Encinitas to establish new economic development commission

Encinitas will establish an economic development commission to help guide city business development efforts, the City Council has decided.

“I think this is going to be a fantastic asset for our city,” Councilmember Jim O’Hara said at a recent meeting as the City Council debated how to structure the new organization and directed staff to draft its proposed bylaws.

Councilmember Luke Shaffer agreed, saying, “I think this is really a long time coming.” He added that Carlsbad and Oceanside have had great success with similar groups.

The new Encinitas commission will provide “guidance on economic policy, strengthen city-business relations, foster a sustainable and vibrant local economy, and serve as a sounding board for business-related city initiatives,” a city staff report states. Among other things, it will identify “bottlenecks” in the city permitting process, review city ordinances and consider the impact zoning has on building occupancy rates, the report continues.

After some debate at their Nov. 19 meeting, council members agreed that the new group could have up to nine members, each serving three-year terms. Initially, city staff had proposed two-year terms, but the council went with one extra year on the recommendation of Mayor Bruce Ehlers, who said he wanted terms that didn’t match the City Council election cycle.

Council members also said there should be some flexibility when it came to membership requirements. Some spots, council members said, could be filed by retirees, or by people who are not in leadership positions at the city’s three MainStreet organizations and its Chamber of Commerce. If Encinitas wants to encourage new businesses, the commission should accept people who are not already running Encinitas businesses, Shaffer said.

Councilmember Joy Lyndes said she wanted the group to have a mission statement that celebrated the city’s coastal and art-loving characteristics. Also, she said, the group shouldn’t forget to factor in housing shortage issues when considering barriers to economic development.

A former U.S. Marine pilot, Shaffer said he’d like the commission to explore ways to encourage military-related businesses to come to town, mentioning that Encinitas is in a good location because Camp Pendleton is to the north and there are various San Diego military operations to the south.

Councilmember Marco San Antonio, who represents the eastern part of Encinitas, said he hoped the new commission would look into economic development issues along the El Camino Real corridor.

And the city’s mayor said he wanted the group to explore ways to encourage a variety of businesses in downtown, and thus keep the area from ending up with nothing but alcohol- and coffee-serving establishments.