Economic Development

When I was appointed to Sacramento City Planning Commission in 1993, businesses were leaving Sacramento because it was reputed to be a place where it was simply “too difficult to do business”. City leaders embarked on efforts to fix what was broken. This included creating the Development Oversight Committee and streamlining processes and developing consistent policies and practices geared toward removing unnecessary roadblocks and red tape to help business thrive. These coordinated efforts resulted in the creation of new jobs and opportunities.

Now is the time for us to come together and identify areas in which we can do better.

District 5 Small Business Round Table

Small business is the heart of the economy for the City and particularly in Sacramento’s 5th District. As a small business person myself, I know that nobody knows better what small businesses need than the business people themselves. As a City, we need to listen to them.

As a Council Member, I will establish a District 5 Small Business Round Table comprised of business owners throughout the District. Together we will identify areas where the City is helping small business (as well as where the City is an impediment to small business success). After this assessment, we will develop policies for the City Manager and Council to consider and adopt. The Round Table will also band together with the chambers of commerce in the area to become a voice for small business seeking state and federal funding for business opportunities.

I will also advocate for the City to ensure that already available incentive programs such as loans, redevelopment programs, and revitalization grants are reaching the businesses that need them most. Often the failure stems from inadequate marketing of available resources to the wide audience – including those business owners who do not speak English. My commitment includes making sure the City assists businesses to get the help they need to actually participate in these opportunities.

District 5 Business Corridors

District 5 is really a tapestry of great neighborhoods woven together by historic small business corridors (Broadway, Freeport, Franklin, Stockton, Fruitridge, and Florin). Unfortunately, these corridors have often been neglected and are aging. We need to look at each of these corridors as unique opportunities to create regional destinations. We need to identify opportunities to create an individual sense of place for each corridor and work with the businesses to help them in their success. The recent approval of the Little Saigon section of South Stockton Boulevard is a good example of this. Where there once was a prostitution stroll and closed storefronts and motels, there is now a growing and vibrant business community. We need to work with our business associations and do the same for the rest of Stockton Boulevard as well as the other corridors.