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they want to go. They do not go where they are not wanted by the community. He said that getting community support for a company was very important. Mr. Korth asked how far a site could be from I-5 to meet the criteria. Mr. Sheehy said the closer the site, the better. He said that frequently he brought clients into town and they traveled over interchanges adjacent to flat, accessible land. Clients ask about those lands and when told they were outside the UGB, they react with surprise. Then he drove them out to west Eugene toward the cost to show them available industrial land. Responding to a question from Mr. Wanichek, Mr. Sheehy emphasized the importance of showing companies what had been accomplished in the community, and keeping in touch with existing companies to ensure they were happy. When new companies come to town, they frequently contact other companies for information. Ms. Edwards asked Mr. Sheehy to discuss the greatest local hurdle to attracting new firms. Mr. Sheehy said he did not know. Formerly, it was timing. He did not think that was as much of an issue now. Now, the issue appeared to be moving the regulatory hoops. That was a problem for companies. Mr. Kahle asked if that could be attributed to the political process, the citizenry, or City staff. Mr. Sheehy attributed it to politics and City staff. Staff had to ensure the project met life safety requirements. The politics of the situation were that people did not want new development near them. Every project faced that problem, 'and the City's response was very important. If the City stood up and indicated the project met the requirements and could go forward, that was important. If the City allowed the project to near completion and then someone said, "maybe we should have one more public hearing,'' then companies had a problem. Organize into Subcommittees The committee discussed a proposal prepared by Ms. ?.ierce and Mr. Kahle suggesting that rather than form subcommittees at this time, the committee schedule another meeting to hear from local experts with experience in past economic development efforts. Members accepted the proposal, and discussed different people that could be asked to present information. Ms. Pierce and Mr. Kahle agreed to work with Mr. Moore on a list of speakers. Ms. Edwards requested a matrix encapsulating the key elements of past studies and plans. The next meeting was scheduled for April 20, 2004, at noon. The meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m. (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES--Mayor's Committee on Economic Development March 8, 2004 Page 13