Highway 101 groups back hiring coordinator

North County Times – Escondido,CA,USA
The person would oversee the Leucadia 101 MainStreet Association,
the Cardiff 101 Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Encinitas MainStreet
Association. …

ENCINITAS — Officials from three revitalization groups said Thursday that they support a city plan to hire a coordinator to oversee economic development along the Coast Highway.

The person would oversee the Leucadia 101 MainStreet Association, the Cardiff 101 Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Encinitas MainStreet Association.

As outlined in the city’s proposed 2007-08 spending plan, the Highway 101 corridor coordinator would earn $100,000 in the next fiscal year and $103,000 in 2008-09.

It has not been decided yet when the coordinator would be hired.

The City Council debated the budget Tuesday and is expected to adopt the $53.4 million spending plan May 23. The fiscal year begins July 1.

The city has proposed budgeting $278,500 in 2007-08 for economic development, which includes the coordinator’s salary.

Part of the corridor coordinator’s pay would come from a $23,000 reduction in the city’s contract with the San Diego North Convention & Visitors Bureau, from $28,000 to $5,000.

A $10,000 reduction in the city’s subsidy to the Downtown Encinitas MainStreet Association, from $50,000 to $40,000, would also go toward the salary.

Plans to create the position first surfaced during goal-setting workshops in January. At the time, officials said Peder Norby was their choice for the job.

Norby, executive director of the Downtown Encinitas MainStreet Association for the last 10 years, said Thursday that the job appealed to him, but said he did not know how the city would fill it.

“It’s something I’m interested in and suspect will happen,” Norby, 44, said.

It is unclear whether the city must advertise the contract position, which does not include health or retirement benefits. City Manager Phil Cotton and City Attorney Glenn Sabine could not be contacted Thursday.

Officials have not decided whether to solicit applications for the position, Councilman Jerome Stocks said.

Among Norby’s accomplishments is securing the 2004 Great American MainStreet Award for downtown Encinitas, an honor coveted by the nation’s 1,700 MainStreet groups.

The groups seek to revitalize and enhance historical downtown districts. MainStreet certification entitles groups to compete for government and private grants that are not available to other organizations.

The Leucadia MainStreet group formed under Norby’s guidance in 2003 and is lobbying City Hall to beautify North Coast Highway 101.

“When all of the details of the Leucadia streetscape (emerge), Peder’s got that experience,” said Paula Kirpalani, program manager in Leucadia.

Norby represented downtown Encinitas merchants during a $5 million streetscape project in 2001 and 2002.

Jim Clark, of the Cardiff 101 Chamber of Commerce, said Norby’s oversight would be a “huge plus” as Cardiff seeks state certification to become a MainStreet organization.

“Who has more knowledge than Peder?” Clark said. “We’re pretty excited about it.”