Economic development staff has a plan of action

By Rebecca Ray

At this time last year, the city of Saratoga searched for someone to fill its new economic development coordinator position, to help revitalize the city's businesses. Now, the economic development coordinator, Danielle Surdin, hired in May, is devising ways to do just that.

The city council, at the Jan. 16 council meeting, directed Surdin to focus on promoting local businesses and attracting new businesses to the area, yet still work on retaining Saratoga's existing businesses.

The city allocated $56,000, slightly more than half of which has been used, for economic development for the 2001-2002 fiscal year. City officials project the portion of the budget for economic development for the next fiscal year to be the same, according to a report that Surdin prepared for the city manager's office.

To draw new businesses, Surdin plans to communicate with commercial brokers and economic development professionals in surrounding cities, to keep up to date on business leads and issues. She is also exploring the idea of finding small- and medium-sized retail businesses in other Bay Area cities that are looking to relocate or expand, and luring these businesses to Saratoga by offering assistance from the city. The city offered a business an incentive to move to the Village in fall 2000, when it loaned Patrick James, a traditional men's clothing and sportswear store at 14527 Big Basin Way, $20,000.

In addition to attending a retail trade show, Surdin plans to develop marketing material that will highlight Saratoga as a desirable place to do business.

Surdin would also like to develop and distribute an information packet to new businesses in Saratoga. The packet would contain information about business services, civic organizations and city regulations, departments and demographics, as well as contact information for local utility companies.

To promote Saratoga businesses, Surdin plans to create a virtual website tour that shows where people can shop, dine, lodge and do other recreational activities in the city. She says that the city's special events, such as its annual Village Lighting Ceremony and Celebrate Saratoga! street dance, can also draw shoppers.

Surdin proposes creating a marketing portfolio that would include an available lease space brochure, a winery and entertainment guide, a business assistance directory, demographic information and a self-directed historical walking tour brochure. She says she plans to collaborate on the brochure with the Saratoga Heritage Preservation Commission and Saratoga Historical Museum, which runs guided historical tours through the city.

Surdin suggests installing seasonal banners on poles that promote local businesses and working with local chambers of commerce, visitor's bureaus and fellow economic development professionals to promote Saratoga as a "destination city." She says she would also like to promote the Saratoga hotel industry and increase the city's overall transit occupancy tax, which it receives when guests stay at Saratoga hotels.

In addition to engaging in commercial beautification projects, such as the Village Revitalization and Gateway Improvement projects, to keep businesses in Saratoga, Surdin recommends that city staff create a quarterly newsletter. The newsletter would highlight useful information for businesses, such as marketing tips and sales techniques. She also suggests producing a directory of small-business assistance programs, available through city, regional, state and federal funding. In addition, Surdin says she plans to visit two or three Saratoga businesses each month to learn how they work and identify potential problems and ways the city could help solve them.

According to Surdin, the economic development program should focus on building relationships with main players in the business community, which she identifies as the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce; West Valley College, which provides business seminars and employee training; and the Saratoga Business Development Council, a monthly forum for business community members to share ideas and concerns.

Surdin says she's excited to work with the Saratoga business community and residents to give them the services they want and need for the city to flourish.

Before she develops a strategic plan for implementing her ideas, Surdin will estimate the cost of the projects and how long they should take to complete.

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