Agenda Item B.4
CPMS CONSENT CALENDAR
Meeting Date: June 7, 2022
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
FROM: Michelle Greene, City Manager
CONTACT: Shannon Kirn, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Letter of Support for Vandenb erg Space Force Base as the Location of Space Force Space Training and Readiness Command Headquarters
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize the Mayor to sign a letter of support for Vandenberg Space Force Base as the Location of Space Force Space Training and Readiness Command Headquarters.
BACKGROUND:
Last month the Department of the Air Force announced that Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) was selected as one of several shortlisted “candidate locations” for U.S.
Space Force’s Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) Headquarters (HQ). Leading this effort is the Regional Economic Action Coalition ( REACH), an economic impact organization serving the Central Coast Region spanning San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Cou nties. Leaders from the County of Santa Barbara, the State of California, Space Launch Delta 30, REACH, Cal Poly State University, and Deloitte have announced a commitment through the VSFB Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Group to develop a thriving space enterprise on the Central Coast of California.
In June 2021, this coalition of community organizations led by REACH, sent a letter of support to the U.S. Air Force Assistant Secretary for the selection of VSFB as the permanent U.S. Space Force’s STARCOM HQ. See Attachment 1 for the June 2021 Letter of Support . Evaluations are now underway, and a final decision could be announced early next year. The Department of the Air Force beg an site surveys this spring to determine which location is best suited to host STARCOM HQ. The assessment will be based on factors related to mission, infrastructure capacity, community support, environmental considerations and cost.
REACH collaborated with the VSFB MOU Group on a master plan laying out the next steps in establ ishing a thriving commercial space industry on the Central Coast. The Phase One Commercial Space Master Plan can be viewed at the following 1 Meeting Date: June 7, 2022
link:https://reachcentralcoast.org/wp-content/uploads/Commercial-Space-Master- Plan.pdf..
DISCUSSION:
With community support as a key factor in the evaluation process, REACH has presented an opportunity to showcase regional partnership with VSFB and efforts to advance a Central Coast space ecosystem and requested the City of Goleta to sign -on to the new letter of support.
The draft letter provides an update on recent actions and proactive planning to support the selection of VSFB as the permanent STARCOM HQ. The key points include:
Ensuring future housing supply
Enhancing infrastructure related to connectivity, transportation and healthcare Expanding educational and economic opportunities
Establishing VSFB MOU Group
Launching Uplift Central Coast Coalition , a six -county space and aeronautics ecosystem
See Attachment 2 for the new 2022 Draft Letter of Support.
This request does not fit directly with the City’s Legislative Platform or Council’s Strategic Plan; however these documents do address themes that are similar to those related to the STAR COM HQ effort. Though specific to Goleta, th e City’s Legislative Platform addresses support for the following areas in Section 2. Homelessness, Housing, Community and Economic Development that are related to this topic:
F.1. Support legislation that encourages economic development using criteria which are not limited to census tract-based eligibility. F.2. Support legislation that enhances or expands community and economic development tools and funding to address revitalization and redevelopment needs. F.4. Support legislation that will provide tools and incentives to support job creation and retention and address the infrastructure and jobs/housing needs and long- term affordability within the City and State.
There are potential challenges including housing supply and further strain on road infrastructure, however, as outlined in the New 2022 Draft Letter of Support, communities have been proactively planning to support the Space Force and further mobilize community resources for this important effort.
In addition, t he following strategic goal from the City’s 2021 -2023 Strategic Plan is somewhat related in this discussion:
4.4 Strategic Goal: Support regional economic vitality in the community through enhanced partnerships such as with UCSB, local businesses and the Chamber of Commerce.
2 Meeting Date: June 7, 2022
The City Council is asked to determine if the proposed siting of the STARCOM HQ at VSFB is aligned with the goals in the Strategic Plan and the sections of the City’s Legislative Platform mentioned above. If so, Council is asked to authorize Mayor Perotte to sign the aforementioned letter of support.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There are no fiscal impacts resulting from this report
Reviewed By: Legal Review By: Approved By:
___________________ ___________________ _________________ Kristine Schmidt Megan Garibaldi Michelle Greene
Assistant City Manager City Attorney City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. June 2021 Letter of Support
2. New 2022 Draft Letter of Support
3 ATTACHMENT 1
June 2021 Letter
4 www.reachcentralcoast.org
The mission of REACH is to increase economic prosperity on the Central Coast of California through big thinking, bold action, and regional collaboration.
30 June 2021
Ms. Jennifer Miller
Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force
Energy, Installations, and Environment
1670 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, D.C., 20330-1670
Subject: Letter of Support for United States Space Force Training Command Basing Nomination Dear Assistant Secretary Miller,
As a coalition of community organizations from business and education, we represent the interests of the community as well as the current and future workforce on the Central Co ast of California, including both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.
We write to indicate our enthusiastic and unqualified support for the selection of Vandenberg SFB CA as the permanent STARCOM Headquarters. Vandenberg SFB CA is the natural and intuitive fit for STARCOM.
It has always been home to the training and educat ion of space professionals , and as the third largest installation in the Department of the Air Force (100,000+ acres), it has the capacity to add and centralize US Space Force training activities (such as a possible future US Space Force Basic Military Tra ining function). Vandenberg SFB, on a single installation, should be to US Space Force Training what the multiple Joint Base San Antonio installations are to US Air Force Training.
The Central Coast region, home to Vandenberg SFB, is also the ideal fit for STARCOM. The Central Coast is home to nearly 750,000 residents. The region is committed to its partnership with Vandenberg and its Guardians and Airmen and has been since 1941. It also boasts capacity for significant future expansion of mission and industry, making Vandenberg SFB and the Central Coast the premiere option. Home to two world class universities, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly State University, the Central Coast produces nearly 9,000 graduates in engineering and science each year. Cal Poly has a strong relationship with Vandenberg SFB and Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC). Additional information about these relationships is available upon request. The region is also supported by three community colleges, Allan Hancock, Cuesta College and Santa Barbara City College, that are equipped to support workforce training and education needs.
5 www.reachcentralcoast.org
The mission of REACH is to increase economic prosperity on the Central Coast of California through big thinking, bold action, and regional collaboration.
As a unique, rural region on the coast of California with amazing cities and top-notch schools within a 30- minute commute to the base, the Central Coast is ready to warmly welcome the STARCOM staff and their families into the community.
The Central Coast has a robust high tech, software and advanced manufacturing ecosystem with businesses that compete globally and already add to the mission at Vandenberg SFB. The region’s strong nucleus of highly specialized manufacturing and tech firms has grown 37% over the last decade , with massive potential to continue on that trajectory. Over the last decade the region has secured $660 million in defense contracts with a strong backbone of aerospace and defense companies. Additionally, a group of stakeholders—County of Santa Barbara, Space Launch Delta 30, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), Cal Poly, REACH, and Deloitte—has come together to create a plan for the future growth of commercial space at VSFB and in the surrounding community.
We hope you will consider what Vandenberg SFB and the Central Coast represent, in terms of existing capacity, but also for the Nation’s space mission training needs long into the future. We look forward to working together t hroughout the selection process to showcase our readiness, capacity and desire to support the US Space Force STARCOM mission and its people.
Sincerely,
Jill Stearns, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President
Cuesta College
San Luis Obispo County
Community College District
Jeffrey D. Armstrong
President
Cal Poly State University
Henry T. Yang
Chancellor
University of California, Santa Barbara
Melissa James
President/CEO
REACH
Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President
Allan Hancock College
6 www.reachcentralcoast.org
The mission of REACH is to increase economic prosperity on the Central Coast of California through big thinking, bold action, and regional collaboration.
Glenn Morris
President & CEO
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of
Commerce
Jim Dantona
Chair
Central Coast Coalition of Chambers
Kristen Miller,
President & CEO
Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of
Commerce
Chuck Davison
President & CEO
Visit SLO CAL
Dawn Boulanger
Workforce Development Board Director
County of San Luis Obispo
Kathy Vreeland
Executive Director
Buellton Chamber of Commerce
Ray MacDonald
Workforce Development Board Director
County of Santa Barbara
Executive Director
Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce
DeVika Stallling
President/CEO
Lompoc Chamber of Commerce
7 ATTACHMENT 2
New 2022 Draft Letter of Support
8 [Insert logos]
May __, 2022
[Insert Address]
Subject: Progress Update on Community Support for Vandenberg Space Force Base as the location of Space Force Space Training and Readiness Command Headquarters Dear ________:
As a coalition of leaders and organizations from business, education, and government, representing the interests of the community as well as the current and future workforce on the Central Coast of California, we are united in our enthusiastic and unqualified support for Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) as the natural and intuitive fit for STARCOM.
We are committed to deepening our long-standing partnership with VSFB and making the Central Coast a home for military families and a growing hub for our nation’s space future. As such, we write to provide an update on our recent actions and proactive planning to support the selection of VSFB as the permanent STARCOM Headquarters.
Since our community’s letter on June 30, 2021 (attached), our region and state have taken concrete steps to prepare for a growing Space Force footprint, support VSFB’s mission and build the physical and human infrastructure to position it at the center of a vibrant Central Coast space ecosystem. We appreciate this opportunity to share our latest progress and a roadmap of steps we are taking to meet the needs of STARCOM and amplify the impact that the selection of VSFB will have in preparing US Space Force Guardians to defend our national security in space. As this process advances, we look forward to working with you, not only to showcase our readiness, capacity and desire to support STARCOM, but also to develop a dialogue, working collaboration and action plan to support the Space Force and further mobilize our community resources for this important effort.
Preparing Our Communities to Host an Expanding Space Force Footprint Military communities have a vital responsibility to serve as a home for military families, civilian personnel, retiring servicemembers and the wider workforce that supports base operations. In anticipation of the potential growth of VSFB and welcoming of STARCOM HQ, we have been actively working to prepare our communities.
Growing the housing supply is an important factor in supporting the expansion of VSFB’s mission and the broader ecosystem around the base. While we are clear eyed on the challenges, our communities are working proactively to expand options for working families today and ensure a pipeline of future supply. Of note:
9 ● Lompoc is expected to break ground on 700+ new homes in tw o separate developments in 2022 (up to 476) and 2023-2024 (up to 257). ● Santa Maria, in updating the housing element of its General Plan, is looking to add 16,000 housing units to accommodate 50,000 more residents. ● Orcutt continues to build out a 725-unit project. An adjacent project is currently seeking to construct up to 4,000 residential units. ● Nipomo is advancing a project for up to 1,270 housing units. ● Solvang is actively planning for future housing supply as part of the ongoing development of its General Plan.
Enhancing broader community and enabling infrastructure is also a top priority.
Recent developments of note include:
● Inclusion of eligible base and community interconnection broadband projects into the regional Broadband Strategy to support regional connectivity. This will increase the eligibility of these projects for state broadband infrastructure grant funds.
● To support regional transportation, significant bridge replacement and upgrade projects on Floradale Avenue that will benefit tr affic to and from the base.
● To bolster regional healthcare resources, Santa Maria has supported the launch of a new campus for A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, which welcomed an inaugural class to its Central Coast Physician Assistant program in September 2021. [Add detail on healthcare capacity] We also continue to take steps to enhance the educational and economic opportunities for service members, military spouses and veterans. For instance, this spring Allan Hancock College opened a brand new Veterans Success Center to support prospective and enrolled student veterans, active duty, and dependents of veterans in accessing resources, navigating processes and transitioning to civilian life, and last year Cal Poly was ranked the best college in the West for veterans for the second year in a row. In October 2021 the state of California approved AB 107, which will take effect on July 1, 2023 and provide expedited, temporary authorization for military spouses to practice certain professions. We are fully committed to continuing to expand opportunities and support military families that are stationed on the Central Coast and decide to make it their home.
Supporting VSFB’s Mission and Building the Physical and Human Infrastructure for a Vibrant Central Coast Space Ecosystem
Our region and state are working in close partnership to support VSFB’s mission and create the enabling physical and human infrastructure for the world’s leading space ecosystem. We have launched several flagship initiatives in the past year and have an active agenda over the coming months in alignment with the need to support STARCOM and the growth of Space Force’s broader mission.
Recent activities include:
● The VSFB Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Group – an innovative public- private partnership that includes Space Launch Delta 30, the State of California, the County of Santa Barbara, Cal Poly, Deloitte and REACH – 10 is moving ahead with impleme nting the Phase 1 Commercial Space Master Plan launched in June 2021. This includes active efforts with the state to identify and leverage funding to adva nce on - and off -base infrastructure opportunities. As part of these implementation efforts, the Counties of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo have also budgeted funding to support a waterfront infrastructure study that is exploring opportunities to enhanc e the boat dock and related waterfront infrastructure at VSFB.
● REACH, with support from the Counties of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo and the Economic Development Administration, has recently launched an initiative to create a regional workforce strategy, pipeline and industry consortium for the aerospace, defense and precision manufacturing sectors. This initiative recognizes the significant opportunities to harness the combined energies of VSFB and the commercial activity in the surrounding communities and will provide a platform to convene employers, educational institutions and government to develop a common roadmap for enhancing this regional talent pool and industry cluster. ● The Uplift Central Coast Coalition – spanning the entire Central Coast from Monterey through VSFB and south to Ventura – was launched in late 2021 to accelerate a 6 -county space and aeronautics ecosystem centered around VSFB. This coalition is actively collaborating to apply for state and federal funding to grow this critical sector and advance the regional talent pool and innovation base that supports it.
● Colleges, universities and training providers across the Central Coast continue to expand educational and research opportunities in space, aerospace and related fields , advancing the regional talent pool and innovation base and creating potential opportunities to amplify STARCOM’s educational and training activities. This year Cal Poly received additional federal funding to create new and innovative laboratories to test subsonic Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) technologies in support of its partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory. [ Add examples]
Preparing for our Nation’s Space Future
As Vice President Harris underscored in her recent visit to VSFB, “there are so many opportunities in space for our country and for all of humanity — from science, to commerce, to national security.” VSFB plays an indispensable role in advancing th ese national goals, which will require an all hands on deck effort, uniting public and private sectors, and requiring close partnerships between community, educational institutions, industry and government at all levels.
Our region and state are committed and actively mobilizing our resources and collaborative energies to support STARCOM and the VSFB mission, create a welcoming home for military families and collaborate to foster a vibrant space ecosystem. VSFB is uniquely situated to host STARCOM – building on its long- standing training role – and with strong community support and collaboration, advance our nation’s space future. We appreciate this opportunity to share our 11 progress and plans in these efforts and look forward to working together to support STARCOM and this important process.
Sincerely,
[Insert signatures]
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