean up of the properties? - To clarify, the MOE need to have an offsite contamination complaint before they will become involved. Are there any incentives, can a by-law be created to at least enforce an aesthetic requirement for the properties? - We can enforce a by-law only to ensure the property is safe and secure and through our building department the only enforcement tool we have there is to ensure the site is level. Any further incentives? – Other than a cash grant which we have not entertained at this point Terry Boutilier invited the members to a presentation at the UW on July 16 to see what the students have created for solutions to these sites. Draft Diversity Committee Silvia Wright provided an overview of the diversity strategy. And the Committee provided the following comments: Does the City see themselves in the forefront on this? – We have looked at other cities in the country and modeled some of our content after them. Who is participating on this Committee? – There are approximately 12 city staff involved in this project. Action item – Dan Piedra would be interested in participating in the developing of the work that we are doing here, he advised that the College has completed their own strategy and he may be able to assist in the development of ours. Corporate Visitation Update We are about half way through the visits and if you are interested in participating as an observer, please contact Val Bradford. Parking Strategy Conclusion The timing is showing we may be able to bring this forward to Council in August. We will be able to have another discussion regarding this project before then. On motion by Len Carter Seconded by Brian Bennett The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.