New plan to increase jobs and economic vitality involves the South Coast Chamber and Santa Barbara City

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The South Coast Chamber of Commerce is connecting with the City of Santa Barbara to increase economic vitality.

The council said it adopted an Economic Development Plan on June 15, 2021. The work load for the city has increased in many areas and a plan to collaborate with the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce is being discussed.

A presentation was made Tuesday to the Santa Barbara City Finance Committee, made up of three members of the City Council, Alejandro Gutierrez, Eric Friedman and Meagan Harmon.

A city report said the plan would focus on several areas of interest including hospitality, events, and visitor services; the Waterfront and Blue Economy; State Street leasing strategy and economic vitality; Tech Transfer and UC Santa Barbara; and support for housing in the downtown and former retail centers.

The contract will start at $250,000. It could go up to a million dollars.

The Executive Director of the Chamber Kristin Miller said via zoom at the meeting, the plan would bring a deeper perspective into the city's economy using some of the existing city data. "We have the business people in the room at the table  looking at it as well. So what you get you should have some analysis  from the  boots on the ground from the people experiencing what those numbers mean,  and I think that is something that's missing."

There was a strong message of caution about what the eventual benefit will be and if the right answers would come from the work.

Harmon said, "I just want to make sure  we don't set you up for failure and I feel  a little bit that is what we are doing.  I want to make sure we are all on the same page. I just want to make sure we know what a  concrete deliverable looks like."   She was not secure in the rate of information or the type of details that could help the city beyond what its staff and councilmembers are already getting.

The chamber said there would be reports along the way with meaningful content.

Miller said it would be "providing that in writing to this group on a periodic basis, is a huge deliverable."

It w also brought up the finance committee that one of the areas in the city where there could be new economic growth is at the waterfront where there is a  a number of opportunities for  new careers.

Michael Nelson is with the Santa Barbara Harbor Commission. He said, "I'm here today to remind you of  a public private partnership with economic development  at it's core that you guys approved back in August of 2020." Nelson said many steps are already in the works to focus on the ocean industries also known as the blue economy in a partnership with  Santa Barbara City College, the City of Santa Barbara and the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara. Nelson said it would be "to place at emphasis that promotes ocean industries and the blue economy . What a great place to do that where you have the headquarters if you will of the sea food industry right there. "

The committee supported sending the report to the full city council for a public hearing in August, a discussion of the quarter of a million dollars for the work and a  council vote.