Muskego tries to sell itself to new businesses

Muskego - Wanting to attract more business to Muskego to lessen the property tax burden on residents, city officials have given some thought to spending $30,000 to pay for a business marketing plan.

The plan would be developed by a partnership of consultants Vierbicher/Voltedge that is the Community Development Authority's top pick out of eight firms.

It would:

Pinpoint what businesses are best suited to various areas of Muskego

Consider what business sectors might be building momentum for coming to Muskego

Make city officials aware of what the businesses are looking for in a location

Help the city find the businesses that are in the categories in which Muskego would have its best shot

Help predict if a proposed park on Little Muskego Lake, near Janesville Road and Pioneer Drive, might spur neighborhood business development resulting in the creating of a "downtown"

After a year, the consultants would return to see if the marketing plan needs adjustments. But the CDA tended to favor a yearly check, even if it costs a little more.

The Common Council was scheduled to consider the issue, and approving the $30,000 spending, on Tuesday, after press deadline. At that meeting, the consultant was to expected to provide information on whether communities that followed their recommendations attracted more business compared to their neighbors.

If the proposal wins city approval, the marketing study could be finished by the end of the year.

Then the city would try to act quickly, before any shifts occur that could change the business climate.

The CDA doesn't want the proposed study suffer the same fate as a 2003 study, which didn't get the followup that some officials wanted.

That was not the fault of development director Jeff Muenkel, the CDA acknowledged. "He makes tons of calls," trying to bring in new businesses, said CDA chairman Rob Glazier.

In the new study, some CDA members have offered to help the already stretched community development department by making some of those business contacts. The CDA also discussed forming a task force that would bring in residents to help.

The CDA tended to like the consultant proposal because of its strong emphasis on implementation.

Along those lines, CDA member Gail Konkel said she hoped the consultants could help the city devise a comeback when business owners say "Muskego doesn't have enough traffic for us to locate there."

As a start, the consultant would recheck the traffic counts, said Kenneth Maly of Virbicher.

"You have plenty of traffic in some areas," he said. And in others, there is probably enough for neighborhood businesses, he said.

She also inquired about getting actual lists of businesses to call.