City Council Staff Report Page 1 of 6 July 28, 2026
Staff Report
Agenda Item No. 6.1
DATE: July 28, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Joan Malloy, City Manager
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Approving the Economic Development Strategic Plan and Accepting the Economic Development Division Six-Month Work Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff requests that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the Economic Development Strategic Plan (Attachment 1: Draft Resolution). The Economic Development Strategic Plan (“ED Strategic Plan”) is included as Exhibit A to the resolution. Staff is also recommending the City Council accept the 6-month (July - December 2026) Economic Development Division Work Plan (Attachment 3).
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This agenda item is in alignment with:
Goal 1, Strategy 1: Establish a comprehensive fiscal stability and sustainability plan to address the General Fund’s long-term structural deficit; and Goal C, Strategy 6: Update the Economic Development Strategic Plan to meet the City’s financial goals and build regional partnerships.
BACKGROUND
Strategic Economics Inc. (“Consultant”) was retained to work with City staff and the City Council on the update to the ED Strategic Plan. The ED Strategic Plan is a policy document that will guide the City’s economic development activities over the next five years.
The ED Strategic Plan focuses on the industrial and retail sectors and examines their impact on the City’s fiscal and economic health. The ED Strategic Plan also acknowledges the City’s competitive advantages and disadvantages, current market conditions, and external factors that cannot be controlled, such as decisions made by property owners or businesses. Overall, the combined goals, objectives, and strategies are built on the foundation of building partnerships with brokers, businesses, investors, Agenda Item No. 6.1
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and property owners to ensure that Union City is recognized as a great place to do business.
On March 19, 2026, the Economic Development Advisory Team (“EDAT”) reviewed the draft ED Strategic Plan, which included an overview of the strategic planning process, goals, objectives, and strategies. EDAT members asked clarifying questions, which were addressed in the draft of the ED Strategic Plan.
On June 9, 2026, the City Council held a Study Session with the Consultant and City staff to review the draft ED Strategic Plan. The plan's development included opportunities for Council feedback, which will be incorporated to ensure flexibility and responsiveness to evolving economic conditions.
DISCUSSION
The ED Strategic Plan includes four sections. Section I introduces the Final ED Strategic Plan and the process behind its development. Section II presents the data and analysis used to establish a comprehensive profile of Union City’s economic trends. Section III reflects the City’s strengths, opportunities, and challenges, based on both the quantitative analysis presented in Section II and input from multiple focus groups and stakeholder interviews. These interviews provided greater context and deeper insights into the data, helping define a framework for the Plan’s vision, goals, objectives, and strategies presented in the ED Strategic Plan. Section IV also includes performance objectives and metrics to measure progress towards achieving the Plan’s goals, as well as a timeline for implementing the many individual strategies.
Vision Statement
With input from the City Council and stakeholders, the Vision Statement guiding the Economic Development Strategic Plan is:
"Union City is a great place to do business based on transparent and responsive government services. Union City is committed to retaining its existing businesses, attracting new businesses that include high-wage jobs for Union City residents, and growing the City’s revenues. Union City will continue offering clean and safe business districts and improving the quality of life of residents." ED Strategic Plan Framework
The Economic Development Strategic Plan includes four goals, 13 objectives, and 45 implementation strategies. See below for an overview of the Plan’s goals and objectives.
Goal 1: Sustain, Retain and Grow Union City’s Existing Businesses The focus of this goal is to strengthen communication, engagement, and partnerships with the local business community by:
Collaborating with City staff and local businesses to maintain clean, safe, and welcoming industrial and commercial districts.
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Providing outreach and connecting businesses of all sizes to available City, regional, state, and federal resources and support programs.
Fostering ongoing communication to identify business needs and promote economic vitality.
Goal 2: Attract New Business to Union City
The focus of this goal is to ensure that business attraction efforts focus on businesses that are aligned with Union City’s available real estate assets, infrastructure, skills, and education of residents.
In addition, objectives focus on collaboration with various types of businesses, including shopping center owners, to attract tenants that meet the needs and preferences of Union City's diverse population, enhancing retail offerings and improving quality of life for residents.
Goal 3: Foster Investment in Union City’s Industrial and Commercial Areas Union City's industrial and commercial areas, including its shopping centers, are vital to the City's economic development. Key objectives under this goal include maintaining an accurate inventory of commercial and industrial properties, collaborating with utility providers and other partners to ensure adequate power and infrastructure, and supporting timely, predictable permitting processes.
Related objectives also focus on the City's shopping centers, viewed as important community assets, to ensure these centers are well maintained, attractive, and responsive to residents' needs. Union Landing, an important revenue source for the City, will continue to be supported through partnerships with the Union Landing Property Owners Association and the Property Business Improvement District.
Additional objectives include enhancing the vitality of the Alvarado Historic District and facilitating the development of city-owned properties to advance economic development goals.
Goal 4: Tell Union City’s Story of Success
Objectives focus on marketing and promoting Union City's unique assets, amenities, and business advantages, which are fundamental to attracting and retaining industrial and commercial investment. The objectives of this goal also focus on educating stakeholders, businesses, and the broader community, empowering them to serve as ambassadors who help tell Union City's story of success and opportunity.
See attached ED Strategic Plan (Attachment 1 – Exhibit A) for additional information on each goal, its supporting objectives, and related implementation strategies.
Implementation Matrix
The ED Strategic Plan provides a framework for prioritizing City staff resources to achieve the City's economic development goals and long-term vision.
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The Implementation Matrix (Figure 21, included at the end of the Plan) identifies each strategy's timeline, responsible parties, geographic focus, and performance measures, while recognizing that many activities are ongoing and that priorities may shift in response to emerging opportunities or challenges. Progress will be monitored through regular reviews and quarterly updates to the City Council.
The attached Economic Development 6 Month Work Plan (July 1–December 31, 2026) is derived from the Implementation Matrix and identifies staff's priority actions for the remainder of the calendar year (Attachment 3). Staff introduced the Work Plan at its June 9, 2026, City Council Study Session.
City Council Feedback
During the Study Session and through comments following the session, the City Council asked clarifying questions and discussed areas of focus/concern. See Attachment 2 for a summary of this feedback.
The Council recognized that the strategies identified to achieve these goals and objectives should remain flexible and may be modified, refocused, or supplemented as market conditions evolve, properties become available, and new business attractions or retention opportunities emerge. Staff will provide quarterly updates to the City Council on marketplace conditions, implementation progress, and key accomplishments, providing opportunities to discuss and adjust strategies as needed.
While the City Council's comments did not result in changes to the Plan's goals, objectives, or strategies, they did provide additional guidance on how staff should approach implementation. Below is a list of issues brought up by the City Council and a summary of responding strategies identified in the ED Strategic Plan, which also informed the attached Work Plan (Attachment 3) summarized in the section below.
1. Strengthen City and Chamber of Commerce Collaboration: Continue partnering with the Union City Chamber of Commerce to enhance communication, provide businesses with information about available programs and resources, and support initiatives that strengthen the local business community. (Strategies 1.1(d) and 1.3(c))
2. Support Shopping Center Vitality: Engage with shopping center owners to better understand operational challenges, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop strategies to address property needs, attract new businesses, and enhance commercial centers. (Strategies 2.2(a) and 3.2(a))
3. Streamline Business Permitting and Support Business Investment: Provide businesses, brokers, and developers with assistance navigating permitting processes, accessing resources, making investment decisions, and coordinating utility infrastructure needs to support business establishment and expansion. (Strategies 1.1(f), 2.1(a), and 3.1(b))
4. Support Small Business Start-Up and Growth: Expand resources, guidance, and educational opportunities to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses in Agenda Item No. 6.1
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establishing operations, accessing support programs, and building long-term sustainability. (Strategies 1.4(a) and 1.4(b))
5. Maintain Clean, Safe, and Attractive Commercial and Industrial Districts:
Collaborate with City partners, including the Homeless Task Force, to address challenges affecting commercial and industrial areas and maintain a welcoming environment for businesses. (Strategy 1.2(a))
6. Prioritize High-Impact Economic Development Initiatives: Maintain focus on strategies that support revenue generation, business retention, and economic growth through ongoing engagement with key employers, advisory groups, and quarterly reporting on economic development trends and projects. (Strategies
1.1(b), 1.1(g), and 4.2(a))
Economic Development (ED) Work Plan Overview
Attached is the ED Work Plan that covers the period from July 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026 (Attachment 3). Staff’s implementation approach is organized into two primary areas of focus: ongoing work activities and strategic work projects. Ongoing work includes activities that require continuous attention and timely response to business owners, community members, brokers, developers, and other stakeholders seeking assistance or information. Strategic work projects are targeted initiatives that require dedicated staff focus, defined deliverables, and a beginning and end timeframe to achieve specific outcomes.
The attached Work Plan aligns with the four goals of the Economic Development Strategic Plan. It balances day-to-day business support with proactive initiatives designed to strengthen Union City’s economic vitality. See below for a high-level summary organized by goal.
Goal 1: Sustain, Retain, and Grow Union City’s Existing Businesses Staff will continue providing responsive support to existing businesses, maintaining key economic indicators, coordinating with business and regional partners, and supporting City initiatives. Priority projects include expanding business engagement through industry roundtables, establishing a new Chamber of Commerce agreement, conducting business preparedness trainings, supporting Manufacturing Day activities, addressing challenges impacting business, and developing new small business promotion programs.
Goal 2: Attract New Businesses to Union City
Staff will continue assisting brokers, developers, and prospective businesses with site selection and location assistance. Priority projects include developing targeted marketing materials to attract retail tenants to available shopping center spaces and conducting outreach to shopping center property owners.
Goal 3: Foster Investment in Union City’s Industrial and Commercial Areas Staff will continue monitoring commercial and industrial market activity, engaging with property owners/managers, including targeted outreach to shopping center owners, supporting business infrastructure needs, participating in development review efforts, and collaborating with business improvement organizations. Priority projects include developing marketing materials to highlight available and strategic investment Agenda Item No. 6.1
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opportunities.
Goal 4: Tell Union City’s Story of Success
Staff will continue regional collaboration and economic development partnerships while advancing projects that enhance the City’s economic development presence, including development of a City marketing plan and updates to the Economic Development webpage.
Staff is seeking feedback on the proposed Work Plan priorities and direction regarding any additional areas of focus or adjustments that should be incorporated as implementation proceeds.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact on the General Fund from receiving this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the Economic Development Strategic Plan and accept the Economic Development Work Plan after providing any feedback on additional areas of focus or adjustments to priorities.
Prepared by: Gloria Ortega, Economic Development Manager Submitted by: Carmela Campbell, Economic and Community Development Director Attachments
1. Attachment 1: Draft Resolution
2. Attachment 2: City Council Feedback on Draft Economic Development Strategic Plan
3. Attachment 3: 6-Month ED Work Plan – July 2026 – December 2026