Clarion call for Economic Summit

Gilroy has all the pieces in place to really start making “economic hay” in the next 5 years. And there’s every reason in the world to start that economic engine ASAP.
City Administrator Tom Haglund has both Kristi Abrams, the community development director and a relatively new city hire, Development Center Manager Lee Butler, who came on board in June.
With the newly elected City Council led by Mayor Don Gage, the leadership and city staff members are in place. Add to that Gilroy’s Economic Development Corporation President Tammy Brownlow, Welcome Center  Executive Director Jane Howard, Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park General Manager Barbara Granter and you have the “bones” for a Gilroy Economic Summit. Add to the team a commercial real estate broker like Mark Sanchez, a residential developer like Tim Filice, an agricultural businessman like Steve Costa, a bank CEO like Susan Black, Chamber of Commerce CEO Susan Valenta, a small businessman like Eric Howard who’s on the Downtown Association Board,  and a private sector urban planner like Rob Oneto. Then have the facilitator who ran last weekend’s City Council retreat interview each before a one-day, weekday summit meeting with the goal being to develop an economic strategy for Gilroy.
What the city needs is an economic push start and that requires everyone being on the same page. We have to know where we’re going – i.e. setting clear priorities – and how to get there.
The Council has set their priorities in last weekend’s retreat. Do they match up with the community priorities? Probably. Could an Economic Summit lend credence, clarity, refinement and specific strategies to those identified priorities? Absolutely.
It’s time to harness the momentum of the new Council and the new year and parlay that into a new day.
Gilroy cannot afford to lose more car dealers. It’s imperative that our city does a better job in the job sector. We have the highest unemployment rate in Santa Clara County – a whopping 11.6% and many of our jobs are low-paying retail. And we need to attract new businesses to downtown while keeping an eye out for larger retailers to add to our already mighty retail sales tax base.
Setting goals – and making those goals public – for city staff members in charge of economic development, the EDC director and the Welcome Center director is reasonable. When those goals come from a Council retreat and a community summit meeting, there is a clear path to follow and a much greater chance that our community blossoms and becomes significantly more prosperous in the near future.