HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Bill 4A 11/16/2009A d-
CITY OFPETALUMA, CALIFORNIA ~°~
~~~~~~ SILL IVoverr~ber 16, 2009
Agenda title: RESOLUTION TO AWARD CONTRACT AND- Meeting Date:
AUTHORIZE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PROFES,S'IONAL November 16, 2009
SERVICES AGREEMENT TO PREPARE AN ECONOMIC..
DEVELOPIvIENT STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION .PLAN 1Vleetin~ ~'imet 7:00 PM
Category: ^ Presentation ^ Appointments ^ Consent ,^ Public'..Hearing ^ Unfinished Business, ~ New`:Busine"ss
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Department: Director: ~ Contact. Per."son: Phone, Numb:er:.
-City Manager John C. ,Brown John C. Brown 70.7 778=4345':
Total Cost of Proposal or Pro,iect: $139;000 Name of Fund: _
Amount Bud'~eted: $145,000 ~ Account Number:.,
5400:54100.541' I0'
Current Accourit;,Balance: $`1.45.,000
Recommendation: It is recommended'. that "th'e City Council, take the follown~g,acfon ~ .
Adopt the attached resolution awarding a contract' and authorizing the City .Manager to execute an ag"reement
with Applied Development Economics to complete an Economic Development Strategy and Implementation.
Plan, in an amount not to exceed $145,OOQ.
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1. ^ First reading of Ordinance approved unanimously:or with unanimous vote to chow posting prior.to secondsreading
2, ^ First;,reading of Ordinance-approved without;unanimous vote: Ordinance has been publi:hed%posted.prior to second
reading; see Attachment
3. ^ Other;action requiring special;n_'ofice: Notice lids been;given, see:.Attachment
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Summary Statement: Pursuant to the City Council's stated,ggal to "Complete and implement an overall
econorriic development strategy that places priority on strengthening; exisfinga:<usnesses and attracting those new
busines'ses`that add value", City staff initiated ~~a: competitive process:'to retain tie services. of an economic
development consultant. The process included the participation ofiridividualsrepresentng. abroad range of
community and economic interests,; who assisted in the screening. of respondents to the City's RFP, and .in the
seleetion,~of the candidate of choice;.. Applied Development Economics. The a~ached scope of work represents
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p p g p y and includes associated outcomes. It is
the rocess ADE will exercise m develo in a lan for the Cit
anticipated that.the plan will, among other things, assessthe'strengtls and'wedcnesses of our local economy,
identify opporttziities, to strengthen :existing: business and attract new -and complementary ones, and provide.
recommendations tliat:result iii the,long term sustainability of our local econoriiy:
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Attachments to. A~~end~a~Pa~akef ~I~tem: ~ ~~~
1. Resolution
2. Proposed Scope of Work ~
Reviewed by Finance Director: Reviewed by City Attorney: , A roy -~' 1Vlana er:
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Date: -J°
Dater i w ~1:~ ~ ~ Date: /~// -/I ?~ ~
Rev: # Date Last Revised: ~ File: 9
CITY OF PETALIJIVIA,CALIFORNIA
NOVEMBER 16;;:20,09
AGENDA REPORT
FOR
RESOLUTION TO AWARD CONTRACT AND AUTHORIZE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMEN'T' TO PREPARE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
RECOMIVIENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council adopt the. attached resolution awarding a
contract and authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with Applied Development Economics to
complete an Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Plan, in an amount not to exceed $145,000.
BACKGROUND: On January 12, 2009 the. City Council conducted a public workshop to discuss the need for,
and desirable components of, an economic development strategy and implementation plan, A draft request for
proposals was presented to the Council and public. The draft was subsequently revised to incorporate
comments received during the meeting. On January 15, 2009, the City Council. adopted the following as one of
its goals for the coming :two-year period: "Complete and implement an overall economic development strategy
that places-priority on strengthening- existing businesses and attracting those new businesses that add value."
Pursuant to the process discussed in the workshop, and consistent with the Council's goal, a request for
qualifications (RFQ) was developed and released in February; 2009. The RFQ was directed to firms identified
by city staff or recommended. by the public. It was also posted. on the city's website and distributed on other
related websites. Fourteen responses to the request were .received. In March, 2009, a review committee,
comprised of representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Association, Living Wage Coalition,
Petaluma Neighborhood Association, and City staff reviewed, rated, and ranked the responses. Based on that
evaluation, the eight (8) firms who appeared to be most responsive to the RFQ, and who appeared to be most
likely qualified to develop the kind of product sought by the. City, were invited to continue in the process and
respond to a request for proposals (RFP).
Six proposals were received in early August. Two proposals represented joint ventures among initial
respondents. A selection committee was formed, consisting of the core group mentioned previously, and
augmented with. individuals representing the non-profit and medical sectors; banking, manufacturing,
agriculture and representatives of the community at large. This diversity of interests reflects the composition
discussed with.: the Council in January 2009. The group ranked the proposals and selected two firms as finalists,
finding those two proposals most likely to provide the results expected by the community and Council.
Interviews were conducted with finalists in late September, with a subcommittee of six members of the .larger
group. The interviews enabled finalists to expand on their proposals and to answer questions developed by the
entire selection committee. Reference checks were conducted on both firms; and in October the group agreed to
recommend Applied Development Economics (ADE) for contract award.
DISCUSSION: The proposals of the finalist firms differed in a few significant respects. ADE's proposal was
written directly to the RFP,: and appears to provide a more analytically based, methodical and in-depth approach
to developing the economic development strategy and implementation plan. It also focuses a higher degree of
attention on transit-oriented development, with focused work conducted by asub-consultant, ECONorthwest.
The :competing proposal appears to be less thorough in the breadth of analysis, but focuses greater effort on
developing. recommendations for actions to be .taken during the next two years, in order to spur economic
recovery, with longer term strategies for economic diversification to then be provided for the three following
years. Greater emphasis was also placed an identifying opportunities for funding associated with a variety of
Brownfield sites. The entire approach was well received by the selection committee as being "action" oriented.
While not presented with as strong an emphasis, ADE will also provide both short-term, and longer range
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recommendations to address immediate needs .and. ongoing sustainabilty. Following discussions with staff,
ADE has also incorporated more emphasis on Brownfields in its scope. of work. Principal personnel identified
in the proposals will be required to participate `through the term of this engagement. Both teams had well
qualified -and seasoned members; the key principle in the competing proposal has signif cant municipal
redevelopment and economic development experience in particular. The ADE team, however, appears "deeper"
in experience with this kind of engagement, and represents highly qualified academics as well as practitioners in
the field of economic development. Reference checks focused on a var>ety of factors important to the selection
committee, .not least of which were any successes gained -in the reference jurisdictions as the direct result of
implementing the consultant's recommendations, and the anticipated demands on staff time in support of the
consultant in the completion of their engagement. Minimizing staff involvement, given current resource
constraints, was deemed to be of particular importance by city staff, and the screening committee. It appears
that ADE places less reliance on staff support than its competitor. Reference results were mixed, for both firms,
although mainly positive. In the end, the committee agreed to recommend Applied Development Economics to
the Council for contract award.
Of particular interest to staff and the selection committee is the consultant's public engagement strategy. This
consideration was a prominent component of preliminary and final screenings. Both finalists' proposals
included thoughtful public engagement. plans.. It is believed that ADE's scope of work, as presented in the
attachment to this document will provide ample opportunity for businesses and the public to participate in a
meaningful process. The selection committee has indicated an interest in:remaining engaged in this project, and
revisions to ADE's scope of work anticipate the involvement of the steering committee, as an advisory group.
Staff has indicated this strategy and implementation plan should be completed prior to setting the 2010/11
budget, so that project, program,. and staffing recommendations arising from the plan can be included in the
appropriate budget. The timeline provided with the scope of work,, and which will be incorporated into a
professional services agreement with ADE, anticipates completion in April, 2010.
The attached scope of work reflects refinements based on conversations between staff and ADE, following the
October meeting of the selection committee. Although slight revisions to the scope of work may yet occur prior
to contract execution, the scope as presented for your information is predominantly complete. With your award
of a contract, the scope will be completed and an agreement executed. with ADE. ADE expects to commence
work prior to November 20, 2009.
FISCAL IMPACT: All proposals received were within the $1:50,000 limit identified in the RFP. ADE
proposes to provide the services requested in the RFP for $139;000. This is $1,650 more than the cost of the
competing proposal, but is anticipated,. as is noted previously, to provide more depth of analysis, and a longer
term implementation plan. ADE has proposed to provide website development as an add-alternate to its bid.
Staff and the:selecfon committee believe that a website related to this project is a valuable addition to the
public engagement; but~~ d"id not agree with the proposed price for that wor-k. To reduce costs, IT staff will assist
in the set up of the website. $145,000 appears to be a sufficient budgetao complete the. prof ect and may provide
a small contingency to support unanticipated project costs. The Council budgeted a total of $145,000 for this
engagement on November 2, 2009.
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RESOLUTION TO AWARD CONTRACT AND AUTHORIZE CITY MANAGER TO
EXECUTE A PROFES.SIQNAL SERVLCES AGREEMENT TO PREPARE. AN ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
WHEREAS, at the City Council goal setting session on January 15, 2009, one of the
goals established by the City Council was to complete and.implement an overall economic
.development strategy that places priority on strengthening existing businesses and attracting
those new businesses that add value; and
WHEREAS, on February 23, 2009, the City issued a Request for Qualifications from
firms interested in preparing a comprehensive economic development strategy and
implementation plan for the City; and
WHEREAS, based on evaluation of the responses by a ,citizen committee, those firms
which appeared to be most qualified to prepare a plan. that met the City's goals and objectives
were asked to provide detailed' proposals to prepare the Plan by way of a Request for Proposal
which was issued July 9, 2009,: and
WHEREAS, the responses to the Request for Proposal were evaluated and one firm has
been selected to prepare the Plan, which will provide an economic development strategy unique
to Petaluma, as well: as provide recommendations acid time and cost specific implementation
measures to support and strengthen existing local businesses, attract new and complementary
businesses, and contribute to the immediate, intermediate, and long-term environmental, social,
and economic viability of the community.
NOW; THEREFORE, B'E IT RESOLVED that the City Council awards a contract for
econoiri:ic developme.nt;strategy and implementation plan services to Applied I3evelopment
Economics in an arnuunt nott~ exceed: $145;000, conditioned on Applied Development
Econonucs providing all required contract documents, properly executed by authorized
representatives of Applied Developrileiit Economics,. in"chiding, but not limited tc>, all. required
insurance documents, within 10 calendar days of receipt by Applied Development Economics of
such documents from the City, and authorizes tl~c City Manager to ..execute a professional
services agreement for economic development strategy and implementation plan services upon
receipt of ail required documents i:rom Applied Development Economics.
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SCOPE OF WORK, M ETH~ODO':LOGY, & TI M ELI N E
EXISTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
ADE's approach. to this project will be centered around the. creation of a plan that integrates the
City of Petaluma's economic strategic priorities with an implementation approach that ensures
quality of life and fiscal balance considerations.
The process outlined in the scope of work begins with a needs assessment. to define the City's
current economic position and to identify opportunities to enrich and strengthen its economic base.
The priority will be on identifying how businesses currently operate in Petaluma, and how the
existing mix of businesses contributes to the City's fiscal health. We will do an in-depth analysis of
the real estate inventory in the Ciry and conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats) to highlight the strategic issues- the City must address. We would
supplement the, input from the economic studies with key informant interviews to gain a
comprehensive understanding of the' economic issues facing the city.
The next step will be identifying development opportunities for the. City as potential source of
revenue. Based on the community's overall goals and economic objectives, we will draft an
economic strategy.
Throughout the strategic planning process, ADE will evaluate the market analyses, business climate
assessments, and strategic recommendations with the fiscal considerations in mind. The proposed.
scope of work is'summarized below.
STAGE I: NEEDS ASSESSMENT & MARKET ANALYSES
1 . l PROJECT START-UP & PROJECT MANAGEMENT
ADE will begin the project by reviewing the priorities for the project and the work of existing
economic development program that has -been completed to date. At this time, ADE will request
access to the data necessary to complete the background economic studies. The types of data that
ADE would request include sales tax data, business license databases, employment data, the
municipal budget; real estate data, survey data, and GIS files. Some of this data may be included
within existing reports. ADE will supplement the data available. from the City with additional
information from our own data vendors as well as interviews with local business associations and
economic development agencies.
~ .Z DESIGN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT & OUTREACH
To ensure that the economic development strategies reflect the city's vision and goals, ADE will
design and implement an outreach program. The purpose of outreach is to:
® Develop a vision for the economic development process
® Develop desired outcomes or goals for economic development
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Identify business' requirements. for growth
We consider this to be a central part of the. strategic plan' program. Our ability to communicate
economic information to the public and to integrate .community input is critical .to the success of the
project. In our recent economic strategy ,for Atascadero; we faced substantial community division
over economic issues and it was only through a multifaceted outreach. program, which we designed
and implemented ourselves, were we able to move forward to a successful economic strategy that
enjoyed widespread community consensus.
In Petaluma, the economic development outreach will have three components:
1. A set of 40 interviews with business and community leaders; these will include commercial real
estate brokers; developers, and businesses representing all industry clusters. The purpose of the
interviews is to collect current information about trends and conditions that have not yet been
documented and to validate analysis of findings from Stage: I. The interviews are key means of
uncovering opportunities for economic growth .and sustainabihty as well as potential threats.
ADE will. conduct. up to 40 key informant interviews. The ADE Team will interview top
executives from such industries as Film, Tourism/Hospitality, River-Dependent, Food
Processing /Agriculture, ICT, Clean Technology. Other key informants interviewed will include
real estate brokers, developers; bankers, community leaders, government and quasi-government
agencies (such as SMART) and non-profits.
2. SWOT Focus Group meetings. ADE will work with City Staff to select the number and the
participants of up to four SWOT focus groups. Focus group. participants will be mostly from
businesses, which could include Agriculture & Food Processing;.Tourism & Hospitality; High
Technology and Small Business. Considering the City's high. proportion of Latino residents,
ADE will work with the Catholic Church and/or social service agencies to recruit aSpanish-
speaking translator to help facilitate. a meeting for that community.. If there is no one in the
community that can assist with that, ADE will contractwth a -firm in the Bay Area that we have
used before to assist with translation. The purpose of these focus groups is to obtain
information from a broad range of businesses about trends in their industries, potential
opportunities for growth and potential threats to the future competitiveness of their businesses.
As much as possible, the participants in the focus groups will be different people than those
interviewed in Step 1 above, in order'to expand the range of input gained through the process.
3. A public forum to present the input gained from the interviews and analysis and to give the
,publican opportunity to participate in developing goals. The purpose of the Public Forum. is to
ensure that the final economic development strategy is owned by the community and therefore
more likely to be implemented by the community. The public forum is the key means of
obtaining public. input. on goals and aspirations for the City long-term economic sustainability.
ADE will work with City Staff to plan the agenda for the forum, prepare handouts, prepare and
deliver a presentation of findings and facilitate small group discussions on economic
development goals .and implemeritation measures. If appropriate, ADE will recruit aSpanish-
speaking translator from the community or contract-with, an appropriate firm to do so. ADE will
record all discussion and summarize discussion for Cry Staff review. The. discussion on goals
will be reflected in the draft and final economic development strategy.
4. ADE will provide content and guidance to the Petaluma City Manager's Office and the IT
Manager in the creation and maintenance of an economic development page on the City's
existing website: Responsibility for development and maintenance of the economic development
page will be the sole responsibility of the Ciry of Petaluma. However, ADE will provide
guidance on the design and content of the site. The°website will provide information to the
public about the economic development planning: process, upcoming meetings, interim reports
or findings and final documents. It will include a page where the:public can get answers. to their
questions directly from the consultant. Once the economic. strategy is finalized and adopted, the
website could be expanded upon to keep th;e public up-to-date on economic development
implementation activities and to serve as a resource for local businesses as well as businesses
interested in locating in Petaluma.
5. ADE will facilitate five meetings with the City's economic development advisory group
throughout the course of the economic planning process. ADE. will assist the City Manager's
office in the development of meeting agendas. and facilitate the meetings, when appropriate.
These five meetings will occur at the following points in the process:
® 1. Project Kick-Off. In early DDecember, at the beginning of the planning process, ADE will
present the scope of work, timeline, design of public input process and role of the advisory
group in developing and implementing the plan. At this. meeting, ADE will work with the
advisory group to schedule. the next few advisory .group meetings as well as the SWOT
Focus Group Meetings and the public forum. (early December)
® 2. Completion of Needs Assessment and Market Analysis. ADE will prepare and deliver a
presentation on the findings of the quantitative studies, including the fiscal reconnaissance,
the. economic base and cluster analyses, the retail market analysis, the visitor services analysis
and the assessment of technology infrastructure. ADE will then facilitate a discussion with
the advisory group. (early February)
® 3..Completion of SWOT Analysis and Assessment of Opportunities. The analysis of
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats provides information that will help in
writing economic development goals and in prioritizing the activities of the Implementation
Plan. ADE will provide details on the outcome of the SWOT Focus Groups, which should
be held in late January. The Opportunities Assessment will address opportunities for growth
in retail and visitor services, target industry clusters and vacancyreduction and SMART as a
catalyst for economic development. ADE will present the SWOT analysis, including the
Assessment of Opportunities to the economic advisory group for their feedback and input.
AIDE will present details about the upcoming Public Forum. ADE will facilitate a discussion
with the advisory group to begin the development of economic development goals for
Petaluma. (early March)
® 4. Draft Economic Development Goals and Implementation Strategy. ADE will present
findings from the Public Forum and facilitate discussion of draft economic development
goal statements and implementation strategy. (early April)
® 5. Draft Final Economic Development Strategy. ADE will prepare and deliver a presentation
on the final Strategy, including an overview of key economic assets and opportunities, goals
and action plan strategies. (mid-late May)
Input fiom this outreach effort, together with input from city staff, the economic development
advisory committee and the City Council, will be used to develop an economic development vision
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and set ofgoals. This input will be. a vital uigredient in d€veloping the strategic inifiatives the City of
Petaluma will implement to achieve those goals. The economic development outreach will be
implemented concurrently with development of the preparation of technical studies.
ADE will design and lead the outreach process in the following manner:
® During the first two weeks, ADE will work with the City Manager and the economic
development. advisory committee to develop a list of 40 key informants. These should
include community and business leaders representing industry clusters, real estate
development, real estate brokers, retailing, downtown merchants and others.
® ADE will schedule interviews to occur during the month of December, 2009. Interviews will
be conducted by senior project staff either by telephone or on-site.
® Interviews will be compiled and summarized for use in -the SWOT analysis, the economic
development goal statements, and in the process of refining .the quantitative analyses,
including the analysis of industry clusters.
® ADE will work with City Manager's Office and advisory group to schedule, plan. and
facilitate SWOT focus groups. The focus group meetings should occur in late January, if
possible. Rooms for these meetings will need to be reserved as soon as possible.
® Work with staff to plan, schedule and facilitate the public forum. The public forum should
occur in late March. A facility for the public forum will need to be reserved as soon as
possible.
1 .3. ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING #1
Project Dick-Off. In early December; at the beginning of the planning process, ADE will present
the scope of work,. timeline, design of public input process and role of the advisory group in
developing and.implementing the plan. At this meeting, ADE will work with the advisory group to
schedule the next few advisory group meetings as well as the SWOT Focus Group Meetings and the
public forum. (early December)
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~ .4 FIS-CAL RECONNAISSANCE
ADE will evaluate the cost/revenue potential of .different land. uses, focusing on the business types
that typically provide good fiscal benefits for cities. Different land uses will be examined in terms of
how they potentially generate significant sales tax, use tax, and property tax. This also includes the
degiee to which additional point-of-sale. revenue can be derived from existing businesses. This
information will help the. community evaluate the desirability of alternative economic futures and
land use cruxes. ADE has developed a fiscal impact model that can be an ongoing tool for Petaluma
in helping to evaluate development projects and scenarios. Our work contributed to the award-
`vinning General Plan Update for Newport Beach and the City continues to use the model for its
ongoing planning purposes.
1 . S ECONQMIC BASF' & CLUSTERS ANALYSES
Petaluma is a key player in the Sonoma CountS~ economy, with concentrations of businesses across a
broad cross.-section of industry groups. This includes the long established business park .and office
tower developments adjacent to the 101 Freeway corridor, and the on-going transformation of
downtown Petaluma.
Understanding the nature of these local employers and the dynamics of their relationships with
other businesses, both locally and regionally, is crucial to identifying the most appropriate business
retention, expansion and attraction. opportunities for Petaluma. This task will help provide the
context for the City's economic development strategy in terms of the business development
priorities. One. facet of the analysis includes identifying opportunities. for employment growth of
Petaluma's industries.
Economic. base analysis reveals an economic region's basic economic drivers-those industries that,
through export, bring wealth `into the region. It also identifies which support industries have trade
relationships with these economic drivers through sales of specialized supplies and services.
The analysis will begin with identifying Petaluma's economic drivers, those businesses that are the
primary source of job growth and wealth in the community.. Identifying these economic drivers
works on the underlying assumption that the most important sources of economic opportunity
begin with the existing business base and the types of new relationships and opportunities that can
form through expansion of this base.: Based on this analysis, ADE will define export-oriented,
related specialized suppliers, and local-serving industries.
ADE will,condnct a regional trends analysis based on employment growth, industry concentration,
and income. trends. The regional trends analysis will reveal potential directions for the overall
economy, and provide a basis for estimating, potential job growth in Petaluma. ADE will examine
the regional economy to provide a clear and quantifiable pYOfile of Petaluma role in the context of
both the Sonoma County and .the ..greater Bay Area metro region. Moreover, the regional economic
trends analysis will identify potential industries that are well represented elsewhere, but not
necessarily in Petaluma. This can lead to business attraction targets, as-well as development of new
businesses that serve the region's economic drivers. The'base analysis will allow ADE to analyze the
market demand for commercial and industrial uses, and estimate Petaluma's capacity to capture its
share of growth.
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In order to complete these types of ,studies, ADE will. use a variety of primary and secondary data
sources. We will draw from business interviews and focus groups to provide primary information
for the industry analysis. ADE will: al"so acquire secondary data sources such as regional employment
data at the 5-digit NAICS code collected through the BLS GEW program. We will also rely on real
estate databases, business license databases, private sector business information sources,
publications, trade gYOUp directories, and GIS data.
ADE will create an economic profile of Petaluma that identifies the city's economic strengths in
terms of industry employment size, concentration and growth, and how these indicators have
changed over tune. This task pulls together all of the data sources and information gathered in this
tasks and incorporates them into an analytical report. The analyses for this task are structured to
provide the full accounting of local and regional economic trends needed to develop economic
development policies and strategies.
INDUSTRY CLUSTER ANALYSIS
Clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected. companies and institutions in a particular
field. They include. an array of linked industries, including suppliers of specialized inputs and
infrastructure. They also include governmental and other institutions-universities, vocational
training providers, trade associations-that provide specialized training, education, research,
information. and technical support. ADE has a specialization in industry research and has completed
dozens of studies analyzing a corplete -range of industries from agriculture and food processing to
autonomous technology (robotics). ADE will apply its industry knowledge to developing strategies
to expand businesses already irr Petaluma and target specific industries to relocate or expand into
Petaluma. We have conducted economic studies of the dairy industry for both Dings and Tulare
counties as well as for the statewide industry association. Recently, for Yolo County, ADE
completed a feasibility analysis and set. of recommendations for expanding wine processing capacity
in the C1aYkshurg AVA, located south of West Sacramento. Also, ADE assessed the size and
location of the Autonomous Technology industry throughout California and prepared a
recommended. strategy for attracting companies in this fast-.growing field to northern California.
ADE will look at the regional employment concentrations at the 5-digit NAICS level, as a starting
point to conduct the industry cluster analysis. Examples ofpotential-industry clusters may include
some of the following:
® Agriculture and Food Processing.
®~ .Arts and Culture
® Biomedical
® Clean Technologies, Green Technologies
® Computer and Communications Hardware
® Creative Services
® Electronic Component Manufacturing
® Film Production
® Software
® River-Dependent/Water Dependent Industry
® Tourism/Hospitality
The. cluster analysis will result in the following tables for each of Petaluma's clusters:
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® Cluster size, growth, coricentraron
® ClusteY wages and productivity
® Cluster establishment size and growth
ADE will describe cluster. relationships with other industries, both internal and external to the
region; cluster growth opportunities; and critical actions necessary to support cluster growth and
competitiveness.
1 .F RETALL MARKET ANALYSIS
Continued success m retail trade has direct unpheations on the City's fiscal condition. Petaluma must
identify diversification opportunities that develop retail niches that are currently underserved in
Petaluma. ADE analyzes a retail market based on how well th'e existing base of local serving
businesses address the market demand by households in a community. Any shortcoming in existing
retail sales relative to household spending is regarded as leakage and considered a possible market
opportunity for new or existing retail businesses. The retail sectors are not normally considered
"basic uidustries" because they serve local constituencies and generally grow with income and
population increases. ADE has completed hundreds of retail studies as a part of the economic.
development strategies we prepare for cities throughout California.-For instance, in Capitola, ADE
has helped the City plan for the long term repositioning of its regional mall as well as enhance
visitor-serving retail and services v Capitola Village. In Milpitas, ADE determined that despite a
large capture of regional retail spending at its Great Mall, it was leaking spending on new car sales to
San Jose and Fremont. The City has since attracted two major auto dealerships-Toyota and
Honda-to its new auto mall.
Market Demand ..Estimation
ADE will utilize its own retail demand model that can identify and quantify household spending in
over 30 different retail store categories and over 50 product groupings. The model can also identify
household spending for entertainment, personal and professional services. ADE's retail model is
unique in that, in calculating household consumer spending, ADE tracks spending by household
income. Households in different income brackets exhibit different spending patterns for the same
retail goods, and ADE's retail modeling captures this differentiation.
Our approach is unique in that:it does not underestimate spending for lower income households,
and .does: not over-project spending by higher income households. When calculating household
spending for specific retail goods, other retail market studies key in on the per capita spending. As a
results `when these averages .are multiplied against the number of households, aggregate consumer
household spending is' significantly understated. Thus, retail sales leakage and market opportunities
for existing and new retailers are also understated. Our methodology produces a more accurate
picture of. consumer demand that captures variations in both magnitude and distribution of retail
spending between different income groups. Our model also has a component that captures retail
demand variations with Latino households, but our experience in other communities with significant
representation by Latino residents has indicated that the income variations are most important.
Identifying Actual Spending Power
In addition to examining the spending patterns by Petaluma residents, the City's role as a regional
center necessitates a review of how much retail spending Petaluma attracts from outside of the
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community, Existing retail centers such as the Petaluma C$'D and the Outlet 1VIall attract both local
and regional shoppers. Petaluma competes with otheY regional centers -- such as in Corte Madera,
Santa Rosa and San Rafael -that siphon off local household spending.
Existing Retail Sales
The sales data would come from State Board of Equalization sales tax records, which ADE uses to
estimate taxable sales. by store type. ADE's retail demand model also applies a data adjustment that
estimates nontaxable .sales on items such as groceries and prescription drugs. The budget for this
task assumes that the City will provide sales tax audit reports that document the sales tax collections
by retail category for each of the retail districts withal Petaluma.. Our ability to address performance
of specific retail districts in the City will. be limited by the geographic breakdown provided in the
City sales tax audit data. As an additional option, ADE could perform a time series analysis of each
retail district, as defined in the. sales tax audit data, to identify trends for each district over the past
number of years.
The initial piece of analytical work-will focus on identifying retail spending patterns and other
economic development opportunities generated through local households. This task will assess the
degree to which the retail sector attracts wealth into the community, and identify any gaps that exist
in the Petaluma retail base.
1 .7 VISITOR SERVICES MARKET ANALYSIS
As part of the retail market analysis and background studies, ADE will identify how much spending
Petaluma's retailers capture from out-of--town visitors. Tourism has a strong influence on the local
economy, and ADE has the staff resources and project experience to further analyze the visitor
serving market. 'This analysis can further, evaluate Petaluma's role as a tourist destination, destination
for business travel, and/oY overnight lodging location for visitors headed towards other tourist
attractions on the North Coast oY in the Wine Country. ADE recently completed visitor-services
market studies for Greenfield, a community in the Salinas Valley and for Butte County. Both studies
made recommendations for expanding the tourism and hospitality industries. In Greenfield, the
analysis focused taking advantage: of the growing wine industry in the Santa Lucia Mountains and on
the region's its historical roots in Spanish Missions and Ranchos For Butte County, the analysis and
recommendations focused on increasing. TOT revenue in rural areas through expansion of B&B's
and Farris. Stays, Bike Tours and RV Camps.
1.S TECHNOLOGICAL LNFRASTRUCTURE
The, ADE team will evaluate the availability of technological infrastructure and its impacts on the
business community.
The availability of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure is critical to
business success and the ability of local workers to enjoy the economic benefits of business growth.
In the ICT CEDS prepared for Orange County in 2006, much of Santa Ana was defined as a "Red
Zone" in which deficiencies in customer access to ICT potentially exist. ADE will build on the
earlier work done to create a technological inventory for the area and highlight access issues that can.
be resolved through new investment. As pointed out in the 2006 report, investment by technology
providers is sometimes hampered in Red Zone by lack of customer ability to access it. Therefore,
this issues needs to be addressed as part of the comprehensive economic. strategy to workforce and
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business advancements iii key areas of the city.. As part of this task, ADE will prepare the following
products:
® Technological Opportunities Assessment
® Recommendations on areas that lack adequate technological resources
® Inventory of infrastructure and customer needs.
® Key trigger points to spur investment
9 COMMUNITY PROFLLE.& SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ADE will prepare a Petaluma community profile that brings together.all the findings of Stage I
analyses for City Staff review. This will include a demographic and economic profile,. the fiscal
reconnaissance, economic base and cluster analysis, retail leakage analysis and visitor services market
analysis.
.1 ~ ADV.fSORY GROUP MEETING #2
ADE will prepare and deliver a presentation on the findings of the quantitative studies, including the
fiscal reconnaissance, the economic base and cluster analyses, the retail market analysis, the visitor
services analysis and the. assessment of technology infrastructure. ADE will then facilitate a
discussion with the advisory group. (early February)
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STAGE II: STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, -AND
THR-EATS (SWOT) ANALYSIS
Sustaining economic vitality depends on a community's ability to create an optimal business climate.
Assessing Petaluma's existing business climate is an essential first step towards improving it.
Business climate factors within Petaluma's influence include housing construction and affordability;
local infrastructure; education and training; available land for business expansion; and quality of life
factors, including parks, access to natural environment, and environmental quality.
In addition to internal business climate factors, the SWOT analysis will address external factors such
as existing-labor force demand, global market conditions as they pertain to the regional industry
clusters, state and federal policies affecting business comperitiveness, and future regional
transportation and development patterns. The matrix below illustrates this concept.
~a._
~
~ STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Internal
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
External
The key informant interviews will provide an overview of Petaluma's business climate. ADE will
build on this initial assessment by adding new information from an analysis of regional trends ;
providing a more detailed assessment of sites and their readiness; and assessing regulatory and other
business climate factors in terms of the needs of business.
2. ~ .KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS
The purpose of the interviews is to collect current information .about trends and conditions that
.have not yet been documented and to validate analysis of findings ;from Stage I. The interviews are
key means of uncovering opportunities for economic growth and sustainability as well as potential
threats. ADE will conduct up to 30 key informant interviews. The ADE Team will interview top
executives from such industries as Film,. Tourism/Hospitality, River-Dependent, Food Processing
/Agriculture; ICT, Clean Technology. Other key informants interviewed will include real estate
brokers', developers, bankers, corrununity leaders, government and quasi-government agencies (such
as .SMART) and non-profits.
I ~1
Z.Z FACLLITATE SWOT FOCUS GROUP MEETfNGS.
ADE will work with City Staff to select the number Ind the participants of up to four SWOT focus
groups. Focus group participants will be mostly from businesses; which could include Agriculture &
Food Processing; Tourism & Hospitality; High Technology and Small Business. The purpose of
these focus groups is to obtain information from a broad'range of businesses about trends in their
.industries, potential opportunities for growth and potential threats to the future competitiveness of
their businesses.
Z.3 SWOT ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY OF PUBLIC. INPUT
ADE will combine the public input with findings of STAGE I to create the SWOT analysis.
STAGE III: ASSESSMENT OF OPPORTUNITIES
3. ~ SMART TRANSIT AS A CATALYST FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Using as a starting place the interviews completed in Task 2, ECONorthwest's (ECO) experience
with light rail and streetcar-related development, and previous research conducted by ECO
regarding the economic impact of new transit lines, ECO will identify opportunities for new transit
oriented development along. the SMART route. ECO will also provide analysis and discussion
regarding ways to maximize the unpaet of the new transit connectivity for economic development in
Petaluma.
3.2 SITE OPPORTUNITLES ANALYSIS
This task will inventory the key development or redevelopment sites in the City and provide an
assessment of the characteristics most pertinent to support new business development
opportunities. This baseline information will feed into the specific development opportunities
analyses described in the following tasks.
3.3 RETAIL MARKET AND VISITOR SERVICES OPPORTUNITIES
The retail and visitor services market studies conducted in the previous. Stage will provide the.
backdrop for identifying specific development concepts that respond to available market
opportunities.
3.4 TARGET INDUSTRIES AND VACANCY REDUCTION OPPORTUNITIES
Using the: economic base analysis, the SWOT and the site opportunity analysis, ADE will be able to
match business location requirements with local economic assets to recommend key business
attraction targets. Implicit. in this analysis will be the identification of key marketing messages that
respond to business interests and concerns regarding their locational needs.
In terms of supply analysis, this task will also focus on the real estate assets in the community and
provide potential strategies to improve the marketability and performance of key properties.
Strategies to enhance merchant and property attractiveness, possibly using funds from Business
Improvement Districts (BIDS) or property based BIDS would be one area of focus. Also, facade
easements could be used to create financial benefits for historical buildings. Often, recruiting non-
profit tenants at low cost to vacant buildings helps to create a perception of activity and traffic that
improves marketing success while also benefits the non-profit groups.
t5
Vacancy reduction opportunities fall into two broad categories: none of which have been really well
explored by most cities. The first categoiy in~rolves merchant or, in the case of office or industrial
space, occupant,.. technical assistance to allow them to eoritiiiue to operate pay rent. This assistance
can take three forms all of which are being used one way or the other different shopping centers and
downtowns.
One obvious form of assistance is to reduce energy costs. An energy audit, low-cost financing for
replacement equipment, and other devices can, for certain tenants, sufficiently reduce their operating
expenses so that they may continue occupying the space.
A second and less well developed form of assistance is inventory control. Several shopping center
developers are now providing inventory planning assistance to their tenants so as to reduce
inventory costs and thereby enable the tenants continue to occupy the space.
A third and even more innovative approach involves the physical appearance, marketing approach
and facade of the retail. In large shopping centers, there is a function known as tenant coordination,
by which the developer and owner of the center provides to individual tenants highly expert advice
on how to outfit the store, present the facade and integrate the physical planning of the store with
good marketing.
The second broad class ofvacancy-reduction opportunities deals with alternative tenants.
Considerable recent research has been done on occupying vacated shopping centers with medical
facilities. When you stop to think of it, medical facilities and shopping centers have in common the
fact that they need accessible locations and large amounts of parking.
Another adaptive reuse for vacated retail buildings which also applies, in some cases, to vacated
office or industrial buildings, is education. The charter school movement has shown considerable
innovation in adapting prior retail or office space for education. Our understanding is that unlike
public schools, charter schools are not subject to the State architect review of all school
construction.
Finally there are nonprofit uses which still generate traffic for vacated retail spaces. These can
include senior centers, youth centers, local arts and crafts facilities, etc.
Using Redevelopment Tools To Advance Economic Development
~,
.Also, with the City Redevelopment powers, this task would consider how the City of Petaluma can
take a more entrepreneurial approach by generating revenue "internally" via real estate or other
enterprise investments. Petaluma could take an interest in augmenting fiscal considerations with the
notion of functioning directly as project developer and long-term landlord as a means of
circumventing the fiscal uncertainties at the state level.
In his class on public-private joint ventures, Dr. Kotin gives a unit on economic development In
addition, he teaches real estate as part of the training program developed by IEDC. In both those
capacities Dr. Kotin has had to consider carefully the relationship between redevelopment and
economic development. For the most part, the characterization of redevelopment as a subset of
economic development is probably correct. The more subtle distinction, however, is what can
redevelopment do to uphold the broader objectives of economic development that axe not defined
by real estate.
ilo
The use of redevelopment to propel those .objectives acid projects which are, real estate dependent is
fairly straightforward. For examj~le, the use of redevelopment;assistance to fund view shopping
centers, new business centers, and even new industrial buildings. has some as clear precedent. This
has been done both for speculative buildings and as an inducement for particular employers or
retailers. Clearly this should continue.
A subtler distinction, however, exists with respect to macro and micro economic development
objectives. For example, the forms of assistance outlined above as a way of vacancy reduction are to
a significant degree adaptable to employment retention. Small businesses can benefit from the same
forms of energy assistance, inventory control and possibly even physical planning. The use of
redevelopment funds to assist existing merchants, manufacturers and service businesses to survive
and expand is clearly appropriate junction between redevelopment and economic development.
Broad economic objectives can be served by redevelopment funds in several more macro
approaches. An obvious one that we are sure is already used in Petaluma is fostering tourism. Other
mechanisms that can be used to atfract high-tech or biotech would to create publicly funded or
publicly assisted laboratories and demonstration projects which make it easier for you smaller firms
to co-locate because they save significant operating expenses.
3. S ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #3
The analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats provides information that will
help in writing economic development. goals and in prioritizing the activities of the Implementation
Plan. ADE will provide details on the outcome of the SWOT Focus Groups, which should be held
in late January. The Opportunities Assessment will address opportunities for growth in retail and
visitor services, target industry clusters and vacancy reduction and SMART as a catalyst for
economic development. ADE will present the SWOT analysis, including the Assessment of
Opportunities to the economic advisory group for their feedback and input. ADE will present.
details about .the upcoming Public Forum. ADE will facilitate a discussion with the advisory group
to begin the development of economic development goals for Petaluma. (early March)
STAGE IV: IDENTIFY ECONOMIC DEVELOPIVLENT GOALS.
4.1 PRELIMINARY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Based on the information developed from the background studies and input from the public
workshop,. ADE will facilitate a discussion with the EDC to identify economic development goals.
The goals will work off of the market opportunities, the revenue generating potential, and desired
character of'development in Petaluma.
4. Z PUBLIC FORUM
The purpose of the Public Forum is to ensure that the final economic development strategy is
owned by the community and therefore more likely to be implemented by the community. The
public forum is the key means of obtaining public input on goals and aspirations for the Ciry long-
term economic sustainabiliry. ADE will work with City Staff to plan the agenda for the forum,
prepare handouts, prepare and deliver a presentation of findings and facilitate small group
discussions on economic development goals and implementation measures. ADE will record all
l1
discussion and summarize discussion. for City Staff review. The discussion on: goals will be reflected
in the draft grid -final economic development.strategy.
4.3 DRAFT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS
ADE will prepare.1 full discussion of the economic goals and strategies, resulting in a finalized set of
.economic ..goals. These goals will consist of practicable, actionable initiatives and will be prioritized
based on input for business, the general public and City Staff.
4.4 ADVISORY GROUP MEETING
ADE will present findings from the Public Forum and facilitate discussion of draft economic
development goal statements and implementation strategy. (early April)
4. S REVIEW PROGRESS AND PRELIMLNARY GOALS WITH CITY COUNCIL
The preliminary goals will be discussed with City staff, and the project. team will seek input from the
City Council.
STAGE V` IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY & STRATEGIC PLAN
S.1 REVIEW DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS AND POLICIES
As a part of developing the implementation plan, ADE will review of Petaluma's development
regulations, focusing specifically on general plan policies, zoning, design guidelines and other
policies and regulations that, through interviews and-focus groups have been identified as
troublesome for the business community=. ECO will support.this process by adding a northwest
perspective to the discussion. ECO's familiarity with building and economic development
regulations, policies, .and tools in Oregon, Washington, and the nation will provide helpful context.
ECO will provide ADE its analysis that will be incorporated into the final document.
S.2 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY & FINAL REPORT
Once the economic goals and direction have been defined, ADE will develop an implementation
plan to support the selected economic development priorities. Depending on the interests of the
community and City staff, the strategies can address the following issues among others.
Economic Incentives. ADE's funding services division has helped communities access more than
$62 million in federal and state .economic development funds to assist business development
projects.. In addition, we have prepared enterprise zone applications and conducted formal program.
evaluations of the state enterprise zone program as well as several state and federal small business
lending programs. We are very familiar with a wide range of resources available to assist economic
development projects.
As discussed above under vacancy reduction strategies, Dr. Allan I~otin will help evaluate potential
financing programs and incentives through redevelopment and other development oriented
approaches. These mechanisms can include ground leases, as well as parking financing and various
uses of tax increment, both of which can be performance based to reduce the exposure of the public
agency. Urban Community Facilities Districts (CFDs) have also been used effectively to financing
common facilities or amenities. Property owners can participate without being contiguous, which
increases the flexibility of this approach. Recent legislation has also created the opportunity for
ig
infrastructure'.tax increment district's that may be helpful~in places that would not otherwise qualify
under redevelopment blight findings.
One funding avenue that many communities have been: able fo .access is Brownfields remediation.
Using available .data, ADE will identify sites that may qualify .for Brownfields funding and provide
the City with information about how to apply for'these funds'. Our Funding Services Division has
written a number of successful applications for this ~furiding including'one that Region I-X of EPA
used as model of excellence for future. applications.
Land Use Relationships. This issue would deal with how to fit tourist-seining, local-serving, and
regional-serving commercial development together in the City while maintaining the character of
development necessary for each use and for each district in the-town in which they would be
developed.
Revenue Generating Priorities. This step would involve prioritizing the. land use opportunities in
terms of their potential to generate tax revenue. In addition, it will prioritize the best prospects for
the City to generate revenue based on real estate investments and other enterprise initiatives.
Business Expansion and Retention. A key component of any economic development strategy is a
program to support the existing business community in -its efforts to grow and prosper. ADE can
recommend a process to ensure that business needs for services are identified and responded to
efficiently.
Local and Regional Organizational Coordination. There are other economic development
players in Petaluma, and Sonoma County, and it is very important to coordinate these other efforts
wherever possible. The strategy will:. review the organizational issues .associated with providing
seamless economic development services in Petaluma and making recommendations on ways the
City can .improve the efficiency of activities devoted to economic development.
Economic Transformation. The strategy can also look at how the Petaluma economy has
transformed itself in light of larger economic shifts in'the regional economy; and how other
opportunities in the regional and global economies .can provide the best growth prospects within the
context of community values.
Economic Development Tools and Resources. This. issue focuses. on the City's internal systems
and resources. Tools such as :Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and websites represent
important technical resources that can make the City more efficient and effective in achieving its
economic- development goals.
S.3 REVIEW PLAN WITH CITY STAFF
As an initial step, ADE will prepare a draft Strategic Plan that includes all of the background studies,
goals and strategies. This document will be reviewed with input from the City Staff.
5.4 WRITE ADMINISTRATIVE DRAFT
ADE will prepare an administrative draft of the final economic strategy for staff review. After staff
review, ADE will make suggested revisions or modifications: and submit an electronic version of the
revised administrative draft to city staff for submission to City Council.
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5.5 ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #5
ADE will prepare .and. deliver a presentation on the final Strategy; including an overview of key
economic assets and opportunities, goals and action plan strategies. (mid-late May)
S.6 PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL
After reviewing comments and revisions with the City Staff, ADE will produce a final Strategic Plan.
This plan will be presented to the City Council.
S.7 PREPARE FINAL STRATEGIC PLAN
ADE will. make all revisions requested by City Council and forward an electronic version of the final
strategic plan to City Staff for publication and distribution.
SCHEDULE
The chart on the next page indicates the phasing of major tasks to complete the project by May
2010. We understand the City would like recommendations regarding next year's economic
development program, in terms of staffing and resource allocations, in time to include in the budget
cycle in April on 2010.
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PETALUMA ECONOMIC .DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY'TIMELINE
Months Nov :Dec: ]an Feb Mar A r Ma
STAGE I: NEEDS ASSESSMENT & MARKET ANALYSES. f _~_ - ~_
'
Fiseal Reconnaissance _
Economic,Base and Cluster Analysis -
Retail Market Analysis _ ~
Visitor Services. Market Analysis
Technolo ieal Infrastructure
STAGE II: SWOT ANALYSIS
STAGE III: ASSESSMENT OF OPPORTUNITIES
~
SMART Transit
~:~-
-
_ ~
~
Site O ortunities Based on Market Research _ _~.
~
STAGE IV: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS
~_ ~
STAGE V: IMPLEMENTATION. STRATEGY & FINAL REPORT ~ ~„ ``
PUBLIC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES & TIMELYNE
Interviews (40) _
~'
~
Advisory Committee Meetings (5)
; _1 _
Focus Group Meetings (possible groups)
Downtown/ Retail/Hospitality/Tourism
Clean/Green Tech/Electronics/Communications
Manufacturing/Ag and Food Processing
Creative Services/Arts/Culture/Film
Health Care Pharmac
Public Forum
City Council Presentation
N