Getting the Job Done: Tony Otte, New Smyrna Beach Redevelopment Chief
Elected officials make policies that affect residents but getting the job done is left to city staffers like Tony Otte, director of the city’s community redevelopment agency and also economic development director.
“This is a very exciting time for the city of New Smyrna Beach and I’m happy to be a member of a great team,” the 61-year-old Otte said.
“New Smyrna Beach is well-known and highly regarded as a tourist destination, but we also have an excellent airport, an industrial park, and high quality industrial sites. The city’s economic development efforts signal that we also want a diversified, sustainable economy that maximizes all of our many assets,” he said in an interview with The News-Journal.
Last year was a major year for major accomplishments in the city, according to Otte, who holds a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Cincinnati.
He cited such things as the groundbreaking for a new hotel on Flagler Avenue, the start of construction for the rehabilitation of the Pennysaver building on Canal Street and the completion of streetscapes on Mary Avenue and South Orange Street.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he relocated to Florida in 1985 to take the position of city administrator for Tavares in Lake County.
He was hired as director of the community redevelopment agency for New Smyrna Beach two years ago. The title of economic development director was added 18 months ago.
Otte worked as city manager and CRA director for the city of Lake Wales in Polk County prior to taking the job here.
What is the difference between the two “hats” you wear within city government?
The two hats, CRA director and economic development director, are together simply because the work is similar and funding for two full time positions is not available at this time. I spend at least 40 hours each week on CRA business and a portion of the remaining 10 plus hours on economic development. The most basic difference between the two jobs is that the CRA work is confined to the CRA district, which includes Canal Street, the historic Westside, the North Causeway, as well as Flagler and Third avenues. Economic development is citywide. Community redevelopment agency work also includes residential work, both rehabilitation and in-fill, which is not an area for economic development. The latter focuses on job creation through business expansion and business recruitment.
What is your primary directive?
The primary directive for both jobs is to implement the plan for each activity. The city has an economic development plan, and a CRA master plan. Both plans call for many initiatives to be carried out under the direction of the city commission, and the economic development advisory board and the community redevelopment agency, respectively.
Do you think residents have a firm grasp of what it is you do and how you can help them?
The city’s economic development effort is relatively new and is not as well-known as the CRA. I work with other city staff to assist business owners looking to expand or to locate in the city, and review the availability of incentives. The city commission has suspended the collection of several types of impact fees to reduce development costs, and a new designation at the airport and the Industrial Park makes specific state incentives available. We want business owners to know that this is a great location and that the city wants them here. The CRA has been in place since 1985 and in the last two years has seen a remarkable increase in the number of grants awarded.
What are some of the biggest challenges in tackling the job and why?
The present condition of the economy is the biggest challenge to any type of development. I think that we are also challenged by perceptions that New Smyrna Beach is wholly tourist oriented. Our many commercial and industrial opportunities are probably not what first comes to mind for business owners looking to open a new location. Actually, a study done by the Gibbs Planning Group for the CRA Master Plan indicates that the greater New Smyrna Beach community is generally under served for many of its primary commercial goods and services.
Can you highlight some of the things that the economic development department has accomplished that have had a positive effect on the community?
The economic development advisory board recommended the suspension of police, fire, and transportation impact fees for non-residential projects for 2012, with certain conditions, which was approved by the city commission. The board also recommended that the Sports Complex be viewed for its economic opportunity, which led the City Commission to create a Sports Complex Task Force and hire a manager for the complex.
What needs to happen to take the city to the next level?
Continue to implement the projects and plans that are now in place. The marketing efforts of the CRA have brought success, with the branding of the district as the NSB Waterfront Loop. Over the holidays the attendance reported at events was significantly increased. Everyone can access event information at NSBWaterfrontLoop.com.