Petition for a Business Development Plan in Yucaipa's Uptown District

The Yucaipa Valley Wine Alliance is calling for all members of the Yucaipa community to sign our petition for the City of Yucaipa to create and execute a cohesive business development plan in the Uptown District of Yucaipa.

Our community greatly desires amenities like sit down restaurants, bars, artisan shops and additional recreations that make the Uptown District a destination for locals and tourists alike. To say that business development efforts have been slow would be less honest than saying they are badly lacking, and action must be taken to address what has been and will continue to be an urgent community problem.

Without the development of a strong business community in the heart of the Yucaipa Valley, a developing wine industry may face additional obstacles in its ability to attract visitors to our region as a destination.

Therefore the YVWA has generated this petition which is intended to lay a clear path to accelerating business development efforts in the Uptown District of Yucaipa, and create metrics of accountability for those responsible for implementing this plan.

Resolution

+The City of Yucaipa will commit to bringing in 20 new quality businesses to the Uptown District by the end of 2020. Members of staff will have until the end of the year to present the community with a published plan, and then begin enacting this plan no later than January 15th.

+The City of Yucaipa will provide quarterly updates to the community and to the Uptown Association about their progress, taking into account metrics such as:

1.The number of new businesses contacted by City Staff about opening up locations in the Uptown, as well as accompanying documentation of said activities.

2. The number of site visits conducted to vacant spaces in the Uptown by potential business owners, as well as accompanying documents verifying these activities.

3. The number of verbal and written commitments for new businesses planning on opening in the Uptown, as well as documents of any written commitments.

4. The number of build-outs approved by City Staff, as well as any accompanying non-confidential documentation that verifies these metrics.

+The City of Yucaipa will direct staff to maintain and create additional contacts with the local commercial brokerage community, and offer incentives to the commercial brokers who close the most deals that assist with Uptown development. Incentives for the broker that brings in the most businesses in a one year period have been shown to be effective methods of business development utilized by city officials in places like Temecula. Additional consideration of financial incentives that could greatly reduce the cost of business development by City Staff should also be considered at a future City Council meeting at the conclusion of this petition.

Alternative RFP

+In the event that the City does not have adequate resources to create a development plan that includes progress metrics and incorporates commercial broker incentives by years end, they must issue an RFP (Request For Proposal) asking for business development assistance by February 29th, 2020 and outsource these integral business development efforts by no later than March 31st.

Consequences of Non-Action

+In the event that City Staff does not present a plan to the public by the aforementioned date to increase it’s own business development efforts and does not prioritize business development efforts in the Uptown District by not submitting an RFP by the aforementioned date, we are calling for City Council members to hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions and find public stewards that are more capable of building this community to its full potential.

*By signing this petition you are agreeing to receive emails from the Yucaipa Valley Wine Alliance. You may opt-out at any time.

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