HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09221992 - S.1 : BOARD OF SUPERVISORS { oft
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FROM! Supervisor Tom Powers, & Supervisor Sunne McPeak
Costa
County
DATE. September 22 , 1992
t
Atlw;alEexr_ Encouraging Growth and DPvpl npment in Centra Costa County
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SPECIFIC REOUEBT{S}OR RECOMMENDATION(S)i BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION
To encourage growthand development in Contra Costa County, an ad hoc
committee should be established which will :
1 . Sit down with business and industry leaders to find out from them
what their concerns are and how we can help them with these concerns. .
2. Allow business to assess our current regulations (health and land use)
and report to the board changes we can make to help:
3. Allow a continuing dialogue to occur between government, industry,
enviornmental groups and the greater community, on the need for
business expansion. „
4. Evaluate new regulations and fees as to their economic impact on
business and industry.
S. Organize a method of assistance to work with regional , state and
federal regulators to insure both a safe environment and economically
rational regulatory burden.
BACKGROUND:
(see attached)
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _LYES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF HOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
BtGNATUREtS}:
ACTION OF II<OARD ON- SP=t pmh,-r 22, 19R7. APPROVED AS RECOMMMO j GTMER X
The Board APPROVED the above recommendations, and AGREED to incorporate this
into the Contra Costa Works Program.
Supervisor Fanden recalled that the Board had talked about a conference or
symposium at the Sheraton Hotel with members of the industrial and business community
to sit down and talk about their problems and what the Board could do to assist them.
Eric Hasseltine, representing the Contra Costa Council, spoke on need for
everyone to work together to -help industry promote a healthy growth in California. He urged
the formation of the above-mentioned committee. He indicated that the Contra Costa Council
will work with Supervisor Fanden to put together the symposium..
NOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CER71FY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
......X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AVCA ItOER-. _ .._ AND ENTERED ON THE MiNUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN* i OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
reg County Administrator ATTESTED Spptamher ZZ. 1992 .
GEMDA PHIL.BATCHELOk CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Supervisor Fanden SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
9v .DEPUTY
. i
G
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E OACKGROUND:
Businass is an essontial, part of the quality of life in Contra
Costa County and local government must do all it can to help it
flourish. The history of Contra Costa County shows that
manufacturing was the foundation of the economy in' Contra Costa and
continues to be a crucial element for employment and for the local
tax base.
In recent years, citizen and government actions have focused
on the environment. This has resulted in regulations on business to
adjust their operations to be more sensitive to the environment.
These actions were required and continue to be strongly and 'Widely
supported by the public. Sometimes, - actions on behalf of the
environment, including Local, state aria faderasl government
regulations, have actually stifled business investment and in fact
have caused closures or reductions in industry. " This appears to
have boon most prevalent in the petro/cheminal i ndiistry.
Industry, business and the environment are ail important, and
it seems unfortunate that the environmental community or the
government regulator has not taken the time and energy to be sure
that both the environment and industry, are treated with a healthy
and wise respect. It is just this fact that brings us to the
conclusion that we must find a way to insure that environmental
regulations be considered together with an evaluation of the impact
of the regulations on the economics of induatry and business.
The state of the economy continues to suggest that if we do
not pay attentl rs to business growth and development, the jobc,
investment and expansion of our economy that comes from business
growth and development will not occur. Contra Costa County needs
to now take steps to ina=e Lh&LI t does not hamper business growth
and encourage business and industrial growth.
Achieving the appropriate balfAnue Det;ween environmental and
economic concerns is the single greatest challenge facing
government. There is a popularly. held belief that we can solve all
of our problems by converting to "clean" or "light" J nUua 4ri6aa like
software development, biotech research and manufacture, warehousing
and the like. While there is a place for these industries in
Contra Costa County, ttiey are not a replacement for large
industrial facilities .
Heavy industries bring two vital elements to our. cvnivaunit'y.
First and most importantly, they bring many high: paying jobs for
working man and women who live in Contra Costa County.
Unfortunately, the so ,called "high tech" Industrial development
brings only a few jobs to the non-professional, work force and those
Jobs tend to be extremely low paying ones. our large industrial.
facilities tend to employ many workers and to compensate them
extremely well. Second, and increasingly *portant in these times
of revenue shortfalls, heavy industry brings a large and constant
tax base which supports local government.
As Supervisors, we Must keep our attention focused on the
needs of our constituents. The County must maintain its heavy
industrial base so its residents can continue to ba gainfully
employed and so that the tax revenues from capital intensive
industrial development continue to flow into local government.
Y
V -When it comes down to what is really important to the working
people of Contra Costa County, jobs are at the top of the list.
The aryuuueaL that the presence of industrial fa,ci.litioc loners the
"attractiveness" of our community is without merit. What is
important is that we have a job base and a tax base to meet the
needs of the people who are already here.
It is with this in mind that we address the balancing of
environmental iswuem which confront our ' industries. It goon
without saying that the health and safety of our population is our
first obligation. But we must scrutinize the regulations and
confirm that the burden 1jupotied upon industry is fair and
reasonable .and that no regulator is imposing an unfair burden on
industry that will result in the loss of jobs or tax revenue for
Contra Costa County.
TP:hf
TOTAL P.03