CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
3/25/2024
1 SUBJECT:
Joint Study Session of City Council and the Economic Development Committee (EDC) regarding survey input and potential EDC charter revisions.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Provide direction to the City Manager for the Economic Development Committee charter revisions.
STAFF CONTACT:
Tara Schiff, Economic Development Manager
(650) 501-6007
[email protected]
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
The City Council’s Priority Work Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 included Item No. 13 – Review City Commission and Committee Charters. Staff’s efforts on this item started in the third quarter of FY 2022-23 and have continued into FY 2023-24. The following is a brief outline of efforts on this work plan item both generally and specific to consideration of the “charter” (i.e., authorizing resolution) for the Economic Development Committee (EDC):
• April 11, 2022: Adoption of FY 2022-23 Priority Work Plan. This action established a review of all commission and committee charters as a priority for the City Council. • March 27, 2023: City Council discussion and direction on order of commission/committee reviews and approach to gathering information from commission/committee members about their work.
• January 5, 2024: City Council creation of an ad hoc subcommittee to work on the review of commission/committee charters. The ad hoc subcommittee, consisting of Councilmembers Bier and Beckmeyer, has assisted staff with the creation of survey questions for the EDC members to gauge their responses on various topics related to their work.
• January 30, 2024: Consistent with the City Council ad hoc subcommittee’s input, staff launched an online survey to seek individual EDC member input. • February 13, 2024: Discussion of collective survey questions by committee members at the monthly EDC meeting.
• March 12, 2024: EDC vote on draft amended resolution (i.e., charter) for City Council consideration (Exhibit A).
I. EDC’s Requested Modifications to Its Charter
The EDC voted 6-0 (with three absences) at its regular meeting on March 12, 2024, to transmit the draft charter amendments in Attachment A to City Council. Key provisions in the draft charter amendments not in the EDC’s current charter are summarized as follows:
Pacifica City Council 2
March 25, 2024
• A statement that “The committee may be presented with additional opportunities as requested by the City Council to provide input on the economic impact of activities within the City.”
• Add that the requirements for “The EDC members will be:
o Residents of the City of Pacifica;
o Possess knowledge of business and/or local economic development; o Have a passion for the local community.”
• Amend the committee membership by stating that “The EDC will be comprised of the City Manager or designee (Ex Officio, non-voting), at least one City Council member as liaison, and nine community members appointed by the City Council plus one non-voting, Ex-Officio member as designated by the Board of the Pacifica Chamber of Commerce.” The former resolution stated that the EDC would be comprised of eight (8) community members plus one additional voting member designated by the Board of the Pacifica Chamber of Commerce. The Charter Amendment changes the appointed members to nine (9), plus a non-voting, Ex-Officio member as designated by the Board of the Pacifica Chamber of Commerce.
City Council Creation of the EDC
In 2013, the City Council created the Economic Development Committee to be a supportive arm of and bring a community perspective to the City’s Economic Development Division.
The Economic Development Committee exists to support the development of current local businesses and their interface with the City of Pacifica, improve aging business districts, and bring new businesses to Pacifica.
The objectives of the committee are to:
1. Work with the Economic Development Program, the community and visitors in the identification of new businesses that fill a neighborhood business market gap;
2. Provide a forum for exchanging ideas, education, information, and addressing the business and economic needs of the business community and its residents and visitors; and
3. Reach out to the business community, residents, and visitors to promote business development and support the implementation of the City’s Economic Development Plan.
II. Survey of EDC Members
The City Council has directed that the charter update process include a survey of the commission/committee members. The process outlined by the ad hoc subcommittee includes a survey of the commission/committee collectively, discussed at a regular meeting thereof, and an individual member survey completed privately using an online survey tool. The surveys are intended to gauge the opinions of commission/committee members about their service to the City and opportunities to improve the functioning of their commissions/committees. A summary of each survey is provided below:
Collective Survey
The EDC discussed the collective survey questions at its regular meeting on February 13, 2024.
The collective survey included seventeen (17) questions addressing various aspects of the EDC, including the role of the EDC, how the workplan is serving the committee and input the EDC should provide to staff and City Council. Eight of the EDC’s nine members were present for the discussion.
Pacifica City Council 3
March 25, 2024
Some common themes in the EDC’s discussion included members’ beliefs that the EDC provides an important role in economic development by providing resources for business growth including networking events and other projects that attract visitors, and support and increase business in the City. Opinions varied on whether the current EDC workplan adequately serves the Council's Strategic Plan with some members believing there was room for improvement and others feeling the workplan could be better aligned with economic development. There were many suggestions on how to improve the workplan, including focusing more on business attraction and retention, infrastructure improvement, and new business development. The survey results also indicated a need for an increased budget that would support implementing the projects in the workplan.
When asked about the size and makeup of the EDC, the responses suggest that the current size of nine members for the EDC is appropriate, though challenges with absenteeism and meeting quorum are noted. Recommendations included moving specific positions like the Chamber of Commerce to a non-voting, ex-Officio position. One of the survey questions also asked about requirements for committee members. Some emphasized residency requirements, while others highlight the importance of availability, understanding the needs of local business owners, and familiarity with local politics.
When asked about supporting the City Council’s strategic plan, suggestions include linking the physical beauty of Pacifica to local businesses and enhancing fiscal stability through increasing spending in the local economy, while aligning committee activities with the workplan and focusing more on implementing projects highlighted in the Economic Opportunities Study.
There were also suggestions about the EDC meetings, which included improving the efficiency of EDC meetings by cutting down the time to maintain efficiency. Others include prepopulating the agenda with inputs to streamline discussions, and setting tangible goals and metrics for progress measurement. Many of the respondents felt that onboarding was limited or insufficient, describing it as "trial by fire" or receiving zero training. Others express mixed feelings, but still feel unsure about certain aspects like the Brown Act. Suggestions for improvement include providing more robust onboarding with an overview of the strategic plan and pertinent city issues. When asked about the role of the City Council’s EDC Liaison, suggestions included focusing on 3-4 actionable items per year, while others propose providing updates on council activities and facilitating connections with relevant individuals.
Overall, the role is seen as proactive, collaborative, and centered on fostering economic growth and prosperity in Pacifica. Some express satisfaction and pride in contributing to Pacifica's community and economy. The responses indicate a willingness among EDC members to make a greater contribution to the local economy.
III. Staff Analysis
The EDC’s suggested amendments in Attachment A involves three key revisions:
1. The committee may be presented with additional opportunities as requested by the City Council to provide input on the economic impact of activities within the City;
2. Members shall be selected based on the following:
a. Residents of the City of Pacifica
b. Possess knowledge of business and/or local economic development c. Have a passion for the local community
3. The EDC will be comprised of the Economic Development Manager (Ex Officio, non-- voting), at least one City Council member as liaison, and nine community members appointed by the City Council plus one non-voting, Ex-Officio member as designated by Pacifica City Council 4
March 25, 2024
the Board of the Pacifica Chamber of Commerce.;
IV. Recommendation and Next Steps
The City Manager recommends supporting the EDC’s recommended charter amendments.
Following discussion in the joint study session and Council direction, the City Manager will return to City Council at a future meeting with an amended EDC resolution reflecting the amendments or alternative direction from the City Council.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
An alternative action would be to not approve the EDC’s Charter Amendment request, which would retain the 2019 Charter as the current governing document.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
City Council’s Priority Work Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 included Item No. 13 – Review City Commission and Committee Charters.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No direct fiscal impact from this study session item.
ORIGINATED BY:
City Manager's Office
ATTACHMENT LIST:
Exhibit A: Amending EDC Charter Resolution (PDF)