2026/10/5 - City Council Meeting

At a City of Caldwell City Council workshop (meeting title lists October 5, 2026; metadata gives October 6, 2026), Economic Development Director Dan Torres presented a draft economic development strategic plan. It proposes focusing growth geographically and in selected industries, including aviation, food and agriculture, advanced manufacturing, health care, and higher education, while assessing infrastructure readiness, jobs and wages, tax-base effects, and community benefits. The plan would guide existing work rather than create a new program or budget request. No contract awards, bids, or procurement actions were identified.

Discussion focused on developing consistent criteria for prioritizing business opportunities and requests for public assistance, potentially including a “but for” review, performance expectations, milestones, and reporting. A $100,000 assistance request was raised as a hypothetical example, not an approved allocation. Council members also discussed downtown projects, workforce housing, and tax-base growth. The director asked whether staff should return with the plan for formal adoption; the transcript does not record a motion or adoption decision. Staff described future work on incentive policies, target locations, and performance agreements if the plan is adopted.