Mike O'Neill - 2 Year Seat
My goal is progress. My objectives are to:
1) Stabilize fiscal budgeting so that we can move forward we need to look at both revenue and expenses.
a. I would look at our infrastructure and try to begin an improvement of our infrastructure. A lot of our problems are from deferred outlays that should have been done. Just looking at the pier, sewer laterals, sewage treatment plant, and our streets are all examples of nobody minding the store.
2) Look at what is making Pacifica lower on the list for businesses to consider us as a place to invest.
a. I would then fix the zoning, planning, and attitude that has given Pacifica the reputation it has among both residents and non residents.
3) Honest transparent government.
a. Easy to understand budget process that is available
b. Minimize closed session items
c. Be open to talking to anybody and respond back to people
d. Clear goals and objectives with public input
Establish protocol for public meetings which are both an opportunity to get input as well as educate the e. citizens.
4) Hire an Economic Development Director and an assistant
a. Clear direction as to what is needed and wanted
b. Establish timeline and review
c. In the beginning on the council agenda have a report on activities and achievements that will have measured result. This would be done at least monthly. Bimonthly in the beginning
d. Have accountability and responsibility for results
Be an open accessible council person to all voices in the community including residents, businesses, employees, and potential investors in Pacifica. In my fourteen years on the Pacifica School Board I have always returned a phone call or e mail from a constituent.
Victor Spano - 2 Year Seat
I understand that Pacifica will be developing an Economic Development Strategy. Typical Economic Development Strategies include: a defined timed plan for Economic Growth and Job Creation. The plan could identify all vacant land and current land uses, promote tourism, and seek to attract selected types of businesses to the City. It could set benchmarks for progress, and specify types of development the City would like to see for various vacant sites. I would expect a full public vetting of any Economic Development Strategy and the process itself to be controversial. A critical component, either before, or as part of the strategy is to hire an Economic Development Manager who is nearly an "Assistant City Manager Level", or if the capacity to do that is not possible, hire an Economic Development Specialist or even part-time position that performs some Economic Development Tasks because now there is no one other than City Manager or Planning Staff that might provide some information or assistance to would-be entrepreneurs. Following are a few areas that I think an Economic Development Strategy, or in other words, "business plan" should cover:
We need to fill our 45-50 storefronts. The challenge is vast, and the solutions are many. Changing negative perceptions is a formidable challenge. Marketing Pacifica through the "International Council of Shopping Centers", "International Franchising Association" and other trade organizations is a start. I would propose publicizing Pacifica in the San Francisco Business Times as once again "Open for Business". Reaching out to our local "Serial Entrepreneurs" to open up one more business, our retired entrepreneurs, former entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs from other cities are things that an Economic Development Manager, Economic Development Committee members, or even a Council Member can do on a regular basis. Once we have a healthy commercial vacancy rate again, it will be possible to expand the retail space stock. I believe we should seek to attract "Specialty / Destination" retailers here. The Log Shop was a great example of a "Specialty / Destination" store. I would seek out retailers who specialized in Wedding, Baby, Bicycles, Motorcycles, New or Used Vehicles...Jewelry, Fine Art...where each transaction is $100.00 or more. I would incent such businesses to locate here with reduced building permit fees for vacant stores being re-occupied, and a very partial rebate of Sales Taxes, based on City of Dublin program. (see link: http://www.dublin.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1721) We should do things like structure the payment of building permit fees over time, so that they are not all "up front", where someone is occupying an empty space. As a member of the Council, I would act as a "Salesperson" for Pacifica, as all our council-people should do.
We need to develop vacant and underutilized sites. Other than those on the market as seen on the site I maintain, "PacificaOpportunities.com", is there an inventory of vacant land? If not, one should be done. I want to see development at the Quarry which does not inundate Highway 1, and complements the existing Rockaway Beach commercial neighborhood, is fully environmentally vetted, and in the best interest of all Pacificans. I would like to see, and would encourage, new motels or hotels in the Quarry.
The City could potentially be more of a "partner" in co-marketing the Quarry. Some of our Shopping Centers, such as Eureka Square have the potential for adding housing. We should support new investment in our commercial properties. Market Beach Blvd. I suggest marketing the Corp. Yard, as it was once a prime retail site that accommodated Ed Cordero Chevrolet for many years. We can relocate the Corp Yard to one of the closed school sites or elsewhere in the City. These are all actions that could be defined by the Economic Development Strategy.
Economic Development Committee is currently working on: a "Pacifica Small Business Incubator and Workspace", which may fill more than one vacant storefront. This is being designed to be self-sustaining, with no financial contribution from the City of Pacifica. Ideally, we would find a few Pacifica Home Based Service / Retail Businesses who want to grow on a fast-track. A goal or requirement could be that in one year into these businesses that can expand to occupy vacant stores and employ Pacificans. Within the Incubator, they would pay a nominal rent or no rent at all, which would include some services. Linda Mar Shopping Center as a possible location for the Incubator as we recently learned about the KIMCO "KEYS" program (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kimco-launches-keys-business-incubator-123900084.html), which provides one year free rent and mentoring to start-up businesses. We want to get some assistance from our banks on this, First National Bank is the first one we approached, and they support the idea of making loan or grant to help with equipment and fixtures and technical assistance.... Our next step is to then try to sell this concept to KIMCO as a way to super-charge their "KEYS" program here in Pacifica. Between KIMCO's mentoring, the "technical assistance" we could recruit from experienced Pacifica entrepreneurs, our Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Administration Development Center and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, our micro-entrepreneurs would gain the experience, wherewithal and resources to occupy vacant stores in Pacifica. The "Workspace" element of this, is to provide more "high tech" entrepreneurs with places to "co-work". "Co-Working" is a growing trend where diverse solo entrepreneurs.....the people who you see at Starbucks working on their laptops.... can work and have access to business services, such as conference room, kitchen, reception. NextSpacehttp://www.nextspace.us was suggested to the ED Committee by a resident who had been to one of their facilities. We hope to create an environment like this. The entrepreneurs may some day move into office space of their own. We have tried to interest NextSpace in opening here in Pacifica. Perhaps our Pacifica Facility could welcome their members and derive an income stream using our facility once we get it off the ground. I believe this idea, if properly supported and implemented will be a pipeline of new businesses, concepts and tenant for our existing retail and office space.
We need retain the businesses we have. The City needs to perform a bi-annual business health survey to identify troubled businesses and facilitate technical assistance to retain the jobs, products and services that they provide.
Finally, we have a diverse collection of Visitor Serving businesses: our hotels, restaurants, and others, like Silicon Segway, which are attractions unto themselves. We need to continue to strengthen this area of our Economy. The Chamber's Tourism Committee, of which I am a member, has been discussing ways to increase visits and spending in Pacifica. Making Pacifica a wedding destination, increasing the number of sporting events, film crews, branding, social marketing, are all little actions that can add up.
Susan Vellone - 4 Year Seat
Learning to live within our means. Must be paramount to any future business plans for Pacifica. Finances must be controlled before any adequate planning can possibly take place.
Mary Ann Nihart - 4 Year Seat
Interesting question. Developing a “business plan” to market Pacifica for tourism, new buildings on our vacant lots, and new businesses would make Pacifica, itself, the product. This is an important plan to develop and involves answers I discussed earlier, such as streamlining the planning office and the work begun by the EDC.
With our residents/businesses as the primary recipients of our services and the services our city provides as the product, the financial section of a business is plan is most important. Since I have been on Council we have cut the city general fund budget from over $31 million to about $26.5 million. This represents an overall decrease of more than 11%, mostly through employee compensation cuts and lay offs. We have stopped deficit spending and balanced the budget, but our city is now running at bare bones staffing and decreased service. Plus, we have less than $1 million in reserve. Revenue remains flat at about $26.5 million so as costs continue to rise, we will need to make more cuts just to stay even.
With this as our current financial situation, our goal must be to build a reserve while maintaining our services and infrastructure. In the short term, we must increase revenue or cut service costs. As was recently pointed out, it is simple “arithmetic.” We need to constantly look for ways to generate revenue and improve efficiencies (cost effectiveness) of service. By the end of next year, decisions will have to be made and we will need to bring the market (our residents and businesses) into the decision-making process.
In the long term, we must develop a sustainable economic base. Obviously, cities only receive money (revenue) from grants, fees and taxes, so increasing our sales tax generating businesses (retail, hotels, etc) and our property taxes through new building or remodeling. For example, building out the Beach Blvd property as designed is projected to generate approximately $500,000 per year, plus building commercial establishment on the empty lots on Palmetto will further this increase. These additions are still years away in development, dependent on continued improvement of our country’s economy. Meanwhile, city council members must develop and implement strategies for working with the rest of the county. We need council members to provide strong leadership at the county level, building coalitions, and working with other cities to bring home a better share of dedicated dollars given to the counties to divide among the cities.
Bottom line: We must stop relying on one time monies, continue a balanced budget, find ways to preserve services and decrease costs, while increasing revenue both in the short term and the long term.
Karen Ervin - 4 Year Seat
Our main goal is to enhance our citizen’s quality of life and create a desirable environment in which to work, live and enjoy. In order to create an effective business plan that will allow us to accomplish this we need to change the current reputation the city has in terms of welcoming businesses to operate in Pacifica. Streamline the business permitting process and be available to mentor interested entities.
In addition we need to complete the Palmetto revitalization project which will create a beautiful neighborhood lined with outdoor lighting, trees, benches and inviting shops and restaurants in walking distance to a historic golf course, the Pacifica Pier and Sharp Park Beach. Continue to seek out commercial developers interested in developing the Beach Blvd site into an amazing city center.
Our efforts to improve existing businesses in Pacifica by actively engaging owners and their landlords should be going on simultaneously, while working with and aiding the Chamber in developing a strong marketing campaign in order to advertise the many attractions that Pacifica has to offer our visitors. These efforts will allow Pacifica to provide more services to its residents and visitors alike, which will enhance our economic base so essential to our future.
