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02/21/1989 - Packet AGENDA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TUESDAY, February 21, 19 , 7:30 A.M. DAVIDSON'S RESTAURANT - 12830 SW PACIFIC HIGHWAY, TIGARD, OR PACIFIC HIGHWAY AT MAIN STREET 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL: SAVORY CORLISS DE BERNARDIS HART PIERCE CLARK MOORE MONAHAN 3. APPROVE MINUTES 4. AMBASSADOR PROGRAM • Review of City Council presentation * Orientation Discussion • Tour Discussion • Ambassador Selection 5. Other Business 6. Adjournment ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, January 17, 1981P MEMBERS PRESENT: John Savory, Jim Corliss, Amo De Bernardis, Joy Crouch, Bob Pierce, Susan Clark, Brian Moore, Bill Monahan OTHERS PRESENT: Peggy Weston Byrd, John Acker The meeting was called to order at 7:40 a.m. and the minutes of the December meeting were approved without modification. Peggy gave an update on the activities of the City Center Plan Task Force. She announced that the design part of the study was in the final stages and that a morning coffee was planned for February 3, 1989. The public is invited to the February coffee. There was some discussion as to the perception of the downtown property owners and businesses people. It was noted that there needs to be an effort to involve interested people in the process of developing written policies for the City Center. The Ambassador Program was discussed extensively by the Committee. The two pieces of written material outlining the ambassador program were reviewed as to their content expressing EDC members understanding of the ambassador program. Suggested changes will be made by staff. Bill suggested that the EDC try to present the ambassador program structure to the City Council prior to the next regular EDC meeting, and further volunteered to make the presentation. Committee members agreed to this idea. Bob and others thought that it was important to move ahead as quickly as possible. John said he would arrange a time that would fit into Bill's schedule as well as the Council's. The committee discussed how current information would be provided to the ambassadors. Peggy reported on the meeting of her, Bill and John where printed material maintained by the City and the Chamber was reviewed. The committee agreed that there seems to be abundant information available but the pressing issue is to make sure all material is as current as possible. To kick off the ambassador program, the committee expressed a desire to have an orientation session in order for everyone to be introduced to materials and be operating with the same base of knowledge of the program operation. As part of the orientation, a bus tour of development activity would be advantageous for the new ambassadors. It was decided that the orientation/tour date(B) could be firmed up after the presentation to City Council and Council's direction on the program. CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON RESOLUTION NO� - L (D A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF TIGARD AND DIRECTING IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION BY THE TIGARD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WHEREAS, the Economic Development -Committee has developed the concept of a cooperative Ambassador Program with the City of Tigard and the Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce; and WHEREAS, the goal of the Ambassador Program is to create a more helpful environment for business development in Tigard by encouraging both new business development and expansion of existing businesses; and WHEREAS, ambassadors will provide an additional access point for business interests seeking information or assistance; and WHEREAS, the Economic Development Committee is seeking City Council approval for immediate implementation of the Ambassador Program, l: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Tigard City Council that: Section 1: The City Council hereby approves the ambassador program as outlined in exhibit "A" Section 2: The Council hereby directs the Economic Development Committee to begin implementation of the ambassador program as soon as possible. `1 PASSED: This day of l LtJ� 8 i ATTEST: ZMWor - Citp--af-Tigard I City Recorder - City of igard APPROVED AS TO FORM: W City Recorde Date EXHIBIT "A" AMBASSADOR PROGRAM STRUCTURE The Tigard Economic Development Committee, in conjunction with the City of Tigard and the Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce is initiating an Ambassador Program to assist business development in Tigard. The focus of the program is to facilitate the flow of information among business persons, developers, land owners, regulatory agencies, and business development organizations. Ambassadors will also serve ceremonial functions such as attendance at ribbon cuttings and grand openings. GOAL The goal of the ambassador program is to create a more helpful environment for business development within the City of Tigard. The program is aimed at encouraging both new business development and expansion of existing businesses. Ambassadors will provide an additional access point for business people seeking assistance who are considering locating or expanding a business in Tigard. Since ambassadors will be local business persons, they may offer a unique perspective of the business atmosphere or development processes in Tigard that neither the City nor the Chamber can provide. Ambassadors will also distribute information and provide a link to those resource people who can answer questions. RESOURCES Ambassadors will be regularly provided with current information from the City and the Chamber of Commerce and an orientation session will be conducted to explain materials and processes and to answer questions. Ambassadors will also have a list of contact persons that will be ready to assist. Contact people will be City staff, Chamber staff, other ambassadors, and volunteer members of the business community who are willing to assist the program as ad hoc ambassadors. In general, the City and the Chamber of Commerce can be viewed as the main resources for the ambassador. New ambassadors will be provided with all available materials and be oriented to the use and meaning of the information. City staff, Chamber staff and current ambassadors will conduct periodic ambassador meetings where ideas and experiences can be exchanged. The periodic meetings can be a forum for issue resolution and provide a vehicle for program modification and improvement. ORGANIZATION The lead for this program in terms of providing appropriate and up-to-date information, maintaining records, and coordinating activities will be the City through its liaison to Tigard's Economic Development Committee. The main sources of information will be the City and the Chamber of Commerce. Each will maintain information that is appropriate for the respective organization and make that information available to others in the ambassador program. Together the two organizations have a well stocked library of information concerning Tigard, the metropolitan area, the state, and business development. A volunteer sub-group of the Economic Development Committee will be the initial group of ambassadors. These ambassadors will involve the City or the Chamber of Commerce as appropriate for resources or referrals. Upon contact, an ambassador will provide what information he or she can through personal knowledge or using the information provided by the City or the Chamber. If clarification or further information is needed an ambassador can contact another ambassador, the City, or the Chamber. The main benefit for a business person who contacts an ambassador or accesses the program through the City or Chamber is that correct information can be obtained from the proper source in a short time without being passed from one individual to another. The ambassador will do the work of identifying and collecting the information or resources needed rather than sending a contact off to follow up a lead. CONFIDENTIALITY Any contacts or requests for information will be held in strict confidence. There will be a record of all contacts maintained by the City. Records will contain numbers and types of information requested or problems resolved through this process, but names will be neither recorded nor publicized. A free flow of information is essential to the success of the program, thus confidentiality is a necessity. SUMMARY This program is based on the exchange of information of those involved in economic activities in Tigard. In order to accommodate the free exchange of information, the method of contact, sequence of referrals, and other specific processes will not be tightly structured. The recording of circumstances, and outcomes will be highly structured in order to track program usage, assure quality control (make sure correct information is being distributed), obtain feedback from program participants, and monitor types or requests that are made. Information will be regularly updated by staff and presented to the ambassadors for their use. Current and user oriented information has value for many different potential uses. The spinoff effects of the program to the public at large in terms of a better understanding of the positive improvements which result from the growth of the community can be very beneficial. Thus, this program could play a positive role in public awareness about Tigard. The ambassador program is expected to evolve in accordance to the needs and desires of the business community. The idea is to start small and remain flexible and responsive in our dynamic economic climate. In this way, and with the help of a cross-section of the growing Tigard business community, the program can fill a need now and continue to do so in the future.