Town officials discuss how to attract new businesses, jobs
By Therese Aaker
Apple Valley Review
Consistency and cohesion were two of several points Mayor Curt Emick brought Friday morning during a business roundtable meeting.
Emick hosted the meeting at the Apple Valley Golf Course, inviting local business owners to share in discussion about the community and its growth.
Town manager Frank Robinson and staff members from several departments were also present, reminding attendants that businesses should be taken care of and that the council strives to be proactive in partnering with them for the good of the city.
“I feel that it’s important that we get on the same page and are consistent across the board,” Emick said.
Unemployment was the hot topic of the meeting, as Robinson and Orlando Acevedo, Economic Development Manager, discussed the factors playing into attracting and opening businesses.
“We have to make them feel welcome. We do that by building a high level of trust,” Robinson said. “We are beginning to see improvement, but we’d like to see higher paying jobs come to the community, and we are investing dollars and making sure that our community has something to offer.”
Acevedo said that being one of the larger cities in the area with a 4.7-percent vacancy rate makes it difficult to open businesses, but with the Inland Empire’s soaring industrial market, the High Desert will begin to reap some of that success and supply for that demand.
“We are trying to make contact with site selection consultants for bigger industrial businesses,” Acevedo said.
“The beginning of that relationship is trust in dealing with big companies,” Robinson said. “Trust is important, and that’s easy for Apple Valley.”
The Yucca Loma bridge was also among the most discussed topics. Robinson shared that with its opening, the busiest roads in the High Desert will see much-needed relief.
“Bear Valley Road currently has about 80,000 vehicles a day ... but we will see a reduction with that, and with Highway 18,” Robinson said. “We’ll be seeing about 45,000 vehicles a day, and (the bridge) will get you from the east side of Apple Valley through the Nisquali interchange.”
The Apple Valley Library is near completion of its renovation and, according to Emick, will have new carpets, painted walls, a new computer lab and wireless Internet access. The library is an asset to the community, Emick said, stressing the importance of reading for children. Its set to have its grand re-opening Sept. 9.
Emick also gave a brief update on current affairs, including the discussion of Walmart at the next council meeting on Tuesday and city statistics. According to Emick, there are now 2,547 businesses in Apple Valley, 86 single family building permits, the highest since 2007, and 2,205 building permits, the highest since 2008.