Business and Tourism Support

By Janice Peters

Creating year round tourism and increasing local support for our businesses are vital to improve our revenue.

As fulfillment of one of my previous campaign promises to improve community and Council interaction, we held two town hall meetings, one focused on the business community. Since that meeting, the weekly Ed Biaggini Business Forum has become a positive venue for information and discussion on many issues important to the community.

New events, such as the Kite Festival and Avocado & Margarita Festival have been successful. On May 17, we will host our first Mermaid & Pirate costume parade for kids from 3-18, an idea I developed to promote our new Harbor Walk throughout the county. Our Promotions Committee continues to advertise our eco-tourism activities, such as birdwatching, hiking, biking, kayaking, etc.

A conference center proposal is being developed for the Embarcadero that will enable us to host business conferences year round. The City is once again looking for proposals for a boutique hotel or other visitor serving project on Market St. that would unite the downtown and Embarcadero areas. Any proposals submitted will have full public hearings at the Planning Commission and City Council level, with ample opportunity for community input.

In order to encourage our residents to shop locally, I have been featuring local businesses at our Council meetings to let residents know what goods and services are available in Morro Bay.

I have been actively involved in all these activities and will continue to look for ways to improve our local economy.