LAKE COUNTY — An effort to bolster existing businesses and draw more businesses to Lake County, especially resorts, is under way after the Lake Count Board of Supervisors took a first step in developing a marketing strategy Tuesday.
The idea is to attract resort and other business investors to Lake County, according to Supervisor Anthony Farrington, who presented the concept.
“With the current economic downturn many business owners and property owners are struggling to keep their doors open and hold onto their investments. Equally, there are many properties that will soon be vacant,” Farrington writes in his memo to the board.
The board discussed developing a list of businesses that could be developed, including Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa, which would be part of a focused marketing effort. The board directed county staff to develop criteria for businesses to be included in marketing lists for further discussion.
In his memo, Farrington also listed Ceago Del Lago, the Lucerne Hotel (known as “the castle”), the county redevelopment agency”s Holiday Harbor project, Lyons Creek Residential and Marina project, development of the previous Kelseyville Lumber site and development of Lampson Field.
“All things are relative. I”m going to have a hard time denying a business that may be only worth half a million dollars the opportunity here, to pass them up for a business that”s worth five million, because it”s everything they have,” Supervisor Rob Brown said.
Brown said setting criteria should be developed with smaller businesses in mind.
“There may be some investors out there who have the ability to fund some of these smaller businesses and maybe not so much the larger businesses, so we may be cutting our nose off to spite our face by not including some of these smaller businesses,” Brown said.
Farrington said two separate lists could be developed, one for a tightly focused marketing effort and another for additional sites and businesses.
Farrington said the idea started about a year ago in conversations with administrative staff about what role the county could play in attracting resort development to the county.
“That discussion recently evolved into a discussion about making and promoting existing businesses within the community with potential outside investors,” Farrington said.
Difficulty obtaining working capitol and credit brought the discussion to a further head, according to Farrington. He proposed the county partner with the private sector to bring about the marketing plan.
Brown and Supervisor Jim Comstock both said any consultant hired to develop the marketing plan should be paid according to results.
Comstock said tourism is a good investment because of the hotel tax and jobs it creates, “but the tourist dollar is the most fickle dollar that there is, and I think we need to also focus on the long-term, commercial development of jobs ? light industrial, or whatever it is that really builds an economic base that survives through thick and thin.”
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
