|
|||||||||||||||||
 |
Butte County Economic Summit | ||||||||||||||||
|
The Butte County General Plan 2030 Economic Summit was an all-day event held on October 15, 2007. The Summit was a stand-alone meeting, not part of a specific meeting series in the General Plan 2030 process. The Summit was hosted by the Butte County Development Services Department and Butte County Administration to focus on economic trends, goals, and needs in Butte County and to help inform the land use and policy decisions that will be made as part of the General Plan 2030 process. This meeting was an open invitation to the public at large and approximately 185 attendees were present. Representatives from various public and private entities in Butte County attended, including Supervisors Jane Dolan, Curt Josiassen, Bill Connelly, Kim Yamaguchi and Maureen Kirk; Planning Commissioners Nina Lambert, Rick Leland, and Fernando Marin; Butte County Development Services staff and members of the Citizens Advisory Committee. Butte County Development Services Director Tim Snellings delivered a welcome address and introduced Butte County Board of Supervisors Chair Jane Dolan, who also welcomed the crowd. David Early, founding principal of Design, Community and Environment, the lead consultant of the General Plan 2030 process, described the purpose of the Summit and provided an overview of the agenda. The overview was followed by two presentations, the first from Matt Kowta, a principal with Bay Area Economics. Mr. Kowta discussed current strategies in economic development, comprehensive and specific economic strategies, the importance of incorporating a wide variety of community stakeholders in strategic development, and the national and local organizations that are responsible for developing and implementing economic strategies. The second presenter, Troy Givans, is a principal planner with the Sacramento County Economic Development Department. Mr. Givans provided insight into his work developing an economic strategy for Sacramento County. Prior to 1993, Sacramento County lacked any formal economic development strategy. Since the establishment of the County’s Economic Development Department in 1997, Sacramento County has strengthened regional and local partnerships, intensified business retention, established property-based improvement districts, redeveloped two airfields, fostered growth in the County’s sports, tourism and recreation sectors, revitalized commercial corridors, and attracted key regional sales tax generators. In addition, Sacramento County has also included an Economic Element in their General Plan. The majority of the Summit was devoted to three panel sessions, each represented by leaders from significant industrial sectors within Butte County. Panel #1 surveyed the Agricultural sector. The panelists were Matt Kowta of Bay Area Economics, Troy Givans of the Sacramento County Economic Development Department, John Hasbrook of Sunwest Foods, Inc. in Biggs, and Grant Lundberg of Lundberg Family Farms in Richvale. Mr. Kowta described the agricultural sector in Butte County as growing slowly but nevertheless growing. Mr. Kowta acknowledged that Butte County has maintained a stable job market for agricultural jobs while other parts of the nation have faced significant fluctuations in job growth. Mr. Givans noted that two challenges facing Sacramento County’s agricultural sector have been the ease and cost of transporting goods to market, and efforts at habitat conservation, which is challenging for vintners because vineyards have a low habitat value. Mr. Hasbrook described the operations at Sunwest Foods, which was founded in 1986 and is now the largest rice mill in California. Mr. Hasbrook emphasized the importance of growing rice in California, since the United States is one of only three countries that produce premium grain Japonica rice, along with Japan and Australia. He also discussed the importance of exporting California grown rice overseas, since rice grown in Japan is domestically consumed and rice growers in Australia face a severe drought. Mr. Lundberg described the operation at Lundberg Family Farms, which produces organic and specialty rice crops using sustainable methods. This farm employs 165 year-round workers. David Early then briefly described agricultural preservation techniques in Yolo County, including a strong right-to-farm ordinance, specific zoning for residential development in agricultural areas, urban limit lines around unincorporated communities, marketing and branding efforts, revenue sharing agreements with the Cities of Davis and Winters, an active land trust, a prohibition on transferring water rights away from agricultural users, and required “agricultural stewardship plans” for any new residential development proposed on agricultural lands. The panel also referenced an American Farmland Trust determination that the division of land into 5-, 10- and 20-acre lots has placed agricultural land at risk. Following the presentations and comments from the panelists, members of the audience made comments and asked questions of the panel. Comments and questions from the audience were related to the use of agricultural byproducts; affordable housing; value-added agricultural business; local and global markets; and specialized agricultural jobs. Howard Isom, a member of the audience and the former chairman of Blue Diamond Nuts in Sacramento, also provided the perspective of the almond growing sector. Mr. Isom noted that California produces the majority of the world’s almond supply, which is an important export crop, and that nut crops are not subsidized. He recommended that the General Plan distinguish between economically-productive agricultural lands and non-economically-productive lands. Additional questions and comments from the audience were related to the Farm Bill; form-based zoning; the Governor’s initiative regarding green products; transportation infrastructure; and the potential impacts of diminishing water and oil supplies on the ability to grow and transport crops. Panel #2 surveyed the Tourism and Recreation Sector; the panelists were Matt Kowta of Bay Area Economics, Troy Givans of the Sacramento County Economic Development Department, Jamie Johansson of the Sierra Oro Farm Trail Association, and Debra Lucero of Butte County Cultural Tourism. Mr. Kowta noted that the tourism industry is growing fast in Butte County, and he described transient occupancy, sales and restaurant taxes as possibilities for generating tax revenue. Mr. Givans discussed Sacramento County’s efforts in agricultural tourism, and highlighted public/private partnerships as critical to tourism development efforts. Ms. Lucero called attention to the numerous natural, cultural and historic gems in Butte County, noting that birdwatching, gardening and cultural activities are all on the rise among baby boomers with spending power. Ms. Lucero also identified challenges faced by the County, such as funding, the low transient occupancy tax rate of 6 percent, the lack of a formal tourism plan, the volunteer infrastructure, and maintaining the balance between rural and urban needs, as well as strategies to improve this sector, such as networking and technical assistance. Mr. Johansson discussed the process of developing the Sierra Oro Farm Trail and Passport Weekend, his marketing strategies, and the importance of economically healthy farms. Following the presentations and comments from the panelists, members of the audience made comments and asked questions of the panel. Comments and questions from the audience were related to the creation of a visitor’s bureau for Butte County; developed recreation and the county’s hotel room supply to support large sporting events; the importance of wildflower viewing to the economy; the cultural impacts of tourism; home-stays and farm-stays; the need for cultural heritage protection; funding for tourism investment; and the transfer occupancy tax rates in Butte County. Arlene Ward of the Mechoopda Tribe cited several events that highlight the County’s Native American heritage and could be opportunities for cultural preservation as well as increased tourism. The Summit broke for lunchtime, during which Jean Ross, Executive Director of the California Budget Project, was the featured speaker. Ms. Ross presented a number of graphs illustrating the growing inequality of job development and wages in California, in which most job growth has occurred among low-wage and high-wage jobs, while the gap between the low-wage and high-wage workers has widened. Ms. Ross discussed the importance of workforce education in order to bring high-quality jobs to the area, because while people follow jobs in the short term, jobs follow people in the long term. Ms. Ross also stated that, next to an educated workforce, the second most important criteria in attracting jobs is adequate infrastructure, including technological infrastructure such as wireless internet. Panel #3 focused on the Manufacturing, Office and Commercial sectors; the panelists were Matt Kowta of Bay Area Economics, Troy Givans of the Sacramento County Economic Development Department, Victor Abreo and Ron Moras of Compass Equipment in Oroville, and Robert Bateman of Roplast Industries Inc. in Oroville. Mr. Kowta described the trends in manufacturing, office and commercial, which constitutes a significant portion of Butte County’s economy. Mr. Givans discussed the importance of providing adequate manufacturing land with infrastructure in the county, the benefits and challenges associated with enterprise zones, and the need for workforce development. Mr. Bateman highlighted the benefits of doing business in Oroville, and described the products and methods employed by his plastics manufacturing firm, which employs about 120 people. He noted challenges associated with road conditions on Highways 70 and 99 and inadequate housing for employees in Oroville. He also highlighted the benefits of the enterprise zone, as well as his relationship with the plastics program at Chico State. Mr. Bateman suggested that the Cities of Oroville and Chico collaborate on business and housing development. Mr. Abreo and Mr. Moras also highlighted the benefits of doing business in Oroville, and described the company’s services and products related to construction materials and equipment. They noted that the housing downturn has been challenging for their business. Mr. Moras felt that there are opportunities for new housing growth in Butte County, but that it needs to be responsible with appropriate transportation planning and infrastructure. Mr. Abreo and Mr. Moras noted that the enterprise zone has created a positive business environment, but that it can be difficult to find adequate staff with the specialized skills necessary for their company. Following the presentations and comments from the panelists, members of the audience made comments and asked questions of the panel. Comments and questions from the audience were related to diminishing water and oil supplies and climate change; how to best use Butte County’s valuable resources, such as biomass for fuel; industrial land supplies; and how the General Plan can support innovation and sustainability. Jon Gregory of Golden Capital Network provided the final presentation of the afternoon, in which he discussed the role of entrepreneurs, or “game changers,” in an economic development strategy. Mr. Gregory highlighted the importance of attracting entrepreneurs into the marketplace, creating aggregations of businesses that work together, and the idea that as more retirees move from Sacramento, Contra Costa and Santa Clara Counties to Butte County, along with them comes their business expertise and networking contacts. He suggested that the County should create an environment in which “hypercompetent” people can meet and network and discussed the “WIRED project” he is currently launching to engage stakeholders, plan events, collect data, organize angel investors and increase the local focus on entrepreneurs. Following his presentation, the audience broke out into small group discussions to review the major conclusions of the day, and to generate ideas for land use designations and policies for incorporation into the General Plan. The following is a summary of the ideas generated during the small group exercise. The small groups highlighted the importance of agriculture and the need to provide adequate transportation infrastructure for this industry. Other comments and suggestions included the protection of agricultural lands, creation of new markets such as biodiesel and ethanol from byproduct materials, water conservation, increased education and research on agricultural issues, promotion of local goods, provision of housing for farm workers, and creation of agri-business zones. The small groups also discussed tourism and recreation. Comments and suggestions related to these sectors included the development of a formal list to identify and protect all sites of cultural and historic interest in Butte County, development of a logo for community branding, the need for a regional approach to tourism development, and provision of incentives for recreation-based development. Participants also recommended that the Land Use Element allow the redevelopment of sites of historic interest as tourist destinations, and that zoning regulations related to tourism and recreation be concise and clear. Small group comments and suggestions related to manufacturing, office and commercial sectors included the need to ensure that zoning regulations are conducive to industrial uses and that land is “shovel-ready,” as well as the encouragement of mixed-use development. In addition, participants felt that the General Plan should provide opportunities for more training and professional schools in Butte County; they also highlighted Butte College, which provides excellent training in several trade areas. In addition, participants noted that Oroville has a strong industrial land supply, while Chico has a skilled workforce; the county would benefit from coordination between these two cities. Participants also suggested the development of a governmental office of economic development. At the conclusion of the Economic Summit, a feedback questionnaire was distributed to all Summit attendees. Question 4 on this form asked attendees to describe what the Butte County General Plan 2030 process should do to support economic development. Suggestions for the tourism sector included:
Suggestions for the agriculture sector included:
Suggestions for the manufacturing, commercial and office sectors included:
Additional responses were related to cooperation among government entities and agencies, and sustainability. Suggestions on cooperation included setting goals for economic development at a regional level, developing public and private partnerships, and encouraging community development. Suggestions on sustainability included determining the carbon imprint of current and future levels of development, supporting the production and use of biodiesel in Butte County, and producing more solar energy. These suggestions, along with the information provided by the small group discussions, will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for consideration and will provide the basis for some of the economic development policy alternatives to be discussed during Butte County General Plan 2030 Meeting Series #5, which is devoted to the development of goals and policies. Overall, the Economic Summit was a success in discussing and setting a framework for Butte County’s economic strategy. For more information about this meeting, including a video of the entire meeting, and other community meetings associated with the General Plan 2030 process, please visit the Butte County General Plan 2030 Website, www.buttegeneralplan.net.
For additional information about the Summit, including
on-line registration form and meeting agenda, and for information
about the County’s General Plan 2030 Update, visit
www.buttegeneralplan.net,
or contact Butte County Principal Planner Dan Breedon at
530-538-7629. |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
