ECONOMIC VITALITY COMMITTEE AGENDA PACKET

Page 5 of 6 4. Entrepreneurship & Innovation Outreach Staff is strengthening regional partnerships with East Bay Economic Development Alliance, Innovation Tri-Valley, i-Gate Innovation/Startup Tri-Valley, and East Bay Small Business Development Center. Key initiatives included: • Partnered with East Bay Small Business Development Center in March 2025 to deliver an in-person workshop Managing Menu Costs and Re- Engineering Menus for Greater Profits & Reusable Foodware Program. • Launches no-cost, one-on-one, in-person advising sessions in April 2025, with East Bay Small Business Development Center and the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce. • Co-hosted the 2025 Capital Summit with East Bay Small Business Development Center and the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce in May 2025, providing networking and lender insights on financing for start-ups and business growth. 5. Major Projects Accelerator Program This EDSP Strategy has been a key focus, since it encompasses the two City Council workplan priority items focused on streamlining processes and reducing obstacles to business investment. Whether directly, by reducing the time and effort spent by businesses to obtain permits, or indirectly, by allocating staff time to focus on major projects rather than minor ones, streamlining is beneficial to the City’s economic development efforts. The City took significant steps to advance streamlined zoning and permitting to support business attraction and expansion, with much of this working occurring in the first half of the fiscal year, reflecting the City Council’s priorities: • Developed and adopted municipal code amendments on September 16, 2025, defining Innovation-Based Businesses (IBBs) as a distinct use category with tailored zoning to support high-value, low-impact industrial uses. (CC Project Prioritization, Category 1 – Must Do #4) • Developed and adopted municipal code amendments on December 2, 2025, for Design Reviewing and Appeals to streamline permitting, reduce delays, and support business/retail attraction. (CC Project Prioritization, Category 1 – Must Do #4 and Category 2 – Committed Priority) SUMMARY AND NEXT STEPS Significant progress has been made across several strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening Pleasanton’s economic development framework. Some of this work is a continuation of efforts made prior to the adoption of the two-year budget and workplan, with other efforts, including the department reorganization and staffing changes made since June this year, aimed at bringing more visibility and resources to economic development; and, on a practical level, to expediently bring forward both the IBB and Design Review permit streamlining, reflecting City Council interest and direction to more proactively focus on economic development initiatives.