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D. 3

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	John Kopchik, Director, Conservation & Development Department
Date:	June 18, 2019

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative Memorandum of Understanding, Trademark Applications, and Activity Updates

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 06/18/2019

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

Contact:

925-674-7869

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: June 18, 2019
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

1) ACCEPT report on recent Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative activities, and
2) ADOPT Resolution No. 2019/459 approving and authorizing the Director of Conservation and Development, or designee, to execute a memorandum of understanding with the Cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Concord, Hercules, Martinez, Oakley, and Pittsburg to collaboratively evaluate economic development projects, and to submit trademark applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office for Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative marketing taglines.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No new funds are requested. Staff work to pursue trademark applications can be accommodated within the existing budget.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If the Board does not approve this recommendation, it will be difficult to move forward on collaborative implementation of the approved Northern Waterfront Strategic Action Plan.

BACKGROUND:

In January 2019, the Board approved the Northern Waterfront Strategic Action Plan, a menu of economic development activities focused on sustainable economic growth in the region of Contra Costa County along Highway 4 and the Carquinez Strait. In February 2019, the Board approved an updated set of actions for 2019-20 and reallocated the existing funding to support them.

Since February, discussions have progressed with staff from the seven partner cities, Antioch, Brentwood, Concord, Hercules, Martinez, Oakley, and Pittsburg, regarding a Northern Waterfront Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the form of which is included as Attachment A. The staff from the eight jurisdictions have developed language that cements the partnership while allowing individual governing boards to choose which projects to participate in on an ongoing basis. The MOU asks each jurisdiction to commit to staff participation to collaboratively identify and develop projects consistent with the recommendations of the Strategic Action Plan. Each jurisdiction will return to its board for approval of and any necessary funding for specific projects.

The Hercules City Council approved the MOU first, on May 28, and the remaining cities are planning to take the MOU to their City Councils this summer. Pittsburg is scheduled to review it on June 17, Concord on June 25, and the rest plan to take it up in July or August. The goal for all jurisdictions is to approve the MOU this summer and begin jointly implementing projects this fall. At this point, a cooperative marketing campaign may be the first joint project moving forward under the MOU, although the short-line rail feasibility study getting underway on the Wilbur Avenue corridor is also a joint Northern Waterfront project led by the County that predates the MOU.

On May 10, the County convened a public forum with partners EC2 and City of Antioch to kick off the implementation phase of the Initiative, with approximately 300 attendees. The event commenced with a panel with all seven mayors and Supervisor Glover onstage together for the first time, presenting the economic opportunities in the region. The other panels and speakers at the forum were Keynote Speaker State Treasurer Fiona Ma, a panel on automated technology led by Supervisor Burgis, and a panel on regional solutions for jobs which highlighted a manufacturing/flex space incubator in San Francisco.

Other Northern Waterfront activities this spring included consultant procurement for the short line rail study, working with local groups and state agencies to maintain public access to the waterfront in Crockett, and submitting applications to trademark the initiative's name and the marketing tagline "Capital of the Northern California Mega-Region", following direction from the Northern Waterfront Ad Hoc Committee. The trademarks are in process with the U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office. The Trademarks Office requires that the County submit a verification that the term "Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative" has been in use for five years, which it has, having started in 2013. The resolution for this item authorizes the Director of Conservation and Development to submit this and any further paperwork to complete the application process.

CLERK'S ADDENDUM

Speakers: Councilman Kevin Romick, City of Oakley; Lindy Lavendar, East Bay Leadership Council.