Locally Owned Business Questionnaire

By Ryan Coonerty

Here is the questionnaire I filled out for the Santa Cruz Locally Owned Business Alliance

Santa Cruz faces three important challenges.

First, the city faces a fiscal crisis which threatens the city's ability to provide basic services and investments in infrastructure. As a member of the City's Economic Advisory Committee I have looked extensively at this issue. I will address it, in part, by working with business community and political leaders to increase overnight tourism and create a better link between the beach and downtown. By increasing overnight tourism, we increase city revenues from the TOT and sales tax thereby creating benefits for the city, local businesses and the community.

Second, high housing costs, both rental and for sale, threaten the ability of the community to maintain a diverse community and quality workforce. I support increasing density along major transportation routes and in downtown with smaller units that will not only be affordable because of their size, but also because the units free up houses in the neighborhoods that are currently rented to five and six people.

Lastly, Santa Cruz lacks a long term economic plan. We need a long term plan that promotes current businesses and attracts new businesses. This can be done by reducing bureaucratic barriers, creating incubator spaces for retail and research, improving the tie between the beach and downtown businesses, and creating live-work housing outside of residential areas.

II. What are your top three priorities if elected and how do you plan to accomplish these goals?

As an elected official, I believe my priorities should be congruent with the important challenges outlined above. In addition to enacting policies that will make sure Santa Cruz is economically, environmentally, and culturally sustainable not just for the next four years but for the next forty, I will work to improve the quality of the political discourse in Santa Cruz. I believe that Santa Cruz is more than the sum of city policies and debates; it is a community in which every member plays a vital role.

III. What do you see as the top two challenges facing locally owned businesses in Santa Cruz and why?

From my experience at Bookshop Santa Cruz, I believe the biggest challenges facing locally owned businesses right now are recovery from the recent economic downtown and the affordability of housing for the community's workforce. The economic downturn created high office space vacancy which in turn has impacted retail, tourism and service businesses. We must focus on attracting and promoting locally owned businesses and University research centers to fill these spaces and bring more investment into our economy. We must also address the affordability of housing by increasing density along major transportation routes and in downtown with smaller units as I explained above.

IV. What past experiences would make you an effective member of the Santa Cruz City Council in regards to issues facing locally owned businesses?

First, I have experience in my family's locally owned business, Bookshop Santa Cruz. Day in and day out, we face the same challenges that many local businesses face + maintaining a quality workforce, competition from big box retailers, increasing our customer base as well as increasing costs for health care, workers compensation and government fees.

Additionally, through my work on LOBA's Steering Committee and the City's Economic Advisory Task Force, I have experience building partnerships between the business community and city government to address short term problems and seek long term solutions.

V. If elected to the Santa Cruz City Council, will you seek input and suggestions from local business owners as it relates to appointments to city commissions and advisory bodies and on important issues affecting local businesses such as parking, increase in existing and implementation of new fees and other public policy decisions? If so, how?

Absolutely. I believe that the public process should be as open to as many citizens and organizations as possible. Local businesses play an essential role in the daily life of our community. I will actively seek their input and suggestions as well as asking local business owners to serve on a variety of city commissions and advisory bodies.

VI. As a member of the Santa Cruz City Council, what steps would you take to improve the channels of communication between locally owned businesses, the City Council and other city services?

As a member of LOBA's Steering Committee, for the past year and half, I have been proud of our efforts to improve communication. We have had local business owners appointed to city commissions and advisory committees. Additionally, we held several informational sessions that provided a good opportunity to business leaders and city officials to educate and communicate with each other. As a City Councilmember, I would work diligently to continue and expand these efforts. And, of course, my door would always be open to hear the concerns and input of local business people.