To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Vin Smith, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Neal Harrison, Economic Development Manager
TITLE:
Title
Department Spotlight: Community Development Department Economic Development Division
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Receive a report providing an overview of the Community Development Department Economic Development Division’s recent activities and future strategy.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Economic Development is central to supporting businesses, spurring development, and improving the quality of life for our residents. The purpose of this item is to update the City Council on the status of actions being taken by the Community Development Department’s Economic Development Division and receive feedback on future priorities.
Economic Development Key Initiatives and Recent Accomplishments
The Economic Development Division has been focused on development and recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic while building on the foundation of the 2019 City of Napa Development Action Strategy, the General Plan Economic Development Element, and City Council’s Economic Development and Recovery priorities. These reports and priorities highlight strategies to improve business assistance, strengthen key industries, promote spaces for innovation, housing and development, and support continued downtown revitalization, branding and placemaking.
The Economic Development Division’s key initiatives over the past year have included:
• Business Support Programing - improving outreach to the business community, enhancing strategic partnerships, and helping businesses better interact with City processes.
o Launched monthly Economic Development Newsletter providing business resources and insights. Currently there are 4160 subscribers and a 48% open rate.
o Developed a Business Startup Guide <https://www.cityofnapa.org/1061/Start-and-Grow-a-Business> with an infographic and links to help businesses navigate starting and expanding a business in Napa.
o Improving our Business Concierge Services where businesses can directly connect with Economic Development staff to help them navigate City processes.
• Napa Makes Initiative - building off the 2021 “Creative Space and Local Manufacturing Plan”, this initiative is strengthening the artist, maker and manufacturing sectors.
o Developed a Napa Makes logo and launched a newsletter for makers for ongoing resources and community building.
o Working with developers and business owners to create maker spaces and flexible maker uses in key industrial corridors such as Rail Arts District and Tannery Bend.
o Hosted an event on October 13 in partnership with the Bay Area Urban Manufacturing Initiative’s (BAUM) Manufacturing Week to highlight makers and artists in the light industrial area north of downtown (Rail Arts District).
• Economic Development Dashboard - in collaboration with the Finance Department to improve tracking and increase access to key economic indicators for the City of Napa.
o Launched a public-facing Economic Development Dashboard <https://www.cityofnapa.org/1172/Economic-Development-Dashboard> linked to the City of Napa’s website, which provides insights into the City’s labor market, business health, tourism trends, and housing market.
o Tracking additional metrics such as taxable sales and investment levels on General Plan corridors, Downtown, and the City of Napa’s Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District.
• Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District - leveraging tax increment financing to fund major infrastructure projects to support economic development.
o Formed the City of Napa’s EIFD encompassing targeted sites in Downtown and Oxbow neighborhoods, Jefferson Street Corridor, Napa Pipe, River-adjacent and other opportunity site areas (7% of City acreage).
o City commits 50% of its future property tax increment within the boundary for approximately 50 years (remaining 50% flows to General Fund).
• Downtown Wayfinding Program - in collaboration with Parking Division, updating the Downtown Wayfinding program.
o Partnership with the Downtown Napa Association, using Property and Business Improvement District (PBID) revenue, to fund the Wayfinding Program not-to-exceed $450,000.
o Phase 1 to be completed by end of 2022. This includes replacing existing parking and vehicular wayfinding and four gateway signs marking downtown and Riverwalk areas.
o Phase 2 to be completed in 2023. This includes new vehicular and parking wayfinding, City building and downtown parks signs, and pedestrian wayfinding in downtown.
Economic Development Priorities Ahead
Economic Development Division will continue to move the above initiatives forward with specific focus on the following work streams:
• Business Concierge and Workforce Development Partnerships - continue to support the business community and key partnerships.
o Support a more seamless permitting and application process for small businesses by improving communication with internal departments, County and NapaSan.
o Host in-person seminars for potential new businesses to walk them through the process and provide more opportunity for individual support via our Business Concierge.
o Collaborate with Workforce Alliance of the North Bay (WANB), Napa Valley College and other partners on workforce pipeline improvement.
• Napa Makes and Maker’s District - initiative to foster the artist, maker, and manufacturing sectors.
o Investigate state and federal certification as a Cultural or Creative district.
o Work with the Planning Division on creating an overlay zone to ease the process of opening/expanding a business for makers and manufacturers in key areas.
o Seek opportunities to develop a cohesive “Maker’s District” plan that outlines placemaking strategies, resources, cohesive branding, and support maker industries, business incubation, and housing.
• Targeted Site Development and Inventory Sites for Developers - focus on specific sites and corridors with potential to unlock development and work with property owners and developers to increase availability of information on these sites. Key sites include the old Safeway and Cinedome sites as well as properties in the General plan corridors and the City of Napa EIFD.
• Place Making and Branding - enhance our Downtown Banner Program, implement Downtown Wayfinding, and continued support of Downtown branding efforts.
o Facilitate increased use of street banners consistent with the City’s Street Banner Policy and Program Guidelines.
o Collaborate with partners on creating street banners that enhance the image and values of the City of Napa.
o Increase circulation to less-visited parts of our downtown, including the Vine Trail.
o Continued collaboration with the Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District (NVTID) local governing committee, the Downtown Napa Association (DNA) and its committees that administer the Downtown Napa Property and Improvement District (PBID), Visit Napa Valley, and other local and State economic development organizations.
• Oxbow Stakeholder Outreach - continue to facilitate conversations with key Oxbow stakeholders, including property and business owners, on projects in the Oxbow area, including:
o Updates to Napa’s Downtown Specific Plan on parking and targeted changes to address the Oxbow District (known as “The Oxbow”).
o Developing ideas to better integrate access to the Napa River through the Napa Riverline project.
o Discuss strategies on programming and activities.
o Entryway signage into The Oxbow and other placemaking efforts.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
There is no fiscal impact to the City.
CEQA:
The Community Development Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines
Section 15060(c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None.
NOTIFICATION:
None.