EDITORIAL: Wealthy questions

Sebastopol¹s civic, business and community leaders are in the
midst of a crucial process in defining the city¹s economic future
and mapping out a plan that will use an alternative approach to
determine how the city can maintain its economic health while
retaining its unique quality of life.
An Economic Summit put together by city leaders and the
Sebastopol Area Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Oct. 4 at the
Sebastopol Veterans Memorial Building and will include an afternoon
of panelists, speakers and public participation.
Several key planning and land use factors are at work in the
process, including the ongoing work on the Northeast Area Specific
Plan. The city has completed an economic study related to the plan
and it confirms that the city needs to strengthen its position in
serving the West County marketplace, not just within its own city
limits.
The Northeast Area has the potential to redefine the city¹s
urban center, expand the downtown commercial area significantly and
provide much-needed affordable housing. It holds the potential for
a new civic center, community center and other public uses that
could be a West County hub of social and economic activity. While
the city of Sebastopol is home to 7,800 residents, many of the
50,000 residents of the West County commute through the city daily.
City Manager Dave Brennan notes that many people ³buy their
groceries here, but don¹t buy other goods and services.²
That could change if the discussion of the future focuses on
what the city has to offer ‹ not on what the city will not accept.
³We need to talk about what we want here and not so much about what
we don¹t want here,² said Brennan.
That discussion must include expanding the city¹s share of the
West County marketplace by attracting new businesses and finding
suitable locations for those businesses.
Another factor in the process is the branding study now being
conducted to create an identifying message and help city and
chamber leaders strengthen the city¹s image as a means of
bolstering the local economy and retaining businesses. That will
provide community leaders with more information in their efforts at
expanding the city¹s commercial base.
What makes Sebastopol unique is its political and social
diversity and its passion and independence, qualities it has in
common with many other West County communities. Two of the speakers
at the Oct. 4 summit are proponents of developing what are called
³community wealth indexes² that take into account natural, social
and financial factors. We know the city has great stores of wealth
that are not strictly financial, and those are the energies that
can be used to create a healthy and well-balanced economy.
The Oct. 4 Economic Summit is another step in that process and a
great opportunity for city leaders and community members to map out
a plan for Sebastopol¹s future.
‹ Barry W. Dugan