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single-use suburban campuses with a high level of automobile dependency. As the city continues to mature, more of the opportunities to accommodate new employment growth will occur in these existing centers, many of which will require repositioning, redevelopment, and revitalization to remain competitive. Infrastructure needs — According to the Pleasanton business survey, businesses find that the city's existing infrastructure is less than satisfactory, citing poor local transit options and inadequate cellular phone networks. Pleasanton's stakeholders interviewed for the study also commented that the city has poor high-speed business internet access in some (nct all) locations, including the Valley and Stanley business parks. Additionally, businesses with adequate access to high speed fiber optic network trunk lines reportedly experience cost challenges to constructing the connections between those lines and their buildings. To remain competitive, these issues must be resolved given that nearly all types of businesses now require strong and reliable data connections. Business Environment Increased competition for retail — Competing retail offering:; at Dublin and Livermore are an ongoing threat to Pleasanton's retail dominance. These centers offer "big box" stores and lifestyle center formats not found in Pleasanton. To stay competitive, smaller unanchored shopping centers and Downtown Pleasanton will likely require strategic reinvestment and possible expansion or redevelopment. Permitting and Approval Process Permitting and approval process — The recent Pleasanton ousiness survey shows that Pleasanton's permitting and approval process can be perceived to be slow and difficult from a public review perspective, and may potentially add to delays and the cost of doing business in the city. Although stakeholders rated interactions with staff as good and acknowledge that careful planning is important to maintain the city's high quality of life, it's important to consider and be aware of this issue as matters come before various advisory bodies and the City Council to ensure that they do not create unnecessary obstacles to economic development. While Strategic Economics has begun to discuss a framework for the plan with staff and the EVC, all parties desire input from the City Council on the findings in the draft Background Report. The Council is asked to consider several questions in providing comments: • Is there any data or finding that underscores your understandinc of Pleasanton's business environment? Page 5 of 6