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HomeMy WebLinkAbout93-50 economic development strategy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 RESOLUTION NO. 9 3- 5 o RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF UKIAH ADOPTING THE CITY OF UKIAH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WHEREAS, the City Council has determined the City of Ukiah and Ukiah Redevelopment Agency shall initiate an Economic Development Program; and WHEREAS, an Economic Development Element is being considered within the proposed City of Uldah Growth Management/General Plan; and WHEREAS, the Economic Development Element Committee of the Growth Management/General Plan has reconvened to author the City of Ukiah Economic Development Strategy; and WHEREAS, Community direction has been received and incorporated into the Strategy through the work of the committee and additional public documents including the Proceedings of the Mendocino County Economic Development Summit, Ukiah Economic Study completed by William Kuebelbeck & Associates; and the Draft Element of the proposed General Plan; and WHEREAS, the proposed City of Ukiah Economic Development Strategy meets the goals and spirit set forth by the committee and the City Council. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Ukiah does hereby approve and adopt the City of Ukiah Economic Development Strategy. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 3r~ay of Feb., 1993 by the following roll call vote: AYES: Councilmembers Hasting, Malone, Wattenburger, Shoemaker and NOES: None Mayor Schneiter ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None 2:CM/ECOR! y ~ City' C~rk F~Schneii~, MaYor' CITY OF UKIAH AND UKIAH REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Adopted by Resolution by City of Ukiah and the Ukiah Redevelopment Agency on February 3, 1993 INTRODUCTION This Overall Economic Development Strategy has been adopted by the City Council and Ukiah Redevelopment Agency on February 3, 1993, for the purpose of concentrating and coordinating our efforts, opportunities, and resources. This strategy is intended to be a continually evolving framework and strategy to guide the three principal activities which include business recruitment, business retention and expansion, and job training; which when successfully implemented, will enhance the quality of life and economic well being of our community. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the City of Ukiah's and Ukiah Redevelopment Agency's Overall Economic Development effort is to foster and facilitate a broader based, ethnically diverse local economy and create locally generated, sustainable resource based, manufacturing, and technologically oriented service sector jobs. OVERALL GOAL Attract or assist in the expansion of a minimum of three manufacturing based businesses per year over the next five years which results, cumulatively, in the creation of at least 250 new jobs to the Ukiah Valley. PROGRAM GOALS 1. Recruitment and Development of New Business Attract added value, sustained resource based, manufacturing businesses. Attract businesses which complement our existing business mix and benefit our community. Attract businesses which reflect and are compatible with our social and ecological community values. Assist new business start-ups and micro business development within the local community. Attract businesses and industries which will generate local jobs and which demonstrate a direct economic benefit to the community. Attract businesses that generate new jobs which provide living wages. 2. Business Retention and Expansion Recognize the regional context of the Ukiah Valley and integrate the City's values into county and regional economic development plans. Promote cooperative efforts of local businesses in the area and create an effective business "community." Assist business people in understanding their neighbors' success is also their success. Assist local businesses through capital access and business counseling programs to expand and create jobs locally. Recognize, include and encourage businesses which emphasize Ukiah's ethnic diversity. Assist local industries and businesses to develop national and international trade markets for locally produced goods. 3..lob Training Coordinate better communications and efforts between the various local job training facilitators. Seek financial assistance, whenever possible, through the various state and federal job training programs. Continually assess and provide for the needs of our ever changing labor pool. Develop programs which emphasize and utilize internships, apprenticeships, and mentoring activities which integrate youth into all aspects of job training and economic development. Develop job training programs which emphasize cultural diversity and minimize linguistic barriers. DIRECTIVES Recommended Actions for Business Recruitment I. Establish a range of potential incentives to manufacturing based firms which add value to local products and create jobs. Incentive packages which include financial assistance should be based upon the degree and quality of locally generated jobs. Specific incentives may include, but should not be limited to: off-site infrastructure improvements; low interest loans; relocation and lease assistance; utility deferrals; and job training assistance. 2. City participate in all county-wide and regional economic development planning efforts such as the development of Mendocino County's Overall Economic Development Plan, 3. A strong effort will be made through the Greater Ukiah Chamber of Commerce to increase destination tourism activities in the area. Tourism should not form the cornerstone of the City's Economic Development Program, however, the variety of natural amenities and attractions existing in the area make "packaging" of activities an outstanding possibility. The Chamber of Commerce shall be encouraged to spearhead an aggressive marketing campaign in this area. 4. Encourage the location of corporate and administrative offices of targeted manufacturing companies to the City of Ukiah. In addition, companies who bring their entire operation to Ukiah are more likely to have a stronger commitment to the community in terms of environmental preservation and the development of public facilities. As a county seat, the City of Ukiah offers an exceptional level of professional and legal services and the exceptional quality of life and relatively low-cost housing in the Ukiah area provide a strong attraction. This type of recruitment will add a high-end executive level employment base. 5. Target specific retail, restaurant and support service businesses currently lacking in the downtown business mix and actively seek their relocation to that area. Family restaurants, after-hours entertainment, apparel and high-end specialty retailers are specific target businesses. 6. Emphasize the development of the Airport Industrial Park as the City's greatest existing industrial land base and assess the possibility for the creation of other business parks within the city limits. The formation of partnerships between the local governments, financial community and private sector businesses would make it possible to consolidate non- conforming and under-utilized parcels of land for strategically located business parks. 7. Target the manufacturers of environmentally responsible products such as recycle/reuse and solar products which will utilize the growing raw resource of materials and technologies becoming available through our community's increased recycling and solar energy efforts. The City will select industries in these categories carefully and attempt to target firms with a demonstrated willingness to work closely with a community on a mutually agreed upon strategy for further enhancing the local environmental programs and establishing an environmentally sound remanufacturing process. 8. Identify products purchased by local manufacturers and vendors and develop programs to manufacture and market those goods locally. 9. Identify the City's transportation strengths such as the Municipal Airport, freeway access to markets and service providers such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service and emphasize these facilities to targeted businesses. Recommended Actions for Business Retention and Expansion 1. Provide assistance to local businesses through matching grant and revolving loan fund programs, core customer development, business counseling and economic reconnaissance to assess actual needs of local businesses. Direct financial assistance for business expansion based upon new job generation would be made available through the Ukiah Business Enterprise Center. Marginal businesses in need of retention assistance would be provided with counseling services in the areas of core customer identification, business plan development, and fiscal management. 2. Through the Ukiah Business Enterprise Center, a program will be developed to; first, identify those goods which are currently being marketed by local retailers and mall-order distributors which may be manufactured in Mendocino County; and second, coordinate with local manufacturers and micro-enterprise entrepreneurs to shift the production of identified goods to those firms. Better coordination between the local production of these goods and local retailers will greatly enhance this plan's goal of a community based economy. 3. Establish an inland Mendocino County Tourist and Convention Information Center operated by the Chamber of Commerce to provide a valuable focal point from which our emerging tourism enhancement program may be coordinated. This activity will boost taxable sales for local businesses, support the success of special events and attractions, and enhance the overall image of the Ukiah Valley. The promotion of Ukiah as a desirable convention/destination point is key to the success of this tourism effort. 4. The City shall initiate a proactive and aggressive marketing effort in cooperation and coordination with the Greater Ukiah Chamber of Commerce, Ukiah Main Street Program, Downtown Merchants, and the Mendocino County Farm Bureau. The Program should include a regular calendar of downtown events, greater promotion of the Farmer's Market, joint marketing promotions among local retailers, and the development of a downtown Mendocino Bounty and Wine Center retail outlet to showcase local goods and products. 5. In cooperation with community organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Main Street and Downtown Merchants, establish a comprehensive marketing strategy directed towards increasing consumer use of local retail and service businesses. This program should also consider exporting and international marketing opportunities which exist through California marketing facilitators. The Chamber of Commerce could take a pro-active role in coordinating awareness programs to allow Ukiah businesses to access the state, national, and global marketplace for both industry and tourism. Emphasize export and local sales networking, and expansion of food service facilities in the downtown. 6. Attract added value manufacturers in the areas of secondary wood product manufacturers, such as furniture, home construction components, and outdc~or patio furniture. Utilizing the area's raw agricultural products for food processing such as fruit juice, dried fruits, meats; and, on a smaller scale, specialty jams, condiments and gourmet items. 7. Educate local businesses on government procurement and contracting opportunities. 8. Develop a business outreach program to identify needs and conditions in which businesses operate. Data from these outreach activities shall be utilized to initiate and focus business retention programs. Recommendations for Job Trainin~ 1. Under the auspices of the Ukiah Business Enterprise Center, an agency would be designated to assess and coordinate job training resources and needs with training providers. The City's leadership to integrate and coordinate employment and training services will improve availability of resources to clients in the Ukiah Business Enterprise Center. 2. Encourage the educational community to develop and implement a comprehensive training program in response to local business needs in the form of contract or short-term training; and focus college training programs on ethnic diversity, and high-tech skills to enhance skills pool. 3. An awareness program should be developed to identify all available funding assistance being provided through the various job training and placement providers. These funds could be utilized as an incentive to provide target businesses with skilled, affordable labor. 4. A four-point program to integrate youth into the job training program should be developed in cooperation with Mendocino College and Ukiah High School. The components of the program would include: a. Initiate awareness and outreach programs with the designated job training coordinator and the educational community to orient youth to available job training programs; b. City, through the Ukiah Business Enterprise Center, would take the lead in establishing youth apprenticeships/mentoring programs within local government and small business; o c. Encourage youth participation in economic development policy setting forums in our community; d. Under the auspices of the Ukiah Business Enterprise Center, develop plans for youth oriented businesses run by peers. Develop job training programs which identify changing private sector needs and utilize local business people, service clubs and youth and senior organizations to meet those market needs. Synopsis Successful economic development takes both time and money. Continued marketing and promotion will be essential to establish an enhanced image for Ukiah as a business environment. To be successful, this strategy must be both aggressive in seeking new sources for economic growth and in assisting existing businesses for expansion or retention. Realistic economic planning must be a cooperative effort of both the public and private sector. Cooperation between the City of Ukiah, County of Mendocino, local financial community, and community-based organizations such as the Downtown Merchants Association, Ukiah Main Street Program, and the Greater Ukiah Chamber of Commerce is an essential part of this partnership. The City is excited and encouraged by the direction of the community based organizations, such as the Chamber, are taking in being a clearinghouse for government and business activities and events. This Overall Economic Development Strategy is designed as a five-year guide which should be viewed as a living document that will experience changes and amendments that reflect the fluctuating needs of the community. As a result of this strategy, the next five years will bring to Ukiah the foundation of a healthy, diverse, community-based economy, anchored by environmentally sensitive, resource based manufacturing firms, and a vital retail mix, which creates new and rewarding jobs for our community. R2:URA OEDP Rev:2/4/93