Business Success Center
In a recent city-wide survey, residents cited economic development as one of the top three priorities for our community. We responded initially by funding an Economic Development Director position through our Chamber of Commerce. This week we launched a major new initiative to expand our local job base and attract new and different companies to Paso Robles.
I am excited to welcome a new Business Success Center in the downtown area.
The Business Success Center will provide co-working space, training, seminars, individualized mentoring, pitch contests, and other resources that will lead to business attraction, expansion, incubation, acceleration, and development. Additionally, it will be a hub for collaboration and community building, and unique events.
A significant number of City residents telecommute or work out of their home. The coworking space provides a local, professional office space and grows support and connections between businesses – which has been shown to build needed local networks and spawn new business ventures. A survey conducted by the City in 2018 identified the level of demand for such a coworking space.
The Business Success Center will be the home of “Startup Paso,” an affiliate with the nationwide “StartupsEverywhere” network that connects local entrepreneurs and investors. The BSC will be the City’s hub for startups and investors to connect; increasing the likelihood of entrepreneurs being able
to launch and keep their businesses in Paso, rather than moving out of the area to seek funding and networks.
The BSC will house the SBDC’s North County business development services, and will be given dedicate office and training space. The SBDC is a Federally funded program that provides intensive mentoring and consulting to local startups and existing businesses to go to the next level, and stay local. Currently, services are in San Luis Obispo and not well-utilized by Paso residents.
Salinas River Bed
As you know, I have been (and will continue to be) an advocate for services to alleviate the human suffering caused by homelessness. The City recently received a $1.5-million grant to establish a homeless services center near the Wastewater Treatment facilities on Sulphur Springs Road. We also word cooperatively with the Homeless Services Oversight Committee, El Camino Homeless Organization and Paso Cares.
Recent fires in the Salinas River Bed, however, have made me more mindful of the negative public safety and environmental impacts of illegal encampments in that area. These fires could easily have spread smoldering embers which could have touched off the kinds of incidents that have blackened hundreds of thousands of acres around the state and destroyed the city of Paradise. We cannot allow this to happen in Paso Robles.
Other impacts associated with these encampments include endangerment of river water, damage to local ecosystems and the potential for human disease. Public safety officers have responded to thousands of calls for service associated with our homeless population since 2015.
In response, I have requested our Council consider a emergency clean-up of the river bed as soon as possible and establishment of a periodic clean-up throughout the year. I have contacted County and State agencies as well as California Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, State Senator William Monning and U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal. First District Supervisor John Peschong and Mr. Cunningham have already offered their assistance and the State environmental office out of Fresno is facilitating the appropriate permits for river bed clean-up.
This effort will cost money (surprise!), but nowhere the amount of money that would be required to address the distress that would be caused by a major fire.
Short-Term/Vacation Rentals
This issue turned around again at the most recent Council meeting. Two weeks ago, after four years, two task forces and 30 meetings, the Council voted to address the negative impacts of short-term rentals in R-1 zones by requiring a two-year phase-out. This was not the recommendation of our task forces or Planning Commission and I opposed it. When it became apparent that we would not be able to produce an ordinance unless I compromised, I changed my vote. On June 18, the Council discussed the required second reading of the ordinance. After public testimony my colleagues modified their positions and we directed staff to return with a modified version of the task force recommendations as a first reading of a new ordinance. This ordinance prohibits new STRs in R-1 zones, implements enforceable rules for tenant behavior and creates substantial fines/permit revocation for landlords who allow unruly and disruptive behavior. You can see the staff report and minutes for this discussion at the city website: www.prcity.com.
New Assistant City Manager
We welcome Sandra Johnson-Rios as our new Assistant City Manager.
Johnson-Rios is currently the Housing & Neighborhoods Department Operations Administrator for the City of Raleigh, North Carolina. As such, she oversees three units responsible for affordable housing preservation and production. Prior to assuming her duties in Raleigh, NC, Johnson-Rios held a series of increasingly responsible positions with the cities of Santa Monica and Chula Vista, California. She brings a diverse array of local government experience in the areas of community and economic development, budget and financial administration, public works, and community relations.
Johnson-Rios received her Master of Public and International Affairs degree, with a focus in Domestic and Urban Policy, from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. She was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study cross-border policy issues and public administration in Tijuana, Mexico. She has also spent time in Bolivia and Guatemala, and speaks Spanish.
Until next we blog, here’s to you Paso Robles!