In Search of Enterprise Zones
AN OPPORTUNITY- ENHANCING THE WEB CENTRIC EXPERIENCE
Over the past month, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco has been hosting community
reinvestment roundtables for community reinvestment bankers. As a participant and as panel
moderator, the bankers provided valuable feedback and insightful information on how to improve
customer service.
Specifically, the bankers identified that it is very difficult for them to find maps of enterprise zones
and redevelopment zones on the internet sites of cities and counties let alone finding other entities
involved with economic or redevelopment activities.
In personally examining this issue, I too found that outside of urban cities and counties, there is a
void specifically related to maps on enterprise zones and redevelopment areas on websites.
While I put out an "All Hands on Deck" notice through the daily California Business Minute,
economic developers that responded explained that the enterprise zone maps could be found at
the State's Housing and Community Development website. Rhetorically, the questioned has to
be asked-who if anyone has linked their sites to HCD? And even further, if I as a seasoned economic
developer in the state had to go through this exercise and had problems finding this information,
can you image what others did who are not familiar with California's economic and redevelopment
infrastructure and systems. I suspect they gave up and moved on!
And beyond that it appears that there is a need to enhance the web centric experience for
customer service by ensuring that where the maps do exist, that cities and counties
need to review that there are hot links to these sites where these maps are located.
Yes, it requires busy work to do this. And yes, it is an unexpected cost, but isn't that a valid
cost to improve the rate of return in customer service?
I spoke with Wayne Schell at CALED about this issue. We have come up with a solution
in part to improve the economic development and redevelopment web centric experience-
but you need to call me to find out the solution. In the meantime, take to heart the input
of our state's community bankers and make these changes! Keep us alert of your efforts.
Tim Johnson
www.CaliforniaBusinessMinute.com
Over the past month, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco has been hosting community
reinvestment roundtables for community reinvestment bankers. As a participant and as panel
moderator, the bankers provided valuable feedback and insightful information on how to improve
customer service.
Specifically, the bankers identified that it is very difficult for them to find maps of enterprise zones
and redevelopment zones on the internet sites of cities and counties let alone finding other entities
involved with economic or redevelopment activities.
In personally examining this issue, I too found that outside of urban cities and counties, there is a
void specifically related to maps on enterprise zones and redevelopment areas on websites.
While I put out an "All Hands on Deck" notice through the daily California Business Minute,
economic developers that responded explained that the enterprise zone maps could be found at
the State's Housing and Community Development website. Rhetorically, the questioned has to
be asked-who if anyone has linked their sites to HCD? And even further, if I as a seasoned economic
developer in the state had to go through this exercise and had problems finding this information,
can you image what others did who are not familiar with California's economic and redevelopment
infrastructure and systems. I suspect they gave up and moved on!
And beyond that it appears that there is a need to enhance the web centric experience for
customer service by ensuring that where the maps do exist, that cities and counties
need to review that there are hot links to these sites where these maps are located.
Yes, it requires busy work to do this. And yes, it is an unexpected cost, but isn't that a valid
cost to improve the rate of return in customer service?
I spoke with Wayne Schell at CALED about this issue. We have come up with a solution
in part to improve the economic development and redevelopment web centric experience-
but you need to call me to find out the solution. In the meantime, take to heart the input
of our state's community bankers and make these changes! Keep us alert of your efforts.
Tim Johnson
www.CaliforniaBusinessMinute.com
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