To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: Green Empowerment Zone for the Northern Waterfront Area of Contra Costa County
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. ADOPT a Resolution to approve the County's participation in the Green Empowerment Zone for the Northern Waterfront Area of Contra Costa County.
2. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director, or designee, to execute an agreement with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000 to compensate the County for providing administrative and other support services for the Green Empowerment Zone for the period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Execution of the agreement will result in State revenue not to exceed $5,000,000 to the Department of Conservation and Development to be used to provide administrative and other support services for the Green Empowerment Zone consistent with the State legislation AB 179, the Budget Act of 2022. The term of this Agreement is July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2026.
No Local matching funds are required as a condition of the County accepting these funds.
BACKGROUND:
On September 28, 2021, AB 844 (Grayson) was signed by Governor Newsom.
According to the Legislative Counsel's digest:
"This bill, until January 1, 2028, would authorize establishment of a Green Empowerment Zone for the Northern Waterfront area of the County of Contra Costa. The bill would authorize the Green Empowerment Zone to be composed of specified cities, upon adoption of a resolution by the city or county and would provide for the Green Empowerment Zone to be governed by a board of directors. The bill would task the Green Empowerment Zone with various duties, including, among other things, identification of projects and programs that will best utilize public dollars and improve the economic vitality of the Northern Waterfront area of the County of Contra Costa in a coordinate...
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