CCMIN080195 - Laserfiche WebLink

~5, MEETING' OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Alameda County EConomic Advisory Committee Bruce Kern, a representative from the Alameda County Economic Advisory Committee, stated Pleasanton was a very competitive community in attracting and retaining business. There are fourteen member cities along with special districts and 150 to 200 active businesses participating. The Bay Area Technology Alliance project recenfiy brought in over $110 million to advance and commercialize new technologies to deal with the leading industry areas such as flat panel or multi media areas. Another area is the Alameda Center for Environmental Technologies; it is interested in the closure of all the military bases and how it could create the economic stimulus in the community to replace those jobs. Work had been done at the National Emission facility. Some of the on-going efforts are school to career projects to create a quality work force and working with the Business Council, Chambers, and educational institutions to make them aware of the types of current job and future job requirements. In the next year, the Committee hopes to create 12,000-15,000 new jobs. It will work to attract more businesses into the area or expand so the economic health of the community continues. The City has been an active participant with the establishment of the Economic Development Advisory Board and he hoped to seek ways to get members of the Council and staff more involved. Pleasanton Economic Development Advisory Committee -- Pat O'Brien, 27 Castledown Road, a representative from the City's Economic Development Advisory Committee, stated that the Committee had evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of Pleasanton's overall business climate. One of the City's strengths is fully developed land with infrastructure that is subject to PUD ordinances and strict design guidelines. When the Britannia project was postponed, it caused a two week delay, which is contrary to the mission and policies of the City's Economic Development Strategic Plan. At the same meeting a small retail use was negotiated with the approved project being a variance within the downtown guidelines. The inconsistency of applications sends a negative message to the business community and negatively impacts its position to attract and retain employers. The Committee recommended the following: the Council's operating rules be amended so that it takes majority action to continue an item and that the Council adopt an approach to let staff approve the design of PUD projects that are consistent with the development plan. Ms. Michelotfi stated that she was the Council's representative on the Economic Development Committee. She asked to initiate this and have it put on the agenda. She also asked for Council's support to discuss this issue in the future. Ms. Dennis stated she was Ms. Michelotti's alternate on the Committee. She did not realize that there was additional review of a building's design within an area that already has design guidelines; she would like to discuss that since that pertains to how the City handles business applications. She felt there may be some alternatives to that process. 08/01/95 -3-