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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPJT Minutes 1997-07-21SRRA/SRCC MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/21/97 Page 1 IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL, MONDAY, JULY 21, 1997 AT 8:05 PM Special Joint Meeting Present: Albert Boro, Chairman/Mayor San Rafael Redevelopment Agency/ Paul Cohen, Vice-Chairman/Vice-Mayor San Rafael City Council Barbara Heller, Member/Councilmember Cyr Miller, Member/Councilmember Gary Phillips, Member/Councilmember Absent: None Others Present: Rod Gould, Executive Director/City Manager Gary T. Ragghianti, Agency Attorney/City Attorney Jeanne Leoncini, Agency Secretary/City Clerk 1. ACCEPTANCE OF SAN RAFAEL'S ECONOMIC VISION (RA) - File 115 x (SRRA) 140 XVI Economic Development Director Jake Ours stated Senior Planner Katie Korzun and Chamber of Commerce President Elissa Giambastiani were the force behind this project, and deserved a lot of credit for getting this entire report together. Senior Planner Katie Korzun stated the idea of an Economic Vision began in late 1995, because the City was becoming aware that we needed to pay more attention to economic issues. She stated about the same time the County and several other cities within the County developed their own economic elements within their General Plans, and staff began discussing whether or not San Rafael should do this. She stated it became clear that the City would be doing a General Plan update within the next several years, and rather than doing an element and adding it on to a General Plan that would be changed soon thereafter, they decided to take a look at the economic future of San Rafael, and write a Vision that would then be used as one of the major starting points of the General Plan revision. With that in mind, the Redevelopment Agency, the City, and the Chamber of Commerce decided to co-sponsor this effort, which was an unusual action, but one which it is hoped is only the first of many future actions in which the City actually joins with other organizations to develop a project. Ms. Korzun stated the Redevelopment Agency and the Chamber of Commerce found themselves not writing the element, but facilitating it, and bringing the community together to talk about it. They started with gathering data, and that data was reviewed by various committees of the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the overall Economic Vision Committee appointed by the City Council. She noted the Vision Committee represented a broad cross-section of the community, and they reviewed the information as it came in, with most of the information actually coming from the community. The Committee spoke with twenty-two different organizations in an effort to determine what the community would like to see as the economic future of San Rafael. In addition, they worked with the Environmental Forum, who sent out invitations to all their member agencies, and a meeting was held in the Council Chamber with representatives from fifteen environmental organizations, at which they discussed what they would like to see as the future of San Rafael, from an environmentalist standpoint. Ms. Korzun stated the committee also worked very closely with the North San Rafael Vision Committee, who coordinated meetings with various organizations involved in that effort, inviting all of the tenants and property owners in several of the industrial parks to meet and discuss the future the industrial parks, as that relates to both the North San Rafael Vision and the Economic Vision for San Rafael as a whole. Ms. Korzun reported the Committee also kept track of the comments they received during one of their SWOT exercises, where people were asked what they felt the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats would be, noting they received 1,248 comments. Ms. Korzun reported that once all the various data was received, the Committee began working with the twenty member community group to analyze what this information meant and what it could tell us. She stated Chamber of Commerce President Elissa Giambastiani then organized fourteen focus groups consisting of different business types in San Rafael, and asked each group what they saw for the future of their industry, both in general and within San Rafael. This information was incorporated and a "climate assessment" was developed, which discussed the kinds of opportunities we could have in San Rafael, and what kinds of problems would need to be worked out. The group then met and developed the Vision Statement. Elissa Giambastiani, President of the Chamber of Commerce, stated she was very pleased with the Vision, and noted this was not the last of the public/private partnerships. She believed the crux of the Vision was in the strategies, noting the overriding consideration was to review available information on the state of the SRRA/SRCC MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/21/97 Page 1 SRRA/SRCC MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/21/97 Page 2 economy in San Rafael when major projects or policies are under review, and add economic fiscal jobs and the result of not doing the project to existing review factors. She stated this document elevates economics to another level, and gives the Council another tool with which to make their decisions. She stated the Vision would provide a framework to comprehensively assess the impact of projects and actions, and could include maintaining an inventory of developable parcels, maintaining a data base, and reporting periodically to citizens and decision makers on development activity and changes in economic factors. Ms. Giambastiani stated the Vision should also be used in considering the City's economic future when making decisions, in all aspects of City government, including community and economic benefits, traffic, and negative impacts in development review processes, so that maximum benefit comes from the use of the City' s limited developable land. She noted it should also be used in fully defining the connections between economic health and the maintenance of our quality of life, especially in terms of public safety, schools, recreation, government services, and jobs for residents. Ms 1) Giambastiani reported ten goals had been set for the Economic Vision: Retain and enhance our healthy economy; 2) Recognize the connections between our economy, quality of life, and the preservation of our natural environment; 3) To direct and manage our economy to serve the total community. Ms. Giambastiani felt this was a rather unique statement, and believed the City had been doing this already. She noted a prime example was what the City had done with the Macy's project, pointing out the City did not sit around and wait for something to happen, or wait for the market to act, the City actually went in and managed what would happen, and as a result, the City was directing the economy. She applauded the City for doing this, stating it was a very courageous thing to do; 4) Function as a full service community, meaning whatever people want in terms of goods, services, jobs and housing, we have it here. She stated one of the things that was agreed upon early on in the process was that one of the strengths of our economy is its diversity, and we want to keep that; 5) Be a business friendly City; 6) Collaborate with governments, residents, and businesses on economic development, and maintain a healthy business climate; 7) Complement the overall County economy; 8) Achieve a City government structure that is streamlined, efficient, cost effective, accessible, and responsive to the citizens; 9) Enjoy a business friendly attitude, and a high degree of business involvement in the community; 10) Develop a unique economic role for each of the four main business areas, the Downtown, East San Rafael, West Francisco Boulevard, and North San Rafael. Ms. Giambastiani introduced three of the committee members, Joanne Fabian, Sandy Greenbladt, and John Starkweather, stating they also deserved the City's thanks. Ms. Korzun introduced Bruce Hopper, who also served on the committee. Chairman/Mayor Boro stated this Vision would be incorporated into the revision of the General Plan as we go forward, noting the environmental requirements would also be dealt with during that revision. Sandy Greenbladt, member of the Vision Committee, pointed out the difference between this Vision and the County Economic Element. He stated the jury is still out on whether this Vision, which the Committee is suggesting the Agency/Council accept, really blends in with what the County Vision is all about, because there are two different agendas and two different masters to serve. He pointed out it may unclear what the County is really going to do with the Economic Element that it has, which essentially addressed the economic benefit of doing something with the property versus doing nothing with the property, noting the latter may be the choice. However, Mr. Greenbladt believed most people would agree that where the City of San Rafael is concerned, this is a "fly alone" economic element; it is City specific, and addresses a different set of circumstances in a much more thorough method than the County has used. Mr. Greenbladt stated this Vision is really unique to San Rafael, and it does not necessarily have to blend in with any other element in the County, although he hoped one day all the cities in the County would work together on a Master Element. Chairman/Mayor Boro thanked Ms. Korzun and all the members of the committee for their work, noting there would be a formal recognition within the next few weeks. Member/Councilmember Cohen moved and Member/Councilmember Phillips seconded, to accept the report as presented. AYES: MEMBERS/COUNCILNlEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips, Chairman/Mayor Boro NOES: MEMBERS/COUNCILNlEMBERS: None ABSENT: MEMBERS/COUNCILNlEMBERS:None SRRA/SRCC MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/21/97 Page 2 SRRA/SRCC MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/21/97 Page 3 There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:25 PM. JEANNE M. LEONCINI, Agency Secretary/City Clerk APPROVED THIS DAY OF 1997 MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL CHAIRMAN OF THE SAN RAFAEL REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY SRRA/SRCC MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/21/97 Page 3