IRVINE : Chamber President Lists Goals, Priorities

Terry Hartman knows it’s going to be a busy year.

The new president of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce took office this week amid signs of a lingering recession and just as federal officials decide the fate of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, whose future has profound implications on Irvine’s economy.

But the 52-year-old engineer, who serves as executive vice president of Van Dell & Associates Inc., said that the Chamber of Commerce is ready to tackle these challenges through a series of programs he hopes will spark economic development.

Hartman’s goals range from persuading banks to free up capital for entrepreneurs to finding a use for the El Toro base that will benefit the local economy.

Though some of his ideas won’t be popular with everyone, observers agree that the 1,000-member Chamber of Commerce is an influential player in a city whose leaders strive to be “business-friendly.”

“The chamber has a tremendous amount of influence . . . in terms of helping improve the business climate,” said Larry Larsen, assistant to the city manager and Irvine’s business ombudsman. “The city looks to the chamber as the voice of business.”

One of the organization’s most recent political victories came in June when a divided City Council reduced business license fees. Although some questioned the wisdom of cutting fees when the city faced a lean budget, chamber officials and the council majority argued that the move would demonstrate Irvine’s commitment to helping businesses succeed.

Hartman said he hopes the fee reductions will attract new businesses to Irvine--something both the chamber and the city consider a high priority.

“We really want to push our assets as a location of choice for businesses in Southern California,” he said. “We want to bring new businesses in and retain the ones that are now here . . . by working closely with the city government.”

The chamber has already helped the city with a survey of local businesses to help find ways of improving the business climate. The organization also advised city officials when they created the Development Assistance Center, a city-run office that in one location offers information to people interested in opening businesses, Larsen said.

This partnership has produced dividends, Larsen said. Over the last four years, the number of licensed businesses in Irvine has increased by about 1,000 despite the statewide recession.

Hartman seeks to accelerate this trend. A top concern will be El Toro, which is slated for closure. Although a final decision has not yet been made on the base’s future, Hartman said now is the time to start considering non-military uses for the land.

“I think in the long term,” the base closure “can be very beneficial to the community,” he said. “It all depends on what land use is selected. We want to be a part of that selection.”

One of Hartman’s longer-term goals is to talk with lenders about providing new investment capital to developers and others seeking to start new businesses in Irvine. The credit crunch “has been a big constraint, especially in this area,” he said.

Burgeoning Business The number of licensed businesses in Irvine has increased steadily since 1990. 1990: 5,924 1991: 6,604 1992: 6,962 1993: 7,037 Source: city of Irvine