By Reggie Connell, Managing Editor
Is it more effective to create an economic development department for Apopka, or can the mayor, chamber of commerce, and current staff partner up to manage it more cost-effectively?
It's a subject that was at the core of the 2022 election cycle and debated many times in the past years by the Apopka City Council. Commissioner Kyle Becker has championed the formation of an economic development department, while Mayor Bryan Nelson maintains that as the CEO of Apopka, he wears the economic development director hat.
And although Nelson won the mayoral election, and the next budget cycle is months away, Becker may have found a way to bring economic development to a vote on Council as soon as next month.
At its December 21st meeting, the Apopka City Council voted 5-0 to give Becker an opportunity to present the merits of starting an economic development department. Despite the unanimous vote, it didn't come easy.
"I'm targeting January 18th to present the topic of economic development as discussed during the City Council reports at the last meeting," Becker said. "And I will take into account in that presentation the feedback that I received from this board, but I would make a motion that we agree as a Council to put it on the January 18th City council agenda for contemplation by this Council for discussion or for formal action."
But before it was brought to a vote, City Attorney Michael Rodriguez had questions for Becker.
"If I can just ask for clarification, as we've done in the past when any member of this Council wishes to direct staff to bring something back for approval or for action on the part of the City Council. The most recent example is Commissioner Becker... you wanted to address the Dollar Store issue."
Becker was not inclined to bring the staff into his plan, given the fact that Nelson was against the formation of a department.
"My challenge here is I can sit there and direct staff, but the staff is reporting to the mayor who's against this concept... at least based on his own words in the last meeting," Becker said. "So what I'm asking or proposing is just the formation of a different department, which is a clerical or administrative task in terms of how our budget and financials are organized, and the budget of a particular role within that department."
"And I'm not contesting," Rodriguez said. "I just want to clarify. I need to know what the finished product is that will be presented to determine whether it's an action item. Is it public? Are you asking for a public hearing for an ordinance or a public hearing for a resolution?"
"So, if you remember, there were three steps on the last slide that I presented," Becker said. "The first step is... I'm asking for the formation of an economic development department. And that department is to be funded with SLF RF [American Rescue Plan Act – State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds]. The second ask was the creation of an economic development director role. The third part is a joint conversation once we get past the idea that it is a value and that we need to budget for it. It's to come and say, Okay, what, what is this need to look like? What's our long-term strategy here? You know, what policies and procedures need to come up based on that strategy, etc. Because, again, this community deserves for us to consider this. I've had it as a platform issue ever since I've run for this office. And, you know, in all fairness to the mayor, the mayor ran on a platform that he's the one that does it, and you feel like he's successful. I think it's time that this board looks at this piece of business and says, once and for all, what do we want to do? Because that allows me to say... I understand the will of this committee, and we can start tackling other issues. I feel, and I will come with compelling evidence, in my opinion, that is justified for that low budget amount of money that's not coming from our taxpayers. It's SLF RF funds."
But Nelson, an opponent to forming an economic development department, had reservations.
"Well, it will be coming from taxes the next year," Nelson said. "So I mean, I don't know why we can't wait and put it in the budget for next year."
"What are we waiting for?" Becker asked. "I know your opinion on this one, mayor. But I'm asking this board... let's have the board decide whether or not it's of value. Let me present why I think it's a value outside of campaign-speak, rhetoric, and people attacking things based on anecdotes. Let me put data and prove my business case. I don't know why you're so opposed to it."
"I'm not opposed to it," Nelson said. "I'm saying let's bring it up..."
"At every turn, you are," Becker said. "Wait, wait, wait. That's the story of this administration. Oh, we're gonna get there. It's always future tense. We have real issues, real requirements of the residents that live in our city today. This is a proven expenditure. It's proven in other cities. And I want my time at that lectern or on this seat to present why I think it's a value for the city."
"And I'm not suggesting you shouldn't have that opportunity," Nelson said. "I just think that we're about halfway through a budget year. Why can't we wait until the next budget cycle?
"It's easy to play this role of victim and rubbing nickels together, as you say, or doing things on the cheap. So now, with that said, I renew my motion that we can, or I can personally present the business case we're creating an economic development department and director and ask that we work collaboratively as this council to come up with economic development strategy within the city and how that position would actually operate support our strategies here in the city of Apopka. So, hopefully, I can get a second."
But before seconding that motion, Commissioner Nick Nesta wanted to make sure Becker understood what it would take to get his vote.
"The only reason I haven't, just to reiterate what I said last week, to make sure because we can't talk about this until you make a presentation.... basically, just make sure that you're defining how the value has been created for this department," Nesta said. " I want to see that it's basically self-funded. Figure out how that value... I don't just want it to be intangible, I want it to be tangible. How are they creating value? If you can make sure that's a key point in your presentation, that will be a big one for me... So I will second it."
After Nesta seconded the motion, the Council, including Nelson, voted to give Becker his opportunity to make the case for an economic development department for Apopka at the January 18th meeting.
It's an important step in potentially changing how the City of Apopka promotes itself to the business community. It also sets up an interesting vote.
Commissioner Diane Velazquez expressed optimism about the presentation and wanted Apopka residents to see the city's vision in a clearer light.
I agree that we need to have this conversation. I want to be able to give that opportunity to Commissioner Becker," Velazquez said at the December 7th meeting. "He's doing all the research and wants to show the benefit of it, not just for him. But the benefit of the city. We're trying to build our city downtown, and it's been something that as long as I've been here, which is almost going to be ten years, it's been something we've been talking about. We seem to always piecemeal it, and we're just not moving in a good direction. Something that I am seeing is that we're kind of all over in the city. And if you hear the feedback from our residents, they don't understand what direction we're going in. And what's coming back from our residents is a lot of negativity. So if we can do something to try and give them a roadmap, a vision... this is where we're going, and this is what we want to do. I think that we can bring our taxpayers on board. But right now, I don't see that. We are just all over the map. And I think this would be a good start."
However, Commissioner Alexander Smith expressed reservations about funding a full-time director position.
"I understand that there's a need for the economic development department," Smith said. "I just don't feel that we're ready for a full-time position at this time. I've talked to a couple of other cities where they have economic development directors, and they did not start with a full-time director. They already had a person in a part-time position on staff that assumed those responsibilities, and then they grew into a full-time position. And so I think we need to grow into that. I've spoken to Mr. Hitt (Community Development Director Jim Hitt) at least once or twice about it. Maybe he can consult, assuming that as a part-time responsibility as the economic director, and then we move into a full-time position at some point."
Assuming that Becker supports his initiative and Nelson is against it, this sets up Nesta as the swing vote - one he has made clear needs to be earned.
It also may be the first of many new commissioner-driven initiatives that start as an idea on commission reports and move to the agenda by a majority vote, as did the economic development presentation.
Consider this statement from Becker earlier in the article...
"I think it's time that this board looks at this piece of business and says, once and for all, what do we want to do? Because that allows me to say... I understand the will of this committee, and we can start tackling other issues."
It seems like the first half of that quote is the subject, but is it possible Becker was tipping his hand for future issues to tackle via the commissioner-driven route in the second half? Could other commissioners use this tactic?
Although rare, both Becker (dollar stores) and former Commissioner Doug Bankson (budget reserves) have utilized this commissioner-driven initiative to implement their ideas and drive policy.
Smith has made it a point to periodically suggest to the administration and staff to create a diversity commission and South Apopka Annexation committee and work on affordable housing. Could those suggestions transition to a more direct approach like Becker's? Will Nesta and Velazquez also use this technique to get their initiatives passed?
The Apopka City Council has always been a majority vote form of government, but the strong mayor form has dictated the vast majority of the agenda. Is that about to change in 2023? Will commissioners make their case during the commission reports and then see their initiatives on future agendas to be voted on?
The economic development vote on January 28th will tell us a lot.
