Emporia needs to actively recruit commercial business, four of the five city commissioners said at a goal-setting session Thursday.
The discussion on getting and keeping retail took up most of the two-hour session at the water treatment plant. Most of the Emporia City Commission agreed that waiting for industrial businesses to draw commercial ones wasn’t working anymore.
“I think that approach was valid 15 or 20 years ago,” Commissioner Jeff Longbine said. “I don’t think it’s valid now.”
“I don’t think the market is going to come to us,” Commissioner Jim Kessler agreed.
That could also mean the use of incentives to attract a retail business, although most commissioners seemed to favor “back-door” incentives that would have the business pay up front and then get some of the money back if they performed well. That route had been suggested as a possible option by City Manager Matt Zimmerman.
“Economic incentives are not a bad thing because they bring us what we want,” Zimmerman said. “But the deal has to be that we’ll give them back some of the money they gave us, not money up front. And unless it’s something we really, really want, it’s not worth it.”
The one dissenter was Commissioner Julie Johnson, who remained uncomfortable about using any incentives to sweeten the deal for a business.
“Isn’t that what the capitalistic system is about?” she asked. “People in private enterprise see an opportunity and seek to reap the benefits, and if they’ve miscalculated, they take the loss?”
“Yes,” Longbine said.
“So how do we justify reducing their risk with incentives?” Johnson asked.
The other commissioners considered incentives a possible tool. They are an increasingly common way of doing business, Zimmerman said, but there’s also a risk: when you give something to one company, others want the same deal or better.
“It becomes a race to the bottom,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many companies call and say ‘If I come to your town, what will you do for me?’ It’s an uncomfortable way to begin a relationship. But it’s how the game is played.”
The session is the second meeting Zimmerman and the commissioners have held to set goals for 2007. The group had hoped to set those goals Thursday but ran out of time. Next week, the commissioners will talk about setting up a third session.
Some of the priorities that have already been identified include finding ways to motivate and develop the staff, and to look at outcome-based budgeting.
TheO (anonymous) says...
Well, look what happens when businessmen try to run City Government. "Let's give the Police Department an incentive to reduce crime by 10%" Let's see now...to reduce crime we have to report less crime and make less arrests. Let's have a sale on crimes. That will keep the crime rate down! Cheaper equipment and cheaper salaries. That's how you fight crime. Looks good on paper!
Now the Fire Department...let's have less fires or else we won't give them firemen those shiny trucks to drive around in. We need to make an incentive to have less fires. Having less firemen...would that do it?
Incentive based offers may work with accounting or selling cars but in public works that's hard to do. Just exactly what would make people stop stealing, driving while drunk, molesting children, making Meth, beating thier wives or throwing trash in public? Let's offer them an incentive! How about making all that illegal and arrest those that committ crimes. Well, we would have to prosecute them and that takes money.
"We tried to cut the Animal Shelter position last year and a sizable crowd showed up!" Well, where was that crowd when we cut fire and police positions?
Well folks, it doesn't matter if you meet at 6th and Commercial or in Las Casitas Park. Only a few people are going to be concerned about cutting funding. Our city employees need raises. That's what would keep good, experienced people working for the city. Employees working hard to keep the crime rate down instead of transfering to cities that pay better and have better benefits. You just can't pick up poo from the clean end. It's all just poo!
May 4, 2007 at 3:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
Good comments.These people have not a clue of what even goes on in this town. They drive more people away with their stupid ideas then they will ever admit. Ask some of these guys what they pay their own employees. My guess is poverty level like most places in this town.
May 4, 2007 at 2:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barbara61 (anonymous) says...
I agree with that THEO. This town is going to crap. What about ALL of these empty buildings in this town. But Walmart doesnt want a Target here and Sutherlands and IBC (dolly ) doesnt want Lowes here and at one point I heard Olive Garden wanted to come here too. Why is this town monopolizing the system so we can look stupid being 10 years behind from the real world. I go to Topeka and shop and to eat because theres nothing here . Have a dam meeting about updating us for 2007. I would appreciate a firemen to be able to put out a fire if I ever had one. Stop messing with people that are here to help the public. Your plan didnt work for the animals and it wont work for people here to help us. Maybe some of the fat cats running this hell hole can take a PAYCUT.
May 18, 2007 at 4:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
Spendable income is what brings in retailers.One store doesn't like competition? And can stop other retailers from coming into Emporia? Sounds like somebody has their hand out.I'm sure it's happened somewhere,but has china-mart ever closed a store because of competiton?
May 18, 2007 at 4:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )