Memorandum

To: Santa Clara County Cities Association (SCCCA) Member Cities
From: SCCCA Ad Hoc Economic Development Committee
Date: July 8, 2004
Re: Regional Economic Development

Approve the formation of new standing Committee of the SCCCA called the Joint Economic Development Policy Committee (JEDPC) and designate each city’s Mayor or other appointed Councilmember as a representative. The JEDPC would be advisory in nature, a forum wherein uniform approaches to economic development policy would be discussed and forwarded to the full SCCCA Board for further discussion and/or for action to each respective City Council. All such recommendations to local city councils will be purely advisory with no impact on local control.

Examples of issues which may arise as part of the regional body's discussion might include discussion of local fiscal policies, simplification of processes for permits or zoning applications, or the implementation of tax relief to encourage investment through consistent or universal policies in the region. A work-plan outlining the specific issues that the group will take on should emanate from their discussions and be determined collectively. In the context of this new regional body we would anticipate taking up issues that our individual councils can adopt quickly, such as changes to our local codes, policies, and procedures.

Joint Venture Silicon Valley (JVSV), the San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group (SVMG) have discussed the issue and have initially agreed to support and take part in the committee. Mr. Russ Hancock of the JVSV has offered to assist with staffing by augmenting the efforts of SCCCA and it's Executive Director initially and until such time that an alternative or procedural system is established.

It has been conceptually agreed that the JEDPC would be composed of 15 city representatives, 15 business representatives, 1 county representative, and the three aforementioned associations and their respective CEO's. The business representatives will be executives selected across various sectors. Prior to September a list of business executive nominees/invitees will be provided by the three organizational CEO’s with final input from SCCCA Board. In addition, stakeholders would be brought in on a meeting-by-meeting basis as the need arises to offer testimony and other input. The group should regularly meet a week prior to the monthly SCCCA Board meetings in order to provide the opportunity for immediate action each month. The first meeting to be scheduled in September of 2004 will be an informal organizational meeting.

The JEDPC will help develop a permanent regional body that will address economic development strategies for local government here in Santa Clara County. What is being proposed is very new, a new local government/business policy board to deal specifically with regional economic development.