What should SR keep doing?
What do they need to differently?
What specific story positive or negative can you share?
I appreciate your request and here is my modest response to the questions asked. I would be happy to sit on any citizens committee that is addressing the outcome of this survey directly.
Leadership- I do appreciate seeing city officials showing up to events. And being members of business organizations such as the Sonoma County Alliance.
Clean streets-I appreciate the enforcement efforts of local police. I see relatively little gang presence, and a small portion of our citizens are ‘bums’ even though we have our share of homeless. At least during office hours.
Parking-I give this a 50/50 rating. The meters are a bit frustrating, ( why does the meter have to authorize your credit card twice?) but they seem to be accurate and I’ve yet to receive a ticket! I appreciate the quantity of parking there are plenty of convenient choices.
Attracting new business / recognizing small business. There is a trend, especially downtown of incubator companies reaching out to other companies trying to establish themselves in commerce. The City could provide better recognition and therefore bigger visibility, to these businesses. (Ex: Go Local / Share Exchange.) I realize there is a modicum of participation but at the same time we all could use more marketing. Shop Local, Stay Local is a fine message that can not be repeated enough however, as a campaign it is not targeted enough to Santa Rosa specifically.
I have enjoyed establishing my office just under two years ago, in the downtown area of Fifth Street. I have seen new business sprouting up and after the ‘fall’ of 2009 this seems a great indicator. ( SMART offices, El Qoqui, Darcy’s Jewelers, salons, and a cup cake shop and more, we even have a website santarosa5thstreet.com. What Santa Rosa City should keep doing is talking, reaching out, and listening.
As an afterthought; I was invited to participate in the Economic Development RFP for a marketing campaign designing multi-media to address the need I noted above, however I am too small a company. I still believe that a panel of local business and marketing professionals would be better equipped to interpret the necessary messaging. My thought was to develop a ‘dream team’ of local media assembled with innovative ideas and strategies, combined with a project management model instead of choosing just one firm. That of course, would have favored my business.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Dani Sheehan-Meyer
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