As the city seeks to improve its struggling economic situation in the new year, Cordova Mayor Kristin Smith is offering ideas big and small on how residents can play a role.
Asked what steps the public can take, Smith proposed topics ranging from support for more housing and childcare options to filling the gap in business and tourism.
But, she said there are no quick and easy answers.
“We need to diversify the economy and that’s not going to happen overnight,” Smith said.
Also the executive director of the Prince William Sound Economic Development District, Smith said affordable housing and childcare are two critical issues in town.
“There are some specific business service gaps we have in town, but to attract people to live in Cordova the community needs affordable housing and childcare,” she said. “Whenever we try to recruit for professional and other positions it is really tough to get somebody to come to town because either they can’t afford housing or there isn’t any.
“Simplifying state regulations for permitting for resource development doesn’t help if people can’t find housing and childcare for their families,” she added.
The mayor added that Gov. Mike Dunleavy should be doing a lot more to make childcare more affordable.
“People have left Cordova because of childcare issues,” Smith said. “In fact the availability of affordable childcare has been an issue for decades. In Alaska funding is needed for training people so that more childcare facilities can open up to meet the demand.”
Another sector to boost Smith said, is tourism – but she emphasized the community needs to decide what kinds of specific tourism they want.
This involves attracting visitors to Cordova in the first place and then giving them the incentive to return, while at the same time ensuring that Cordova is not overrun by too many visitors at the same time.
Currently Cordova has a some new businesses working on development of tourism, namely Explore Cordova and G&G Alaska Outfitters.
Explore Cordova offers ground transportation on two 10-passenger shuttle buses and a 14-passenger van with a driver for transportation anywhere on Cordova’s road system, plus guided hikes and custom tours on the city’s trail system and other natural areas. The company also offers water-based tours, charters and transport aboard their 33-foot commercial fishing bowpicker.
Similarly, G&G Alaskan Outfitters is a licensed, insured guiding service operating in Cordova that offers birding, wildlife, photography and hiking experiences in the Chugach National Forest. The company provides customized trips for media specialists, filmmakers, families, friends and anyone seeking a unique solo experience.
There is a whole spectrum of tourism options, from one individual with a backpack to cruise ships, Smith said.
“We could market to independent travelers, who potentially spend more money than people off of a cruise ship,” she offered. “(But) we need to attract independent travelers while not detracting from our quality of life.”
As far as the larger Cordova economy, Smith recognized that revolves around the commercial fishing industry.
She said it could be pertinent for residents to advocate to legislators for stronger bans on Russian seafood, since seafood companies with facilities in Cordova are competing with foreign seafood sold at cheaper prices due to cheaper foreign labor.
On a more local level, Smith said residents should show support for city workers who sometimes feel targeted in the current economy. These people need to feel valued, she said.
“They provide basic services and we can live here because of these services,” Smith said. “We can turn on the water and flush the toilets without really thinking about it. These people keep the hardware functioning.”
Meanwhile, the overall cost of doing business and the cost of health care has gone up, meaning that small businesses are limited in how many people they can hire, she said.
While the Cordova Chamber of Commerce encourages people to buy local, residents of Cordova go to Anchorage all the time to shop and order online from large companies. Another idea Smith has is Cordova having a company that provides airport pickup to deliver all these incoming merchandise to business facilities and homes.
All in all, investing in and supporting local communities is a necessity, Smith said.
