|
 Hake reported on recent activities of the Alliance and fielded
questions and comments from the aldermen. The current contract was
signed at the first of the year with an expiration of May 1, 2015.
The new contract, if accepted by the city will run in conjunction
with the city’s fiscal year, from May 1, 2015 to April 30, 2016. The
amount being sought is $60,504.
Hake opened giving an overview of the various changes that have
taken place since the first of the year regarding local business
establishments. She said that one restaurant closed, and two new
ones opened. The Sears store on the city’s far west side had gone
out of business, but there is now a new furniture store open in its
place. Work has begun on the demolition project at the old Tropics
Restaurant, but the Alliance is not yet aware of what the owners
plan to do with the property. She noted that they were keeping their
plans “close to the vest.”
She also noted that there are two lots on the city’s west side that
are under contract with exciting things going to be happening there
in the future.
She told the council that the Crossroads Motel, on the south side of
Woodlawn Road just west of the Lincoln Parkway intersection is in
foreclosure and is now closed. However, she said there was a local
business investor who is looking to purchase the motel. She didn’t
disclose who that person is, but said the city would be happy with
the buyer, it was someone who has already invested a great deal in
the community, and who will do good things with the motel. She
indicated that the Alliance has been assisting in making this
possible.
The closing of the motel is a significant matter for the city as
well as the Logan County Tourism Bureau because it will have an
effect on the revenues generated by the Hotel/Motel Tax.
She also mentioned that earlier in the day she had participated in
the groundbreaking ceremony at Christian Village.
She noted that there were good things happening. “I bring this up,
not because I get the pleasure of taking credit for all of that, but
to remind everybody there are really great things happening in
Lincoln in a very short amount of time. That is because we are being
intentional in our efforts. I applaud the council in those efforts
for supporting and continually being forward thinking in those
efforts.” She noted the council’s decisions to work with Retail
Strategies, DCC Marketing, and the Alliance was supporting the
progress of the city.
Steve Parrott asked if Hake had information on job creation in the
city as a result of the new businesses coming in. Hake said she did
not have that information with her, but she does plan to include
those figures in her next report to the council.
Todd Mourning asked Hake to define the Alliance’s role in the
transition of the Crossroads to a new buyer. Hake said the buyer was
interested and had inquired about what was available, such as
Enterprise Zone. Hake noted, “I can’t take credit for all that, and
I don’t want to imply that I am.”
Mourning expanded his question asking if the Alliance served as the
“middleman” in such situations. Hake said that, yes, sometimes that
was the case. She said there is no cookie-cutter format on what the
Alliance does when offering assistance.
She said that one big part of the job is to communicate and gain
understanding of what is going on with local businesses. She offered
an example. She said Radio Shack had recently announced it would be
closing a number of its stores. She had contacted the local store to
see if it was on that list of closures and had learned that it is
not.
She also noted that right now she is working with two
individuals who have never run a business. She said assisting them
was a bit more involved and included such things as helping them
develop a business plan.
In the coming year, she said the Alliance has a number of goals.
The Development Council will be working to develop a long-term
business development plan. She noted that city administrator Clay
Johnson will be serving on that council. She said the goal
ultimately is business retention and expansion. She noted that it
was easier and less costly to keep a business than to replace it
with a new one.
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The Workforce Development Council will be meeting soon and will be evaluating
what is needed to assist individuals prepare for the job market and increase
employment locally.
The Alliance and Chamber also hosted a recent Downtown Business Owners and
Managers meeting and is preparing to start up a council or committee for the
downtown businesses. At the first meeting, four to five downtown business
managers or owners had been in attendance. Since then Nicole Cox, the Chamber
director, has been making contact with the other businesses downtown and
encouraging them to get involved with this new council.
Tibbs asked how the business representatives responded to the meeting. Michelle
Bauer said that she had attended the meeting as a downtown business owner as
well as a member of the Young Professionals Network on the Pigs and Swigs
Committee. Bauer said there had been information shared regarding the upcoming
festivals and the impact those would have in the downtown area. She felt it had
been a good meeting.
Hake was asked how often this new council would meet. She responded that the
Alliance and the Chamber were looking for the businesses to be the driver of
this council. She said that she and Cox are very aware that time is valuable.
They want the businesses to contribute in deciding how this new council will
move forward. She also noted that the last meeting was held mid-day. The next
one, she said, may be held in the early morning before local businesses open.
On a new topic, Hake said the banners that are to be placed in vacant
storefronts in the downtown area have been ordered, and should arrive soon. The
banners will be placed in the windows, and will indicate that a property is
available for a new business. It will also give contact information for the
Alliance.
Another goal of the Alliance is to reactivate the SCORE program in some fashion.
She noted that there had been a SCORE in the past, and there needs to be
something offered again. She said the Alliance could create a local SCORE, or it
could partner with programs offered in Springfield or Decatur.
The SCORE program is a mentoring program pairing experienced entrepreneurs with
new or prospective entrepreneurs. Hake said when the first program kicked off
(2009), the mentors were people who were still working in their own businesses.
Ideally, the SCORE mentors would be retired business owners who have time to
devote to the one-on-one mentoring.
Moving on, Hake said the goal to create a website that would promote available
business properties was a more difficult and complicated task than first
expected. She said the work and research are still underway and that the website
would be established in time.
In conclusion, Hake told the council that she would make a point to attend at
least two city council meetings per month.
A motion to approve is on the voting agenda for tonight. The council has the
option to vote on the item, or they may choose to table it to a future date if
they feel they are not prepared to make a decision.
(Click
for copy of memorandum from City Administrator Clay Johnson, and copy of the
proposed agreement.)
[Nila Smith]
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