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 February 2023:

• Tollgate Inn — Staff is currently working on developing a scope of work for this project. We will be going out to bid for this project in March.
• All other projects are now structurally complete and under contract.
• Three applicants from the first round of this program have already satisfied their financial responsibilities for the applicant portion of the covered structure 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.  Here is the status for this round of the program as of February 2023:

• La Bamba Mexican Restaurant — Completed July 21st, 2022.
• The Smoky Hearth — Completed August 2nd, 2022.
• Wippersnapper’s Kids Play Place — Completed February 15th, 2023 — see below.
• Thai Home — Project on hold due to applicant medical situation. We checked in on the applicant again in November; still undergoing treatment, will check back with applicant later at beginning of Q2 of 2023.

Economic Development items:

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

• Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) – current status:  Sandy’s first economic development strategic plan is entering into its final review phase.  The Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB) will review the final working draft of this document in two meetings, with the first of these meetings occurring at the inaugural EDAB meeting for 2023 on March 1^st.  Once the second review meeting is complete, our contractor (Community Attributes, Inc) will synthesize all of the EDAB’s comments and consolidating them into the final draft of the document before presenting it to the Sandy City Council for final adjustments and approval.

• New business – Sandbar BBQ (coming in March 2023):  This new business could literally open any day now.  Restaurant owner Clint Melville purchased the building from the Newberrys as part of the deal and is currently finishing up putting his personal touch on the interior prior to his grand opening.  Mr. Melville has a wildly popular food cart in Portland called Rip City Grill and comes with a reputation for excellent barbecue. 

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• AF Downtown Maintenance:  The Downtown Maintenance program is shut down for the season and will focus on specific individual maintenance items as they arise until we start the program back up again in the spring of 2023. 
• Street tree lighting:  Holiday street tree lighting was taken down by the AntFarm Downtown Maintenance crew on February 27^th and 28^th.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

The EDAB has now approved bylaw amendments and the reappointment of Board Members Jones, Pietzold, Schwartz and Wipper at the regular Council meeting on February 6^th.  The inaugural 2023 EDAB meeting is now scheduled for March 1^st.

The primary agenda item for the next meeting will be for the board to review and mark up a final draft of the Economic Development Strategic Plan prior to the plan receiving a final review by the Urban Renewal Board.  UPDATE: This has now been split into two meetings so the board can dive deep on this version of the report.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

• Highway 26 Steering Committee (February 14^th) #2:  This committee was arranged by Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs (Mt. Hood Territory) to discuss tourism related topics on the south side of the mountain and how to increase visitors in the area.  The committee is comprised of several area business owners including the owners of the Skyway Bar and Grill, the Dragonfly Café, the Zigzag Mountain Store and the Chicali Cantina, as well as tourism promotion related organizations like Travel Oregon, the Sandy Ec Dev Office and the Mount Hood and Sandy Area Chambers of Commerce.  The committee met for this second meeting at Le Happy Creperie & Bar.  Topics of discussion included the development of a studio event to bring in stakeholders to discuss needed improvements for tourism, which will be held up in Welches later in 2023, and logistics surrounding that event.