Bishop City Council Updates

The June 24 meeting of the Bishop City Council was a jam-packed session. These are some of
the highlights.
• Permits for the build-out of the Small Business Resource Center are in the works with a
tentative start up in the next few months and completion this winter, according to
Meaghan McCamman, Inyo County’s assistant administrator. The Center, in the works for
the past four years, will provide support for small businesses and start-ups in the Eastern
Sierra. The project is funded through federal grants with a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Sierra Business Council to manage the operations.
• Eastern Sierra Council of Governments Executive Director Elaine Kabala requested
feedback on the organization’s administrative draft of the Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy (CEDS). The planning document is a requirement for federal
funding through the Department of Commerce. With housing a critical issue in Bishop
and Inyo, Councilmember Stephen Muchovej questioned the document’s data on
median housing costs of $850-$950. Kabala explained that data, gleaned from the 2010
Census, reflected an aggregate of costs throughout the County. In response to a question
regarding implementation of the plan, Kabala said implementation would “take a
coordinated effort,” with the document serving as a catalyst and tool for the City.
• Council approved the first reading of an ordinance addressing vacant storefronts in the
downtown corridor. Assistant Planner Anastasiia Budnyk briefed Council on the
ordinance that will require the registration and maintenance criteria for vacant
commercial properties. Efforts toward improving the ambiance in downtown started
almost 10 years ago with a series of economic development workshops and community
meetings. Council Chair Jim Ellis described the ordinance as a way “to chip away at the
issue.”

• The City’s Grants in Support Program for this fiscal year opened up earlier this week with
a budget of $56,000 to be awarded to projects meeting the criteria of community need.
Guidelines and deadlines for the program are available on the City’s website at
www.cityofbishop.com/departments/finance or picked up at City Hall.