Economic Development Council Meeting

Minutes:  February 21, 2007; 9:30 am

Conference Room A

 

Present:

Members:  Chairman Steve Melamed, Vice Chairman William Dougal, W. Todd Dever, Gabrielle Hanna

Absent:  Henry Tuttle, Astrid Berg, Thanassi Kuliopulos,

Staff:  Acting Assistant Town Manager/Grant Administrator Michelle Jarusiewicz

Via Conference Call

Members:  Alix Ritchie

Consultants:  Peter Kwass – Mt. Auburn Associates

 

Meeting called to order at 9:35 am by Chairman Steve Melamed

 

Resume conversation with P. Kwass of Mt. Auburn Associates.

Updates

 Where to go from here: 

            Glenn Ritt – demographics on 2nd home owners still waiting for information

            Issue of day trippers

 

 

           

Outstanding Issues from 2/7/07 meeting

 

  1. Business Costs (Cost of Doing Business)/ Comparables trends in other communities

 

What are we comparing our costs to:  State in general? Barnstable County? 

Need to look at non-year-round communities – seasonal/tourist economies.

 

Overhead costs:  labor, sewer, water, rent, mortgage, insurance, taxes, utilities, infrastructure costs increasingly eating up the bottom line to be compared by business sectors – poll 3-5: restaurants, retails stores, guesthouses.  Income is not rising and these then become bigger costs. 

Need to test the results of the study and the reasonableness of tourism trends developed and projected.

Trends relating to the change in types of business, not that business are not there.

Importance of restaurants & guest houses as a fundamental foundation of the tourism economy.  Condos replacing other tourist housing.

Cost comparison issue - What is the benchmark?    What has been the trend in costs over time?

            Poll several businesses with real estate holding to develop figures re: overhead costs

Rental rates (per sq.ft.) compared to other places to help form a picture of reality

 

            CCEDC & EDC need data to identify trends to develop ideas about where things will go.

 

 

 

  1. Opportunities

 

 

 

  1. Effort to project demographic trends

 

 

 

  1. Housing related to economic development

 

Housing issues still developing/correcting/planning in anticipation of upcoming town meeting

Can develop affordable housing, but need the jobs to be able to employ people.

            Cumberland Farms development, DPW/town garage development – Have these projects stalled?

            Link economic development with community housing development.

            Important to have 1 community housing list rather than the multiple lists that are maintained.

Criteria of community housing needs can be formalized.

Documentation of population loss relating to affordable housing.   Housing/Jobs (Chicken or the egg?)  People go where the jobs are.

Cost of living in Ptown – clear that people cannot afford to live here.  Utilities are 3X more expensive than other places, taxes are higher,

Ptown as an isolated, remote community (end of a peninsula) – costs of everything is greater.

What is the current snapshot occupying current affordable units by economic sectors? 

Need criteria as to who is eligible for affordable housing.  First come/first served?  By sector need?

Strategic plan by John Ryan needs to be operationalized/

What kind of workers are needed?  What kind of housing is available?

Approx. ½ of the people working in Ptown do not live in Ptown.  Attract people to move back into town to develop more of a year round economy.

Availability of certain goods and services:  for example: GU, no services for the 6-16 year old demographic,

H2B visa program & H1B visa program labor force takes resources from town without adding to the economy as consumers.

 

 

How do we get people to come here?  If people come, businesses will stay open.

 

March 29th meeting to be scheduled for abbreviated Mt. Auburn presentation (8-10 minutes) to business group.  Begin visioning process in conjunction with business group.  What does the business community need from the EDC?  Facilitator to be found by EDC (Katherine Rafter?)  Possible alternative locations other than town hall – PTC, FAWC.  Evening meeting.  Similar to participation from meeting that Gabby lead two years ago.  Structure meeting to form ideas and opportunities for EDC.  Business group to have an opportunity to validate/adjust data. 

 

Data should be reflective of Cape-wide trends of use to the CCEDC.  Ptown is the beta site for this type of data collection effort for current pictures/comparables/future trends.

 

Peter to develop comparables within the Cape.  Year round communities (i.e., Falmouth, Hyannis), mid-size (i.e., Dennis) as well as the more seasonal/isolated community (i.e., Nantucket).

 

Provincetown has no direct competition Gay/Lesbian, 6th best beach in the world, arts/cultural centers from other Cape communities.

 

Sales & Marketing 101 – How do we make this work?  How do we start the economic engines within this community? 

 

Comparables:  Communities that are isolated and visitor dependent.  Nantucket; South Beach (broken out from greater Miami); a place facing issue of growth where physical growth not possible; distance from major metropolitan area; Asbury Park, NJ; North Carolina;    Looking at more mature communities and looking at communities on the up-cycle of economic resurgence. 

 

How to promulgate the growth of Provincetown?

 

Good focus to use with Business Group:  Have we priced ourselves out of the traditional market?  If so, what is the new market?

 

How many private planes land at the Ptown Airport?  Compared to years ago.

 

Meet with VSB, PBG, Chamber of Commerce Boards in advance of March 29th meeting.

 

Go forward with a strategic plan beginning in May possibly. 

 

Mt. Auburn should refer contact with Press back to EDC Chair (Steve) who will then point press to other directions.

 

Peter will provide a memo regarding comparables to reconvene discussion for next week.  Involve CCEDC.

Micro analysis, P&L statement, basic business plan.

 

Must poll business owners who are renters and not just business owners who are property owners in order to obtain a realistic picture.

 

Bill makes Motion to approve minutes of 2/7/07

2nd by Todd

All vote to approve (Gabby abstain, not present at meeting); 3-1-0

 

Bill makes Motion to approve minutes of 12/6/06

2nd by Todd

All vote to approve (Gabby abstain, not present at meeting); 3-1-0

 

Bill makes Motion to approve minutes of 10/25/06

2nd by Todd

All vote to approve 4-0-0

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 11:20 am.