Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution to Approve and Appropriate $50,000 for a Consulting Services Agreement with the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce to Support New and Ongoing Economic Development Services
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the City Council approve the attached Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a consulting services agreement between the City of San Leandro and the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce and to appropriate $50,000 to support new and ongoing Economic Development services.
BACKGROUND
The City of San Leandro is continually exploring opportunities to leverage resources in the private sector to advance economic development goals and initiatives. With its membership of San Leandro businesses, the Chamber of Commerce is particularly well-positioned to assist with events and activities that require outreach to the San Leandro business community. Due to limited staffing levels in the Economic Development Division, the Chamber’s assistance is particularly helpful in addressing the needs of businesses in San Leandro. The proposed Consulting Services Agreement provides for the performance of specific tasks that help to advance San Leandro’s economic development goals during Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
Analysis
Based on discussions between City staff and the Chamber, the parties concur on the following scope of services for the proposed agreement. Events and meetings may be held virtually as appropriate per current County public health department orders.
1. Workforce Development
The Chamber will create and promote programs to establish viable interest and engagement with the business community, local high school students, and job seekers to facilitate workforce development opportunities, including:
• Job Fairs - These job fairs champion the initiative of local people getting local jobs within multiple industries in San Leandro. The Chamber will host two individual job fairs providing additional opportunities for businesses to recruit from the local workforce.
• National Small Business Week, May 1-7, 2022 - The Chamber will provide the platform and planning for up to eight one-hour business education seminars on several different topics: website development, marketing, social media, QuickBooks training, resilient leadership, and more.
2. Business Retention & Expansion
The Chamber will coordinate and convene forums, roundtable discussions, presentations, and meet-up events to educate, inform, and connect businesses to collaborate around common interests in efforts to maintain and further develop a local business ecosystem. Events include:
• San Leandro By Design - Summer 2022. This signature program is focused on bringing San Leandro economic development to its fullest potential. Programs are designed around relevant topics, bringing diverse interests and stakeholders together in the form of lectures, presentations, and walking tours of development plans, updates from economic development organizations, and inspirational storytelling regarding economically successful cities. There will be one walking tour event to showcase the budding bio-tech hub at the Gate510.
• National Manufacturing Week - October 2022. This industry meet-up event celebrates San Leandro’s dense and impressive manufacturing sector. The Chamber will provide the platform, marketing, and promotion of tour participation on National Manufacturing Day, October 7, 2022. The Chamber will feature manufacturing businesses on its website, newsletter, and on social media channels for the month of October, as well as host a Manufacturers’ Appreciation Event at the close of National Manufacturing Week.
3. San Leandro Branding & Marketing
The Chamber and City will work together to create a Marketing Plan consistent with the San Leandro story. This plan may be utilized by the City’s Economic Development team and the Chamber of Commerce to help encourage businesses and developers to locate to and invest in San Leandro.
Research - the Chamber will identify partners and businesses to champion the initiative, engage with stakeholders to identify strengths and weaknesses in attracting businesses to San Leandro through roundtable discussions, interviews, and surveys. A summary of feedback will be provided, including recommendations for more effective business attraction strategies and positive things to highlight.
• Business Roundtable - The Chamber will host industry-specific executive level roundtables to connect with businesses and learn why they choose to operate in San Leandro, and what is needed to stay and grow. These roundtables will be by invitation only, to create settings that allow for deeper conversations. Information gained from these conversations will be utilized to further the marketing efforts of San Leandro.
Promotion of City Initiatives - the Chamber will promote the City’s Green Business Program, Business Incentives Program, and the Downtown Parking Program with the goal of referring businesses to enlist in these programs. Promotion will consist of creating a dedicated page on the Chamber’s website, features in the Chamber newsletter, and via the Chamber’s social media channels.
Previous Actions
The previous Agreement with the Chamber of Commerce was approved by City Council on December 14, 2020 (Resolution 2020-162), with a term covering Fiscal Year 2020-2021. Due to processing delays in setting up the purchase order for this contract, funds budgeted for the 2021-2022 contract were used for the previous year’s 2020-2021 contract (and no funds were spent in FY2020-2021). As such the Council is requested to appropriate $50,000 in General Funds, which were unspent in 2020-2021, for the 2021-2022 Chamber contract.
Legal Analysis
This Agreement was reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
Fiscal Impacts
This General Fund request will cost $50,000, which requires increasing the FY2021-2022 Adopted Budget by the same amount ($50,000) in Account 010-14-010-8513. There will be no off-setting revenues for this project.
Budget Authority
This request will require Council appropriation of $50,000 for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 from the General Fund Undesignated Fund Balance into Account 010-14-010-8513.
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment(s) to Resolution
Consulting Services Agreement
PREPARED BY: Lars Halle, Development Coordinator, Community Development