City Council moves forward with ‘Business Friendly’ Initiative

Business News

On November 11, the council approved inclusionary housing incentives and fees for a proposed housing project. It also made appointments to the Noyo Harbor Commission, backed several initiatives to create a business-friendly city, and updated housing codes to promote more housing development.The council approved inclusionary housing incentives for a proposed 53-unit market-rate housing project at 1151 South Main Street. They also approved an in-lieu fee to comply with the ordinance.The applicants for this project initially did not know about the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. Upon learning about it, they needed to modify their application to comply. The ordinance mandates that 15% of new units in developments with more than seven units must be affordable. It also allows applicants to request incentives from the city to meet this requirement.The applicants requested to increase the building height from 28 feet in their original application to 38 feet to accommodate more units. Additionally, they asked the City to upgrade the stormwater drainage system along Ocean View Drive. The Public Works Department agreed to let the applicants design these improvements.Also complying with the ordinance, the City set an in-lieu fee for housing projects. Developers won’t need to pay this fee for fewer than seven units. From seven to ten units, developers will need to pay $4 per square foot, and anything above ten units is $8 per square foot.The council also reappointed Jim Hurst as Chair and Domenick Weaver as Commissioner of the Noyo Harbor Commission. Weaver is replacing Douglas Albin, whose term ended October 31.The council also heard a presentation on the staff’s ideas of becoming a “Business Friendly City.” This is part of its 2024-2028 Strategic Plan to boost the economy, support local businesses, and improve community life. In October, the council approved $1,744,000 from the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) for several initiatives, including:
Business Boost Fund ($650,000): This low-interest loan program helps small and medium-sized businesses access funds to grow, with loans between $10,000 and $200,000 at 2.5% interest for up to 5 years.
Mural Project ($25,000): Local artists will create murals in public spaces, enhancing Fort Bragg’s visual appeal and attracting tourism.
Way-finding Signage ($20,000): New signs will improve navigation in the Central Business District, guiding visitors and supporting local businesses.
Downtown Improvement Grants ($80,000): Grants will be available for property owners to upgrade their buildings, helping to revitalize the area and draw more visitors.
Downtown Business Coalition: A bi-monthly group of downtown business owners will be formed to address shared challenges and promote growth.
Business Support Website (FortBraggBiz.com): Launching in December 2024, this site will offer resources for local businesses, including information on permits and grants.
The council supported all these initiatives.The council has approved the elimination of parking requirements for multifamily housing in specific areas. This change allows developers to dedicate more land to housing rather than parking spaces. The new rules extend the existing regulations from the Central Business District to other parts of the city.Additionally, the council approved a change that allows multifamily housing projects to be classified as “permitted by right” instead of requiring a use permit. Projects that need a use permit undergo detailed reviews, including notifications to neighbors and public hearings by the Planning Commission, to evaluate their compatibility and safety. The use permit requirement varies by zoning district, impacting review processes and public participation.In contrast, projects that are “permitted by right” do not require Planning Commission approval or public hearings. They only need plan checks with the Community Development Department and are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) unless a Design Review is mandated. In the Coastal Zone, a Coastal Development Permit is necessary, which involves public input.By implementing these changes to housing codes, the council aims to achieve a pro-housing designation from the state, which would lead to additional funding to address Fort Bragg’s housing crisis.

A blueprint for successfully executing business-aligned IT strategies

Business News

CIOs must take an active role in educating their C-suite counterparts about the strategic applications of technologies like, for example, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, blockchain, and cloud computing. By bridging the gap between technical complexity and business relevance, CIOs can ensure that technology initiatives align with core business objectives, focusing on real-world applications rather than theoretical use cases. This practical understanding of technology enables businesses to make informed decisions, balancing the potential benefits of innovation with the realities of implementation and scalability. 

Adopting agile methodologies for flexibility and adaptation 

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously stated, “Change is the only constant.” John Kotter, a professor at Harvard Business School and a renowned change expert, introduced an eight-step change process in his 1995 book, “Leading Change.” In today’s business environment, agile methodologies have become indispensable for maintaining alignment between IT and business strategies. Agile practices allow organizations to remain flexible, adjusting projects and initiatives in response to evolving market conditions and customer feedback. 

By implementing agile methodologies, CIOs ensure IT projects are delivered in short, manageable cycles, enabling continuous adjustments based on real-time data and feedback. This iterative approach fosters collaboration across departments and requires a company culture that embraces agility and constant change. Ensuring the cultural fit with agile principles is critical for promoting an environment where change is welcomed and harnessed for growth. For example, a financial institution might launch a new digital platform and continuously refine its features based on user feedback, showcasing how agile culture and iterative processes efficiently meet both IT and business objectives. Such a dynamic culture ensures that the organization remains flexible and adaptable in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Dodge Elementary gets book vending machine

Arts & Culture, Books

Nov. 21, 2024Dodge Elementary School in Grand Island, Nebraska is receiving a book vending machine thanks to a Read-Nebraska grant, according to a KSNB 4 report.The machine will allow students to earn tokens for good behavior and academic achievement, which they can then use to purchase books. The goal is to inspire a love of reading among students.To ensure each student receives a book regardless of behavior, Dodge Elementary will also give tokens as birthday gifts. “Our plan is, at each student’s birthday or half birthday, they will get a token and they’ll be able to purchase a book from the vending machine,” Angie Eberle, principal at Dodge Elementary, told the news outlet. “That way we guarantee every student at Dodge will get a book this year.”The book vending machine is part of a larger effort by Teammates to promote literacy and mentorship in Nebraska schools.

Israeli Scientists Reconstruct DNA Control Systems of Ancient Human Brains

Science and Health

Israeli researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a groundbreaking genetic technique to reconstruct the DNA regulatory systems of ancient human brains, even in the absence of preserved brain tissue. Their findings, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, offer insights into human brain evolution, including its growth and advanced capabilities.
The scientists created an algorithm that reconstructs the epigenetic landscape of ancient brains—chemical modifications to DNA that influence gene activity without altering its sequence. This approach enables comparisons between ancient humans and modern humans, shedding light on the genetic changes that contributed to the brain’s tripling in size over the past 2 million years and its evolution of language and innovative thinking.
Traditional genetic studies have struggled to identify certain evolutionary changes because DNA sequences often remain the same across species. By focusing on epigenetic changes, the Hebrew University team uncovered over 1,850 sites with unique modifications. Some of these distinguished modern humans from both other ancient human species and chimpanzees, especially in genes linked to brain development, intelligence, and cognitive function.

Ocean Science and Engineering Students Take on Coral Cooling Challenge

Science and Health

Coral reefs are home to about a quarter of all marine life. They support millions of jobs around the world and protect coastal communities from storms. Scientists report they’re also in the midst of a crisis, with a fourth mass bleaching event spreading around the world.Bleaching happens when ocean waters heat up, causing corals to expel the colorful algae that live in their tissues. It can lead to disease and death for coral, wiping out critical and complex marine ecosystems.Four Georgia Tech Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE) Ph.D. students have spent the last few months working on creative ways to prevent bleaching by cooling the water around coral reefs. They presented their ideas in late October to marine biologists and conservations in the Florida Keys as part of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s Coral Reef Thermal Stress Design Thinking Challenge & Workshop.Read about the team’s coral-cooling solution on the College of Engineering website.

Ocean Science and Engineering Students Take on Coral Cooling Challenge

Science and Health

Coral reefs are home to about a quarter of all marine life. They support millions of jobs around the world and protect coastal communities from storms. Scientists report they’re also in the midst of a crisis, with a fourth mass bleaching event spreading around the world.Bleaching happens when ocean waters heat up, causing corals to expel the colorful algae that live in their tissues. It can lead to disease and death for coral, wiping out critical and complex marine ecosystems.Four Georgia Tech Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE) Ph.D. students have spent the last few months working on creative ways to prevent bleaching by cooling the water around coral reefs. They presented their ideas in late October to marine biologists and conservations in the Florida Keys as part of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s Coral Reef Thermal Stress Design Thinking Challenge & Workshop.Read about the team’s coral-cooling solution on the College of Engineering website.

Lifetime Network’s “Girl in the Garage” brings movie crews to the metro

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Seeing lights, cameras, and all the action brought by a movie production is not a common sight in downtown Overland Park.“It’s not something you see every day, like a film being shot in your area,” said Kate Wieners, owner of Monstera’s Books.A local production company recently finished a Lifetime Original film shot in multiple locations across the metro, including Monstera’s Books.Wieners said the commotion got the store some attention.“We got a lot of foot traffic the next couple of days with people just wondering, like, what was going on,” said Wieners.

Olivia Acree

Owner of Monstera’s Books in Downtown Overland Park

The movie is called “Girl in the Garage.” It’s based on the true story of Laura Cowan, a California woman whose experience with domestic abuse led her to advocate for women who been victim’s of abuse.Kansas City-based production company, AGA Productions, worked on the movie.Corey McCartney is a producer at company.“You might recognize few locations in Westport, you may see a couple of things that you recognize in Overland Park or an area near Swope Park,” McCartney said.The movie is set in Los Angeles and Ohio, but McCartney says Kansas City’s landscape can work for both locations.

AGA Productions

Lifetime’s “Girl in the Garage” brings movie crews to the metro

“The good thing about Kansas City is that it is like a very diverse landscape, and depending on what part of town, we actually have locations that can represent a lot of different places,” said McCartney.The area’s landscape is just one factor which makes the area a desirable place to shoot a movie. A 2023 law passed in Missouri has the potential to draw even more movie crews. It’s called the “Show MO Act” and it offers a 20% tax credit to filmmakers.“That’s very attractive to buyers or just producers coming in,” said McCartney.Kansas doesn’t have a film tax incentive, but McCartney would like to see that change.

Olivia Acree

Lifetime’s “Girl in the Garage” brings movie crews to the metro

“So we can actually take advantage of incentives on both sides of the state,” McCartney said.Even with the takeover of her store during filming, Wieners welcomes the idea of more movies being filmed in the area.“It’s just like fun to see what you see every day on TV,” Wieners said.The list of movies filmed in this area is longer than you might think. It includes the Chiefs-themed movie from Hallmark that comes out on November 30.“Girl in the Garage” premieres on Lifetime on January 18th.