East Bay EDA members and guests gather to hear Dr. Ed Leamer's Forecast
The East Bay EDA Spring General Membership
& Economic Forecast meeting held in
Union City last Friday, May 16, was a great
success, drawing close to 200 East Bay EDA
members and guests from the public, private
and non-profit sectors. The meeting
was sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric
Company and was hosted by the City of Union
City as well as the Union City, Newark, and
Fremont Chambers of Commerce.
The event keynote was given by Dr. Edward Leamer, Director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. Dr. Leamer's presentation from the event can be viewed here.
We have put together an event highlights page that
includes photographs taken at the event by
East Bay EDA staff, Keith Sutton, and a link to Dr. Leamer's
presentation as well as a link to the event
broadcast schedule which will be updated
that information becomes available.
We have also developed a survey to obtain our guests' opinions of the event. If you attended the meeting and have not already taken the survey, please click here to participate. We are looking forward to hearing from many who were in attendance
so that
we can
improve
future
events
and
communications.
The
East Bay EDA assisted the Bay Area Industrial Roundtable in organizing
a forum held May 8th, 2008 on the “Future of Industrial Land Use in the Bay Area”. The session was hosted by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and featured Los Angeles Planning Director S. Gail Goldberg who shared the City of Los Angeles’ efforts to balance jobs and housing in California’s largest
city.
The loss of industrial lands is a key challenge for Bay Area cities
and
problems
as well
as
solutions
were discussed by a panel of business, city and regional planning representatives. Panel member Linda Hausrath, Economist with Hausrath Economics, shared the findings of a study she is completing for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and ABAG which estimates that 38% of the industrial lands in the I-80, I-880 and I-101 corridors are at risk of being changed to other uses.
Located
in these corridors
are over 177,000 jobs and
many production, distribution and repair employers that serve the resident population
as well
as
businesses of the Bay Area.
Others on the panel included: San Jose Deputy Planning Director Laurel Prevetti, ABAG Planning Director Ken Kirkey and Urban Ore Operations Manager, Mary Lou Van Deventer. The session concluded with summary remarks by the Regional Planning Director for the Joint Policy Committee, Ted Droettboom, who outlined the need for a policy framework to retain industrial land use, maintain job/housing balance and community sustainability. Please click here to download copies of the panel members’ PowerPoint slides.
More information is available on the
Bay Area Industrial Roundtable's website at
www.industrialroundtable.org.
Financing package enables Oakland Pallet Company, Inc.
growth
East Bay EDA staff helped the Oakland Pallet Company obtain a $2,340,000 tax-exempt Industrial Development Bond that was issued by the Industrial Authority of Alameda County on April 30, 2008. The bond funds are being used to construct an operations facility and purchase equipment to manufacture and rebuild shipping pallets from wood and used/recovered material.
The tax-exempt bond was packaged with a $1,048,000 taxable bond which was used to refinance the balance owed on the 8.5 acres in San Lorenzo on which Oakland Pallet Company, Inc. has operated since 1996, and for other unqualified project costs.
Oakland Pallet Company has 140 employees and expects to add 46 additional jobs over the next two years
as a result of this project. Their low-skill jobs are very important to many residents and the economy of Alameda County and the company has expressed an interest in utilizing the County’s Welfare-to-Work program to help fill new positions.
The financing package and the facilities and equipment purchased will enable the company to modernize its production,
and will improve product quality, operational efficiency, employee working conditions and safety. And it will do so much sooner and at a much lower cost than if the company were to use conventional financing.
Oakland Pallet plays a critical role in reducing
waste and recycling products used in pallets on
which distributers and manufacturers ship goods
throughout the East Bay. The new equipment will
enable the company to incorporate more recycled
products in the future. The company plays an
important role in the region’s economy and helps
make East Bay goods and products move in a more
efficient, cost effective and environmentally
friendly manner.
For more information on IDB financing,
contact
Keith Sutton, (510) 272-3885.
Event provided forum for the East Bay and the BAAQMD to discuss proposed fee
On May 6th, East Bay EDA and the Contra Costa Council hosted a meeting with
Bay Area Air Quality Management District Executive Officer, Jack Broadbent, to discuss the
District’s proposed carbon fee that will be assessed to industry to support programs reducing green house gas emissions in the Bay Area. The
proposed fee for stationary industrial uses
is $0.042 per metric ton of carbon dioxide
equivalent (CDE) emissions.
The District plans to merge their program with the implementation of AB 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Mr. Broadbent encouraged both
the East Bay EDA and the Contra Costa Council to work with the District to insure that the program is implemented in a manner that will achieve desired outcomes but not have an adverse impact on employers and jobs in the East Bay. The District Board’s expected action on the proposal and implementation would occur July 1, 2008. For more information on this proposal please contact Bruce Kern, (510) 272-3874. .
Only Bay Area Event of its kind to discuss funding for affordable housing
On Wednesday, May 28,
2008, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at The Alameda County Conference Center located at 125 12th Street in Oakland, the East Bay EDA will host the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and its Director Lynn Jacobs as HCD conducts its Bay Area "Permanent Source" program meeting.
This is
our opportunity (and yours!) to contribute to the discussion and make a
difference in state housing policy, and this will be your opportunity to
participate in
this discussion in the Bay Area. These Permanent Source meetings are designed to
elicit ideas and interest in the HCD's consideration of policy, budget and
legislative changes that would result in funding for affordable housing and
infill infrastructure. This special regional meeting has been convened to get
our region's input on the allocation of the Proposition 1C "Housing
Infrastructure" Bonds and the development of recommendations for ongoing
permanent sources of funding to meet the housing affordability needs in our
community.
Over the last several years, we have enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with Secretary Jacobs and we continue to give a high priority to efforts to meet
the East Bay's workforce housing needs. This session will focus on the funding portion of the challenge and provide an excellent opportunity to engage our business, civic and community members on this important issue.
For more information download the event invitation.
Discussion group will meet in Hayward
At the East Bay EDA’s annual Board of Directors retreat, a workgroup was organized to address the workforce challenges
of our local economy. The workforce workgroup will hold their second meeting on May 30,
2008 to advance the preparation of a work plan that will address issues identified at the Board retreat.
The meeting will be held at Hayward's City
Hall, and will be led by East Bay EDA Vice
Chair, Ken Mercer of ValleyCare Health
Systems and staffed by East Bay EDA
Technology & Trade Director, Bob Sakai.
For more information please contact Bob
Sakai, (510) 272-3881.
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