Consider Directing Staff to Re-establish the Economic Development Commission.  (Councilmember Matarrese)  [Continued from January 20, 2015]
Consider directing staff to reestablish the Economic Development Commission. This item was placed on the agenda at the request of Vice Mayor Madam. Okay. I'm having technical difficulties. What to do? I got checkerboards instead of my referral. Thank you for paper. Oh. Oh, thank you. This is better. Anyway. Been there. Done that. Given. The. Allen made a point to say, as a creator of jobs, given that we are still largely a bedroom community, dependent largely on residential property taxes for revenue, and given that I had a good experience and I think Council Member de Song and I started off at the same place on the Economic Development Commission that delivered a strategic plan to the city that had some successful outcomes, and particularly on Park Street. And given the future of. I would like this council to consider reestablishing the Economic Development Commission, and this would be in order to have a body that recommends policies and plans to the City Council for bringing businesses to Alameda and replacing jobs . When the Navy left Alameda Point. This body could work with current businesses and business associations to attract and retain businesses in Alameda. And could work and coordinate with regional efforts to grow the local economy and to increase almeida's commercial tax base of. Thus relieving some of the pressure off of residential tax base and perform economic development activities at the direction of the city council. These can be very specific activities and I was further intrigued with the agenda items from the last two meetings with Right Spirit, Right Speed that came to town. They actually make something. And they're renting a building that they have a lease with option to buy. And it's a cutting edge business and a green business. And I'm curious, because they chose to come here without the essentials that have been described in many reports of things that need to attract a business like that. And I'd like to know why and how we can repeat that. And I'd also like to know how VF Outdoor it chose Alameda. And how Penumbra before them chose Alameda. Again, absent of some of those things that have been said to be absolutely necessary to bring these well-paid technical jobs to Alameda. And in the past, that was part of the function of of the Economic Development Commission. And I don't know if council member de SAC had the experience, but I certainly did as the chair to accompany the then mayor, Ralph Pizarro, on calls to prospective businesses to bring to Alameda and other members of the commission had that opportunity and other members of the council had that opportunity. And there was a concerted effort. Following a strategic plan that the Economic Development Commission prepared and presented the Council for adoption. So I think the time is right for this and I hope my colleagues will support it. So I'd like to go to staff next week to share to share the history of this committee. Is that the. Commission? The commission. Would you like to? Madam Mayor, I'm sorry. I didn't recognize the. The question that you had asked me when I was going to provide you with was just this a little bit of background that this item did come on October 1st, 2013, back to the Council? It wasn't that long ago, and there was a whole set of discussions at that time about why the Commission it was recommended that the commission go away and and what should go in its place. And I'm not sure that this council, because it was not included in the package week and that's part of the referral process. Right. But to go so that you all are aware of what actually was presented to take its place and I think that the council should have an opportunity to discuss that because it wasn't that we would just eliminate the EDC, it was that something else, a more nimble process, take its place. And I think it would be helpful for the Council to have the benefit of that conversation with with economic development manager Dale Doan, who's, you know, who's more recent, who's just been with us now nine months and has really done a lot of legwork in on economic development in general as well as Debbie Porter. So I think it would probably be better to have that come back and we can talk about it. And I know the vice LG member Ashcraft also had met with staff member Doan. Member Ashcraft. Thank you. I did. And I also was I looked up the. The agenda item. I mean, that the previous council voted on this. A lot has happened since the Economic Development Commission was created. And I believe Mr. Matter City and Vice Mayor was one of the founders. I served on that commission too briefly before I went to the planning board. But as the staff report mentions, the the role of the Economic Development Commission was greatly reduced after we lost redevelopment money because that took away a lot of projects in the pipeline. Fortunately, some of them, like the theater, did get completed. But the the projects that the Economic Development Commission, their big projects were things like the Bayside Shopping Center, the historic Alameda Theater Cineplex and parking structure, Alameda Landing. And but by the time this council got around to eliminating voting to eliminate that particular commission in January of 2012 , the EDC had decided as a body to reduce its meetings to six times a year because they just weren't doing that much. There weren't that many projects coming to them. And in 2013, two of the four meetings by the time we got to October had already been canceled due to the limited number of agenda items. I even remember that a little bit when I was on the EDC and then in place of the EDC, because remember whenever we have a Border Commission, we have to have a staff member, staff it and a deputy city attorney attend the meetings and in the case of the Economic Development Department and Darrell Doan is our manager , there are 2.5 full time employees, including him. And so then to take them off of the work that they do, going out and recruiting and attracting businesses to prepare staff reports and staff meetings, I would question is, you know, maybe not the best use of their time, but what was brought up in their place, what was created in their place, and we've seen some good results in recent days. Recent years is the use of ad hoc committees and task forces. And we remember the Fiscal Sustainability Committee was one of them. And then more recently last year, I guess now it was 2013, the America's Cup Ad Hoc Committee. And in that case, it was chaired by a highly respected and effective CEO of a local company with committee members from the maritime community in Alameda who brought their expertize and personal connections to this project and also created was a Mayor's Economic Development Advisory Panel composed of high level Alameda Businesses and Business Association executives. This is a seven member panel. So it the and I guess maybe this is one that needs to still needs to be staff because we have a we have a new mayor. But the idea and I think this former damn used the term being nimble was important because they could draw from different specialties and had, whether it was life sciences, specialty beverages or the maritime industries. And there's examples of local executives who helped the city in those capacities. For example, at at Saint George Spirits, we have Lance Winters, the master distiller who helped bring Faction Brewing Brewery to Alameda. And by attracting some of this talent, we have been able to leverage that because these folks in business know others and that is how we got right speed to the table. And so what and I I'm mindful of the concern that we continue to attract attract and retain business in Alameda point though I continue to believe based on the evidence we've heard from the businesses out there, that our biggest challenge is not so much attracting businesses. It's keeping the ones we have with the failing infrastructure. We heard last night and we heard last month about phone lines, electricity, water, sewage failures. It's hard to keep businesses. I understand that we've got some really exciting tenants out there now, and I think I'd like the council. I would like to see us find a way to kind of introduce some of these great, exciting tenants that I'm always surprised. I've seen lists, but I just think, you know, a little more information would really excite you. However, what I'm also hearing from meeting with a number of them is. Hey, you know, we came out here, it was kind of the Wild West. We were up for an adventure. That was 12 years ago. We can't keep doing this. It's costing us money. We've got to. As much as we love Alameda and we see the potential, we can't wait forever with Penumbra. I know the CEO. I've been there on a number of occasions and I will tell you, their employees wish they had more amenities. That CEO, because he's a big fan of a burrito place on Lincoln Avenue near Paisanos. Don't worry, they're staying. They're not leaving. But he's enticed him to open a burrito place out at Panera, well, adjacent to Penumbra. So his people have a place to go for their lunch because they know this is a busy company and they don't have time to go off, you know, to the main island. I will say just about the penumbra lunch room. The only place you've seen more microwave ovens is maybe at a Best Buy because they have so many employees and they can't, you know, leave very often to go for lunch. I've been to a food truck summit once a year. They'll do a food truck event for their employees. But no people out there. If there were more amenities, they would like more amenities. It's part of the reason the Harbor Bay Business Park still isn't fully occupied, so I'm mindful of staff time. Maybe this is another conversation to have, but I think the reasons that the EDC was discontinued are still valid and there are other things we might look at doing, sort of revitalizing a commission that was was terminated. If the economic development part of the general fund is in need of updating, we could look at that. But I, I am very hesitant about reestablishing this committee at this time. Thanks. Yes. If I may add two quick points. There is also a very practical reason for disbanding that one commission. Our city staff attend regular monthly meetings of various business organizations, and it turned out that they were meeting regularly with the same people that they would occasionally try to schedule for the EDC. They were seeing each other regularly anyway. So we're trying to make it more efficient. I think this if I could ask the vice mayor, these four points you have here A through D, I think the issue is wanting to know that these tasks are being performed. How is it being done? Who's doing it? And I think if we can have Mr. Doan bring a report back to the Council. To discuss this and. Some of these other issues that may satisfy what you're looking for. So if you might consider perhaps just tabling this referral for now until you hear that report. I think I'm open to that. I did hear a litany of of issues that I think the commission could work on. And I think the reasons of. For the commission, at least in the past when it was active and and it was truly accomplishing things where it was it had direction from the council to work on specific things that the downtown plan for parks. Park Street before that the blighted shopping center at the Fruitvale Bridge, which turned into Bridge Side Center, was not a redevelopment project. It was a a blight remediation project. And the commission has sufficient work. And the the deficiencies, both at the point and of the deficiencies at Harbor Bay were it's a matter of retaining businesses. Business retention was a big a big part of that commission back in the nineties and the early 2000, when we went from Silicone Island to something else. And it was kind of boom and bust time. And and I think that was the. Redevelopment was a small part of it that was trying to grapple with that, that recruitment and retention portion as well. So I'm willing to table this pending that information of. But I'd like to preserve the ability to bring it back with more justification. This is not enough for the council. One member already. If I just had a few comments. Actually, I'm not quite ready to dismiss this idea. I mean, I think it's it has a lot of merit. And I think if we were to vote today, I would probably say, let's go ahead and find ways where we can have a productive economic development commission. Staff can correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought. Right speed. Weren't they attracted by. Another tenant out there at Alameda Point. And then Councilmember Ashcraft talked about the the burrito place, you know, was attracted by another another tenant at Alameda Point to relocate. So I mean, that's kind of what I would envision the Economic Development Commission doing is business people in Alameda working to attract other businesses. And, you know, it's worked. So I know there were some issues with it in the past, but, you know, I'd like to see if we can kind of overcome those issues and reconstitute the commission. And, you know, I know this is a very diverse, you know, council. I think if you look at, you know, our backgrounds, our supporters, where we live, you know, we all probably know different people. Maybe between all of us. We probably, you know, know almost everybody in Alameda. But, you know, one thing that I think may be helpful also is that, you know, each council member probably knows a business person that they think would be an ideal person to help, you know, cheerlead for Alameda and attract businesses to Alameda. And if if we do reconstitute this commission, I would like to see, you know, each council member at least have, you know, an appointment. Maybe the mayor gets three or five or whatever it turns out to be. But, you know, so we can share some of the resources that we have. And, you know, I'd be inclined to support this vice mayor if he went forward with it today. But, you know, I'll defer to you if you want to if you want to continue it to another day. Sorry. Do you want to? Well, I was going to ask through the through the chair, if I could just ask Councilmember Otoo, your question. Yes. Thank you. So what I heard you say about the ADC who were brought back could work as businesses, attracting other businesses. It's my understanding that that's what our Chamber of Commerce does. One of the functions that that they do and they're quite a broad based organization. And we. If many chambers of commerce, from what I understand, I still think, you know, I think it's a good idea. That we have one chamber of commerce, we have other companies. Businesses. Associations. Yes. I still think it's an idea worth considering. And you talked about redevelopment. The state actually did a replacement for redevelopment. Hopefully, we'll have a staff report on that soon. You know, I have our DS and and see if that can it can play a role in in some of these projects. But. I'm still supportive of your idea. Mr. Vice Mayor. Member Daisuke. Thank you. You know, for me, it's really a straightforward matter. A year and a half ago or so, we had established the Mayor's Economic Ad Hoc Economic Development Task Force. And on the night that we and his staff talked about it and established it. What excited me about that was. When I envisioned it, the names of the persons and the organizations that they represented. And the I mean, these were marquee organizations operating here in the city of Alameda. And what I envisioned was just what power, how powerful it would be to have a letter, I mean, from the mayor of Alameda and on the side of it indicating all the top flight businesses that are part of part of that task force. Because when it comes to attracting businesses to come to Alameda, I think that would be so. Impressive. The nature of the task force. To me, it's with actually the recent experience of Alameda in attracting businesses. For example, let's go back to write speed. Right. Speed was attracted to Alameda because they went to a conference in Healdsburg and at the conference in Healdsburg they met a person from Marconi last Google and that person they made Mr. Right interested in Alameda. So that is an indication of how networks personal contacts, the influence of such things. Even VF outdoors. I mean you know it was SRM making sure to do their due diligence in attracting the right businesses. That was a professional contact, to be sure. I mean, that's his job. But nonetheless, is is having the right people in the right networks. I kind of see the mayor's task force as as exactly that. I mean, if you can have on your letterhead someone that represents Wind River Intel, someone that represents Google slash McCartney, someone that represents the Oakland Raiders, I mean, these are national brand entities on your on your letterhead. That's powerful. And I think that's a model that we haven't built. I know Anne-Marie Gilmore was, you know, gung ho on that, and I think we need to continue that. So it's a model that I think we should continue. I hear what you're saying about the Economic Development Commission. But. I feel that we still need to give. That airs economic development as. And I'd like to I'd like to share. So I have the document that where this was the change occurred and and I really appreciate all of your comments but to share this, it said to create a mayor's economic development advisory panel composed of high level Alameda Business and Business Association executives. The purpose of the advisory panel would be to enhance the business climate of Alameda, business parks and commercial districts and support the growth of Alameda is identified commercial and industrial business clusters by providing both strategic policy and tactical business attraction and retention advice. The seven and it has a seven member panel would be appointed by the mayor to your terms and report to the City Council. In contrast to the EDC, the advisory panel would be a more flexible and informal structure with the city assessing this rich pool of experience and personal contacts by working with the advisors individually or in subgroups. And here it says that the advisory panel may officially convene once or twice per year, but it would be and there are differences in regards to an ad hoc committee and a commission in this, really. And that's something I, I support the I actually think this is progress. That's when this decision was made by the prior council. And I appreciate having the inside of the council members that were on the council when this decision was made. So and I'm not sure that other people knew that this conversation had or that this had been discussed. But I, I would agree with Member de Song in regards to this. And, and I don't know if we'd want to, you know, at this point what you would like to do. You'd want to have Mr. Doan come and speak with us about why this change was made. I, I think that we can all read why was change. I prefer a more formal and public process and I think a better plug in to the city. Um, I do think, though, that I don't want to. I want to table this for the moment. And come back with a I think, a more compelling argument. Because now I've heard the objections to it and. I don't think we need to take any more time at this point. We've had a we've had the issue heard. And I will come back with some additional information. And in regards to this, so it's my understanding that this is something that has been agreed upon. And we are we can move forward with this. Mayor's Economic Development Advisory Panel. It is my understanding, yes. That this is something that. Hurts. My heart. So I in regards to this issue, it is something that I am proceeding with. And I and I really do think, you know, I'm looking forward to this. I think this is a good step moving forward. Do I need to make a motion to table? All right. So next item, actually, our regular agenda item. So we just I understand is we just completed the items from the last meeting, except for if I'm sorry, five, eight, five, eight. Yes. Which is the designation of a voting delegate and alternate for the League of California Cities. And do we need a motion to address that now? Because I'd like to move that up. That was something that was on the agenda at the last meeting, and it's something we really do need to. This one gets appointed by this, I understand, is by discussion of the council. It's not by my appointment with a vote of approval. And I want to share the League of California Cities. I was provided with a document about what it is. East Bay Division. But while the meetings are held, monthly media announcements in locations are sent to the representative. The designation of voting delegate at annual conference requires council motion, which is why we're here. The mission is to expand and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians. And it's my understanding that the liaison had been council member TAM and the alternate had been council member de SAC. And at this point, as member TAM is no longer on our council, I would actually like to pass the comments to Member de SAC. So if he wanted to discuss any more about what it is and I personally, if you if you were interested would support this moving up and I don't know who else is interested in this, but if you could at least share what this is. Well. A-League. I was the city's representative also for the league to the league between in the years 2000, five, 2000. And I appreciated serving as alternate, which allowed me to attend meetings in Sacramento. The thing about the League of California Cities is that. As a group, the cities, through the various policymaking committees that they have actually influence major legislation. I'm a member of the Housing Community Development Subcommittee, and one of the things that that we really worked hard on was the massage parlor ordinance, because what many cities across California were concerned and that the state had basically taken over ways in which massage parlors are allowed to operate in locally. You would think that this should be a local decision, but this by state rule, they preempted that and this had been a concern over a number of years. But finally, when I started on the Policy Committee, members there had not only worked with state legislators, but they actually got the law changed so that the policymaking committees do have effect. So so being a member of a League of California Cities, I would certainly. I would like to. And you would like to continue as the liaison then as opposed to the alternative? Yes, you are. And I don't know. What else to say. I have a I was attending the East Bay League division meetings. Councilmember Tim and I and sometimes Councilmember de so great would come in those. Those are held at various you know, monthly meetings at various cities around the the East Bay. And I'd be happy to continue as that person representative of the East Bay League meetings. So I'm not sure what that is. If we could discuss this item first. I think that's a separate. Issue, not actually in what you were reading. But for this. But this is different. I think it is. I mean. Yeah, I'm sure it is. Because I wasn't. I would I would very much support. Councilmember de sag as being this the representative to a voting delegate for the league and this is on the state level. What I was saying is I just attend the more local ones. So we also need an alternate. My understanding for this one, we need a liaison and that would be member Dysart and then we need an alternate. Is anyone interested in being our alternate? That's something we need to decide tonight that we have to vote on. I just want to. Yes. Well, I got the. East Bay is. That's a different. Bigger cities. It's the League of California's Cities is bad division. But we we hear and we are informed of the pending legislation and we and various items and we, you know, go back to our cities a couple of times, Leon. And I would bring matters to the council, sometimes even to vote on or to get a letter from the city. But it is not the same as going to the statewide meetings and actually having a vote at the state league level. But no, it's the the more local version of the state league. I'm I'm sorry. That's the clarification. I think Linas served as both, so we kind of had one representative on the league. And I think the league is looking for an East Bay division representative and then the actual and and and they'll have a voting delegate for that one, too. And then the actual voting delegate for the actual conference itself is set. They give you a timeframe when they want you to take that motion and have you decide that person. But there is the overall arching decision of if you wanted to break it into two different representatives in the past, typically been one, you know, done both sides. So it's my understanding that we being asked to did you want to expand what I was told? Because I think that's contrary to what Steph told me. Oh. Right. So what you have to do here is is designate a voting delegate to represent the city of Alameda at their annual conference. That's in September, though. But with this. Well. So let's just make it straightforward then. And we'll iron out the East Bay matter when we can iron it out. But maybe. Or the voting delegate because that's what that's the question on the floor. That's what I want. To make a motion to. So. Nominate. So before so actually staff talk to me about needing something and it's my staff. So I want to make sure we're doing what we need to get done. And the East Bay, that I think is actually separate from how it was explained to me. If you could tell. Okay. So and we remember dates. As far as I'm aware we don't need to a council vote to. Have representative attend the East Bay meetings. Okay, so they're. Reading something different. Yeah. City clerk. Yeah. Well, the reason why this was brought up is the East Bay. The East Bay division actually got in touch asking who the voting delegate is. So they consider one in the same person. This is what I'm thinking. That's what I tried to explain earlier, and I'm sorry if I wasn't terribly clear, but they were looking for who the voting new voting delegate would be and to serve it, I think because. Because I do know that we have these dinner meetings, which I've been also there's a Mayors East Bay something also. Business Conference County. But there's dinner meetings that are like monthly that that I'm invited to is that there is one that I think council has to vote on. It's my understanding and that's. According to that email. It's the East Bay division of the league, not the state. And the next meeting is the 29th. Right. But they're looking who specifically who the voting delegate was because the voting delegate had left. And I mean, that's why I'm trying to read it. And that's for the annual conference. So I think that's why I'm saying I think it was always one in the same person. I don't think it has ever broken into two people. I'm sorry that sometimes. Well, Lina Councilmember Tamara. I would attend together. I think the reason they may want to know who the voting delegate is now, even though the conference isn't until May or until September, is that there are often these emails that we get about pending legislation and they may just want to, you know, I mean, very understandably keep us up to date on what the issues are, because all through the year, they do a very good job of keeping in touch with the council. So, yes, I guess. Well, what. If we did this? What I again, I'm more than happy to serve as the voting delegate. What and if we do that, what if we continue the practice? The way the way in which you had worked with Lina will be the way in which we and you and I work together. And I would add that. I'm going to want a role in the East Bay Park and the East Bay issue. We can work that out, but I think that. We should actually keep it separate. I wanted. Clarification. And then if they're going to have to wait, should we. Bring this back? So, you know, we need to decide this. And it's my understanding we need to vote for this voting delegate for the League of California Cities. And the way it was presented to me was we had a liaison and an alternate. Okay, so can I read me the exact email and maybe it'll help? They were they're going to be having an election of executive committee members at the January 29th East Bay Division meeting. So in order to be, I think, on the executive committee, you would have to be a voting delegate. And and so that's why they needed the information so that in case the city's voting delegate ends up on an executive committee. A. Okay. So I guess the question is, is the executive committee of the East Bay Cities separate from being a member to the east to the East Bay, bigger cities. Because. All right. So is this the one that goes to the meetings that are held monthly then? So at this point, I would I would like to make a motion to nominate Member de SAC as the liaison. The member Ashcraft as the alternate. Any comments? All those in favor. I and I will make sure to maintain the release the way that you had worked with. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you. Now. Yeah. And we'll. We'll do better in the future on that. I'm sure we're learning. Yeah. All right. Thank you, Madam Chair. Now, we have for a which is actually I'm coming from the school board here in the past. On the school board, when we welcome new members, we would have a workshop where we would talk about our vision, our mission protocol, the just really an open workshop, welcoming the members and then including myself and then allowing us to