Work Group Meetings #1b

Wed. September 27th

Economic Development

 

Present: Peter Hertzog, Darlene Flores, Jim Bakker, Barbara Rushmore, Michael Leger, Bonnie Adams, Lisa Bowden (?), Melissa Jones, Gail Browne

 

Next Meeting : Wed. October 18th

7:00 - 8:30 p.m., Judge Welsh Room Town Hall

 

Priorities

  1. Link Workforce Housing and Economic Development Plans
  2. Refocus tourism initiatives on extending season
  3. Provide training and incentives to develop non-tourism, entrepreneurial activities that increase year-round employment

 

With thanks to Peter Hertzog who helped frame many of these ideas, the following suggests a series of potential recommendations to the larger group. Perhaps at the meeting on October 18th, the group could meet to discuss and try to come to some agreement on the language of the recommendations to the larger group.

 

Potential Recommendations

 

1.      Continue to recognize the inextricable links that exist between providing secure, affordable year-round community housing and the needs to create a more sustainable year-round economy by supporting the efforts to develop a parallel summit on economic development.

 

2.      Support efforts to improve and extend Provincetown’s Tourism Economy in order to provide more year-round employment, by:

a.      Encouraging business owners’ and the Visitor’s Service Bureau participation in developing off-season and in-season "package" deals.

b.      Developing a new, integrated website and on-line promotion campaign for the town.

c.      Expanding Arts Council outreach regarding classes, showings, gallery openings, etc.

d.      Working with town and inn keepers to relax minimum stay requirements in shoulder seasons

e.      Eliminating any licensing disincentives that may encourage businesses to seek seasonal rather than year-round licenses

 

3.      Support efforts to engage the business community in helping create more community housing, by:

a.      Providing financial and tax incentives for business owners that support year-round housing efforts for their employees

b.      Engaging the business community in helping craft “local preference” qualifications that promote the goal of benefiting those year-round residents that contribute positively to the community

 

 

  1. Support efforts to develop year-round non-tourism employment opportunities that provides a year-round livable wage by:
    1. Providing a more supportive permitting mechanism allowing existing home-based businesses to expand activities that employ year-round workers
    2. Exploring aquaculture and related opportunities with key local and Cape-based institutions including the Center for Coastal Studies and the Marine Biological Laboratory
    3. Canvassing and enticing off-cape small businesses to relocate to Provincetown with preference to ones suited for the local economy.

 

Suggested Agenda for Next Meeting

Note the meeting is to be held at Town Hall- Judge Welsh Room

 

Review potential recommendation language and try to come to agreement on the language of the key recommendations. We are creating actions for a Housing Action Plan. Please try to keep the focus on how the recommendations are connected to the initiatives to increase affordable year-round housing opportunities.