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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 Attach 2 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE MINUTES January 18, 1994 ATTENDEES: Ken Harvey, Dublin Honda Al Hunter Don Johnson, The Imprint Works Ron Nahas, Rafanelli, Nahas, & Ambrose Kathi Schultz, Sanwa Bank Dan Straface, Straface & Riele Gene strom, World of Shoes, Inc. Peter Snyder, Mayor Richard Ambrose, City Manager Larry Tong, Planning Director Nancy Feeley, Chamber of Commerce Ray Bump, Chamber of Commerce Bruce Kern, Alameda County Economic Development Keith Sutton, Alameda County Economic Development Bert Michalczyk, Dublin San Ramon Services District Fred Huber, Valley Views INTRODUCTION Mayor Snyder indicated that the Business Development Task Force was a joint effort of the Dublin Chamber of ,Commerce and the City of Dublin. Its purpose is to enhance the business climate, to increase the betterment of the community and to increase the value of life for the community. He introduced Ray Bump, Dublin Chamber of Commerce President. Mr. Bump thanked everyone for being there and hoped the meetings would be beneficial for everyone. REVIEW TASK FORCE OBJECTIVES Mayor Snyder reviewed the Task Force Objectives as presented in the Business Development Task Force Draft Work Plan. (Attached to Minutes) The Draft Work Plan was to be a guide so that if there were other areas the Task Force wanted to address, these areas could be added to the Work Plan. If there were items that the Task Force felt did not need to be addressed, those items could be removed from the Work Plan. Staff will be providing the Task Force with factual information in regard to what is happening in the City along with an inventory of the vacant land to help with the assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of Dublin'S business climate. It was suggested that in reviewing obstacles, issues and driving forces related to Economic Development and Business Enhancement of Dublin that two groups be created. One group to review retail and the other group to review other businesses. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -1- January 18, 1994 EXHIBIT 2: Mayor Snyder expressed a concern that not all the businesses in Dublin belonged to the Chamber of Commerce and the importance of including viewpoints of all the businesses of Dublin in the survey. Mayor Snyder indicated that he had appointed Bill Foster Chair of the Task Force and Kathi Schultz as Vice Chair. Mayor Snyder had each Task Force Member and Resource Staff member introduce themselves. REVIEW OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN TO DATE Mr. Ambrose reviewed the Business Development Activities undertaken to date. In regard to promotion activities, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce produced a City Map each year along with a Chamber of Commerce Business Directory. The City of Dublin has created an Economic Development Brochure; Seasonal Banners are displayed throughout the business community; and joint promotional efforts surround the st. Patrick's Day Parade and Celebration between the City, the Chamber and the business community. In reviewing city regulations, Mr. Ambrose indicated the concern of what the City does and doesn't do in helping the business community. There has been an outside independent audit of the planning process to identify improvements so the City can become more sensitive to business needs. There has been the establishment of the Sign Ordinance Review Task Force because it was felt that the ordinance was too cumbersome and restrictive. There has been created a Sidewalk Sales Ordinance Review Commi ttee. The Sidewalk Sales Ordinance had been enacted due to a request from the Chamber of Commerce to restrict outside vendors. The Review Committee determined the need to have more sidewalk sales for the local businesses. Mr. Ambrose reviewed the long range acti vi ties by the City. The Downtown Specific Plan, which was a comprehensive look at the downtown area, was adopted in 1987. This Downtown Specific Plan addressed urban design, signage, circulation, and promotional issues. The creation of a restaurant row was suggested to enhance business in Dublin. The City has spent millions of dollars upgrading the appearance of the City. The City participates in the County Economic Development Program which includes Alameda County and 13 cities. One aspect of the program is to improve the relationship between businesses and schools so students will be prepared to enter the work force. The Eastern Dublin General Plan has recently been adopted. It is a long term blue print for development in Eastern Dublin. Development of Eastern Dublin is necessary for Dublin to survive and be competi ti ve with the rest of the Valley. The City of Dublin and the Dublin Chamber of Commerce is meeting regularly to help improve the relationship and communication between the two entities. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -2- January 18, 1994 The City is in the process of developing a database of commercial, industrial and retail buildings and businesses. This database will help the City understand what is available in - the community and what is happening to the different properties. In 1991 the Downtown Business Task Force was created. Ms. Schultz indicated two open forums were held by the Downtown Business Task Force to get ideas from the businesses in Dublin, but the Task - Force was disappointed in . the turn-out from the business community. TheTask Force did receive a good response from the surveys that were sent to the businesses, but the lack of participation was disappointing in that an outside consultant had been provided for the forum. The conclusion reached by the Task Force was that there was not enough interest in the community at large. Mr. Ambrose indicated another issue discussed by the Downtown Business Task Force had been circulation. The lack of a good freeway access was identified by the Task Force. Improvements to I-580/I-680 would eliminate another access to Dublin. The City has been working with Alameda County Transportation Authority and CalTrans to secure additional freeway access into Dublin. REVIEW & FINALIZE TASK FORCE WORK PLAN Mr. Hunter asked if there had been any discussion in regard to state representation. It appeared that everyone else was represented. He sited an example in the state of Alabama where the state and local communities worked together. He felt due to the business climate in the state of California that it would be short sighted if the Task Force just tried to get businesses from nearby communities. Mr. Kern responded that there would be a state representative. There was an agreement between the County and the California Department of Trade and Commerce. There will also be a representative from P G & E. Team California had been set up to help provide tools for businesses. There will be many resources brought to the table to help. The goal was to try to make Dublin a competitive community. Mr. Nahas suggested the need to talk with major property owners in the central district, as well as Sierra Lane. These property owners should be asked where they are headed. Mr. Ambrose indicated that the City had been talking with Unisource in regard to the long term plans for their property. Also, the owners of Dublin Place have filed a preliminary application with the City to redo their center. There has been talk about their long term needs. The shopping center that houses Mervyn's is really comprised of 9 or 10 owners and is not owned by one large property owner. Mr. Hunter felt it was necessary to find out the vision of Bishop Ranch and Hacienda Business Park. Each was a major draw for businesses. what are their future plans? If Dublin is in competition with them, Dublin needs to find different businesses or businesses that play off of theirs. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -3- January 18, 1994 Mr. Straface asked if the City had talked with San Ramon or Pleasanton. Mr. Ambrose responded that Staff was working with both cities. He asked if the draft Work Plan framework would work for the members of the Task Force. Mr. strom felt it was necessary to identify the strengths and weaknesses of all aspects of business and then set a goal to reach for. He felt people have to want to be in Dublin. He indicated that Pleasanton and Livermore were expanding their retail businesses now, but he did not want to see Dublin get in that trap of same businesses, competing against each other. Regardless of the type of business, people should want to be here. Dublin cannot allow Pleasanton to get a jump on us. Dublin should identify the objective and then go for it. Fight for it. It was not going to be easy. Dublin needs an attractive place where people want to be here. Dublin has to work for business and work together as a team. Mr. Harvey felt the land inventory was important. What was vacant land needed to be identified and what was the immediate future of that land. What land was not being leased and what was the possibility of future leasing of the property. Mr. Hunter stated that in Phoenix there had been a big disaster. Businesses had not been asked and a group of strip malls had been created. People would go through them so fast and not see them. What works and what doesn' t work should be identified. He reiterated the importance of coming together with the businesses. Mr. Straface felt everything was cyclical. What is hot today will not be a success in five or ten years. It is difficult to determine what will be successful. He felt the Task Force should look at what is not being provided. He wondered if Dublin could compete with vacant land at Bishop Ranch. He stated that land value and rents depended on volume. The Task Force needed to determine a strategy to take. Mr. Nahas responded that there will be some things that can be impacted and others will not be able to be impacted. He asked about other communities and what they have done as a guide post. The regional dimensions cannot be changed, but promotion, landscaping, better access, and signage were areas that could be addressed. Mr. Sutton stated that every community was unique. . The Work Plan has to be tailored to the community. The County has recently gained employment economic data on businesses in existence over three years and the shifts of business trends in the County. Mr. Straface asked if the format was comparable to other cities. Mr. Sutton responded that it was a general type of process. Cities have different interests. It was necessary to find the City's strengths. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -4- January 18, 1994 Mr. Huber indicated a business task force had been formed in Danville five years ago. All the information accumulated by the Task Force was brought to the Town Council who proceeded to throw it all out and wanted to start over. He encouraged the group not to try to be unique. He felt the Task Force should worry about Dublin's strengths. He recommended that business be separated from retail. In Danville, all restaurants stay open in the evenings, but the merchants close. It was brought to the merchants to stay open on Thursday evenings until 9 p.m., but only 13 merchants agreed. Mr. Hunter agreed that only McWhorter's and Petrini's were open in the evenings. He wanted the Task Force to examine what others have done wrong. Mr. Straface indicated that he has been involved with other groups that have tried to do too much. He cautioned that doing too much should be avoided. Mr. Johnson asked about visiting other brokers. Mr. Straface responded that Dublin was not a heavily brokered town. Offices are on the lower end for brokers. Pleasanton has become competitive with industrial type businesses. Mr. Johnson asked about the old Hexcel building and what companies have. tried to lease the property. Mr. Straface indicated that the Eneas have interests, but in Dublin the property owners promote their own properties rather than brokers. Mr. Sutton responded that the County is not getting information regarding property available in Dublin. BU:i:;inesses coming to get information from the County are not getting information on Dublin. He requested a reference in Dublin to call. Mr. Straface stated Dublin had a favorable market. But Mr. sutton responded that it was the best kept secret. Ms. Schultz indicated that it was necessary to promote Dublin more. Mr. Ambrose stated that businesses are looking for 100,000 and 200,000 square feet. Dublin does not have that kind of physical inventory. Dublin had talked to Costco long before Danville, Pleasanton, or Livermore, but Dublin did not have an appropriate physical site. As markets change and sometimes the infrastructure, the City has not been able to change. There were seven grocery stores and now there are three grocery stores. The way grocery stores are marketed has changed. They are super stores and need lots of square footage. Mr. strom indicated that one of Dublin's strengths was in the 30,000 and 40,000 square feet properties. Dublin needs to think small. Dublin does not have successful advertising. His business realized that they did not have a draw in the other businesses that shared space in his * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -5- January 18, 1994 shopping center. So -they built a "mouse trap" on value and service. He wanted to create a customer base. Make people have a reason to come to Dublin and shop. He has received favorable comments on the City Banners. He felt it was necessary to build a positive image for the community. Mr. Hunter felt it was necessary to provide information to the small businesses such as what financial services are available to them, what other resources are available to them. In Japan the banks and businesses are in partnership. Mr. Harvey stated that banks environment is getting better. growth. run small businesses. He felt the Banks controlled his business and its Mr. Straface felt banks needed to get back in business and generate revenue. Mayor Snyder indicated that a meeting was going to be held with six bankers on the behalf of the County. They wanted to find out how to get bankers reinvesting in the business community. There are fine businesses that are struggling and do not know where to go for helpful resources. Mr. Sutton suggested that the City tie investments of municipal funds to banks that help businesses investing in the community. Mr. Hunter felt banks need to show small businesses how they can get business capital. Show small businesses how to get through the hurdles. Mr. Sutton indicated that there were revolving loans through CDBG to help small businesses. He also felt there were a number of tools the community could develop on its own. Mr. Nahas asked if the Chamber had done a survey on, the business climate. Ms. Feeley responded not in a number of years. Mr. Nahas felt the Work Plan seemed to cover everything but the large property owners such as Hexcel and Automatic Appliance. He felt Mr. Huber had an good suggestion in breaking into two groups, retail and Office/business. SET MEETING DATES AND TIME Ms. Schultz asked about setting the time and day of the month for the upcoming meetings. Mr. Hunter asked how often the Task Force should meet, once or twice a month. He was concerned if the Task Force only met once a month, they may forget what happened. He felt a need to increase the effort behind the Task Force. He felt there should be a need to make a commitment. I * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *,* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -6- January 18, 1994 Mr. Harvey indicated that meeting twice a month would be difficult for him. Mr. Hunter recommended subcommittees so that smaller groups could meet more often. Mr. strom requested that the information be received ahead of time to give the Task Force an opportunity to read. 'He suggested the Task Force meet next month and then see if more than monthly meetings are needed. He felt the monthly meeting should be focused on reports of subcommittees. Mr. Hunter stated that he attended a Alameda County Transportation Task Force meeting which had been going on for six or seven months. They were still discussing what should be done. In his opinion, nothing was being accomplished. Mr. Ambrose indicated that Pleasanton had had an economic development task force that lasted three or four months. He felt that would be too short of time for this Task Force. Mr. Hunter stated he wanted to produce a quality product. It was determined that Tuesdays at 7 p.m. would be the best meeting day and time for the majority of the Task Force. A memorandum will be sent to Task Force members and Resource Staff to determine which Tuesdays would be best. Minutes prepared by Sandie Hart. I * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -7- January 18, 1994 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE MINUTES February 8, 1994 ATTENDEES: Bill Foster, state Farm Insurance Ken Harvey, Dublin Honda Al Hunter Don Johnson, The Imprint Works Ron Nahas, Rafanelli, Nahas, & Ambrose Rex Rufener, Mervyn's Kathi Schultz, Sanwa Bank Dan Straface, Straface & Riele Gene strom, World of Shoes, Inc. Richard Ambrose, City Manager Bob Beebe, Dublin San Ramon Services District Mark Dowling, Grubb & Ellis Nancy Feeley, Chamber of Commerce Jim Field, Comcore, Inc Bert Michalczyk, Dublin San Ramon Services District John Rennels Jr, BART Keith Sutton, Alameda County Economic Development Mr. Ambrose introduced Bill Foster, Chairperson. Mr. Foster asked each one present to introduce themselves. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING On motion by Mr. Straface, seconded by Mr. Harvey, and by unanimous vote, the Business Development Task Force Minutes of January 18, 1994 were approved. REVIEW DUBLIN'S DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL REVIEW OF ECONOMIC PROFILE DATA Mr. Richard Ambrose gave a presentation on the Economic Profile Data for Dublin. In reviewing the City of Dublin Employment by Industry, it was noted that Retail Trade comprises the primary sector with 2,851 employees (35.46%). Second was Services with 1,838 employees (22.86%) and third was Government with 1,482 employees (18.43%). Government included the regional office of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Santa Rita Jail, the Dublin Unified School District, Dublin San Ramon Services District, Alameda County, California Highway Patrol, and the City. The City of Dublin's major employer was County of Alameda with 500 employees at the Santa Rita County Jail. The second major employer was the Dublin Unified School District with 375 employees, followed by Lu~ky Stores (300 employees) and Hexcel Corporation (300). f * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -8- February 8, 1994 Mr. Ambrose explained that the City of Dublin contracts with the firm of Hinderliter, de Llamas & Associates for information on the City's sales tax. Since 1992, the City's sales tax has been flat. On a "per-capita" basis, Dublin continues to outperform state and county-wide averages and exceeds the surrounding cities in all groupings except business/ industry, lumber/contractor materials, and restaurants/eating places categories. In regard to total dollars, Pleasanton is the highest producer of sales tax on a quarterly basis. Mr. Ambrose reported that City Staff has checked the vacant raw land available in Dublin. There are 22 parcels of vacant commercial/ industrial land which comprises 37.45 acres. There is not a lot of potential in historic Dublin, but the Santa Rita property has potential and is within the City limits. The Santa Rita property has 315+ gross acreage available for commercial, office, and industrial development. The problem with developing the Santa Rita property is the lack of infrastructure. There is very little infrastructure except for Dublin Boulevard. Mr. Strom asked how the infrastucture would be financed. Would it be done through assessment districts or the City pockets? Mr. Ambrose responded that the Eastern Dublin General Plan requires property owners to pay for the infrastructure. The existing residents would not have to pay for the new infrastructur~. Mr. Foster felt it was interesting that 3,000 of Dublin's population was inmates. Livermore & Pleasanton did not have inmates. The general populous did not understand how well Dublin was holding its own. REVIEW OF RETAIL MARKET Mr. Dan Straface gave an overview of the vacancy rates in the Tri-Valley area. Mr. Straface indicated that the vacancy rate of retail space in Dublin was 10% which was comparable to Pleasanton (10% excluding Stoneridge Mall), Livermore (11%) and San Ramon (11%). In Dublin two centers created approximately 50,000 square feet of total vacancy with the average vacancy size being 1,700 square feet. There were three vacancies between 6,500 - 9,000 square feet. The bulk of the vacancy was due to the lack of an anchor tenant. In Dublin the vacant vs. available retail space was 120,000 sq ft vacant vs. 200,000 sq ft available. The retail market was comprised primarily of strip centers. In Livermore, 80% of the centers had an anchor tenant. In the future, the "little guys" were going to have a tough time succeeding. It was difficult to compete with the buying power of the "big guys". In the eastern extension, there was space to bring in the bigger players, but it would be a struggle with the "small guys". Mr. Hunter felt it was disturbing if the "big guys" were brought in, it would be like shooting the "little guys". His observation was that there was a disproportionate number of businesses from the number of people who live here. Dublin seemed to get business from San Ramon residents. His survey of signs indicated the small business was placed * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -9- February 8, 1994 in a bad position. It was hard to find a small business. A person had to go to the yellow pages to find a small business. He was an advocate against strip malls, but was not advocating keeping big businesses out. He wondered how many small businesses were in trouble. Mr. Straface answered that 10% of tenants were struggling and not really making money. Mr. Foster asked if that figure wouldn't be found in any place. Mr. strom responded that there was a natural turnover of businesses as the trends change. Mr. Straface indicated that Dublin was the hub of comparison shopping. Mr. strom felt Mervyn's was opening in San Ramon because the City of San Ramon was tired of losing San Ramon residents to Dublin. Mr. Johnson stated Dublin's past success has been that it did not have a downtown but had shopping centers with large anchors such as Gemco and Mervyn's. Mr. Ambrose indicated the City was working with a mini discounter who was going to develop 50,000 sq ft in the Dublin Place Shopping Center. Mr. Strom indicated that in Atlanta the Sporting Authority came in and killed the sporting industry for the mom & pop stores. In Las Vegas Nike came in and put in a mini Nike Town for a minimal amount of money. 27,000 people a day were drawn to the store. Back east some merchants were able to get the public to reject WalMart in some communities because WalMart was destroying the mom & pop stores. He observed that strip centers were coming back in the trade magazines. Mr. Straface agreed there was a comeback in the strip centers because rent was so low in service centers, but it was tough to get financing without an anchor in the center. Mr. Harvey agreed it was a money problem and he felt it would only work if the center was multi-layered. Mr. Dowling felt multi-layered worked in Southern California but would not work here. Mr. Field stated there was an ebb and flow from malls to outdoor strip centers. People like strip centers. It is a shopping experience. Straight forward strip centers have been overbuilt and the mom & pop businesses will continue to struggle until the economy comes back. Low rents are not attracting people. Mr. Foster had asked his wife when were "the good old days of shopping" in Dublin. She had responded when Gemco had been in Dublin. It has not been as successful since Gemco left although Mervyn's was always a delight. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -10- February 8, 1994 Mr. Rufener felt Mervyn's was a popular place to shop because of the convenience of parking right outside the door. REVIEW OF OFFICE/INDUSTRIAL MARKET Mr. Jim Field indicated that the retail market was greater in Dublin, but the office/industrial market was more flexible. Dublin has 2.5 million sq ft of office/industrial as compared to 40 million sq ft in the entire valley which equates to Dublin having 5% of office/industrial for the valley. There has been a decline in occupancy in Dublin starting in 1986-87. This is due to the fact the products in Dublin are older 1-2 story wooden structures. Hacienda Business Park was able to provide newer, higher-levels. Nothing has been built for the last five years except in Livermore. The office complex on San Ramon Road has been repainted and made more attractive. All the markets are tightening up. There has been a zero net growth in each category. There is starting to be a decline in vacancy with a tightening in rents and freebies. Small parcels are selling well. He just sold 500,000 to 800,000 sq ft for $60-$70/sq ft. He also completed a deal on Sierra ct for $62/sq ft. Dublin has the advantage of not having high assessments like Hacienda Business Park. The big plus for Dublin is the location by I-680/1-580 interchange. This provides access in and out of the area. Dublin is also known as a friendly, progressive City He predicted the vacancy rates were going to drop. Mr. Field passed out information that showed the combined vacancy rate for office, office-flex and light industrial and warehouse space to be approximately 10%. Mr. Foster asked what land was available now. Is Dublin land locked? Mr. Field indicated Dublin still had some decent land for office/ industrial use. Mr. Straface responded that Dublin did not have a lot of good retail sites. There was some land by Grand Auto. Mr. Johnson asked what the maximum height should be. Would it help if buildings were 5 stories? Mr. Field indicated when land was cheap, constructing 5 story buildings would not help. Expensive land was needed to build upward. Mr. Foster asked if land was inexpensive in Dublin. Mr. Field responded that in Hacienda Business park, the land can be purchased but the property owner would have to assume assessments. Mr. Foster asked if the flyover would create a problem for Dublin. Mr. Rennels felt the BART station should enhance the property. Mr. Field indicated the Fremont BART station did not generate building around it. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -11- February 8, 1994 Mr. Nahas explained that the City of Fremont wanted multi high density houses and zoned it for the multi-family. The City of Fremont has now changed the zoning to allow the building of lower density housing. Mr. Field felt the issue was demand. There was a need to get demand back in the office market. Prudential would not be building anymore in the Hacienda Business Park. Mr. Foster indicated there was a parking problem with office zoning. Mr. Field responded not in Dublin. He felt the densities have not been a problem. Mr. Nahas asked if water and sewer fees affected building. Mr. Field responded that in Silacon Valley where there were high water users, the high water fees were a deterrent so that today the high water users are moving to Denver. A lot of technological companies are leaving the state because they are high water, users. Mr. Foster asked how a City could entice companies to relocate in their city. Mr. Field responded that was every city's question. He felt it was a regional or state issue. If it was a smaller company, the company could be enticed through economics. But it was not easy to bring companies here. Heavy manufacturers which are heavy water users are moving to Nevada. Mr. Johnson asked if it was less expensive to rent in Dublin. Mr. Field felt it was just a little less expensive. Open houses, signs, brochures, and incentive programs were several ways to attract new businesses. Mr. Johnson asked if there were any incentive programs the City could create. Mr. Dowling responded that the City could make it easier on the tenants. Dublin was easier than Livermore. I-580/I-680 is a good incentive. He felt decision makers like to live close to work. Mr. Ambrose indicated that the population growth has not been that significant. How many dollars are new dollars should be examined. Unless more dollars are generated, the same dollars are being cut-up. Mr. Rufener indicated the pie is only so big, but Dublin's Mervyn's store was too big. They were not able to wait on that many customers. Some people will come from stockton for the big promotional events. Mr. Harvey stated that his business draws from San Ramon Valley and also from Fremont. It was a convenient location for buyers. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -12- February 8, 1994 Mr. Foster asked when Dublin would be losing the Lucky store. What could be done to hold the shopping center together. Mr. Straface indicated there was no obvious answer. Lucky owned the land. Mr. Ambrose confirmed that Lucky owned the land and Lucky had assured the City that it would try to find another tenant when it moved to San Ramon. Mr. Nahas asked how well Dublin was served by the commercial brokers. Mr. Field indicated that marketing was time consuming and it was less economical from the office commercial side. The industrial area of Sierra Court and Trinity were well represented by the commercial brokers. Mr. Straface stated that very few retail brokers work the Dublin area. Mr. Nahas asked if information about the Dublin area was created, would this help market Dublin. Mr. Straface indicated the difficulty was in keeping the information updated. Mr. Field stated that his office had three people updating the properties in the valley. The City would not need to keep update of properties, brokers updated the properties available quarterly. Mr. Sutton indicated that the County never had any brokerage information on Dublin. Mr. Johnson stated there was a need to promote Dublin. Mr. Ambrose indicated that the City had run into the problem of certain brokers not wanting to give out information. They felt the City would be competing with them. Mr. Field stated that time and information was the brokers business. Mr. Foster felt the Chamber of Commerce was the proper agency to promote commerce and the Chamber should work with the brokers. Mr. Johnson asked where one went to promote business. How did one get information about Dublin to a San Francisco company. Mr. Dowling responded that he would get a call from a broker in San Francisco and they would arrange to meet and have him show the broker around this area. There was a lot of networking and phone calling. The broker's job was to track tenants and supply them with information. There is broker cooperation. Mr. Johnson expressed the need for brokers to give information to the Chamber. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -13- February 8, 1994 Mr. sutton cautioned about one broker doing the research and g1v1ng the information to another broker who has not done the work. He felt the fair way to handle the situation was to put the information on the letterhead of the consulting firm so that anyone soliciting information will know where the information came from. REVIEW OF OBSTACLES. ISSUES. AND DRIVING FORCES RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & BUSINESS ENHANCEMENT OVERVIEW OF LARGE EMPLOYER/INSTITUTIONAL MOVEMENT Mr. Keith Sutton indicated if a company wanted to relocate in Alameda County, they would probably speak with him~ It has been quiet the last few years. There has been an emphasis of marketing within the state rather than marketing from outside of the state. The real problems have not been addressed such as cost of living and cost of labor. There are some opportunities. He has been dealing with intermediate to large size industrial companies looking for 6 to 10 acre sites. This department is relatively new and they are getting smarter and better in marketing. They are participating in trade shows. Alameda County is emphasizing keeping what they have and making it grow. He felt increase visibility of locality was important. Manufacturing bond assistance would be helpful. Mr. Foster asked if an insurance company was looking for 100,000 sq ft in the Pleasanton area. What is the perception? Mr. Dowling responded the Hacienda Business Park. Mr. Hunter asked where the movement of businesses was coming from. Mr. Sutton responded the greatest percent was from the peninsula, but inquiries are starting to come from allover because the County is getting on consultants' lists. People are frustrated on the need to get information. There is a need to increase visibility and provide information. He felt BART would be a key factor in drawing companies from San Francisco. Mr. Field indicated that job growth has stopped. People are staying put. It has been awhile since there has been significant movement. Mr. Foster asked has Alameda County been told what Dublin wants. Mr. Sutton indicated his need for an orientation tour of Dublin to familiarize him with the Dublin market. Mr. Foster asked where the County got its information. Were the cities communicating with the County or was the County having to dig the information from the cities. Mr. Sutton indicated that not many communities had lists of properties. Only Fremont gave a print out but it was not useable. Most communities * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -14- February 8, 1994 did not have a written data base. He went to brokers to get the information. Some brokers have aerial photographs. Mr. Johnson asked if all counties had economic development staff like Mr. sutton. Mr. sutton responded that most counties did not have economic development staff like himself, but that the state had staff for Team California. Mr. Johnson asked if the City was able to put together some swift, smooth information, who would they send it to, the State or consultants. Mr. Sutton indicated it should be sent to him as the state only worked on one project at a time. Mr. Field responded that information could also be transferred through brokerage offices. His company belonged to Colliers' International that provided general information about properties. Mr. Hunter asked if the task force decided to market Dublin and they gave the County information on Dublin, what would the County do with the information. Mr. Sutton indicated that he had a profile on each city so if a business asked about a specific city, he would give them the information available. Mr. Hunter felt Alameda County was going to have a big problem with the closure of Alameda Naval Station. Would Dublin be competing with Alameda? Mr. Sutton agreed the County was doing surveys and grant applications for Alameda. Mr. Ambrose indicated that the City of Dublin pays dues to the Alameda County Economic Development Program so the County works for all the cities and this was not just a county program. Mr. Strom felt if Dublin created a brochure, it could be given out at trade shows. Mr. Sutton indicated if a City helped staff the booth at trade shows, the City was allowed to put out brochures. IMPACT OF BART STATION ON SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENT Mr. John Rennels felt Dublin had considerable development opportunities with the new BART Station. It would depend on how Dublin dealt with the opportunity. In the Fremont BART Station, the area was not developed and had to be down zoned which meant they lost a development opportunity. The City of Fremont had not solicited a joint development effort. The Eastern Dublin Station appeared to be a transit oriented development. The City was the pathfinders and could develop a positive * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -15- February 8, 1994 relationship between BART and development opportunities. Some communities did not like mass transit. They felt mass transit drew homeless and derelicts. But BART riders were going somewhere and given the opportunity would leave disposable dollars in your community. He felt more police and cameras was not the answer to safe transit. He felt having a station that had vitality and had mixed use development was the answer. Mr. Johnson asked about the West Dublin Station. Mr. Rennels indicated BART would not authorize $5 million for a footprint if they did not intend to use it later. Mr. Strom asked what was happening at other BART stations. Mr. Rennels stated the Pleasant Hill station had no heart, no life beyond the commercial office. There is hardily any retail and no real vitality. Mr. Johnson indicated when he lived in New Jersey, his wife would drive through a loop to drop him off in the morning and pick him up at night. He never stopped in the station, but just used the station to go to work and come home. Mr. Rennels felt there had to be retail and service oriented businesses to draw the person using mass transit. Mr. Johnson stated the metro system to the Brooklyn station was surrounded by grocery stores, dry cleaners, flower shops, and delis, which people used when they returned home after work. The difference between the New Brunswick Station in New Jersey and the Brooklyn Station was that the New Brunswick Station did not have a lot of parking, whereas the people that used the Brooklyn Station did not own automobiles. Mr. Rennels felt if a person had a sense of safety, then they would stop when getting off BART at a well lit ATM on the way home. Mr. Nahas indicated the property around the Lafayette station couldn't be sold. People would get in their car and go home without stopping. He asked if BART has done any joint development activities. Mr. Hunter thought joint development activities around the BART station would work due to the convenience. He hated to stop somewhere on the way home. Mr. Johnson recommended a high density residential area because he felt once there was high density housing, the other amenities would follow. Mr. Dowling felt a little amphitheater was a good idea. Mr. Beebe stated Ridgewood, New Jersey was a safe, friendly community that was the end of the line for the mass transit system where taverns and restaurants had been developed. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -16- February 8, 1994 I-580/I-G80 INTERCHANGE MODIFICATIONS Mr. Ambrose stated that Dublin had realized that the Hopyard flyover would be eliminating an access to Dublin and so Dublin lobbied heavily for a southbound I-680 access to Dublin. The hook ramps are a part of the I-580/I-G80 project. They will tie in by the Enea Theaters on Golden Gate Drive. Although this will create problems for the Enea property, it will also provide opportunities by getting a direct access from I-G80. Mr. Hunter asked if eastbound 1-580 would be getting off at Dougherty Road. Mr. Ambrose responded eastbound I-S80 from southbound I-G80 would not be able to get off at Dougherty Road, due to the merge problem from I-680 to I-S80. Mr. Nahas asked about the timing of the project. Mr. Ambrose responded that work will commence in 1996. REVIEW WATER/SEWER SERVICE ISSUES Mr. Bob Beebe stated that Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) was made up of three divisions: Administration & Personnel, Waste Water in Pleasanton, and Technical Services. He introduced Bert Michalczyk from the Technical Services division. Mr. Bert Michalczyk indicated how much he enjoyed the competitive shopping in Dublin. He gave an overview of the areas that DSRSD services with water and wastewater treatment. He indicated in regard to water during non drought time, DSRSD had no limitations in its ability to serve the existing water service area or the Eastern Dublin area up to the Tassajara Road; but any development in Western Dublin would require a supplemental water source because Western Dublin was not part of Zone 7 and did not have any water entitlements. Under worst case drought conditions, DSRSD would be able to make up to 70% deliveries with only 20% deliveries from the state. He indicated a strength of the valley was a large underground water supply that has not been tapped. As to water service in the future, with the buildout of Eastern Dublin and the existing infill, this would create approximately 59,000 people to service. There are increasing constraints to Delta exports, but this would be offset by a new DSRSD groundwater well. There would be the need for new reservoirs/pump stations in Eastern Dublin. A lot of money would be needed to build the reservoir and the Fire Department requires the reservoir be in place before allowing new building. The Army and Alameda County have reservoirs. There is also the possibility of cheaper and alternative sources of water. Mr. Johnson asked if there was a difference in cost of water to residential as compared to commercial. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -17- February 8, 1994 Mr. Beebe responded there was a difference in cost. DSRSD operated on a tiered structure with the residential fixed incomes getting a break while the commercial operated in a more expensive tier. Mr. Johnson indicated that one of his customers moved to Livermore because the water was cheaper there. Mr. Beebe agreed water was cheaper in Livermore. Mr. Johnson felt the cost of water in Dublin was a deterrent. Mr. Michalczyk explained that the rates fully funded improved infrastructure and the maintenance of the infrastructure. The collection fee could change for the new service area. As to the present wastewater service, approximately 4 million gallons per day were treated for approximately 37,000 people. There was no limitations as to existing infill in Dublin and San Ramon, but there were constraints to serving the entire Santa Rita property from Camp Parks to Tassajara Road. There was no capacity available for the remainder of Eastern Dublin or Western Dublin. A new export system would be the key to being able to serve the buildout in Eastern Dublin, Westside of San Ramon, and the existing infill. Mr. Beebe indicated the collection fee and charges pay 100% of the cost so that the residents are not taxed on their property tax as other agencies do. Mr. Michalczyk stated DSRSD was working with the City of Dublin to set up a Geographic Information System (GIS) to help streamline the permitting process. Also DSRSD was investigating the possibility of water recycling, which would reduce the amount of wastewater that would need to be pumped out. Mr. Nahas asked if DSRSD was planning to provide service for Dougherty Valley. Mr. Michalczyk responded that Dougherty Valley will need recycled water more than wastewater. They could build impounds to hold treated water to use in the summer and store in the winter. Mr. Foster explained in June the Task Force will be making recommendations to the City Council on how they view things. No grand decision needed to be made tonight, but instead the Task Force needed to obtain more information. The Task Force agreed to form a retail subcommittee and an office subcommittee to talk to landowners in Dublin. Mr. Ambrose asked what questions the subcommittees would be asking. Mr. Nahas responded they should ask what the landowners want to do with their property, what are their future plans, and what they see as obstacles. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -18- February 8, 1994 Mr. Straface asked what questions the retailers should be asked. Mr. Nahas indicated the Task Force was still i~ the fact finding stage. Information on what problems the retailers have and what the retailers were doing should be gathered. Ms. Schultz, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Straface were to contact the retailers and employment centers. Mr. Hunter and Mr. Nahas were to contact the large property owners in Dublin. Mr. strom indicated as he has done business with various owners in Dublin, he has mentioned the Task Force. Not too many businesses in Dublin are aware of the Task Force's existence. The Chamber of Commerce and the other Task Force members should make the business community aware of the Task Force as they are interacting with them. Businesses don't see things happening in the business community. He was surprised at the negative attitude of the business community. Mr. Ambrose stated there are two other task forces that are dealing with signs and outdoor sales. The City was trying to respond to the needs and concerns of the business community. Due to the lateness of the hour, the Open Discussion to identify other Obstacles, Issues, and Driving Forces by Task Force Members and the Brainstorming Session to identify strengths and weaknesses related to Business Enhancement and Economic Development in Dublin were continued to the March 8, 1994 Business Task Force meeting. Minutes prepared by Sandie Hart. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -19- February 8, 1994 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE MINUTES March 8, 1994 ATTENDEES: Bill Foster, state Farm Insurance Ken Harvey, Dublin Honda Al Hunter Don Johnson, The Imprint Works Ron Nahas, Rafanelli, Nahas, & Ambrose Kathi Schultz, Sanwa Bank Dan Straface, Straface & Riele Gene strom, World of Shoes, Inc. Richard Ambrose, City Manager Mark Dowling, Grubb & Ellis Nancy Feeley, Chamber of Commerce Marty Inderbitzen Bruce Kern, Alameda County Economic Development Adolph Martinelli, Alameda County Planning Bert Michalczyk, Dublin San Ramon Services District John Rennels Jr, BART Mr. Foster began the meeting by stating that at the February meeting a lot of information had been presented to the Task Force. Tonight the Task Force would take that information and concentrate on brainstorming to see where the Task Force was going. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING On motion by Mr. Straface, seconded by Mr. strom, and by unanimous vote, the Business Development Task Force Minutes of February 8, 1994 were approved. REVIEW OF OBSTACLES. ISSUES. AND DRIVING FORCES RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS ENHANCEMENT Mr. Ambrose introduced Marty Inderbitzen, a representative of the Lin Family who owns property in Eastern Dublin by Tassajara Road and Adolph Martinelli, Alameda County Planning Director. Both gentlemen were interested in the future growth of Dublin. Mr. Ambrose indicated since the last Business Development Task Force meeting, City Staff had completed a draft survey of all non-residential land uses in the City. Vacancies were confirmed by physical inspection and/or calls to the brokerage firm representing a particular property. This survey was included in the Task Force members' packets. With respect to retail space, the survey identified a total of 2,582,535 sq ft with 192,843 sq ft or 7.5% available and 163,053 or 6.3% vacant. With respect to office space, the survey identified a total of 1,088,533 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -20- March 8, 1994 total sq ft with 221,280 sq ft or 20% available and 216,324 or 19.8% vacant. With respect to manufacturing space, the survey identifies a total of 1,469,588 sq ft with 93,602 sq ft or 6.4% available and 85,802 sq ft or 5.8% vacant~ With respect to other space, the survey indicates a total of 481,322 sq ft with 6,420 sq ft or 1.3% available a~d 4,500 sq ft or 0.9% vacant. Carol Mitchell of P G & E sent some business data which was included in the agenda packet. The data included comparisons of Dublin with the region in regard to number of businesses, number of employees, and various types of land use. Mr. Dan Straface reported on the interviews held with various shopping center owners in Dublin. He indicated that the owners were very satisfied with the City and the efforts made to assist in development. The only major issue raised had to deal with the Building Department. Some owners complained about their old buildings having to come up to code in regard to providing handicapped bathrooms. Stroud Plaza wanted to change a window line and "ran into a wall" at the Planning level. Mr. Foster indicated some contractors felt Dublin was the last place they wanted to do business. Those contractors had problems getting things through. Mr. Foster felt this also could be good. Building standards were being upheld. Mr. Harvey felt Staff was short handed. There was only one guy to do the building inspections. It was hard to get a project done in a speedy fashion. He felt he had been burned because he was charged double fees. He felt the Building Department and Public Works Department were not working together. The time element was the problem, working with the people in the City was not a problem. Plan checking was too slow. There were too many departments to go through. Mr. Johnson indicated he was confused about the chain of command. He thought the Planning Department was the top department with the other departments following the chain of command. Mr. Ambrose responded that each department was a separate department with equal authority. Mr. Johnson felt that could be a problem because a project couldn't get moving until it was signed off by other departments. Mr. Ambrose indicated that several departments such as Planning, Building, Public Works (if there was traffic access involved), Fire Department (sprinklers), and Police (security or public safety) could be involved in the approval of a single project. If the project involved multi-departments, the City Manager would often times trouble shoot to get the project through the various departments. Mr. Foster indicated that the large developer probably knew where to go to get a project approved, but the small business needed help. To the small business, getting approval probably seemed like a rat maze. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -21- March 8, 1994 Mr. Dowling stated it was like a board game without the instructions. Mr. Harvey indicated he had purchased a building and when he went to get some building permits, he discovered the foundation was not to code. Mr. Straface asked if he had used an architect. Mr. Harvey responded he had. Mr. Straface stated the business owner should rely on the professional to take the plans through the permit process. In San Ramon, he had a car wash that took three years to get final approval. Mr. Ambrose explained that in Dublin the Planning Department acted as a clearinghouse, but the Planning Department could not oversee other departments. Building Department Plan Check for Home Express had been turned around in three days. However, he advised if a discretionary act was involved, by State Law there had to be a ten day appeal process. Mr. Dowling felt the City should make it easier to understand what was involved in getting an application approval. Mr. Ambrose advised that the City already had brochures. The City had obtained an independent consultant to examine how to streamline the application process. The consultant had advised creating easy understandable pamphlets, which the City had done. Mr. Strom suggested getting the information on a 3" by 5" card. Mr. Ambrose explained the difficulty lay in the fact people would not let the City become innovative because the State was continuing to create rules which the City must enforce. It was difficult to be creative in that environment. Ms. Feeley felt the word should be passed to small businesses that it was the state, not the City which was creating so many rules and regulations. Mr. Hunter stated he would like to see a representative of the state attend the Business Development Task Force meetings as he had mentioned at the first meeting so the State could see how to help the cities. Mr. Ambrose indicated it was important to ident~fy what the City had actual control over to change. Mr. Dowling felt timing was the number one issue. He had a client that had to have a building built in Dublin or Pleasanton. When he told the client it would take a year to get the necessary approval, the client stated add another year. Mr. Straface advised the one negative he saw in Dublin was the terrible freeway access. It was difficult to get in and out of Dublin. I * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -22- March 8, 1994 Mr. strom agreed. He had taught his employees how to give directions over the phone on getting to his store. He would like to see a big marquee sign by the freeway. Mr. Harvey responded that CalTrans would not allow a sign within a 1,000 feet from the exit. Mr. Rennels indicated that a car dealership in Fremont had complained about the need for a sign to compete with Fremont Ford in Newark. The car dealership had been allowed to put a sign up off of Route 880. He felt access and identification were important issues to economic development. Mr. Foster stated when people described where Dublin was, Dublin was near Pleasanton and the Livermore Lab.' Dublin really does need to establish its own identity. Dublin is at the hub of the valley. He felt businesses will come when they know where Dublin is. Mr. Hunter agreed that people didn't really know where Dublin was. He had friends who responded when asked where Dublin was, isn't it near Walnut Creek. Mr. Rennels indicated marketing was important. A gimmick was needed. Perhaps Dublin could use green stripes instead of white on their roads. Mr. Foster responded green stripes would go against the motor vehicle code. Perhaps the whole street could be painted green! Mr. Hunter indicated in his interview with Mr. Enea, Mr. Enea had good things to say about the City Council and the City Manager. Mr. Ambrose advised that it was important to determine whether complaints involved incidents that are occurring now or had occurred 6 or 8 years ago. He would like to think the City has improved in its service. Mr. Foster asked Ms. Schultz what Sanwa Bank thought of Dublin from a banking financing point of view. Ms. Schultz responded that Sanwa Bank had originally been Lloyd's Bank and had stood alone and had been very visible. The City grew up around the bank. Accessibility was now difficult. All tellers have been trained to give directions over the phone on how to get to their bank. She felt accessibility was a big factor. She was concerned that Mr. Sutton did not know much about Dublin. Word is not getting out at the trade shows. Dublin is perceived as a sleepy little town. Mr. Foster agreed that Dublin was not marketing itself. Marketing was being done within the community, but not outside the area. Mr. strom felt there was a need for an agency to do the marketing of Dublin. He did not feel government should be marketing the City. He suggested if the Chamber was funded by the City, the Chamber could market Dublin. He felt most, City employees were not market orie~ted. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -23- March 8, 1994 He realized the Chamber had a small staff and he felt with the resources they had, Ms. Feeley has done an excellent job over the last nineteen plus years. He indicated the Chamber needed one or two more people. Mr. Dowling indicated he has taken people through Dublin, but then he has to say there is no space for them i.e. Sierra Trinity. He felt there needed to be space for people. It was a market of supply and demand. Mr. Ambrose stated when he had walked through the Hucke complex while doing the land use survey, he had been surprised to see no vacant space. Mr. Rennels asked what the people Mr. Dowling was taking around were predominantly looking for. .Mr. Dowling responded light industrial, service oriented type buildings. Mr. Straface advised that if Dublin did not have the land available, the economics would not work and this would be something the City could not control. Mr. Dowling indicated there would be some land becoming available in Eastern Dublin. Mr. Foster asked about the Heritage Park. Mr. Straface advised that Dublin's office vacancy was 20%. The buildings were old and there was only a ten cents price difference between Hacienda Business Park, which were new buildings. Mr. Foster asked if there was anything the City could do to encourage new businesses. Mr. Straface answered demolish the older buildings, but the property owners were not going to do that. He indicated that Dublin was not known for its office space. It was a perception problem. There was little Class A space available. Mr. Johnson indicated that Vacaville had a program to encourage people to build there. There was an economic development person who did the leg work. Vacaville had a sell sheet and a one day Show Off the City Program. He felt Dublin had the beginning of an excellent brochure that could be put into a folder. Mr. Dowling responded that Vacaville was a'new market while Dublin was a mature market. Vacaville had land to build on. Mr. Foster stated that San Francisco has built out, but it continues to draw new business. Ms. Feeley indicated the need for a brochure for small businesses with another brochure for large busine&ses. An overview of the types of businesses in Dublin can be ~een 'through the business directory. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -24- March 8, 1994 Mr. Johnson stated Vacaville had a fast tract review process. Mr. Straface responded that Vacaville had a lot of applications. If a City only yields 4 or 5 applications a year, it would not be economically advisable to pay one person to fast tract the review process. Mr. Johnson indicated if the City had a fast tract program, there would not be the need for an extra person. He felt time was a problem. A new company could not wait six months or a year to start its business. Mr. strom stated he had considered purchasing new property eight years ago, but when he approached the City about the timeframe involved to set up in a new building, he chose not to purchase or build. Mr. Dowling suggesteQ the City could he.lp if the City "fudged" on what was needed. Mr. Ambrose responded that the City had hired a consultant to review what the City could do to streamline the application process. When the proposal was presented to the City Council, the City Council agreed to give up some of their authority to streamline the application process, but there were some items the City Council wanted to be presented to the Planning Commission and the City Council. When an applicant has to go through the Planning Commission and the City Council, it lengthens the application process time. Mr. Foster asked what the Chamber of Commerce could do to stimulate business in Dublin realizing there were only two staff members. Ms. Feeley responded that the Chamber did not have the staff to market Dublin. The Chamber relied on the professionals like Mr. Straface and Mr. Dowling. The Chamber has put together a folder which presents the basics. The Chamber could always use more tools. The Chamber had participated in a trade show several years ago. Mr. Foster felt there was a danger when asking someone. This would allow the taxpayer a say. enterprise, then special interest groups would the energy. government to market If it is a free not be able to take away Mr. Harvey asked what would keep businesses here in Dublin now. Mr. strom responded Dublin had been the valley retail business center. That has been lost with competition from Pleasanton and Livermore. The dollars to Dublin come from.the retail businesses. He felt Dublin should concentrate on retail. This is a place for the small guy. Since Dublin had once been the retail hub of the valley and was so centrally located, he felt Dublin should work toward retaining that status again. Mr. Hunter felt Dublin needed to define itself before it could advertise itself. I * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -25- March 8, 1994 Mr. strom stated that Livermore did not have a personality. He felt Dublin could make people feel welcome. He felt his "customers" and friends will always come back. We may not have control over economics, but a person can control his own business and how he runs the business. Mr. Kern indicated he had enjoyed listening to the conversation. He felt Dublin did not have a product the County could market. The County was working with businesses looking for office, industrial, and R&D. Alameda County was not focusing on retail. He suggested'Dublin focus on unique businesses. Dublin should create densities that bring people into the area. Dublin will have product when Eastern Dublin opens up. Dublin is known as ,a pro business community. He felt the Task Force should look at the timing. The short term and the long term should be examined. Mr. Ron Nahas presented his report on interviewing major property owners in Dublin. Contact was made with the owners of Heritage Park Office Center, Sierra Trinity Business Park and Enea Plaza. All three property owners seemed satisfied with the level of current commercial activity on their properties. In regard to relationships with City Hall, Rich Kulka had little to say about his relationship with City Hall other than to support the pro- business philosophies of the City Council. Gina diMateo had not had much contact with the City, but she was concerned about having better signage since her project was not on Dublin Boulevard. Robert Enea has had a long and involved relationship with the City including litigation over a street dedication requirement. Robert Enea felt he has had numerous difficulties with the Staff and made a strong argument that there was too little flexibility allowed or exercised at the staff level. He felt the ordinances were rigid and too many issues had to go to the level of the City Manager or City Council for resolution. He felt there was inadequate flexibility in the signage ordinance. In discussing areas of future concern, the remodeling of I-580/I-680 Interchange was of great concern to the owners of Sierra Trinity and Enea Plaza. The Sierra Trinity owners were concerned about the inability to exit at Hopyard Road after the transition from southbound 1-680 to eastbound 1-580. The Eneas strongly supported the need for dowrttown ramps although the ramps will result in the loss of Enea property. The Eneas felt improved access to the existing downtown will be critical to the survival of the retail base once Eastern Dublin begins to develop. The property owners felt marketing their property was primarily their responsibility as owners, but they agreed to cooperating in any joint marketing. Mr. Kulka would like to improve the visibility of Dublin properties through industrial or business tours. Mr. Hunter, who also participated in the Enea interview, wondered what was winding Mr. Enea up. He had got the impression someone in the City was making Mr. Enea go through hoops. He was told the City kept adding items at the ninth hour. If this was true, the City would need to look at this. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -26- March 8, 1994 Mr. Ambrose explained that the Enea situation had to do with roadway improvements. Due to future circulation problems, another road which runs parallel to Dublin Boulevard was developed. The problem with the Eneas was settled through compromise, but Mr. Enea felt his property kept getting taken for road improvements because the County had taken some of his property to widen Dublin Boulevard. Then more property was taken for the parallel road. Mr. Foster asked if the City had changed its philosophy in handling development problems. Mr. Nahas responded that in his dealing with the City, there had definitely been improvement in the process over the years. Mr. Ambrose explained that the County used to approve everything, whereas Dublin was just a new City. In building a new organization, Staff got mixed messages. There were growing pains for five to eight years as Staff identified where the City Council was coming from. Mr. Inderbitzen felt there were two important tasks for the Business Development Task Force. It was important to generate interest in potential users. Once new business was here, the City offices should make the people feel welcome. In regard to Home Express, he asked what made them rise to the top of the list so that the plans were approved in three days. A model should be built around keeping the application moving. There should be a category of users, where certain users would rise to the top for the fast track. Mr. Ambrose indicated part of the problem was the City often got played off between the property owner and the tenants in regard to negotiating issues. Mr. Kern advised that the County had spent a year studying "cutting the Red Tape." There are models for communities with self evaluations. It was important to ask if things co~ld be done without changing the laws. Mr. Kern asked if there had been comments on assessments or fees. Mr. Nahas responded that one Enea tenant wanted to include 30 seats outside their establishment and was told there would be a charge of $3,500 for a traffic study and a fee to widen Dublin Boulevard. The City Manager intervened and solved the problem. There had been another who wanted to sub divide an office building with one foundation and when the plans had been, submitted for review, it would cost more for the application than it had cost for the drawing of the plans. The cost of water was another issue. Large water users in Dublin pay more than any agency in the East Bay. Mr. Ambrose agreed that the City was losing potential new restaurants due to the cost of water. Mr. Inderbitzen stated historically Pleasanton was obscene in the charge for sewer connection fee. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -27- March 8, 1994 Mr. Michalczyk of DSRSD explained that Dublin San Ramon Service District did not have its own well so it had to buy all its water from Zone 7. Other cities in the valley did not buy all their water from Zone 7. He agreed the cost of water was high except in Contra Costa County Water District where there were user fees rather than collection fees. Mr. Kern indicated the County had lost several deals to the other valley because of the utility costs. He felt it was necessary to look creatively at how to structure costs. Mr. Ambrose stated in regard to traffic impact fees, the City of Dublin did not have the money to build access to the downtown area. The City was trying to get federal grants, but that required matching funds. The Measure B Program will fund the parallel road project from 1-680 to Golden Gate Avenue, but the City is still $1,500,000 short. Mr. Straface indicated the traffic impact fee was chasing the little guy out. Mr. Ambrose stated the need for a good traffic model, but the City of Dublin was fighting with San Ramon, Danville, Pleasanton, and Livermore over setting the traffic model. Mr. Michalczyk indicated Zone 7 would be considering increasing its connection fee up to $3,050 added to DSRSD's increase would total $5,300. The positive news was the agency was trying to acquire future water sources which will be needed. Mr. Nahas warned if fees continued to rise, property values will go down. In Dublin the increase in water and garbage fees, ultimately draws capital out of the City. He felt it was necessary to make a strong issue of rising fees. Mr. Ambrose stated the next step.would be to prioritize those issues which the City, Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses should address. There are a lot of financing tools, but how does the City get the information to the small business. Mr. Hunter felt the Task Force should address what the City could do, but it was also important to address state and environmental issues as well. Mr. Martinelli gave a status report on the 600 acres at the Santa Rita property. The County is in the process of refining the land use plan. They are working with DSRSD in regard to utilities and the Army in regard to a three way exchange for the BART station. He felt it has been a good experience with Dublin as a partner. Mr. Rennels asked if there were any restrictions from Washington, D. C. Mr. Martinelli replied no. Mr. Kern asked what the development time period was. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -28- March 8, 1994 Mr. Martinelli indicated it depended on the use of the property. Some of the utilities were not quite available. There was a concern over the sewerage. They were working on a phasing plan. Mr. Foster challenged the task force members to put together their list of priorities and bring back to the next task force meeting on Tuesday; April 12, 1994. Minutes prepared by Sandie Hart. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -29- March 8, 1994 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE MINUTES April 12, 1994 ATTENDEES: Bill Foster, State Farm Insurance Ken Harvey, Dublin Honda Al Hunter Don Johnson, The Imprint Works Ron Nahas, Rafanelli, Nahas, & Ambrose Rex Rufener, Mervyn's Kathi Schultz, Sanwa Bank Gene strom, World of Shoes, Inc. Richard Ambrose, City Manager Mark Dowling, Grubb & Ellis Nancy Feeley, Chamber of Commerce Bruce Kern, Alameda County Economic Development Keith Sutton, Alameda County Economic Development Bert Michalczyk, Dublin San Ramon Services District John RennelsJr, BART Vic Taugher, Building Official Lee Thompson, Public Works Director Larry Tong, Planning Director Mr. Foster began the meeting with an introduction of the Dublin Development Services Department Heads: Larry Tong, Planning Director; Lee Thompson, Public Works Director; and Vic Taugher, Building Official. Each gave a brief overview of their responsibilities. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING On motion by Mr. Strom, seconded by Mr. Hunter, and by unanimous vote, the Business Development Task Force Minutes of March 8, 1994 were approved. REVIEW OF WORK PLAN PROGRESS/TIME SCHEDULE Mr. Richard Ambrose indicated that to date the Task Force had accomplished 1) finalizing the Work Plan; 2) reviewing the existing City Economic Development Activities; 3) reviewing Dublin's development potential; and 4) developing a preliminary list of issues, obstacles, and driving forces. He felt the Task Force was a little behind schedule if a report was to be presented to the City Council in June 1994 as the Council had requested. He urged the Task Force to try to complete Tasks 2D and 3 by the end of the April meeting. He stated the objective of the Task Force was to recommend actions which would enhance the business climate, as well as identify issues which Chamber, City, or Community could do to change or help the business climate. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES ~30- April 12, 1994 Mr. Ambrose advised the Task Force that representation from the state had been promised but it appeared that it was not going to be forthcoming. Mr. Keith Sutton from Alameda County Economic Development had brought some information from the State which he handed out to the Task Force members. This included "CALED'S Financing Economic Development 1994: Resources for Businesses," the November/December 1993 CALED Bulletin, and an excerpt from the CALED Bulletin entitled "The Governor's Budget and Economic Development." Nr. Sutton spoke about some of the resources available from the State and the County. He felt a good resource was CDGB funding, but it was indicated that Dublin was not an entitled city. Mr. Ambrose felt because of the base closures in the East Bay, activities were being redirected to the Camp Parks facility which would impact the road systems around Dublin. The Federal Government was not providing funds for the roads, but the City was working with Congressman Baker trying to obtain funds to improve the infrastructure around the Camp Parks area. Mr. Foster asked Mr. Ambrose and Ms. Feeley if a small business owner approached the City or the Chamber in regard to advise about financing, who did they recommend. Both responded that they would refer the person to the County. Mr. Sutton responded that he would refer the small business owner to the East Bay Small Business Development Center which could help with business plans, marketing plans, ventures & capital, and help to try to match up businesses. Mr. Foster asked Mr. Nahas, Mr. Harvey, and Mr. Dowling if they had ever used the County resources. Mr. Nahas responded that he had not used any County resources. Mr. Harvey had thought it was only for minority small businesses. Mr. Dowling advised that he had not yet used the County as a resource. Mr. sutton indicated that the Small Business Administration (SBA) had several programs regarding financing. The 504 Program was a fixed asset loan which they would fund 40% of the project if the bank funded 50% and 10% was equity. The SBA would never put up more money than anyone else. It wanted to be subordinate to the bank. Mr. Foster asked what happened if a small business comes to Dublin. How is that business advised? Mr. Ambrose responded that it was a hit and miss situation. Mr. Johnson felt Pleasanton and San Ramon were on the right track with each city having an economic development manager who would keep up-to- date on what information was available and to help process applications and move them through the ci~y process. He felt the City was * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -31- April 12, 1994 responsible for getting businesses to locate in Dublin since the City benefitted from the revenue generated by the businesses. He did not feel this responsibility belonged to the Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Feeley agreed that an individual schooled to help small businesses was needed. Mr. sutton indicated that advocates were being developed at all levels, from the County to state. Small businesses could also obtain help from union contacts, the Employment Development Department, and community collages. Mr. Johnson asked whether the businesses being helped were existing businesses or new businesses. Mr. Sutton indicated start-up businesses would have a more difficult time obtaining financing because they were viewed as high risk. Mr. Rennels stated Stanford Business School and University of California had consulting services for businesses. STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES OF DUBLIN'S BUSINESS CLIMATE Mr. Ambrose had given the Task Force members a form to complete which identified at least 3 strengths & 3 weaknesses in Dublin's current economic base/business climate. Below is a summary of the Task Forces response. STRENGTHS: . Rents are less; low rent; inexpensive rents . Modern, business like . Central location (I-580/I-680 Junction) . No limiting, concentration of certain types of businesses or industries . Cooperative, pro business atmosphere; "can do" attitude . Future BART Station(s) to capture patronage from transit patrons . Combination of shopping centers with great parking . Future expansion to East & West will make City more attractive to both industry & residential community; opportunities for growth . Strong retail base; sound fiscal conditions . Safe place to shop--Dublin Police Services show a sincere concern to help businesses in anyway they can to maintain a safe place WEAKNESSES: . High water & sewer costs, uncertain availability . Lack of diversity (Economic Base) . Impact of freeway construction . Customer base has moved toward Livermore/Tracy . Appearance of downtown area is declining . Shopping areas not centrally located . Difficult to find businesses due to lack of uniform & readable signs I * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -32- April 12, 1994 . No ongoing advertising campaign to promote Dublin business . Doesn't have the successful business image that Pleasanton has (tall buildings., professional buildings, shopping mall, modern looking) . Staff has reputation of being hard to deal with . Dublin npt known for industry & office space but retail/not known outside Tri Valley . Limited amount of commercial land to build new business in downtown . Small industrial market, not enough supply for the demand . Tough Building Department (by the book) ADA hard on older buildings . Need access to central Dublin (Village Parkway, Dublin Blvd retail area) . Need to become more visible (image) . Need to distinguish "why shop in Dublin" from other cities . Lack of available space with modern appearance & amenities . Lack of currently available land for expansion Mr. strom related an incident where there were hostile people next to his business and all it took was one phone call and there were two police personnel that responded. His customers have told him that they feel safe shopping in Dublin. Dublin Police Services are more visible especially with the bike patrol. Having the Police presence felt makes the customers feel safe. Mr. Dowling stated that Dublin also responded well to the graffiti problem. If people see graffiti, they get a bad image. By staying on top of the graffiti problem, Dublin is creating an image booster. Mr. strom indicated his business had been attacked by graffiti artists. The Dublin Police Services held a meeting for merchants and are actively trying to remove the graffiti problem. Within 24 hours the graffiti is gone. Mr. Ambrose stated City policy was to remove the graffiti as soon as possible. Part of the attraction of the graffiti artist is to be able to see their work. Mr. Rufener indicated while corporate managers were visiting the Dublin Mervyn's store, they commented on the fact that they felt the appearance of the Dublin was declining. Weeds were getting bad. The taste of the water in the drinking fountain was bad. The San Ramon Mervyn's store would be opening in the spring of 1995 near I-680/Bollinger Canyon Road while the lease for the Dublin store will expire in 1996. The corporate office felt the Dublin store had too many customers and they were not able to provide good service so they plan to have three Mervyn's stores in the area in Dublin, San Ramon, and Livermore. Mr. Strom felt the City had done a remarkable job cleaning up the medians. He asked if the City could lean on the non-residential property owners that were not keeping their properties up. Mr. Tong explained the City Council policy was that the City would respond on a complaint basis only. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -33- April 12, 1994 Mr. Ambrose stated that the property maintenance ordinance had a section which dealt with due process. Because of the due process section in the property maintenance ordinance, it could take between three to six months to get a piece of property cleaned up. Staff cannot be pro- active in regard to this ordinance. If Staff sees a violation, Staff can do nothing unless Staff receives a complaint from someone else. This is the direction from the City Council. Mr. Tong indicated the Sign Task Force and the Planning Commission were concerned about trucks which were used to advertise parked on City streets. The current ordinance allows licensed vehicles to park with signage. The Planning Commission and Sign Task Force want the ordinance changed to allow parking of vehicles with signage only during business hours. The signs would also need to be permanent rather than an add on. Mr. Dowling was concerned about scaring businesses out of the City. Mr. Hunter felt the Jenny Craig sign on Dublin Boulevard was a fantastic sign that had a good appearance with big letters. Mr. Foster indicated he had lived in Dublin for twenty-five years. He asked where the professionalism was in the valley. Dublin did not have an image of professionalism. Medical practices did not want to locate in Dublin. Office and retail located in Pleasanton. Dublin had been planned by the County. The planning was very poor. There was no downtown area. There wasn't much that could be done about it because these were the cards Dublin had already been dealt. Mr. Hunter felt Livermore and Dublin had the image of blue collar towns, whereas Danville and San Ramon were more for professionals. Mr. Foster stated the buildings needed to be revitalized to look the image of success. Mr. Rufener indicated that people from San Francisco did not know where Dublin was. Mr. Rennels stated that Dublin had the opportunity to retain business and attract new business with the BART Station. BART could be an opportunity or a negative. It depended upon how people viewed it. There would be the opportunity to obtain good disposable dollars through retail and restaurants near the BA~T Station. Dublin was at a critical junction with a lot of opportunity. Mr. Nahas felt the existing core area did not have an image and there was no access to downtown Dublin from the freeways so image and access to downtown were important areas to address. It was important to have key landowners be involved with the City. He felt the Staff was pro- business. The City needed to tackle the infrastructure problems in Eastern Dublin so the City could be in the running when the opportunities come along. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -34- April 12, 1994 Mr. Dowling indicated the land issue was a big problem. He needed four acres for a Dublin business. At this time Hacienda can't even give land away. Mr. Ambrose explained the problem was Prudential has decided to cut its losses and get out. Mr. Dowling felt ADA was tough on older buildings. There were hardship forms, but it was still a problem. The Top Ten Issues submitted by the Task Force were: 1) businesses need better signage; 2) Staff has too little flexibility; 3) projects take too much time to receive approval; 4) Dublin does not have a reputation as an office center; 5) Dublin lacks the right kind of buildings; 6) Poor freeway access for retail; 7) I-580/I-680 ramps needed for retail; 8) Dublin's identity is that of a retail center; 9) customers don't know where Dublin is located; and 10) design review process not clear to applicants. Mr. Thompson gave a brief overview of the proposed access into Dublin from I-680. Dublin's Mayor has been very active in getting the hookramps by working through Congressman Baker. The City of Pleasanton is now asking for an offramp which would cost another $10 million at Johnson Drive. Mr. Ambrose explained that Alameda County Transportation Authority was the lead agency in this project and Measure B money will be used and the ramps are now part of the project. Because there is not enough development money for the project, the City Council has hired a traffic impact fee study to obtain additional funds. Dublin Boulevard has to become six lanes. There is federal funds, but there needs to be matching funds from the City. By having a master traffic impact fee study, it will cut time and cost to customer instead of requiring individual traffic impact fee studies for property owners. Mr. Foster asked what would happen at the San Ramon Road/Dublin Boulevard intersection. Mr. Thompson stated there will be three left turns. Mr. Nahas asked if any businesses will be displaced. Mr. Thompson indicated an office building on 6500 Village Parkway would be affected. It was agreed that the three major issues regarding Dublin Economic Base/Business Climate were 1) Dublin image/access; 2) processing/ enforcement fees; and 3) land/building availability. Forms were given to the Task Force members and they were asked to fill out the Solution column and return to the City Manager's Office not later than Friday, April 22, 1994. Minutes prepared by Sandie Hart. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -35- April 12, 1994 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE MINUTES May 17, 1994 ATTENDEES: Bill Foster, state Farm Insurance Ken Harvey, Dublin Honda Al Hunter Don Johnson, The Imprint Works Kathi Schultz, Fremont Bank Dan Straface, Straface & Riele Gene strom, World of Shoes, Inc. Richard Ambrose, Dublin City Manager Keith Sutton, Alameda County Economic Development Bert Michalczyk, Dublin San Ramon Services District John Rennels Jr, BART Lou Ann Riera-Texeira, Dublin Assistant to the City Manager Vie Taugher, Dublin Building Official Lee Thompson, Dublin Public Works Director Larry Tong, Dublin Planning Director MINUTES OF APRIL 12, 1994 MEETING Minutes from the April 12, 1994 meeting were tabled until the next . meeting due to the fact the minutes had been inadvertently left out of the Task Force packets. FINALIZE ACTION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS At the meeting of April 12, 1994, the Task Force members agreed to identify and submit to the City Manager's Office prior to the May 17, 1994 meeting, specific solutions to the following three issues: 1) Dublin Image/Access; 2) Processing/Enforcement/Fees; and 3) Land/Building Availability. The City Manager compiled each Task Force Members' solutions into a Draft Business Action Plan. The Task Force began its review of each of the suggested solutions. A. DUBLIN IMAGE/ACCESS ISSUE: 1. Improve the appearance of commercial properties a. Establish minimum standards for building maintenance, landscape maintenance & sign maintenance Mr. Johnson asked if the Property Maintenance Ordinance could be used to improve the appearance of commercial properties. J * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -36- May 17, 1994 Mr. Ambrose responded that because of the due process procedure in the Property Maintenance Ordinance, it took from 90 to 120 days before a piece of property could be cleaned-up. b. Monitor the appearance of commercial properties & work with property owners to: 1) Keep landscaping maintained 2) Keep buildings painted & repaired 3) Keep signage up to date & maintained 4) Remove graffiti Mr. Hunter suggested 1a&b be combined. Mr. Ambrose said it would depend upon the approach taken. Should it be the City or the Chamber dealing with the problem through ordinance enforcement from the City versus peer pressure from the .Chamber? In the Business Action Plan comments, Mr. Rufener expressed concern about businesses not maintaining their signs or properties by allowing lighting in signs to burn out or by allowing weeds to grow. Mr. Foster agreed that not keeping commercial property up gives a negative image to Dublin. Mr. Ambrose indicated the problem was businesses would close, but the signs still remained although the property was vacant. Also, there were absentee landlords who did not always maintain their property. Mr. Hunter stated he was generally against government getting involved. He felt it should be a matter of common sense, but if there was garbage and weeds, then the City should be able to enforce clean-up. Mr. Foster indicated the Fire Department took care of weed abatement of properties. But Mr. Ambrose explained that weed abatement only took place once a year unless it was a fire hazard. Mr. strom felt it was important to instill pride in businesses. If a business was proud, the owner would keep up the property. Mr. Harvey stated it was not the City's responsibility to keep up commercial properties. Mr. strom felt the City had to have muscle to combat the graffiti problem and not let it get out of hand like it had in the City of Hayward. He felt the businesses should be forced to clean up the graffiti and if they did not clean it up, service organizations could be used to clean the graffiti up and the business would be charged the cost of clean-up plus a small fee. He was pleased with the Dublin Police'S effort to stop graffiti in the City. Mr. Hunter wanted the City to make a statement about graffiti through the punishment of such acts., * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -37- May 17, 1994 Mr. Ambrose explained that the City at this time had no legal authority to clean-up graffiti on private property outside of the City's existing Property Maintenance Ordinance. Furthermore, the City was responsible for enforcing the law, but the courts were the ones who do the . sen tencing. Mr. Straface asked if there were a lot of commercial properties with maintenance problems. Mr. Tong explained it became a matter of op.1.n.1.on how significant a probl em was. He fel t there were only a handful. Mr. Straface felt economics would make the landowners take care of their property. If the landowner did not maintain the property, he would not be able to lease the property. Mr. Johnson asked if the City had regulations regarding the use of weed killers. Mr. Ambrose responded that the state & Federal Government regulate what weed killers can be used. It becomes part of environmental protection. The Task Force recommended the City toughen up its ordinance regarding graffiti removal. There was too much time involved in the current laws. 2. Improve signage identifying Dublin & directing visitors to Dublin a. Improve directional signage on City street.s b. Improve Freeway signage identifying Dublin's boundaries & directions to Downtown Dublin c. Develop signage in the City which is visible from the freeway & identifies Dublin Mr. Ambrose explained that both the Federal Highway and CalTrans had certain regulations in regard to what would be allowed for signage and where the signage could be placed. Signage may be able to be used, but the City would have to go through a process to obtain permission. Mr. Harvey felt it was important to promote Dublin through signage. He had wanted to place a sign on his business, but was not allowed by Cal Trans because the sign would have been too close to the interchange and could have caused accidents with people trying to read the sign. Mr. strom indicated use of directional signs once someone exited the freeway was necessary. Mr. Rennels suggested using signs to showcase and promote the community. Fremont had installed a "Nummi" sign near the freeway. What about a green neon sign which says "City of Dublin" on the Civic Center property to help identify Dublin. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -38- May 17, 1994 Mr. Straface responded that part of the problem was there are two freeways which need signs to identify Dublin. Mr. strom felt once the exit from I-680 was created there would be signage to acknowledge Dublin along the freeway. Mr. Thompson indicated a review of freeway signage had been done several years ago. There is a sign on the freeway as far as walnut Creek that says "Dublin." Mr. Ambrose stated that once the exit off of I-680 is created, there will probably be signage identifying Dublin. It was suggested that a sign be placed at the intersection of Alcosta Boulevard and San Ramon Road identifying where Downtown Dublin was located. Mr. Ambrose explained that where such a sign was placed was important. If it was on the sidewalk, the Ci ty of San Ramon's approval would be needed. If it was behind the sidewalk, the property owner's approval would be needed. If it was by the signal, CalTrans would need to approve. The Task Force agreed there was 1) the need to improve directional signage on City streets; 2) the need to improve Freeway signage identifying Dublin's boundaries with directions to Downtown Dublin; and 3) the development of signage in the City which is visible from the freeway identifying and promoting Dublin. 3. Establish a Proactive Business Attraction program which includes but is not limited to participation in trade shows, development of Economic Development Brochure, etc. 4. Establish a Proactive Promotion Program for Existing Businesses which includes but is not limited to newspaper promotional advertisement, business directory, etc. Mr. Strom expressed the need to sell Dublin. Mr. Hunter agreed with the concept but felt there was a need to define what is Dublin? Retail, manufacturing, corporate? Mr. Harvey asked who produced the money in Dublin. Mr. Ambrose responded that people produce the money. Although a lot more retail businesses are developing, corresponding population growth is not occurring so that the retail valleywide sales tax revenue are not growing much beyond the rate of inflation. There is a need to expand the base with more jobs with good salaries and more population. Concern was expressed if Dublin based its revenue on retail rather than having more diversity, what would happen if a new auto mart was built elsewhere. Also Pleasanton and Livermore have started pulling from Dublin's retail base. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -39- May 17, 1994 1- - .'~'O:;,lilf'. Mr. strom felt it was up to the merchant to maintain his customers base. If a business gives value, selection and service with a smile, the customer is going to continue to shop there. He had one customer stop by last week who had moved to Australia, but was in the valley so the customer stopped by to shop and say '~i." He felt it was important to instill pride in doing business in Dublin. Mr. Ambrose asked the Task Force Members how existing businesses should be promoted. Mr. Harvey responded through advertising. Mr. Ambrose stated that the Chamber of Commerce created a business directory which he showed the Task Force. Mr. Ambrose asked the Task Force Members what should be done to bring in new businesses. Mr. Straface responded he was not sure what the City could do to attract new business. A business who wanted to relocate usually hired a broker or appointed an individual within the company to research possible sites. Dublin is known, but he felt it should be the responsibility of the property owners to market their own property and not the City. Mr. Ambrose felt trade shows may be another way to promote Dublin. Mr. sutton indicated that Alameda County Economic Development Agency was going to be doing more trade shows. Mr. Johnson wan ted a person from the Ci ty Staff to be assi gned to economic development. This person would attend trade shows, be available with information on the City, and keep in touch with brokers and land owners. This person would be responsible for keeping his/her finger on the pulse of the City. Mr. Harvey felt the Chamber of Commerce should be the one to promote Dublin. Mr. Johnson agreed the Chamber should have information to pass on, but most cities have an economic development person. Mr. Foster stated the function of the Chamber of Commerce should be to promote the City and the businesses in the City. Mr. sutton indicated only two cities, Fremont and Oakland, had an economic development person on their Chamber of Commerce. Mr. strom stated that for what exists in Dublin currently, the City does not need a proactive attraction program, but in the future with Eastern Dublin, a person will be needed. He felt the foundation should be laid now. Mr. Johnson agreed a full- time person was not needed now. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -40- May 17, 1994 Mr. Ambrose explained in other communities, there was a person to do the leg work who reported the information to the City Manager. Mr. Foster felt Dublin needed economic development if the City was to grow. The City would die if it did not grow. Dublin needed to be promoted so people would want to live, shop, and do business in Dublin. The Chamber should promote business within the community. Mr. Sutton responded that retention and attraction work together. Mr. Hunter stated that Livermore's population can sustain its own businesses, but Dublin needed to pull customers in from other areas. Mr. Rennels indicated he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. Fremont's Chamber did a lot of soul searching before it created an economic development position. There was only a certain amount the Chamber could do. He felt a city should also have the same goals and commitment. The vitality of businesses is based on the vitality of the entire area. Mr. Harvey asked what percentage of Dublin businesses are members of the Chamber. It was determined of the 1,200 businesses about a third of the businesses were members of the Chamber. Mr. Strom felt putting on a promotional that gained publicity such as Livermore's wine and honey festival would be beneficial. Mr. Ambrose responded that Dublin has the annual st. Patrick's Day Celebration. The Ci ty tried to develop more promotional acti vi ties but some of the buSinesses were not interested. He felt service clubs also have a role. Mr. Strom wanted to pull some corporations into the st. Patrick's Day Celebration and develop more community involvement. He agreed the celebration needed the City, the Chamber, private businesses, and service organizations. The Task Force determined that Proactive Promotion programs for Existing Businesses should be the function of the Chamber in cooperation with the City. A part-time economic development person with the City is needed to develop a Proactive Business Attraction Program.- 5. Improve access to Dublin from 1-680 to Downtown Dublin a. Pursue direct connection from 1-680 to Downtown Dublin b. Complete Parallel Road south of Dublin Boulevard Mr. Foster asked if the Parallel Road would ease some of the traffic problems. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -41- May 17, 1994 Mr. Thompson responded yes it would with the hook ramps. Mr. Ambrose indicated if the City did not have the Downtown BART Station, then the Eastern Dublin Station would become the end of the line station. If the Downtown BART Station is not built, the property owner wants to put in a more intense retail area which will create more traffic. The Task Force agreed with the need to get the hook ramps and the Parallel Road to improve access in Dublin. B. PROCESSING/ENFORCEMENT/FEES ISSUE 1 . Continue to streamline Planning/Permit Processing by: a. Gi ve more authority/discretion to City Staff to facilitate faster permit approval b. Assisting applicants in working with other public agencies that are involved in the permit process c. Designating a City Staff person to act as advocate for the applicant to monitor the processing of major permit applications and facilitate problem resolution d. Utilize part-time help to speed up permit processing e. Make the permit process more understandable to the business owner f. Maximize over-the-counter permit processing Mr. Tong, Planning Director, gave a presentation on the streamlined processing and plan permit procedure. The City Council authorized an audit of the Development Services Departments to try and cut through the red tape. From the Audit came the following changes: 1) a down grade of certain permits to zoning clearances so the permit can be done over the counter and take about two working days; 2) Site Development Review (SDR) Permit has a waiver process so if Staff sees it meets the intent, it can be done over the counter and take one to two working days; and 3) a minor amendment to Conditional Use Permit (CUp) can be done over the counter by staff. One page permit handouts for CUP, A CUP, and SDR which are user friendly, were developed. A one page handout with submittal steps for a planning application was created. Mr. Straface stated the process has been greatly improved. Mr. Ambrose explained that certain applications cannot be streamlined, but must go through the public hearing process. Mr. Foster asked if there was always an appeal process. , * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -42- May 17, 1994 Mr. Tong responded that even determinations can be appealed or reviewed, but they would need to be challenged within 5 days. Mr. Ambrose indicated the consultant recommended automated permit tracking system to monitor applications through all the departments, but the to do it yet. the installation of an processing of permit City has not been able Mr. Johnson stated if a person was on a timeframe and the application got tied up and delayed, there needed to be someone who could break the log jam. Mr. Tong responded that Staff tried to iron out any problems at the project review level. Mr. Hunter was concerned about the small business person trying to get through the City application process. It appeared that the big businesses can get fast tracked. Mr. strom agreed the small guy is the one who has problems. He had a contractor come to the City for a permit and the contractor ran 'into problems. Mr. strom came down to the City and he had no problems. In fact, the City staff was most helpful. He had been expecting the worst and he saw the best. He later discovered the Contractor had prior dealings with the City and had probably come into the City Offices with a "chip on his shoulder." Mr. Johnson agreed that things have changed through the City Staff. Mr. Rennels indicated streamlining the Planning/Permit Processing was already being done. Mr. Hunter felt this fact needed to get out to the general public. The Task Force agreed the Planning/Permit processing has already been done, but they wanted to acknowledge that fact in the report to the City Council. 2. Continue to emphasize customer service in handling permits and enforcement of ordinances. Ms. Riera-Texeira, Assistant to the City Manager, made a presentation on the Customer Service Program. She indicated the City's motto was "Commi tted to Customer Service." This was implemented through employee training, interdepartmental communications, and employee recogni tion programs. Mr. Hunter stated it was great these programs were going on in the City, but the Ci ty needed to promote this information to others so the negative perception could be changed. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -43- May 17, 1994 Mr. Taugher indicated that building seminars were given twice a year to the communi ty. Perhaps a seminar could be gi ven to the business community to get the word out. The Task Force appl.auded the City's Customer Service Program and encouraged the City to keep on improving its program. 3. Be more flexible in the enforcement of City ordinances i.e. provide warning before citation with fine Mr. Hunter stated there was the spirit of the ordinance and then there were the details. Sometimes it is forgotten why there was an ordinance. He felt the ordinances should be reviewed every two or three years. Members of the 'Task Force fel t American Disabili ty Act Laws were creating problems for the small business owner. Mr. Ambrose explained that the Building Official had some flexibility to interpret the Building Code. Mr. Taugher indicated he could exempt some cases on a hardship basis. Mr. Johnson suggested a seminar on ADA regulations be presented at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The Task Force agreed to del.ete the suggestion to be more fl.exibl.e in the enforcement of City ordinances from the recommendations to the City Council. 4. Make certain that the cost of starting and maintaining a business is competitive or less than other Tri-Valley cities. Possible methods would include: a. Reducing Traffic Engineer Study Costs b. Consider formation of Assessment District in Downtown area on all commercial properties rather than placing entire burden of traffic impact fees on new businesses c. Investigate new business tax incentives d.. Regularly reviewing competi ti veness of all fees including water & sewer Mr. Ambrose explained there were two different view points in regard to Traffic Impact Fees. One was it was not fair to hi t the "new guy" for the traffic problem, but spread the cost. The second one was to reduce the cost of Traffic Impact Fee eliminating the cost for a Traffic Impact Fee Study. The current procedure could have the applicant paying more for the cost of the study than the fee itself. Mr. Foster asked how other cities addressed the traffic impact fee. Mr. Ambrose responded that Livermore had a flat fee by square footage. * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -44- May 17, 1994 Mr. Straface fel t the Ci ty should be careful in dealing wi th new businesses and the fees charged. Mr. Ambrose explained if the traffic is so bad and people can't get to the business, it would run off business. Money was needed to build roads to minimize the traffic. The Task Force asked how the City's fees compared to other cities. Mr. Taugher responded that Dublin's building fees were less than others. Mr. Tong responded comparable to the Pleasanton. that Dublin'S planning fees were other Cities with the possible less than exception or of Mr. Foster suggested the traffic engineer costs and fees be examined and make sure the fees are competitive with Livermore and Pleasanton. Mr. Straface indicated that other cities have a flat traffic impact fee, but in Dublin the cost of the study chases businesses away. Mr. Ambrose stated that Dublin's garbage rates were lower than other cities in the bay area due to our location. Mr. Michalczyk indicated the sewer rates for restaurants were cheaper. Mr. Ambrose asked about the cost of water. Mr. Michalczyk responded that restaurants did not use much water. Mr. Ambrose asked about connection fees. Mr. Micha1czyk indicated it would be $2,200 for the connection fee and if a 1" pipe was used, it would cost $10,000. He stated Zone 7 was 50% hi gher. Mr. Hunter felt the Task Force should make the statement to the City Council that the water fees are very expensive and are chasing away businesses which is impacting economic development within the City. Mr. Ambrose indicated there would be no impact to existing residents for the development of Eastern Dublin. This was a part of the General Plan that new development must bear all infrastructure costs. The Task Force concluded that since a Downtown Traffic Impact Fee study was underway to establish a flat fee and eliminate the cost for a Traffic Impact Fee Study, it would not be included in the recommendations to the City Council, but they stated their concern that the City be competitive with the rest of the Tri-Valley. The Task Force did not recommend the formation of an Assessment District in the Downtown area to cover traffic impact fees. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -45- May 17, 1994 The Task Force recommended the City do what it could to communicate the available tax incentives to businesses. The Task Force recommended a regular reviewing of all fees to maintain the competitiveness with other cities. C. LAND BUILDING AVAILABILITY ISSUE 1 . Accelerate development of Eastern Dublin to provide wider range of opportunities to new businesses and existing business interested in expansion 2. Coordinate planning of Eastern Dublin with the existing business areas in the City 3. Survey market to identify new businesses that would best be accommodated in Eastern Dublin 4. Proactively communicate with existing businesses/landowners to identify means to improve traffic circulation, modernize older building (particularly those that are vacant) 5. Provide the Chamber of Commerce and Real current information regarding land & rental which compares Dublin to other valley cities Estate space brokers with availability Mr. strom asked how much interest there was in the Dublin area. Mr. Ambrose responded Alameda County is receiving lots of inquiries in regard to their property in Eastern Dublin. Mr. Straface expressed a concern tha t the new businesses not compete with the existing businesses. Mr. Ambrose indicated that the Eastern Dublin area has been so designed that many types of businesses could be placed out there. It would be wise to see what is missing in the Valley and try to go after that type of business. Hr. Ambrose asked if it should be the Ci ty or the Chamber that proactively communicates with existing businesses/landowners to identify means to improving traffic circulation and modernizing the older buildings. Mr. Johnson responded if there was an economic development person, that person could communicate and make suggestions to landlords. Mr. Foster asked if it was possible for the City to communicate with the property owners. Mr. Ambrose responded that the City usually communicated with the property owners through the permit process. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -46- May 17, 1994 Mr. Johnson asked about the possibility of a redevelopment agency. Mr. Ambrose responded there would need to be findings to qualify and Dublin would have a difficult time qualifying for redevelopment at this time. One problem was that the grocery industry had outgrown the existing older buildings. Mr. Straface felt Dublin was not big enough yet to justify a full time economic development person. The Task Force recommended that the focus should be kept on both areas, and that Dublin should be sold as a whole. The Chamber should continue to work with the existing businesses to promote what Dublin has and not be focusing on what Dublin wants to become. The Task Force recommended eliminating the suggestion to survey the market to identify new businesses that would best be accommodated in Eastern Dublin. The Task Force recommended that the City continue to communicate with existing businesses/landowners to improve traffic circulation and modernize older buildings through the permit process. The Task Force recommended an economic development person from City Staff work closely with brokers and the Chamber providing current information regarding land & rental space availability. IMPLEMENTATION OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE ACTION PLAN Mr. Ambrose indicated the next step would be to prepare an implementation strategy. City Staff had surveyed eleven local agencies currently involved in economic development activities. The survey showed that communities approach the business of economic development differently. The following organizational structures were being utilized: 1) Economic Advisory Board/Task Force (Permanent or Temporary); 2) Chamber Economic Development Committee; 3) Joint City/Chamber Economic Development Committee (permanent); and 4) Downtown Business Association. Mr. Ambrose reviewed the specifics of two proposals from Councilmember Burton and Councilmember Houston which both proposed a Business Commission that would act as an Advisory Body to the City Council. Mr. Ambrose reviewed the specifics of each proposal that was provided to the Task Force members as part of the Agenda Packet. Councilmember Burton proposed a business development commission whose objective would be to provide positive programs for developing new businesses and retaining existing businesses in the City of Dublin. The members of the Commission would represent a cross section of the business community, especially those who had an investment in retail and commercial businesses. The Mayor would appoint five business persons to the Commission with one member being recommended by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The City Manager would appoint a City Staff person and the City would be responsible for Minutes. The meeting * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -47- May 17, 1994 would be held monthly with published agendas and public hearings. The City Budget would provide for Staff costs, promotional materials, travel, and other expenses. Councilmember Burton suggested that this business development commission could 1) review and update projects listed in the Downtown Specific Plan; 2) seek out and induce new retail businesses suitable for the Central and Eastern Dublin extension area to locate in Dublin; 3) investigate & respond when shopping areas need help in maintaining business activity; 4) contact & negotiate with landlords & businesses that need to improve their property appearance; 5) have hearings concerning City Ordinances & Regulations as they affect business activity & development; 6) make recommendations to the City Council for making them "Business Friendly" when necessary; 7) advise on new retail projects, commercial, and light industrial developments in the Eastern Dublin extension; and 8) being a permanent resource to the City Staff and Council for improving the business climate in Dublin and developing new ideas that relate particularly to current business conditions. Councilmember Houston's proposal addressed the need for a business commission, an economic development director, and the role of the Chamber of Commerce. The City of Dublin Business Commission would consist of seven members, five members appointed by the Mayor and two members appointed by the Chamber of Commerce. The Business Commission would be responsible for 1) identifying target markets/industries and directing activities of the Economic Development Manager; 2) assisting the Economic Development Manager in outreach programs; 3) advising on issues affecting local business such as reviewing business/zoning issues and fielding questions from constituents and local businesses; 4) coordinating activities with Tri-Valley Economic Development Community; and reviewing City Investment policies/activities. The Economic Development Director would be responsible for expansion and retention activities through identifying and marketing target industries and being a marketing outreach for commercial/retail/industrial development. The Economic Development Director would create a business inventory of property owners and business owners, catalog business development/property development with a 5 year plan for owners, and use information to assist City in issues concerning signage, transportation, facade enhancement, and zoning. The Economic Development Director would develop with the Chamber of Commerce economic development brochures and marketing materials. The Chamber of Commerce would be responsible for 1) promoting Dublin businesses; 2) assisting merchants in current marketing trends; 3) business training; 4) having a mentor program which would assist new businesses in permit & planning issues until the business opens for business; 5) assisting the Economic Development Director in developing marketing materials; and reporting to the Chamber Board of Directors on business development issues. Mr. Ambrose asked the Task Force to express their thoughts regarding an Advisory Body, as well as staffing to address business issues and economic development activities. I * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -48- May 17, 1994 Mr. Johnson responded tha t the Ci ty should hire a part- time economi c development person and there would be no need for a commission. Mr. Foster asked to whom would the economic development person report. Mr. Straface responded the City Manager. Mr. Ambrose indi ca ted the Ci ty could hire a full time person whose primary function would be economic development, but who would be gi ven other tasks as well. Mr. Johnson asked if there was any governmen t gran ts or moni es for business development to allow for an internship. Mr. Sutton responded there was not. Mr. Ambrose indicated an intern would not typically have the qualifications needed for this type of work. Mr. Sutton stated the Chamber of Commerce was more retail oriented and focused on events. But economic development looks at a broad scope. Mr. Sutton indicated bringing businesses here that were not here before is difficult. Mr. Ambrose asked if there were merits to having another body. Mr. Hunter stated unless the body had an agenda and structure, it was not necessary. Mr. Foster felt there was a need for an economic development person, but not the need for another commission. There was already the Chamber of Commerce wi th a Board of Directors. The economic development person would support the Ci ty wi th the Ci ty Council being the governing commission. Mr. Hunter stated there was already a City Council, City Manager, and Staff already in place to enhance economic development. There was need for an individual, but not another commission. If a need arose, a task force could be reconvened. The Task Force recommended the City Council authorize the hiring of an part-time Economic Development person on the Staff rather than forming another commission. Minutes prepared by Sandie Hart. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TASK FORCE MINUTES -49- May 17, 1994 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE MINUTES June 14, 1994 ATTENDEES: Bill Foster, state Farm Insurance Ron Nahas, Rafanelli, Nahas & Ambrose Rex Rufener, Mervyn's Kathi Schultz, Fremont Bank Gene Strom, World of Shoes, Inc. Dan Straface, Straface & Riele Richard Ambrose, city Manager Nancy Feeley, Chamber of Commerce Bruce Kern, Alameda County Economic Development . John Rennels, Jr., BART Vic Taugher, Building Official Lee Thompson, PUblic Works Director Larry Tong, Planning Director Kay Keck, City Clerk MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS On motion of Mr. Straface, seconded by Ms. Schultz, and by unanimous vote, the Business Development Task Force Minutes of April 12 and May 17, 1994 were approved. Mr. Ambrose explained that the Business Action Plan report distributed was identical to what the Task Force reviewed at its last meeting, with the exception of the addition of a column identifying the Task Force Recommended Action. He wanted to make sure that this report actually reflects the position of the Task Force. Mr. Ambrose reviewed each item of the Business Action Plan report. Mr. Foster asked about the actual name of the BART station. Mr. Rennels stated it will be called the East Dublin/Pleasanton Station. Ms. Feeley asked for elaboration on item A.4. (The Chamber of Commerce should sponsor pro-active promotion programs with the cooperation of the City.) Mr. Foster stated this community itself. The programs such as this. itself. was for promotions within the business Chamber of Commerce functions the best in Look toward promoting within the city *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* TASK FORCE MINUTES - 50 - June 14, 1994 Mr. strom stated within the scope it would be not to just have st. Patrick's Day activities, but we need some recognition during the course of the year. We see this in our neighboring communities and if this could be worked in conjunction with the city that would be fine; both need to be sold. Mr. Rennels reported that EDAB had a meeting last week at Wente Bros., and they were talking about promoting Pleasanton and Livermore wines. It would seem that there would be an opportunity to work cooperatively with the Livermore Convention & Visitors Bureau as they are attempting to coordinate this with Pleasanton and they are getting some national conferences coming to the area. Mr. Ambrose said this might be something the Chamber of Commerce Board would want to discuss. At one time we had a fairly successful Heritage Festival in the fall of the year. Mr. strom stated since the City has just recently taken on the Heritage Center, this could be an important event and a great opportunity for the City to shine. Business people will benefit from this also. Dublin sees a, spill-over from almost every function that is done in the Valley. His business picks up tremendously during the annual street Rod Car Show. Mr. Foster felt with the city moving eastward and incorporating Camp Parks, this will be beneficial and provide us an opportun- ity. We have been in a David and Goliath situation with two Goliaths. Mr. Strom laughingly asked everyone to remember who won the David and Goliath war. Mr. Kern discussed events put on by EDAB. They are also talking with the state Tourism Office because buses go right through here on their way to Yosemite. Mr. strom thought the key thing would be to tie in with a charitable organization of some kind. The City and Chamber should work together on these types of things. Mr. Ambrose advised that the city had found out in the past that st. Patrick's Day did not coincide with Mervyns advertising and there were concerns on their part. Ms. Feeley stated there has been less than lukewarm reception from the business community related to the st. Patrick's Day celebration. It came out in a major magazine, "Don't go to Dublin for festivals." Mr. strom felt we can overcome this. Pleasanton has found a secret to getting participation. He agreed that it is like pulling teeth to get Dublin businesses to participate. It is *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* TASK FORCE MINUTES - 51 - June 14, 1994 obvious that kids and dogs bring out the kids. The Beethoven visit had kids lined up. Mr. Rufener stated farmers markets tend to draw a lot of people also. Mr. Rennels advised that Fremont had just started one that was unbelievable. The next section discussed was improved access from I-680 to downtown. Mr. Rennels advised that BART will work proactively with the Unisource property owner. They are going to do everything they can to work with the adjacent landowners. Mr. Nahas questioned the likelihood of raising the needed $1.7 million from traffic impact fees. Mr. Ambrose stated we have been able to get in more roadway funds from the Federal Government than any other city in the Valley. We have a very aggressive staff member who knows how to make projects compete well for grant funding. We will try to get outside grant funding wherever we can to supplement traffic impact fees for these improvements. Mr. Nahas stated he felt it was premature to abandon the use of assessment districts at this point in time. Mr. Ambrose stated the city is committed to making things easier and to getting things done as quickly as possible. Mr. Kern pointed out that Mr. Tong participated on the Red Tape Roundtable which will now begin focusing regionally. with regard to the City putting on seminars for the lay person and pre-application meetings, Mr. Kern asked if it would be possible to put these types of seminars on for the banks and lending institutions. Mr. Ambrose indicated that staff could look into this. Considerable progress has been made in issuing permits over the counter and Mr. Ambrose stated he was hearing Task Force members indicate that the city needs to advertise its streamlining efforts. Mr. Foster stated he was concerned about the big developer that comes in. He would like to know that the process that is in place today is better than the process that was in place when all the complaints arose. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* TASK FORCE MINUTES - 52 - June 14, 1994 Mr. Ambrose stated in order to have the eastern Dublin plan pass muster, the city Council had to adopt 75 pages of mitigation measures. There will be a lot of hoops to jump through in order to facilitate larger developments. Mr. Nahas stated from what he was hearing, the attitude is right. The real test will come if the project planner is an advocate and not just a monitor. since he had come in late, Mr. Nahas requested that the discussion go back to the full time Economic Development Director. He was concerned regarding the effectiveness of a full time person in a city the size of Dublin. Mr. Ambrose discussed the task of having this person work on a strategic plan for the City initially. We have an economic profile brochure that is out of date that this person could work on also. Lengthy discussion was held related to difficulties in trying to hire a person of the caliber needed if we offer a part- time position. There is more than enough to keep this person busy full time. Mr. Nahas stated he thought economic development ought to be a tri-valley effort rather than fragmented in each community. Mr. Kern advised that everyone has tried to work as a team, but you need to have dedicated resources to work together. When BART arrives, it will change the opportunities out here in the Valley. Mr. Nahas questioned the possibility of funding an economic development person who would be focused in the tri-valley area. He is unconvinced about the effectiveness of an economic development director for a City this size and feels we should be doing this on a tri-valley wide basis. Also, he felt the City should look at sponsoring some kind of a weekly or monthly inventory of space availability on the properties in Dublin so that better information is available. Mr. Ambrose stated the City gets this information from people like Mr. Straface. Mr. Nahas stated he felt the business owners would help to underwrite this. Mr. Nahas felt there should be some form of cost recovery system built in. Mr. Ambrose stated we need someone out talking to companies like Lucky's about what they will be doing with their vacant building. staff talked to Lucky's a few years ago and they assured the City they would have a tenant lined up when they moved out. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* TASK FORCE MINUTES - 53 - June 14, 1994 Mr. strom felt perhaps the conflict was in the title. This person will be a liaison type person who will get involved with coordinating efforts of the Chamber, the city, businesses, etc. Mr. Foster stated developing proactive business is exactly what we want them to do. The Task Force discussed Section B, Processing/Enforcement/Fees. Mr. Nahas questioned if Mr. Taugher were a city employee, would the process be streamlined? When discussing consideration of formation of assessment district in downtown area on all commercial properties rather than placing entire burden of traffic impact fees on new businesses, Mr. Ambrose pointed out that under AB 1600, you have to establish a nexus for traffic impact fees. Mr. Straface felt we might be penalizing new businesses before they come into town. Mr. Nahas felt we should talk to a few of the key property owners in the downtown area and show them some numbers before the idea of a downtown assessment district is eliminated. Mr. Straface agreed that this was something that could at least be investigated. By a concurrence, the Task Force agreed to not delete a downtown assessment district, but rather wanted the City to explore the feasibility of a downtown assessment district for funding of infrastructure. Mr. strom commented with regard to coordinated planning of eastern Dublin with the existing business areas in the city, he continuously hears from the business people that all the attention will go to eastern Dublin when development starts out there. It is very important to not split the City. We should do something like the crime prevention program in tying the areas together. Mr. Ambrose stated he would work on some revised wording for the recommended action. Following completion of going through the action plan, Mr. Ambrose stated his understanding with regard to the Task Force's direction was to take the city Council on a trip and tell them what happened along the way and why it happened. Mr. Foster suggested that the group vote on the action plan to determine if this is exactly what they want to present to the city Council. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* TASK FORCE MINUTES - 54 - June 14, 1994 On motion of Mr. Nahas, seconded by Mr. strom and by unanimous vote, the Task Force supported finalization of the documents for presentation to the city Council. Mr. Foster requested that each person comment on what their thoughts were. Mr. Rufener stated it was apparent that a lot of work had been done at the last meeting, when he was absent. He questioned how the report would be received by the Council; if it would be put at the bottom of a large stack of things the Council must deal with. He questioned if this group was the only business people who truly care. Mr. Ambrose assured Mr. Rufener that the Council is very anxious to receive the Task Force's report. A lot of the things won't happen quickly, but the report will serve as a foundation type document. Mr. strom felt there seems to be some lack of pride among some businesses. There are feelings in his center that they need to spruce the center up. If your neighbor doesn't look good, this reflects on you. Mr. Straface stated he was happy with the report that has. been developed. He hoped the city Council would look at it openly. Mr. strom felt it had been an interesting process and stated he was comfortable with what has been developed. The report is varied enough to represent the community as a whole. Ms. Schultz felt the group had come to the only real conclusion they could have reached. A lot of effort and thought has been put into this and she felt the city Council will be surprised at how much has been accomplished. Mr. Nahas stated he had no problem endorsing this package. The access from the freeway is so overwhelming, it needs to be given a lot of thought. Dublin already has a pro-business reputation. We definitely don't need a business commission. Mr. Ambrose stated he appreciated everyone's participation and input. Mr. Ambrose requested that the group discuss the presentation to the Council with regard to timing, who will do it, etc. He advised that the Council is very anxious to have the presentation as soon as possible. Several of the Task Force members indicated that they would be unable to make the June 27th city Council meeting, so the July 11th date was agreed upon. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* TASK FORCE MINUTES - 5S - June 14, 1994 Mr. strom and Mr. Straface suggested that Mr. Foster make the presentation before the Council. Following discussion however, the group decided to divide the report up in sections and have 3 people make the presentation. " The group concurred that Mr. Foster would introduce the report and give an overview and then 3 people would take portions and present them. section A (Dublin Image/Access) will be presented by Kathi Schultz and Rex Rufener. Section B (Processing/ Enforcement/Fees) will be presented by Ron Nahas. Section C (Land/Building Availability) will be presented by Dan Straface. Staff should notify those Task Force members absent of the July 11th city Council meeting and request their presence. The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m. Minutes prepared by Kay Keck, City Clerk. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* TASK FORCE MINUTES - 56 - June 14, 1994