Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan metrics:

Update on Monthly Tracking numbers:  The transition to License Registrar is now complete.  While $39 late fees were assessed at the beginning of March for those that had yet to renew, Monday, April 1st was the ultimate deadline for businesses to renew their business license without receiving a fine.  Staff is delighted to report that, after making extraordinary efforts to contact all of the businesses that were on our “failure to renew” list, there were no existing Sandy businesses operating without a license on the deadline date.  Kudos to Development Services staff who reached out to personally contact dozens of businesses to help make this happen. 

Now that we have accurate numbers, the “Total Business Establishments” number listed in the header above is changing to a more useful number.  Instead of listing all businesses with a City of Sandy business license, we are going to show “Total In-Town Business Establishments”.  This will eliminate all out-of-town businesses that get business licenses due to our local requirements but are not based in Sandy, leaving only businesses that reside within city limits.  Rental properties will no longer be included in this number either – only brick and mortar establishments and home-based businesses.

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan progress:

Action 6.1.2 – Retail market analysis:  Underway!  This report will take ECONorthwest somewhere between 3 and 4 months to complete.  ECONorthwest’s Nicole Underwood will be providing our first update with regard how this report is progressing at the May 1^st meeting of the Economic Development Advisory Board.

Action 2.2.1 – Assess SandyNet as a resource in business and talent attraction: Total number of SandyNet customers broken down by speed tier is now included in the monthly tracking data in the header of this report.  As citizens start adopting more multi-gig connections, we will update this tracking data to include the higher tiers.

Action 5.3.3 – Meinig Memorial Park:  Requests for estimates on specific wayfinding signage for both Meinig Memorial Park and the Pioneer Parking lot have been sent to Ambrosini Designs in McMinnville.  Currently standing by for quotes.

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

23-001 FAC Sandbar BBQ façade project:  Complete!  In addition to increasing the proper number of ADA parking spots to the required minimum (2), this project was able to bring the following additional items into code compliance:

• Addition of an ADA loading zone, proper ADA signage & striped ADA path to the primary entrance of the building
• Entire parking lot has been restriped.
• Addition of nine (9) street trees planted along north side of parking lot (these trees will be watered daily by the AntFarm flower basket watering crew during the 2024 season to establish the trees and help them grow healthy)
• Muddy area at the end of blacktop in parking lot filled with pea gravel for stability.

21-010FAC Tollgate Inn Covered Structure:  Work has begun on this project – the work area has been cordoned off, and excavation for the post holes has begun.  There will be a moderate change order for this project due to the cost of some upgrades to the structure made by the architect that were not accounted for – primarily metal beams.  Contractor is pricing these out now, but this should not significantly delay the project.  Standing by for now…

Sandy Marketplace – major improvements:  In addition to all of the improvements made in the last 60 days at this location, we were contacted by the complex owners in March in preparation for a complex wide, tri-tone paint job.  Colors have been confirmed to be Sandy Style and are earth-tones – this will be a clean new look for the complex.  Complex owners will also address any remaining minor issues with the building surfaces at this time.  UPDATE: The piece of siding that fell off of the front façade of the Dollar Tree Store during the winter storm has been replaced.

To achieve total code compliance, the last remaining item that still needs to be completed is the monument sign — there are sign panels advertising two tenants (K’s Clothing Boutique, Cricket Wireless) that no longer reside in the complex that must be removed, and the lighting for several of the sign panels on both sides of the sign have failed.

Econ Devl – Downtown Events:

There were no downtown public events in March.  The Sandy Senior Center will be celebrating it’s 50^th Anniversary on the 18^th of April from 2-4 PM.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Bignall Pool/Cedar Ridge demolition:  Bignall Pool and the front Cedar Ridge Building are now removed, and demolition work seems close to being complete.  Unfortunately, SandyNet has not been provided with information as to when the work in front of their building will finish up, so the completion date cannot be stated here with any accuracy.

Sandy Comprehensive Plan/EOA: 

There were no Comp Plan or EOA updates from ECONorthwest in March.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

There were no EDAB meetings in the month of March.  Next meeting: May 1^st, 2024, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

2024 Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism (March 11-13, Salem Convention Center) – Oregon’s annual conference for all things tourism, hosted by Governor Kotek and Travel Oregon.  This event was mostly a networking event for tourism professionals, but did include some interesting programming around accommodating tourists and travelers with autism (a market with specific (but not difficult) needs to serve, but also a potential gold mine for businesses willing to serve those needs)

The results of TO’s resident sentiment survey were also shared, showing what locals think of tourism (1. Pride is strong, 2. Outdoors are greatest asset, 3. Quality of life is a concern, 4. Oregonians are optimistic) and tourism employment (1. Tourism is a key employer, 2. Tourism is a year-round employer, 3. (Tourism) employment satisfaction has room for growth).  The key takeaway from this survey was: “The benefits of tourism currently outweigh the negatives, however increasing pressure on traffic, housing and jobs may have long term impacts on resident sentiment.  Oregonian’s value the state’s natural resources and feel a personal responsibility to protect and share them.”

Interestingly, the 2023 Oregon Governor’s Award for Tourism went to the Oregon Outback Dark Sky Network (based in Lakeview) providing dark sky certification for south-eastern Oregon for everything from general stargazing to serious astronomy.  After official certification in 2023, the Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary is now the largest dark sky sanctuary in the world.

Special shout-out to Jim Austin, Assistant Director of Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs, for providing a “scholarship” to Sandy’s Economic Development Manager for this conference so that he could attend GovCon24 entirely on the County’s dime.  

Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan metrics:

As we complete the transition to our new License Registrar business license tracking software and are able to deploy the new Development Services Code Enforcement Specialist to assist, staff is having great success eliminating unlicensed businesses in Sandy.  The number of total Sandy business establishments (metric 1e) is currently artificially low because this is the first time we have ever required businesses to renew their licenses online. This has led to an unprecedented number of businesses (157 as of March 1st) that have not renewed their licenses, even after multiple notices have been issued and late fees have been assessed. However, we are expecting this number to rise throughout the next few months as a) businesses renew at the last minute to avoid fines, and b) staff finds and continues to enter unregistered businesses into the system.  We expect the total number of active business licenses to level off sometime this summer.

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan progress:

Action 6.1.2 – Retail market analysis:  Underway!  This report will take ECONorthwest somewhere between 3 and 4 months to complete. Many thanks to the Sandy City Council for providing funding for this report.

Action 2.2.1 – Assess SandyNet as a resource in business and talent attraction: Staff has completed the redesign of the SandyNet landing page in February.  The redesign is not only clearer and more customer-friendly, but it will help staff identify the number of hits we receive requesting residential service versus requesting business service.

Action 3.2.2 – Identify opportunity sites for expansion/recruitment of metals fab providers:  Although their expansion site was identified and purchased by Rogue Fabrication long ago, staff is currently working on an Enterprise Zone application with this business to assist their business expansion through abatement of a significant portion of the property taxes associated with the new development for three years.

Action 5.3.3 – Meinig Memorial Park:  Staff is currently gathering materials from the last wayfinding project in 2013 to order additional Meinig Park signage to install along Hwy 211 approach, Hwy 26 approaches (both directions) and in front of City Hall.  May also order additional wayfinding signage as needed for downtown couplet (Pioneer Parking lot!) to take advantage of economies of scale.

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

23-001 FAC Sandbar BBQ façade project:  Striping and street tree installation were both completed in February.  Check request for remaining 50% of grant funds has been submitted with Finance and pending one additional small item (filling in of mud section of parking lot with gravel), the applicant will receive the final reimbursement check and this project will be complete.  [note: Sandbar BBQ is now open from noon to 9PM four days a week instead of 4PM to 9PM.  Also, if the number of cars in the parking lot is any indication, this restaurant seems to be doing very well at the moment.]

21-010FAC Tollgate Inn Covered Structure:  Work has begun on this project – the work area has been cordoned off, and excavation for the post holes has begun.  Project must be completed no later than July 2024.

Sandy Marketplace – major improvements:  Sandy Marketplace is the first property that staff decided to focus on after filling the Development Services Code Enforcement Specialist position due to the number of mentions it has generated from both citizens and elected officials.  In addition to the deteriorating condition of the asphalt parking surface throughout the complex, multiple other code violation issues needed correction.  Development Services Code Enforcement and Economic Development have been using a coordinated, multi-pronged approach to address the repairs needed with the property owner (Albanese Cormier, a Texas-based commercial property holding company) since the beginning of 2024.

As of the beginning of March 2024, staff has been able to achieve code compliance from the property owner with regard to the following items:

• All of the Spanish-style roof tiles for the main building in the complex that were broken or missing have been replaced.
• Most of the potholes and failing asphalt sections have been filled/replaced.
• The broken seating area at one of the planter boxes created as a Façade project back in 2019 has been repaired.
• The broken garbage enclosure has been replaced with a brand new code compliant structure painted with Sandy-Style colors.
• All of the broken curbs surrounding landscaping islands throughout the parking lot (about half of the islands had broken curbs) have been removed and replaced.
• Scooter’s: The entire concrete entry path to the front door and parking lot ADA ramp were both removed and repoured.  These sections were deteriorating rapidly and were nearly impassable by ADA standards.
• Pho Viet space:  The windows for this space have been covered in paper so the abandoned interior is no longer visible from outside the building.
• All of the wall signs on the buildings advertising tenants that no longer reside in the complex have been removed.
• In addition to the repairs noted above, representatives from Albanese Cormier recently informed staff that they will be painting the entire complex in Sandy-style colors within the next few months.  This was not a City requirement – the company decided to do this on their own and may follow up with additional façade improvements later in 2024.

To achieve total code compliance, the following items still need to be completed and are being monitored by staff:

• Monument sign: There are sign panels advertising two tenants (K’s Clothing Boutique, Cricket Wireless) that no longer reside in the complex that must be removed, and the lighting for the west-facing Dollar Tree sign panel has failed.
• Landscaping:  There are multiple landscaping plants in the islands around the complex that are completely dead and need to be removed and replaced.
• Siding: There is a siding panel on the front façade of the Dollar Tree store that fell off of the building during the winter storm that needs to be replaced.

Econ Devl – Downtown Events:

There were no downtown public events in February.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Sandy Comprehensive Plan/EOA:  At the EDAB meeting on February 7^th, Beth Goodman and Nicole Underwood from ECO presented draft updates to the economic development goals listed in Block 3 of the Comprehensive Plan (see below for more information).

Bignall Pool/Cedar Ridge demolition:  Bignall Pool is now completely demolished, and Cedar Ridge 1 is about 50% deconstructed as of the last day of February.  Demolition began on January 31^st and is estimated to be completed sometime in March. 

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

EDAB meeting – February 7^th, 2024:  This meeting included:

• A presentation and request for a letter of support from the Sandy Public Library for a mobile library outreach vehicle – at the direction of the Board, this letter was drafted by the staff liaison, approved & signed by the Board Chair and forwarded to library staff on Friday, February 16^th.
• A project update and draft review of ec dev policy goals for the Sandy Comprehensive Plan – this was a review of the incorporation of the suggested changes from the last EDB meeting prior to finalization.  There were no additional changes requested by the Board.
• A review of the scope of work for the approved 2024 retail market report – this was a brief review of the approved scope and request for Board input regarding the add-on Case Study Analysis, which seeks to review the downtown development efforts of three comparable Oregon communities that have been recently active in this arena.  After board review of contractor suggestions and discussion surrounding additional suggestions from the Board, the Chair selected the cities of Hood River, Madras and Sisters for our comparable communities.
• Next meeting: April 7^th, 2024, at 6:30 PM
  

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

Oregon’s Mt Hood Territory FAM Tour – Winter Urban Fun (February 15^th) – a review of County tourism assets in the “urban” region of the county, which includes Oregon City, Milwaukie and West Linn, hosted by Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs (a.k.a. Oregon’s Mount Hood Territory).  New featured stops on this tour were at Tumwater Vineyard and Barrel House Tasting Room (a gorgeous, high-end tasting room and events space in West Linn that does tastings on the weekends and serves dinner from a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef on Thursday evenings) and a full building tour of the historic Hive Catering Company building in Oregon City, featuring the Hive Social (a high-end full service restaurant serving brunch daily, dinner and a strong happy hour presence Wednesday through Saturday), an extremely high-end speakeasy called the Hardware Store in the basement available for lease to private parties, along with catering and multiple fully restored private event spaces on the second floor that can accommodate up to 140 guests.

Next up — 2024 Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism (March 11-13, Salem Convention Center) – Oregon’s annual conference for all things tourism, hosted by Governor Kotek and Travel Oregon.  Special shout-out to Jim Austin, Assistant Director of Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs, for providing a “scholarship” for this conference so that the City’s Ec Dev staff can attend GovCon24 entirely on the County’s dime.   

Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan metrics:

This section will be the new header of the Ec Dev department report going forward.  It will provide some of the metrics suggested in the Economic Development Strategic Plan that staff is tracking monthly to help give policy makers a snapshot of  what general economic and tourism data for the community looks like. 

As we complete the transition to our new License Registrar business license tracking software and are able to deploy the new Development Services Code Enforcement Specialist to assist, staff is having great success eliminating unlicensed businesses in Sandy.  The artificially low number of total Sandy business establishments (metric 1e) will continue to rise throughout the next few months as staff catches us up by entering these unregistered businesses into the system.  This will probably level off sometime in late spring.

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan progress:

• Action 6.1.2 – Retail market analysis:  The contract for this project was approved and signed on January 31^st..  Staff has received a detailed scope of work from ECONorthwest and will discuss the project in general with Nicole Underwood from ECO and provide board input at the Economic Development Advisory Board meeting on February 7^th.
• Action 5.3.4 – Establish downtown park:  Demolition started on Bignall Pool and the old Cedar Ridge Middle School in January.  This is the first step in the development of Cedar Park.
• Action 2.2.1 – Assess SandyNet as a resource in business and talent attraction: Staff is in the process of completing the redesign of the SandyNet landing page in February, waiting primarily on the creation of ADA-compatible graphics for completion.  The redesign will help staff identify the number of hits we receive requesting residential service versus requesting business service, as well as provide better page aesthetics.

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

• 23-001 FAC Sandbar BBQ façade project:  There was no movement on this project in February.  Staff has provided 50% of the available grant reimbursement funds to the applicant for completing the ADA parking addition – remainder of grant funds are being held until lot striping and street trees are completed.  Standing by for now.
• 21-010FAC Tollgate Inn Covered Structure:  The contractor received an official Notice to Proceed on January 3^rd and has a project completion deadline of July 1^st.  Staff has not seen any work commence on this project yet.
• New retail businesses – Sandy Marketplace, FM ancillary building:  The City has received permit applications from developers aiming to renovate the old Pho restaurant in the Sandy Marketplace (Bi-Mart, Grocery Outlet) and the old AT&T store in the ancillary pad building located in Fred Meyer’s parking lot.  Both potential new tenants vying for these spaces are nationally franchised food service businesses, but we cannot confirm if either one has signed a contract so we cannot identify them quite yet.  Watch this space…

Econ Devl – Downtown Events:

• There were no downtown public events in January.
  
  

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

• Bignall Pool/Cedar Ridge demolition:  Demolition began on January 31^st and is estimated to be completed sometime in March.

• Sandy Comprehensive Plan/EOA:  ECONorthwest presented the results at this stage of the project at the EDAB’s regular meeting on December 6^th.  At the next scheduled meeting on February 7^th, Beth Goodman and Nicole Underwood from ECO will be presenting draft updates to the economic development goals listed in Block 3 of the Comprehensive Plan and soliciting board input for the final draft.
• Downtown Maintenance:  On hiatus until spring of 2024.  SMALL CHG CAR WASH BLACKBERRY UPDATE:  The Development Services Code Enforcement Specialist was able to make contact with the adjacent property owner in January and was able to achieve compliance. This issue is now 100% resolved.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

• There was no Economic Development Advisory Board in January.  The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 PM on February 7^th, 2024.  The agenda will include a letter of support for the Sandy Public Library for a mobile library outreach vehicle, a project update and draft review of ec dev policy goals for the Sandy Comprehensive Plan and a review of the City’s 2024 retail market report.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

• There were no economic development conferences or training offered in January 2024.
• Coming up: Oregon’s Mt Hood Territory FAM Tour – Winter Urban Fun (February 15^th) – a review of County tourism assets in the “urban” region of the county, which includes Oregon City, Milwaukie and West Linn.  Hosted by Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs. ——- 2024 Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism (March 11-13, Salem Convention Center) – Oregon’s annual conference for all things tourism, hosted by Travel Oregon.  Special shout-out to Jim Austin of Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs for providing a “scholarship” for this conference so that the City’s ec dev staff can attend this conference entirely on the County’s dime.

Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan metrics:

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan progress:

• Action 6.1.2 – Retail market analysis:  Funding for this report was approved at the December 18^th City Council meeting.   Staff has already reached out to ECONorthwest for a detailed scope of work and a project timeline and should be receiving these items any day.  Scope of work will be on the agenda for the next EDAB meeting – there will be a few items on the scope that the Board will likely want to weigh in on before starting the project.
• Action 1.1.4 – Access to childcare facilities:  In December, Development Services reached out to economic development staff about a new mixed use residential building being built on some C-3 zoned land on Highway 211.  The builder has about 10K SF of commercial space to fill and asked City staff for assistance.  After several conversations with him, I stressed that what Sandy really needs right now is childcare businesses, and I would be happy to help him find a tenant.  I have now put him in touch with 2 childcare operators – one local operator looked at the space but has different goals for expansion right now, but the second operator (referred by Clackamas ESD and has locations in multiple cities around the Portland metropolitan area) seemed very interested in the space.  The property owner and the childcare operator are now in discussions.
• Action 2.2.1 – Assess SandyNet as a resource in business and talent attraction: Staff will be looking to take the first step towards fulfilling this action by starting the redesign of the SandyNet landing page during mid-January.  The redesign will help staff identify the number of hits we receive requesting residential service versus requesting business service, which is one of the metrics the EDSP suggests tracking.  It will also give the page an updated look and feel.
  

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

• 23-001 FAC Sandbar BBQ façade project:  The primary goal of this project has now been achieved – the new ADA parking has been completed and approved by City staff.  Staff has submitted a payment request on behalf of the applicant for 50% of the contractual reimbursement amount as a partial payment.  Once the striping of the rest of the lot and the street tree installation are complete, the applicant will receive the remainder of the reimbursement amount.  Standing by for now.
  
• 21-010FAC Tollgate Inn Covered Structure:  This project currently has an approved building permit waiting to be picked up by the contractor.  UPDATE: The contractor received an official Notice to Proceed on January 3, 2024.
  
• Anna Zell building vacancy:  The vacant space in Anna Zell’s commercial building on the corner of Pleasant and Beers has now been filled.  A brand new business providing paramedical tattooing services (a.k.a. post-surgery or reconstructive tattooing) is moving into the space in mid-January.
  
• New business – Blue Door Rustics:  This new business, located on Proctor Boulevard in one of the suites next door to Golden Key, is the creation of Denise White (a former teacher at Kelso Elementary School) and her son Hunter.  The store is a classic retail brick and mortar specializing in repurposed furniture, home goods, seasonal décor and gifts – a similar concept to Ox & Marley, the former vintage home décor store from a few years ago. The store has been doing very well since it opened, and all the comments Ms. White has received from the Sandy community have been glowingly positive.  Denise also mentioned to me that she absolutely loved participating in the Stocking Stroll this year, as the event was not only loads of fun, but very useful to introduce her store to local residents and help her build her clientele.

Econ Devl – Downtown Events:

• Shortest Day Parkway 2023:  This event was held on the evening of December 21^st in Meinig Park and was meant to be a winter version of the Shortest Day Parkway we hold every year in June.  The event promoted healthy living and safe transportation by asking participants to visit different stations around the park, each staffed by a different department, in order to receive a stamp (and some free stuff) from that department on their event passport.  Full passports could then be entered in a drawing at the end of the event. The event also included the Alpenrose Dairyville display (a replica of a western frontier town) from years past, as well as the splendor of a Meinig Park full of lit holiday displays for the first time.
  
• 2023 Stocking Stroll:  This new annual event took place on December 15^th throughout downtown Sandy, with kids (and a few adults as well) stopping by more than 30 participating businesses, non-profits and government agencies to stuff their stockings with treats.  This business awareness event, like the Trick or Treat Trail, does an immense service for the local economy simply by showing our citizens that there are retail stores in downtown Sandy that they may not be aware of.  Also, we heard from a number of participants that came downtown for the event and decided to go out to dinner at a local restaurant or ended up making a purchase from one of the participating businesses as well.
  
  The Sandy Library counted over 500 participants for the inaugural event, and 100% of the public comments we received at City Hall about the event were immensely positive.  Kudos to John Wallace for organizing everything, and Economic Development is very much looking forward to seeing what we can do with the event next year.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

The final EDAB meeting of the year was held on Wednesday, December 6^th.  At this meeting, Chair Pietzold informed the board that for the 3 open seats on the Board, there will be one returning member (Brache), and two brand new members: Planning Commissioner Darren Wegener and business owner Aryn Ferguson.  It was also mentioned during our roundtable discussion that Boring Brewing is celebrating it’s 5 year anniversary during the new year, Wippersnappers is celebrating their 8^th year in business and both businesses are doing very well.  The board was also updated by staff on the current status of the water and sewer systems, the moratorium and the current status of funding for the retail market report.

Following these updates was a presentation to the board by Nicole Underwood of ECONorthwest on the current status of the EOA and a request for input from board members.  The notes listed below show highlights of the discussion:

• Buildable lands update: Wipper – What is “Village Commercial”? Defined by Smallwood, Pietzold as essentially mixed use zoning designation located primarily in residential neighborhoods; brief history of the designation.
• Commuting trends: Work from home is challenging when looking at commuting trends; this data is not yet being accurately captured for those that work some hours from home and some hours from an office à Our data capture methods will improve over time
• EOA shows a forecast need for 63 acres of industrial land and 91 acres of office & retail combined, for a total of 154 acres of land needed for economic growth à This equals a 9 acre deficit of industrial land and a moderate surplus of 52 acres of commercial land
• Wipper: What other infrastructure concerns do we have other than wastewater? Underwood – nothing specific, but this would include streets and roads, water, etc.
• Brache: Sees commercial as high wage instead of industrial due to IT, professional services, etc. à Underwood: most commercial jobs are restaurant, retail, grocery, but this is a fair point à Also, manufacturing is singled out for high wage industrial jobs in the ec dev strategic plan because they typically do not require a college degree
• Pietzold: Did the city council take anything specific away from this presentation when they heard it last week? à Mayton: There was some disagreement with how the data was collected from some Council members, but I found it to be fairly accurate à Smallwood: This is 2019 data, and the world has changed significantly since then. The data is what it is.
• General discussion about work from home à This is a difficult problem to tackle; we need to get better at capturing this data à Work from home may shrink in the future but it isn’t going away à Initially WFH created a boost in productivity, but this waned over time
• General housing discussion à Mayton: Trying to attract higher wage jobs so larger homes, but current wages are low so folks on lower end of economic scale can’t afford the rent here à  How do you build affordable housing for working class workers when wages can’t go up fast enough to keep up with housing prices
  

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

• Clackamas County Tourism/TDC: County-wide Resident Tourism Sentiment Survey Results:  This presentation on December 13^th shared the results of the Resident Sentiment Survey the County completed recently.  This survey studied resident attitudes about tourism and what benefits/detriments tourism causes for the local communities here in Clackamas County.  Tourism is generally viewed as a slight net positive by locals, but they are also concerned about some of the side effects of this industry, particularly rising cost of living vs. low wage industry jobs, a general lack of workforce housing and the cumulative effects of housing being used for short term rentals in the area and how STRs are damaging local communities.

Internal projects: 

Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  The status of the first round of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of November 2023:

• Tollgate Inn – Contractor is currently applying for building permits and acquiring materials.  Construction should start in early 2024.
• All other covered structures projects are now structurally complete and under contract.
• Four applicants have already completely satisfied the financial responsibilities for the applicant portion of their project.

I have recently received calls from two different municipalities in Oregon – City of Scappoose was one of them, and the other community was coastal but didn’t identify themselves – requesting detailed information on our covered structures program. Both stated that they were very impressed by the City of Sandy’s initiative here and were interested in engaging in a similar program in their communities.

Sandy Comprehensive Plan/EOA: 

• ECONorthwest’s EOA presentation to the Economic Development Advisory Board to present the results at this stage of the project and to get the board’s input will occur at the EDAB’s regular meeting on December 6^th. 
  
  
• Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

• 23-001 FAC Sandbar BBQ façade project:  The parking pad for the ADA parking section has been striped and is awaiting the installation of signage for final approval.  The remainder of the striping work is being scheduled now, and you can see the required street trees on the left hand side of the above picture have been purchased and are awaiting installation.  Almost there…
• 2023 Trick or Treat Trail:  The Trick or Treat Trail was blessed with some outstanding sunny weather in 2023, and the citizens of Sandy showed up in force.  Library staff (the official “kid counters” of the Trail) counted 1,179 children at this year’s event, and the photo stop outside of City Hall (see below) was going pretty much non-stop.  We’re not sure if this is an all-time record, but if not it’s pretty close – City Hall went through eight 5 lb. bags of candy and was also able to provide the Sandy PD with an additional two bags after they ran out so they keep going until the end of the event.  A wildly successful event.  On to Winterfest!

• Shop Girl Consignment:  Unfortunately, this business is in the process of closing up shop.  However, the Ec Dev department was contacted by a new business owner from Gresham that would like to lease the space and is currently engaging with our Building Official about how to add ADA compatibility to the single restroom in the shop.  The new business sounds like it will be a workout class facility for Zoomba and other exercise classes with the occasional small event.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• Winterfest! 2023: Preparations continue…looking forward to seeing Meinig Park and lots of businesses in downtown Sandy awash in holiday lighting. The street tree lighting is complete and ready to go, and is significantly more robust than in years past.
• Small Change Car Wash:  The removal of Himalayan blackberries around the back of the property at the Small Change Car Wash at the SW corner of Pioneer and Bruns has been completed by the property owner (see pictures below).  This action eliminates the homeless “hangout” behind that line of blackberries.  Staff will reach out to the adjacent business (Meadowlark Ski & Snowboard) next to have the rest of the blackberries removed, but this is a fantastic start.  Kudos to Chris Relyea in Development Services for reaching out to the business owner about this issue and following up with him to make sure the work was completed.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

There was no EDAB meeting in November.  The next meeting is now scheduled for December 6^th, 2023, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

• Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge Tourism Partner Engagement (Rhododendron):  This event was a half-day workshop at Alpine Events, the new meeting space owned and operated by Busy Bee Catering.  The event was hosted by the Mt Hood & Columbia River Gorge Regional Tourism Alliance and Oregon’s Mount Hood Territory.  These two organizations have recently signed a contract with Placer.ai to provide them with visitor tracking data for the entire county based on cell phone usage.  This data can tell them where visitors go (specifically) and how long they stay at varying places when they stop – this is incredibly valuable information for tracking which destinations are growing in popularity and where to invest tourism resources. This data is also available to their tourism partners at no cost, and the Ec Dev Department plans to take advantage of this resource often. Many thanks to Councilor Walker and Carol Cohen for attending this workshop with me.

Internal projects: 

Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  The status of the first round of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of November 2023:

• Tollgate Inn – At the SURA Board review on November 6^th, the SURA Board gave final approval to this project with a 7-0 vote.  Construction to begin early in 2024.
• All other projects are now structurally complete and under contract.
• Four applicants have already completely satisfied the financial responsibilities for the applicant portion of their project.
• Covered Structures Round 2:  Round 2 of the Covered Structures Program was completed in March of 2023.  All projects are completed and either under contract or paid in full.
  

Sandy Comprehensive Plan/EOA: 

• ECONorthwest’s EOA presentation to the Economic Development Advisory Board to present the results at this stage of the project and to get the board’s input has been postponed until December 6^th.  A second presentation to the EDAB in January will gather the board’s input on draft economic development goals and policies.

Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

• 23-001 FAC Sandbar BBQ façade project:  The initial parking pad for the ADA parking section has now been poured, and the contractor (Seifert Concrete of Colton) has been in close contact with the Building Department as the slope corrections involved are tricky.  The contractor is currently trying to get asphalt patching at the site completed before beginning the striping work, which can be difficult to schedule during this time of year due to fewer dry and warm days.  Striping work and street trees are required to be complete prior to grant reimbursement funds being released to the applicant.
• VFW space – new business?:  The Ec Dev and Planning Departments have been contacted recently by a business that would like to completely remodel the basement space in the recently upgraded VFW Building to open a new comfort food kitchen and cocktail bar.  These entrepreneurs recently operated a scratch brunch restaurant in Oregon City called Yvonne’s in the Singer Hill Café space that was unfortunately one of the city’s COVID casualties.
• Taco Time driveway aprons:  New owner Todd Hoffman is currently replacing the driveway aprons for this business to eliminate a code enforcement issue with this property, as two of the three driveway aprons are crumbling. The first apron replacement (Proctor Blvd, shown below) is complete.  The entry apron on Beers Avenue has been postponed due to weather and will be replaced in the spring of 2024.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• AF Downtown Maintenance:  All downtown maintenance work for the 2023 season is now complete.  The removal of Himalayan blackberries around the back of the property at the Small Change Car Wash at the SW corner of Pioneer and Bruns has been forwarded to our new Development Services code enforcement specialist as a code enforcement action — we have also asked the property owner to remove the shipping container being stored on site.  A code enforcement letter went out to the property owner in mid-October – deadline date for response is November 13^th.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

The next EDAB meeting was originally scheduled to be held on November 6^th.  However, due to some unplanned absences and a scheduling conflict with another board, we have postponed this meeting until the first Wednesday in December to compensate.  The next meeting is now scheduled for December 6^th, 2023, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

• 2023 Main Street Conference (Independence):  This was the first Main Street conference attended by staff since the pandemic.  Outdoor recreation (bicycle tourism specifically) were one of the strong underlying themes of this event:
  • per Travel Oregon, 92% of Oregonians and 82% of out of state visitors participate in outdoor rec activities, accounting for $15.6B per year in revenue and over 22K jobs.
  • Cycling visitors from out of state spend >$200/trip more than non-cycling visitors.
  • City of McMinnville has installed multiple Dero bike stations (like the one behind City Hall) around their downtown, created an urban bike park in town and worked with neighboring jurisdictions to build graveled trail systems between Mac and other smaller unincorporated towns nearby w/ wayfinding signage & kiosks.
  • Strava (an exercise tracking app) cycling events are becoming hugely popular around the country; gravel riding is already hugely popular and still growing.
  • Sherwood, Independence, Hood River – all focusing their efforts on improving their downtowns; making them more walkable, more events, more attractive design elements, more plaza space and less parking, “flexible” spaces that can be reconfigured for multiple uses, like parking lots that can be converted to event spaces.
• 2023 Fall OEDA Conference (Eugene):  This was the first OEDA Fall conference that the organization has held since before COVID.  This conference was mostly a networking event, although there were some good resources made available throughout the event:
  • Ski industry: one report in development is the Ski Industry workforce assessment (PNSAA) – industry has serious labor issues (extremely dangerous work, low pay, massive gender gap, lack of proper training)
  • Rural Economic Development Toolkit: OSU CORE partnered with ORRA (Outdoor Rec Roundtable Assoc) to develop user-friendly toolkit that includes 15 best practices for sustainable outdoor rec development
  • City of Salem: currently using TIF from UR district to assist with workforce housing; TIF funds given to developer as incentive to offset cost of construction.
  • Travel OR Oregon Visitor Profile Statewide Report 2021-2022: The #1 outdoor rec activity that people do when visiting OR = hiking (19%), followed by “visited national forest, refuge, scenic areas, monuments, BLM areas” (14.6%) à this is a huge opportunity for Sandy!

Internal projects: 

Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  The status of the first round of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of July 2023:

• Tollgate Inn – At the SURA Board review on September 18^th, the Board did not make a final decision pending a request for additional information.  A full color elevation showing the existing building and  the proposed structure was requested by the Board and provided to staff by the architect of record.  This project will be revisited by the SURA Board at their meeting on November 6^th.
• All other projects are now structurally complete and under contract.
• Three applicants from the first round of this program have already completely satisfied the financial responsibilities for the applicant portion of their project.
• Covered Structures Round 2:  Round 2 of the Covered Structures Program was completed in March of 2023.  All projects are completed and either under contract or paid in full.
  

Sandy Comprehensive Plan/EOA: 

• Completed Goals and Policies documents are now available on the Sandy Speaks website for Block 1 (Community and Culture) and Block 2 (Natural Hazards & Resiliency)
• ECONorthwest has scheduled a presentation to the Economic Development Advisory Board to present the results of the EOA at this stage of the project and to get the board’s input at the EDAB’s regular meeting on November 6^th.  A second presentation to the EDAB in January will gather the board’s input on draft economic development goals and policies.

Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

• 362^nd Ave and Bell Street Extension (22-003 FSH/MP):  A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the Sandy High School end of the 362^nd and Bell Street extension on Sunday, October 1^st at 1:00 PM.  The Mayor recognized the immense amount of effort and energy by both staff and City Council members, both present and past, to complete this project. The Transit Department brought the trolley out for the initial drive from the high school to the Highway 26 intersection and back.  The street officially opened to regular traffic on the morning of Monday, October 2^nd.
• 23-001 FAC Sandbar BBQ façade project:  This project is currently underway.  The initial parking pad for the ADA parking section has now been poured, and the contractor (Seifert Concrete of Colton) has been in close contact with the Building Department as the slope corrections involved are tricky.  This project should be substantially complete by the time the October department report is complete.
• Taco Time driveway aprons:  New owner Todd Hoffman is currently replacing the driveway apron on Proctor Blvd for this business to eliminate a code enforcement issue with this property. The other two aprons for this property with access on Beers Avenue are next in line for repair. (This project is not receiving any grant funding from the Urban Renewal agency and was included in the department report for informational purposes.)

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• Flower baskets:  The baskets have officially been removed as of September 30^th, and the planters have been updated with fall/winter plantings.  Special thanks as always to Cheri Sigmund and the crew at Cedarglen Floral and to the watering crew from AntFarm Youth Services for the amazing work they both do for us every year and for the compliments we continue to receive on our baskets from citizens and visitors alike.  We continue to have one of the best flower basket programs in the state of Oregon.
• AF Downtown Maintenance:  Waiting on completion of the second tranche of work, which is now about 90% completed.  The next item that will be addressed by the crew will be to tackle the patch of Himalayan blackberries around the back of the property at the Small Change Car Wash at the SW corner of Pioneer and Bruns.  These blackberries have contributed to multiple homeless encampments in the past, and a recent code enforcement staff tour showed that this is becoming a “hangout” again.  My intention is to have the AntFarm crew completely remove all vegetation around that site that is not in an official landscaping area and to dig out as many blackberry stumps as possible to try and prevent regrowth.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

The EDAB held a regularly scheduled meeting on September 6^th.  The Board had our second ever public comment introduced by Councilor Carl Exner, who brought an idea to the board for discussion centered around convening a committee of volunteer business and commercial property owners and possibly EDAB members to address unkempt properties in downtown Sandy in a positive manner (i.e. without code enforcement).  The regular agenda for the meeting included standard updates from staff regarding commercial development within city limits, and a board discussion about how to sort high priority action items from the Ec Dev Strategic Plan, which provided staff some good input and reiterated the importance of a new retail market report.  I plan to bring a proposal to get this process restarted to the full Council in the near future.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

Child Care for All Initiative Retreat (September 25^th):  This day long retreat, held at the Clackamas ESD main office, was a strategy session for members to help the coalition start to develop an action plan for the near future of this industry in Clackamas County.  Advocacy actions suggested at the retreat included developing a menu of actions that could be taken by various participants informed by local case studies, and generating and circulating legislative concepts at the state level, followed by a public awareness campaign and an organized effort to present to elected bodies around the state.  Strategies for access, public engagement and workforce development were also discussed.

Coming up:  There are two economic development related conferences coming up in October.  The first is the Oregon Main Street Conference on October 4^th and 5^th being held in Independence.  Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs offered to pay for Sandy’s registration fee, so I will be attending this conference entirely on their dime.  This conference opens with a session entitled “Best Promotion Ideas from Around the Country”, so I hope to gain some valuable information about how Sandy can continue improving our downtown core.

I am also attending the 2023 Oregon Economic Development Association Fall Conference is October 9^th and 10^th in Eugene.  This will be the first time that OEDA has held its fall conference, which is the primary conference of the year, since before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Internal projects: 

Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  The status of the first round of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of July 2023:

• Tollgate Inn – Winning bid from Round 2 of bids was $82,100 from Steve Traxler, a CCB licensed contractor known to the applicant from Oregon City.  There was less than 5% difference between the two lowest bids.  Standing by for final review from the SURA Board on September 18^th – if approved, construction will commence shortly thereafter.
  • All other projects are now structurally complete and under contract.
  • Three applicants from the first round of this program have already completely satisfied the financial responsibilities for the applicant portion of their project.

Covered Structures Round 2:  Round 2 of the Covered Structures Program was completed in March of 2023.

• Update – Wippersnappers Kid’s Play Place has now paid off their share of their covered structure in full…the first applicant from the second round of this program to do so.  

362^nd Ave and Bell Street Extension (22-003 FSH/MP):  While this project has mostly stayed on target since we began in late January, the crew has unfortunately run into a few delays recently.  The signal controller that was ordered by ODOT turned out to be faulty and needed to be replaced.  ODOT is currently conducting testing on the new unit, which should take about 2 weeks.  Konell will also need to put a storm line under 362^nd Ave and remove the old signal poles, so there will be roughly 2 weeks’ worth of work remaining after the new signal controller is installed and approved by ODOT.  The new street is currently slated be opened to the public during the first week of October.

Sandy Comprehensive Plan: 

• Tabling at the Mount Hood Farmer’s Market: On Friday, August 11^th, the City’s Economic Development Manager joined Natalie Knowles from 3J Consulting to do some tabling at the Mount Hood Farmer’s Market. Unfortunately, the weather was hot and the market was one of the least attended markets in 2023…however, Natalie was optimistic and felt that she gathered as much information from the crowd as she could. This will be the final tabling event for the Comprehensive Plan.

Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

• New business – 38888 Pioneer Boulevard:  This building was recently purchased by Marlin Good, an Estacada businessman.  Mr. Good is currently discussing a lease with a couple that would like to set up another daycare facility at the site – this couple currently operates a similar facility in Damascus.  This building has a number of issues left over from the previous owner that will need to be corrected before occupancy can be achieved.  The most difficult one will be the installation of sidewalks and curbs along the property on Junker Street, considering that the building sits below grade.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• Flower baskets:  We typically remove the flower baskets at the end of September when the majority of baskets have run their course – there are a few out there that are nearing the end, but with continuing sunshine predicted for the remainder of the month, the majority should continue to look decent for a few more weeks.
• AF Downtown Maintenance:  Tranche #2 of work is currently underway.  This will include removing suckers from the base of street trees on Pioneer and Proctor and the general cleanup of 7-Eleven, the Library, the back of the newly remodeled VFW Building, Small Change Car Wash, Meadowlark Ski & Snowboard, and multiple other areas.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

There was no scheduled EDAB meeting in August due to the summer recess.  The next scheduled meeting of the EDAB is 6:30 PM, September 6^th, 2023 in Council Chambers at Sandy City Hall.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

There were no conferences or training opportunities for Economic Development in the month of August. 

Internal projects: 

• Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  The status of the first round of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of July 2023:
  
  • Tollgate Inn – Project rebid underway.  Scope of work and plan distributed to three local contractors.  Bid deadline is Wednesday, August 16^th at 3PM.
  • All other projects are now structurally complete and under contract.
• Three applicants from the first round of this program have already completely satisfied the financial responsibilities for the applicant portion of their project.
  

• Covered Structures Round 2:  Designs for the second round of the City of Sandy Covered Structures grant program were reviewed at the SURA and City Council meetings on January 3^rd, 2022.  Round 2 of the Covered Structures Program was completed in March of 2023.
  
• Sandy Comprehensive Plan: 
  
  
  • Tabling at the Sandy Mtn Festival:  Sandy’s Ec Dev Manager assisted representatives from 3J Consulting in gathering data on Saturday, July 8^th in the City Hall parking lot.  Feedback was a bit more sparse than staff was hoping for, but good data was collected at this event.
  • CAC Meeting #7: The 7^th Community Advisory Committee was hosted in Council Chambers at 6:30 PM on July 13th with staff assistance.  Community members included members of the Sandy PD, Clackamas Fire, the OTSD and Clackamas County Disaster Management.  Excellent feedback at this event, especially from Clackamas Fire and ClackCo DM.
  • The next project event is:  Tabling at the Mount Hood Farmer’s Market on Friday, August 11^th.

Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

• New business – 38888 Pioneer Boulevard:  This building was recently purchased by Marlin Good, an Estacada businessman.  Mr. Good is currently discussing a lease with a couple that would like to set up another daycare facility at the site – this couple currently operates a similar facility in Damascus. 
  

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• Flower baskets:  Holding steady – our watering crew seems to have the watering, fertilizing and application of petunia bug insecticide down to a science now.  Surprisingly, we have yet to lose a basket this year to a collision with a big rig. 
• AF Downtown Maintenance:  Preparing to start work on the second tranche of work – work to include weeding planter strips at 7-Eleven, the back of the VFW, the empty lot next to Meadowlark Ski & Snowboard and the Small Change Car Wash, cleanup of the Farmer’s Market lot and removing suckers from the street trees on Pioneer/Proctor.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

There was no EDAB meeting in July.  The next meeting has been delayed until September 2023 due to the summer break.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

There were no conferences or training opportunities for Economic Development in the month of July. 

Internal projects: 

• Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  The status of the first round of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of June 2023:
  
  
  • Tollgate Inn – The applicant has decided that he would like to rebid the project due to the fact that the winning bidder added 42% to the overall materials and labor cost after winning the bid.  Staff and design professionals agree with applicant and will put this project out to bid again in July.
• All other projects are now structurally complete and under contract.
  • Three applicants from the first round of this program have already completely satisfied the financial responsibilities for the applicant portion of their project.

• Covered Structures Round 2:  Designs for the second round of the City of Sandy Covered Structures grant program were reviewed at the SURA and City Council meetings on January 3^rd, 2022.  Round 2 of the Covered Structures Program was completed in March of 2023.
  
• Sandy Comprehensive Plan:  The next events to occur for this project are as follows:
  • Tabling at the Sandy Mtn Festival:  Sandy’s Ec Dev Manager will be assisting representatives from 3J Consulting on Saturday, July 8^th (11a-2p) in the City Hall parking lot. 
  
  
  • CAC Meeting #7: 3J Consulting will be holding the 7^th Community Advisory Committee in Council Chambers at 6:30 PM on July 13th with staff assistance.
    
• Economic Development Strategic Plan:  The plan is now complete and under review by the Economic Development Advisory Board.  After taking an initial look at the plan and analyzing starting points, it appears that the Board is most interested in starting with the action items listed below in the Ec Dev Advisory Board section of this report.

Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

• New business – 38888 Pioneer Boulevard:  This building was recently purchased by Marlin Good, an Estacada businessman.  Marlin is looking to rehab this building and then turn it into a commercial rental property.  In June, we heard from a couple of businesses that may be interested in leasing this space – one was a day care center.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• Flower baskets:  They seem to be holding steady again this year.  AntFarm has had some minor staff shakeups recently, but this has not seemed to affect the crews that do work for the City of Sandy (flower basket watering, downtown maintenance, homeless encampment removal, etc.) in any way. 
• AF Downtown Maintenance:  Work on the first tranche is still in process and has progressed in fits and starts, but this is acceptable as the high visibility work has been completed already.  As always, if you have any general downtown maintenance issues you would like to see addressed this season, please let us know.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

EDAB Meeting — June 7^th, 2023:  At the June 7^th meeting of the Economic Development Advisory Board, the board welcomed new member Marcel Brache of AEC, who was selected to fill one of our two board vacancies.  New member Robbie Walters will join us at the next scheduled meeting.

The primary focus of this meeting was to dive into the newly completed Economic Development Strategic Plan and start to identify places to start making headway.  The board suggested looking at the 12 action items that CAI labeled as “high priority” and start with these items.  Specific items discussed include:

• Action 6.1.2 (retail market survey):  Chair – clarification on whole city vs. areas of focus (whole city); “this has to get done” à board members strongly agree with this; this is a high priority à funding needed; do we need to go through the RFP process for this?
• Action 2.2.2 (SandyNet marketing):  Identify partnerships with economic development partners…and distribute marketing collateral communicating the benefits of SandyNet to remote workers and other target audiences à new construction in West Sandy; what are home businesses looking for?; multi-gig connections now offered…is there a market for this?
• Action 5.3.4 (downtown park):  This just went through City Council recently and was approved to move forward
• Action 5.1.1 (new hotel):  Now is the time for us to start looking for this (Hans); Loge Hotels suggested by Elliot and looks super cool (?); are there other opportunities like Loge out there?; (Hans) lodging lobbying groups out there (ClackCo Tourism (Samara, a few hoteliers on the county tourism board), Travel Oregon (Scott Bricker))
• Action 5.2.4 (outdoor recreation marketing):  The ClackCo CPP grant program is gone, but being replaced by the SIP grant; we have a project concept ready for Vision Around the Mountain.
• Action 1.1.4 (child care):  Mayton emphasizes how important this point is; Khrys, Jeremy agree à we are still significantly underserved in this capacity; there is a lot of money available out there for this topic right now

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

There were no conferences or training opportunities for Economic Development in the month of June.