The city of Parsons will pay a firm $25,000 annually for three years to try to boost retail recruitment efforts.
Parsons city commissioners on Monday evening approved a letter of engagement between the city and Retail Strategies to begin the contract on Jan. 1. The city negotiated the contract amount with Retail Strategies as a dual contract with Chanute Regional Development Authority. A sales tax approved in Chanute won’t go into effect until July, so CRDA decided to delay its contract with the company until late 2019, Zaleski said Monday. Still, Retail Strategies has decided to stick with the original contract amount with Parsons. Zaleski said that decision only confirmed his thoughts about Retail Strategies’ professionalism. Commissioner Bill Hogelin asked Zaleski how Retail Strategies differs from Retail Attractions. The city contracted with Retail Attractions in 2011 for a similar purpose but dropped the contract in late 2012 after paying $3,000 a month for nearly two years when the city staff and commission decided the firm wasn’t living up to expectations.
Zaleski said he trusts Retail Strategies after having “grilled” them on three different occasions at three trade shows.
“I think these are the guys who are going to get boots on the ground,” Zaleski said.
He said the firm isn’t making promises it can’t keep as Retail Attractions did. Retail Strategies will let the city know what type of retail shops should go where and what the good fits would be and then get Zaleski into discussions with the decision makers for those companies. It still will up to Zaleski to close the deal.
(Read more: Parsons Sun)