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B. Encourage, through education, the introduction of sustainable business practices <br /> designed to make existing businesses more competitive and profitable. <br /> <br /> C. Encourage the growth of business and industry that incorporates sustainable <br /> practices. <br /> <br /> D. Create a collaborative, positive and sustainable business climate that can be <br /> marketed to attract new business investment to the community. <br /> <br />With those objectives in mind, Mr. Sullivan said staff had set out a series of potential tools split <br />into two broad categories: <br /> <br /> 1. Actions that the City could take independently. <br /> <br /> 2. Actions or tools that could be pursued in collaboration with other agencies, institutions, <br /> or interests in the community. <br /> <br />Mr. Sullivan said the City had a wide variety of core functions that allowed the best chance for the <br />City to provide economic development opportunities. He stressed that the best economic <br />development opportunities were based with the City's existing small businesses. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly complimented Mr. Sullivan and staff regarding the economic development plan. He <br />raised concern that the amount of information in the plan would make in challenging for the <br />council to work through it, but said the plan provided a good framework for moving forward. He <br />stressed that economic development and sustaining the community needed to work hand in hand. <br /> <br />Ms. Bettman raised concern that the proposed next steps were all too familiar. She said the key <br />to economic development and sustainability was to provide core functions such as public safety, <br />education, and livability. She said sustainable economic development needed to have outcomes <br />that showed a demonstrable public benefit and said that one of the filter criteria should be a an <br />accounting for all costs. She stressed the importance of pursuing the regionalization of the airport <br />but added that increasing training/education funds for staff was important as well. <br /> <br />In response to a question from Ms. Nathanson regarding commercial enterprises near the airport, <br />Mr. Sullivan noted there were properties near the airport that could be developed with light <br />industrial or commercial businesses that would help the economic viability of the airport. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson commented that teaching sustainability was not something the City did well and <br />said she did not want to push the City into a teaching role. She said the City should stick to what <br />it did best. She said there was a lot of city policy that could be viewed as a model for private <br />businesses. She cited heating and cooling practices and doing business electronically as <br />examples. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner reiterated Mr. Kelly regarding combining sustainability and economic development. <br />He said the City was part of a region and if it took action in isolation it would be less effective and <br />the results would be of limited value. He stressed the importance of regionalization of the airport. <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 12, 2002 Page 3 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />