We are Listening

News

ADE set to host focus group June 26
Modified: Monday, Jun 23rd, 2008
BY: Ellen Holland -- June 20, 2008

Applied Development Economics, the Walnut Creek-based firm that has been selected to develop Atascadero’s economic strategy, will host a focus group on Thursday, June 26.

The meeting, which is is open to the public, will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at Atascadero Junior High School, 6501 Lewis Avenue, and will involve facilitators asking questions of a panel of community members. Citizens are invited to listen in on the exchange and will be welcome to ask questions and make suggestions at the close of the question and answer period.

“The idea of a focus group is that you’re focusing on trying to get specific types of information,” said Kathie Studwell, a senior associate with ADE and project manager for Atascadero’s economic development strategy. “[The upcoming focus group is] really about trying to find out what Atascadero’s unique or distinctive assets are relative to quality of life. We want people there to tell us what’s great about Atascadero both from the residents’ perspective and business perspective.”

The Atascadero City Council has identified economic development as its No. 1 goal. As part of this goal the city has hosted a number of “Just Listening” workshops and re-selected ADE to prepare a citywide economic strategy by a 5-0 City Council vote on April 8. In January the council voted 4-0 in Councilman George Luna’s absence to hire the firm; however, this action was later reconsidered after Mayor Mike Brennler expressed concerns that the timeline for the proposal may have been politically motivated.

While representatives of the firm held to their original a nine-month timeline for competition of the strategy at the April council meeting, on Wednesday Studwell said there is no hard deadline in place.

“In general an economic strategy will take nine to 12 months and we don’t have a specific due date,” she said.

Studwell said the firm began conducting community interviews, both in person and over the phone, last week and will continue to conduct interviews, possibly through the end of the project.

“We interviewed people that we think need to be interviewed to find out about the Atascadero economy so [those interviewed are] a cross section of the community,” she said. “We’re accepting input from anybody.”

The upcoming focus group will be the first of many opportunities for community members to add their input about the economic development strategy. Household surveys will be mailed out to all Atascadero residents this week and are set to include questions about shopping habits.

“We want everybody to respond because what this is about is helping us improve shopping opportunities in Atascadero,” Studwell said of the survey.

In addition, the firm will conduct small business forums throughout the next two weeks. These forums are open by invitation only and will generate input that will be coupled with the input from the June 26 meeting and presented as part of ADE’s first progress report to the council.

Studwell said ADE plans to meet with the council four times over the next year to provide updates about its progress. In addition, the firm is in the process of establishing a Web site centering on the efforts to develop an economic strategy for the city.

The Atascadero Redevelopment Agency has budgeted $120,000 to pay for the consultant’s services along with funding additional public outreach efforts.

The plan, ADE president Doug Svensson said at the April council meeting, should serve the city for the next three to five years and will include a strategy for implementation.

Panelists in the upcoming forum are expected to include representatives of different sectors of Atascadero including public safety, education, library services and health care.

“We want our participants to focus on the future,” Studwell said. “We want to know their aspirations for the future of Atascadero.”

The upcoming meeting, Studwell explained, will not address issues such as land planning as the focus of ADE’s final report is set to address the economy rather than serve as a general plan exercise.

“We encourage Atascadero residents to attend this meeting,” Assistant City Manager Jim Lewis said in a release. “The purpose will be to provide in-depth background about our community’s economic strengths and weaknesses. This input will be very valuable as ADE prepares a strategic economic development plan that will help shape our future and public comments will be welcome.”