The shiny ball of short-term solutions

We all know that there are some big issues facing our community. Big issues usually require long-term thinking, and big solutions. Oftentimes, as happens in our own lives, a shortcut appears that, at first blush, allows the perception of a "fix" to the problem, while delaying the bigger long-term solution. We say to our government officials - fight the urge to adopt what we are calling "the shiny ball of short-term solutions." Here are some examples:

Issue: The Vine/192 corridor. Problems include road capacity, overall aesthetics, and the main issue, that the retail and tourist businesses that used to populate the corridor have moved out to be closer to their customers.

Real fix: Some property owners have already been working with the city and consultants for years now on zoning changes that would allow them to create new uses for their property. The vision for the corridor calls for higher density, taller buildings, and a mix of residential, professional, and retail space, along with moving local traffic off of Vine St.

Shiny ball short-term solution: Since you can't rebuild part of the city overnight, some commissioners seem inclined to allow just about anything into the corridor if it will fill an empty building "now." So they look at changing the zoning of a retail building for a school project right in the middle of the portion of the corridor that the consultants have called the most attractive area of the corridor for redevelopment. We still wonder what the response will be if a new tenant is found for the old Publix, Hooters, or (the list goes on) and requests a zoning change.

Issue: Not a lot of new businesses coming into Kissimmee. Retail is moving up to the Osceola Parkway area, where only some of the retail space is within city limits. Businesses in that area tend to associate with South Orlando or Hunter's Creek, rather than Kissimmee.

Real fix: In addition to getting the zoning right for businesses along the 192 corridor, someone needs to market the city to potential businesses. The city pays into the Osceola County Economic Development Department as a partner, but we ask, when was the last time that one of the big Economic Development "wins" located within the city? Perhaps the time has come for the city to retain either economic development staff or a professional services firm to represent the city to prospective businesses. Or, we could turn to KUA, a major economic development player. Most importantly, we have to define the strengths of the city to narrow our focus on the types of businesses we should be proactively marketing to.

Shiny ball short term solution: The commission has been rumored to be talking about a city logo redesign for almost a year now, and it has now come up in the press. We don't know what a logo redesign will do to attract business to the city, but they seem to think that it will. We think that scarce tax dollars could be better spent somewhere else than on new letterhead and decals for city vehicles.

These are just a few of our thoughts, folks. Feel free to contribute your own.