Council Economic Development COW

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Economic Development Committee of the Whole met on July 9, 2013, at 1:00 p.m., with Beard presiding. The committee addressed four agenda items focused on economic development matters, including merchant regulations, reporting requirements, and collaborative activities. One motion was voted on during the meeting, and the committee heard three public comments. The committee approved the Itinerant Merchant Ordinance presented by Henson, while advancing two items—the Proposed Commerce Lexington and other Economic Development Partners Expense & Performance Reporting and Collaborative Economic Development Activities—to first reading. Additionally, the committee received an informational presentation on the Commerce Lexington Quarterly Activity Report from Stinnett.

Attendance

Present: Beard, Gorton, Ellinger, Kay, Akers, Lawless, Stinnett, Scutchfield, Myers, Mossotti, Clarke, Henson, and Lane

Absent: Farmer

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

Ordinance 0130-26: Itinerant Merchant Ordinance 24:42

The council voted on the adoption of the Itinerant Merchant Ordinance, which regulates peddlers, door-to-door sales, and mobile vendors through specific hours, licensing, and operational requirements. The motion was made by Henson and seconded by Ellinger.

The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 9 ayes and 4 nays.

Voting in favor (9): - Beard - Gorton - Ellinger - Kay - Akers - Lawless - Stinnett - Scutchfield - Myers

Voting against (4): - Mossotti - Clarke - Henson - Lane

Prior to passage, the ordinance was amended to limit door-to-door sales to 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. The ordinance was deferred to full council for two readings.

Public Comment

Three speakers addressed the meeting with comments focused on economic development and local innovation.

Clark 57:02 expressed strong support for Commerce Lexington's work. Clark emphasized the importance of transparency and measuring the economic impact of development efforts, advocating for both pre- and post-investment analysis to track outcomes.

Myers 57:02 addressed accountability and impact metrics. Myers suggested that reports should include economic impact measurements that go beyond simple job counts, specifically recommending the inclusion of direct, indirect, and induced effects. This approach, according to Myers, would better demonstrate the value generated from public investment.

Wallace 56:00 spoke in support of local innovation. Wallace praised a video presentation from RunJumpDev and expressed enthusiasm about the growing tech and gaming community in Lexington, highlighting its potential for future growth in the region.

Contested Items

Hours of Operation for Door-to-Door Sales

A disagreement emerged regarding the permitted hours for door-to-door sales operations. The core dispute centered on whether sales activities should be limited to ending at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Council Member Farmer opposed an amendment that would have set the cutoff time at 7 p.m., instead advocating for 8 p.m. as a compromise position. Despite this opposition, the motion to amend the hours to 7 p.m. passed by a vote of 9-4, indicating that a majority of the council supported the earlier closing time despite Farmer's objections.

Itinerant Merchant Ordinance — Henson

The committee discussed and approved an ordinance regulating itinerant merchants, peddlers, and door-to-door sales. 0:00

Key Speakers

The discussion involved Henson, Akers, Farmer, and Clark.

Provisions Discussed

The ordinance included regulations addressing:

• Hours of operation for itinerant merchants and door-to-door sales
• Licensing requirements
• Safety provisions
• Signage requirements

Amendments

The committee amended the ordinance to limit door-to-door sales to 8 p.m., establishing a specific cutoff time for this activity.

Outcome

The ordinance was approved and referred to the full council for further consideration.

Proposed Commerce Lexington and other Economic Development Partners Expense & Performance Reporting

51:03

The committee reviewed a proposed standardized reporting form designed to improve transparency and data consistency among economic development agencies. The discussion involved committee members Clark, Akers, and Myers, along with Jenna Grayhouse.

The proposed form aimed to establish uniform expense and performance reporting requirements for Commerce Lexington and other economic development partners. During the review, committee members provided feedback on the structure and content of the reporting mechanism.

Key discussion points included suggestions to incorporate specific performance metrics into the standardized form. Committee members emphasized the importance of tracking the number of consultants met as part of the performance data. Additionally, feedback was provided regarding the inclusion of economic impact analysis as a reporting component, recognizing the need to measure and document the tangible outcomes of economic development initiatives.

The committee's focus on these metrics reflected a broader interest in ensuring that economic development expenditures could be clearly evaluated and justified through concrete performance indicators and measurable economic results.

Outcome: The agenda item received a first reading, indicating that the proposed standardized reporting form was presented for initial consideration and will likely return for further discussion and potential action at a subsequent meeting.

Collaborative Economic Development Activities

1:03:43

The committee discussed the need for improved coordination among economic development partners. Kevin Atkins and Clark led the discussion on establishing more regular communication channels across agencies involved in economic development efforts.

The primary focus of the discussion centered on the frequency and structure of coordination meetings. The committee identified a gap in regular information sharing among economic development partners and proposed implementing quarterly meetings to address this issue. These meetings would facilitate better collaboration and ensure that agencies remain aligned on economic development initiatives and priorities.

The proposed quarterly meeting structure was presented as a mechanism to enhance coordination and improve the overall effectiveness of economic development activities across partner organizations.

Outcome: The item received a first reading.

Commerce Lexington Quarterly Activity Report — Stinnett

Jenna Grayhouse presented the quarterly activity report for Commerce Lexington during this agenda item 24:42. The presentation highlighted several key initiatives and accomplishments from the organization's recent work.

Key Activities Presented

The report emphasized international trade missions as a significant focus area for the quarter. Grayhouse also highlighted Commerce Lexington's support for technology startups, specifically noting RunJumpDev as an example of the organization's work in this sector.

Major project announcements were featured prominently in the presentation, including Toyota's expansion plans and associated job creation initiatives. The report underscored the growing importance of the tech and gaming sector to Lexington's economic development.

Key Speakers

In addition to presenter Jenna Grayhouse, Bob and John Meister participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, providing the meeting attendees with an update on Commerce Lexington's quarterly activities and strategic focus areas.