DATE:
May 27, 2025
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
Community Development
TITLE: Economic Vitality Strategy Annual
Progress Report
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the 2025 Economic Vitality Strategy Annual Progress Report.
BACKGROUND
Economic Vitality Strategy
In April 2024, the City Council adopted the Economic Vitality Strategy (EVS or Strategy), a 10-year road map to strengthen Mountain View’s economy and support a thriving, inclusive community.
The Strategy aims to align the City 's leadership, residents, and businesses around a shared economic vision that fosters both economic and community well-being. It takes a comprehensive view of economic vitality, encompassing not only industry and employment but also residents ’ economic security and quality of life.
The EVS outlines five overarching community goals, supported by 25 strategies and 164 action items. These action items encompass a range of initiatives, including programs, plans, studies, ordinance updates, and other policy or implementation measures. The strategies and actions are designed to promote economic prosperity and vitality in the City and are grounded in extensive data analysis and input from a broad range of stakeholders. The Strategy was shaped through policy direction from Council and robust community engagement, incorporating feedback from Mountain View residents, business owners, community leaders, and representatives from nonprofit and private industry sectors (see September 26, 2023, City Council Study Session and April 23, 2024 City Council Report).
Vision and Goals
Following extensive community consultation and analysis, the City Council adopted the EVS with the following overarching vision and supporting goals to guide its efforts:
Economic Vitality Strategy Annual Progress Report
May 27, 2025
Vision: Mountain View seeks to create a thriving community where small businesses, innovation, entrepreneurship, and diversity are encouraged and flourish. We aim to be a global leader that balances a flourishing economy with the health and well -being of our community and the environment.
Alignment with Other City Plans
The EVS includes an analysis of how the S trategy supports and works alongside other C ity plans including the General Plan, Precise Plans (North Bayshore Precise Plan, El Camino Precise Plan, San Antonio Precise Plan, East Whisman Precise Plan, Downtown Precise Plan, and Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan), Downtown Parking Strategy, and the Housing Element.
EVS Implementation
All EVS action items include a timeline, cost designation, departments and divisions involved, as well as identification of key actions focused on equity. As shown in Table 1 below, a ction items were prioritized into immediate-, short-, medium-, and long-term timeline categories.
Economic Vitality Strategy Annual Progress Report
May 27, 2025
Table 1: Number of Action Items by Timeline
Timeline Implementation
Number of
Corresponding
Actions
Share of
Total Items
Immediate = Less than 1 year 20 12%
Short-Term = 1 to 2 years 40 24%
Mid-Term = 3 to 5 years 68 41%
Long-Term = More than 5 years 36 22%
Measures of Success
To evaluate the effectiveness of the EVS, the Strategy includes 15 “Measures of Success” aligned with the five community goals. Several of these measures apply to more than one goal, as detailed in Attachment 1 (also referenced as Appendix C in the EVS). The measures include both workload indicators and performance -based metrics, with specific targets established for the performance-based measures. These metrics were developed using best practices from the International Economic Development Council and the California Association for Local Economic Development.
While implementation activities will be reported annually, the “Measures of Success” will be evaluated and reported every other year. Nearly two-thirds of EVS implementation activities have multi -year timelines for implementation , and successful implementation of the se items involves substantial, long -term efforts. As a result, staff believes progress on these measures should be tracked less frequently to allow sufficient time for the accomplishment of meaningful outcomes. Attachment 1 provides preliminary data for the 2025 “Measures of Success.”
ANALYSIS
EVS Implementation Summary
Figures 1 and 2 provide a visual summary of the implementation progress of EVS actions over the first 12 months since the adoption of the Strategy (April 2024 to April 2025). These figures offer a snapshot of the activities supporting the plan’s implementation and will be updated annually to reflect progress over time.
Figure 1 illustrates the implementation status across all five goals of the Strategy, showing the number of actions categorized as “Completed,” “Ongoing,” “In Progress,” or “Not Started” under each goal. The status categories are defined as follows:
• Completed: All tasks or milestones have been achieved, and no further action is required.
Economic Vitality Strategy Annual Progress Report
May 27, 2025
• Ongoing: The action is continuous in nature and does not have a defined endpoint.
• In Progress: Action is under way, with measurable steps being taken toward implementation.
• Not Started: No substantive action has been taken to date.
Figure 1: Status of EVS Actions by Goal
Figure 2 offers a complementary view of implementation progress by categorizing actions according to their intended timeline: immediate, short -, medium -, and long -term. Tracking progress in this way provides insight into how the strategy is advancing relative to established timelines, helps identify areas that may require adjustment or additional support, and informs the planning and prioritization of staff work plans.
Economic Vitality Strategy Annual Progress Report
May 27, 2025
Figure 2: Status of EVS Actions by Timeline
A comprehensive list of the EVS actions , and status update s for each, can be found in Attachment 2: EVS Implementation Matrix. Additional discussion of other economic development activities the City is undertaking related to Downtown (Goal 2) is included in Attachment 3.
Key Accomplishments
Over the past year, notable progress has been made on several key initiatives identified in the EVS. The following highlights actions that have been completed or have had substantial components implemented:
• Facade Improvement Grant Program: Successfully launched and actively supporting local businesses, with eight businesses currently under contract to receive grant funding. (Action 1C.1)
• Business Ambassador Team : Established and meeting bimonthly to assist business applicants navigating the permitting process for designated development areas (e.g., downtown, San Antonio Center, major industrial zones). (Action 1D.1)
• Downtown Pedestrian Mall Implementation: Significant progress made, including the successful launch of the Outdoor Patio Program, development of social zones, and new downtown programming. (Strategies 2C and 2E)
• Downtown Retail Market Analysis: Completed and now informing efforts to recruit small- to mid-sized businesses to the d owntown core. The analysis includes consumer visitation
Economic Vitality Strategy Annual Progress Report
May 27, 2025
patterns, demographics, and ESRI Tapestry segmentation data detailing the shopping and dining preferences of downtown visitors. (Actions 1D.5, 2A.5, and 2D.2)
• Retail Support—Visual Merchandising : Staff conducted a workshop and developed a webpage with tips to improve window displays, supporting local retailers in enhancing their visual merchandising. (Action 1A.1)
• “How to Start a Business” Guide : Developed by Economic Development staff and published on the City website, the Guide outlines permits, licenses, and processes to assist entrepreneurs in starting and operating a business. It includes guidance on financing improvements, modifications, and subdivisions. (Action 1D.2)
• Development Permits Website: The Planning team launched developmentpermits. mountainview.gov, providing permit-specific content to help users prepare, submit, and track permit applications. (Action 5C.3)
• ePermitsMV Portal Expansion : The City’s online portal was expanded to serve as a centralized platform for submitting development -related permits, including Planning, Building, Public Works, Heritage Tree Removals, and Outdoor Patio Licenses. (Action 5C.3)
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System: The Economic Development team implemented a CRM system to track business engagement, facilitate consistent follow- up, and enable seamless information sharing across the team. (Action 3A.1)
As mentioned above, Attachment 3 highlights additional accomplishments in the City’s efforts to sustain and enhance a thriving Downtown.
Implementation Approach—Year Ahead
In addition to the key initiatives highlighted above, Economic Development staff is actively managing numerous ongoing EVS implementation efforts while also handling the day -to-day operations of the D ivision and leading implementation of the Downtown Parking Strategy, development and rollout of the Public Art Strategy, and coordination of several other City strategic priorities . Given the scale of the strategy —with 164 individual actions — implementation of the EVS adds significantly to the workplan of the relatively small Economic Development team. With the range of the Division’s overall responsibilities, it is not possible to dedicate a single staff member solely to implementing the Strategy’s actions. In light of capacity constraints, it will be important to strategically prioritize and phase work to achieve maximum impact.
Economic Vitality Strategy Annual Progress Report
May 27, 2025
Looking ahead, the team remains committed to advancing the goals of the EVS . To support effective implementation of the EVS and integrate actions into broader City workflows, Economic Development staff is developing internal work plans to identify responsibilities, coordinate across departments, and clarify resource needs.
Year 2 Work Plan
In addition to maintaining the 18 “ongoing” actions and continuing progress on the 53 “in-progress” actions, Economic Development s taff has identified several key areas to focus on in the near term. These areas were chosen due to their designation as immediate or short- term opportunities in the EVS, their alignment with current staff capacity, and feasibility factors such as funding and market conditions:
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support
• Strengthen relationship with the Fogarty Institute and serve as a liaison between entrepreneurs and companies in health-related fields. (Action 3D.7)
• Strengthen partnerships with local incubators and accelerators such as the Y -Combinator, Hacker Dojo, and others. (Action 3D.2)
Workforce Development and Inclusion
• Leverage partnerships with regional institutions, and community -based organizations to develop training programs tailored to underrepresented groups. (Action 3B.2)
• Establish and strengthen the City’s relationship with NOVAWorks and the Small Busin ess Development Center (SBDC) to explore partnership opportunities and capacity for collaboration. (Actions 2C.5, 3B.2, 3B.6, 4B.2)
Small Business and Commercial Area Support
• Support neighborhood-serving businesses that are walkable and provide essential goods and services. (Action 1B.1)
• Initiate preliminary research and scoping for a potential design services rotating loan fund to support business improvements and Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA) upgrades. (Action 1A.5)
Economic Vitality Strategy Annual Progress Report
May 27, 2025
Downtown Parking Strategy Implementation
• Support implementation of the Downtown Parking Strategy to improve the management, supply, access, and regulation of parking benefiting d owntown businesses, visitors, and workers. (Strategy 2D)
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no fiscal impacts associated with Council’s acceptance of the 2025 EVS Annual Progress Report.
LEVINE ACT
California Government Code Section 84308 (also known as the Levine Act) prohibits city officials from participating in any proceeding involving a “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” if the official has received a campaign contribution exceeding $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant within the last 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to- play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
Please see below for information about whether the recommended action for this agenda item is subject to or exempt from the Levine Act.
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
☒ General policy and legislative actions
CONCLUSION
The first year of implementation for the EVS has laid a strong foundation, with notable progress across key initiatives and active coordination across the City organization, and with business and community partners. As the City moves into Year 2, staff will continue to balance implementation of the EVS with core operational responsibilities and other strategic initiatives. Ongoing coordination, prioritization, and resource alignment will be critical to sustaining momentum and ensuring the long-term success of the Strategy.
Economic Vitality Strategy Annual Progress Report
May 27, 2025
PUBLIC NOTICING
The City Council agenda is advertised on Channel 26, and the agenda and this Council report appear on the City’s website.
Prepared by:
Amanda Rotella
Acting Economic Vitality Manager
Approved by:
Christian Murdock
Community Development Director
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager
AR/4/CAM
818-05-27-25CR
204870
Attachments: 1. Measures of Success
2. EVS Implementation Matrix
3. Downtown Vitality Update Memorandum