To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: Extension of the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative Memorandum of Understanding
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☒ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ACCEPT report on recent Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative activities; and APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Director of Conservation and Development, or designee, to execute an agreement with the Cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Concord, Hercules, Martinez, Oakley, and Pittsburg to extend the current Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative Memorandum of Understanding for a period not to exceed five years, to continue to collaboratively evaluate economic development projects in the Northern Waterfront area, as recommended by the Economic Development Committee, subject to approval by the County Administrator and approval as to form by the County Counsel.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact as staff workload is not expected to change significantly.
BACKGROUND:
On February 26, 2013, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors authorized the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) to begin working on an initiative to promote economic development along the Northern Waterfront by collaborating with a broad spectrum of stakeholders to understand the current and emerging trends and issues affecting economic development in the region.
On April 4, 2013, DCD staff recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a map establishing the boundaries for a Northern Waterfront study area and a proposed work program and timeline. The Northern Waterfront study area included several unincorporated communities (Rodeo, Crockett, Port Costa, Pacheco, and Bay Point) and six cities (Hercules, Martinez, Concord, Pittsburg, Antioch, and Oakley, which eventually became seven when the City of Brentwood joined in 2018).
To provide oversight for the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative (Initiative), the Board of Supervisors established an ad hoc committee on February 26, 2013, composed of two Board members whose districts constituted the Northern Waterfront study area. The Board of Supervisors Ad-Hoc Committee on the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative has met on a periodic basis to receive updates about the project’s status, obtain public input and provide guidance on implementation of the Initiative. While the Committee is staffed by the Department of Conservation and Development of Contra Costa County, the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative is a partnership between the County and the seven cities along Highway 4.
On June 18, 2019, the Board of Supervisors approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the seven partner cities of the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative. The Memorandum of Understanding for the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative was in effect until September 30, 2024.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a statement that the eight jurisdictions will collaborate on economic development activities in line with the recommendations of the Northern Waterfront Strategic Action Plan and Conceptual Framework for Human Capital, related to supporting and growing jobs in areas that are underserved for employment opportunities in the northern part of our county.
Highlights of the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative in recent years:
- Adoption of the Strategic Action Plan for the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative on January 22, 2019.
- Eleven (11) Opportunity Zones were designated in Northern Waterfront jurisdictions in 2018.
- Vortex Marine moved to the City of Antioch (2019).
- A matching grant of $75,000 was secured from U.S. Economic Development Administration for short-line rail feasibility study on the Wilbur Ave. corridor (2019).
- FutureBuild secured a $200,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency training grant in Pittsburg (2019).
- The Northern Waterfront Conceptual Framework for Community and Capital Development led to non-profit job/life skills organizations looking to start operations in East Contra Costa County.
- On June 17, 2019, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) released an open call for letters of interest for a new pilot program that will introduce Priority Production Areas (PPAs), and on December 17, 2019, the County adopted a resolution nominating two County districts in Bay Point and Pacheco as Association of Bay Area Governments/Metropolitan Transportation Commission's recognized Priority Production Areas, to establish eligibility for grant funding. Those nominations were made official by MTC-ABAG in 2020.
- On June 28, 2023, the County was approved for an award of $500,000 in grant funding from MTC-ABAG for the Northern Waterfront Priority Production Areas Technical Assistance Project for the feasibility analysis, framework, and template materials necessary for local staff to get PPA-related programs or policies adopted across multiple Priority Production Areas (PPAs) in the Northern Waterfront, namely those in the County and in the Cities of Concord, Pittsburg, Antioch and Oakley.
- In 2024 the City of Hercules secured $850,000 for the Hercules Hub Multi-Modal Transportation Station.
- Also in 2024, the City of Pittsburg’s Water Treatment Plant Fuel Cell Project secured $959,752.
- On September 12, 2023, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution approving the County’s participation in the Green Empowerment Zone (GEZ) for the Northern Waterfront of Contra Costa County, which included an agreement with the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz) providing the County with $5,000,000 for the GEZ.
- In 2023, the County joined TeamCalifornia to market and promote the Northern Waterfront of Contra Costa County along with the Cities of Antioch, Brentwood, and Oakley, and in 2024, the Contra Costa County’s Northern Waterfront was selected to host the 2025 “Meet the Consultants” Conference.
As a result of these successes and the increased capacity of the County to continue to pursue additional economic development activities countywide, in the meeting of the Northern Waterfront Ad Hoc Committee on August 7, 2024, the Committee provided direction to expand the Committee’s purview to be countywide. The Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative will continue to be a major focus and detailed oversight of the Initiative would be provided by the Economic Development Committee. The primary work areas and initiatives the Economic Development Committee would help oversee and guide include:
- Implementation of the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative Strategic Action Plan, and related projects, including the Green Empowerment Zone for the Northern Waterfront of Contra Costa County, the Northern Waterfront Priority Production Areas (PPAs) Technical Assistance Project, and the Just Transition Economic Revitalization Plan.
- Consideration of the potential to prepare an Economic Development Plan for the County
- General business retention, attraction, and expansion efforts in the unincorporated areas
- Marketing and promotion of Contra Costa County through TeamCalifornia and other avenues.
- Collaboration and coordination countywide with city economic development efforts.
On October 22, 2024 the Board of Supervisors established the Economic Development Committee as a standing committee of the Board of Supervisors, to supersede the Board of Supervisors Ad-Hoc Committee on the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative, appointed Supervisors Glover and Burgis to the Economic Development Committee to continue to lead implementation of the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative and referred detailed oversight of the Initiative, as well as the other economic development activities of the County, to the Economic Development Committee.
On December 4, 2024, the Economic Development Committee directed staff to prepare an item for the Board of Supervisors to extend the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative Memorandum of Understanding.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
A decision to not adopt the recommended action would result in the current Memorandum of Understanding for the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative not being extended and being left to expire.