Staff reports progress on economic strategic actions; Chamber, CVA and Visit Carlsbad outline community programs

Staff told the subcommittee that 55 of 63 strategic economic actions adopted in the city's plan have been implemented; 8 actions remain under feasibility review and staff will return with recommendations in October.

Key programs and pilots reported by staff include: a small-business liaison and regular office hours (monthly in the Carlsbad Village Association office and weekly at the Central Library), top-employer outreach with 1-on-1 conversations to learn workforce and growth needs, a council business-visit program to directly connect council members with local employers, an industry-gathering series, and a proposed Business Engagement Ambassador program to coordinate multi-department proactive outreach to businesses.

Staff announced a site-selector tool (integrated with the city's GIS) to publish available commercial properties and community data for prospective businesses; the city has executed an agreement with GIS WebTech and will configure the platform for launch. Staff also reported completion of a business webpage redesign to centralize resources, a digital resource hub with market data, and partnerships with regional organizations including the San Diego Workforce Partnership and San Diego Startup Week.

Local organizations described complementary initiatives. Brett Schatzenbach of the Carlsbad Chamber highlighted an executive AI bootcamp for business leaders, a business open house pilot and youth entrepreneurship programs. Christine Davis of the Carlsbad Village Association reported an expanded Art in the Village event and plans to expand utility-box art and youth programming. "Kim" of Visit Carlsbad outlined accessibility efforts, including Wheel the World listings and Access Tracks beach-mat pilots, plus improved hotel metrics and a six-episode docuseries.

Next steps: staff will analyze the remaining eight strategic actions for feasibility, report back in October, and continue implementing site-selection and small-business support tools.