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What's New in ED
Archives November 22, 2005 Articles from the November 22, 2005 ED-Lert Issue Act
Now…Get Your Projects Listed Complete survey results found at www.gpec.org/edsurvey/results.html Expansion Management Magazine Adopts New Frequency Schedule Expansion Management, a publication for executives engaged in the business expansion and relocation process, has decided to reorient the publishing frequency schedule of its flagship publication, Expansion Management magazine, in 2006, switching from monthly to seven times a year. The move will allow the multi-media franchise to focus its efforts on a broader range of venues serving the business expansion and relocation field. A digital version of Expansion Management will also continue to be available to subscribers. “For a long time, Expansion Management was primarily a print publication, and all of our efforts were focused on the print product itself,” said Gorton W. Wood, longtime publisher of Expansion Management. “Over the past several years, though, we have grown dramatically in our Internet, conference, and data offerings in our continuing effort to serve the information needs of our corporate executive subscribers.” Beginning with the January-February 2006 issue, Expansion Management magazine will publish every other month, in addition to its annual resource directory issue, The Atlas & Guide, which Expansion Management will continue to publish in April. In addition, the magazine will continue to publish its various annual magazines, such as Strategic Moves and Military Communities of Excellence, as well as Leadership For Manufacturers, the official publication for The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Expansion Management magazine is published by Penton Media, www.penton.com. For further information, please visit http://news.expansionmanagement.com/ Paul Venosdel Leaves USDA, Rural Development Post in California If Paul Venosdel is losing any sleep these days, he’s confident it’s for all the right reasons. After nearly four years of leading the state’s Rural Development agency, Venosdel has left the agency to start a lobbying and grassroots advocacy business with a longtime colleague from Washington, D.C. Click here for the complete article. To learn about Paul's new business, read the full press release here. Did You Know? Economic Developers Appreciated “Did I ever tell you how much I appreciate what each of you do? If not, let me take this opportunity to say “thank you.” As an economic developer, you have a unique vantage point on vital economic, business, and community issues. No other profession that I know of places you at the very important intersection of so many interesting and exciting developments and activities related to communities, businesses, industries, technology, human relations, finance, and many other things. What you do is eminently important to society.” - Don Iannone, Economic Development Futures Web Journal Gov. Small Biz Advocate Appointment Growing up, Dennis Trinidad’s family owned restaurants and pool halls in Watsonville. As an adult, he spent 31 years with Pacific Gas and Electric, followed by a handful more as president and chief executive officer of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Both his small-business roots and his big-business workplace lured him out of his second retirement to take on his current role: the State’s newly appointed small-business advocate. Trinidad, named to the $70,000 job last month by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, says he wants to be the eyes and ears in the Capitol for California’s small business owners. San Gabriel Valley Leads in Job Retention/Expansion The San Gabriel Valley www.valleyconnect.com is leading the Los Angeles County in job retention and attraction. According to the LAEDC, since 1996, the San Gabriel Valley has retained and attracted more than 25,000 jobs. State Reduces Disability Tax Rate California regulators will reduce the State Disability Insurance rate for 2006 and keep the rates for unemployment insurance and employment training unchanged from their 2005 levels. The disability rate, typically listed as SDI, is 0.8 percent for 2006, with a maximum amount to withhold of $635.34. In 2005, the rate was 1.08 percent with a withholding maximum of approximately $858. The taxable wage limit stays at $79,418 per employee per calendar year. Other rates remained unchanged from 2005. Data Source DataPlace aims to provide housing and community development professionals with a convenient one-stop shop for relevant data, and offers some sophisticated, but easy-to-use tools for generating maps, tables, and charts. Visit www.dataplace.org to learn more. Real Estate Links Commercial Real Estate Reports Reports on office, industrial, retail, and apartment real estate markets for major metropolitan areas. www.rcanalytics.com/home.asp?stay=Y Apartment Market Outlook Periodic news releases for 40 metro areas on apartment market conditions. www.marcusmillichap.com/Research/News.asp Regional Overviews Quarterly market reports for 50 metro areas, for four types of real estate (apartment, office, retail, industrial). Data includes vacancy rate, asking rent, and supply demand trends. Reports provided by Reis.com. www.realestatejournal.com/regionalnews/reiscenter/ USDA Supports Rural Partnerships There is a strong federal and state government partnership to address unique challenges and problems in California’s rural communities. Without fanfare, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development works with individuals, groups, nonprofit business development and housing organizations, law enforcement, schools, libraries, healthcare facilities and others to funnel millions of dollars in grants, loans and technical assistance to rural communities. (Opinion Article – Imperial Valley Press) Visit www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2005/10/21/opinion/voice/voice01_10-21.txt to learn more. Articles from the November 8, 2005 ED-Lert Issue Legislative
Update Westly Pushes Pension Funds for Communities State Controller Steve Westly will push 130 California public pension funds, representing $170 billion in assets, to increase investment in underserved communities. Those 130 funds comprise all of the state’s public pension funds with the exception of California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS). CalPERS and CalSTRS are the nation’s first and third largest public pension systems respectively, and represent combined assets of more than $300 billion. “For California to be successful, every Californian must have an equal shot at success,” Westly said. “Our economy won’t move forward unless we invest in our underserved communities – it’s good for pension funds, and it’s the right thing to do for California.” Congratulations to Upstate ED Officers Congratulations to the new officers and executive committee members for the Upstate California Economic Development Council! Chair: Bobbi Park, Placer County Vice-Chair: John Fleming, Yuba County Treasurer: Marie Liscome, Eureka Secretary: Peter Jukusky, Colusa EDC President: Greg O’Sullivan, Red Bluff New Energy Commission Building Standards New energy efficiency building standards went into effect in California on October 1, 2005 – standards that will reduce energy use in the state by an estimated 180 megawatts of electricity load and 8.8 million therms of natural gas each year. Information on the Title 24 Energy Efficiency Building Standards is available on the Energy Commission’s website at www.energy.ca.gov/title24/2005standards/. The California Energy Commission staff will conduct a workshop to present the goals, plans, and expected scope for the 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings and obtain public suggestion and comment on potential revisions to the Standards. Visit www.energy.ca.gov/title24/2008standards/notices/index.html to learn more. Guide for Financial Opportunities for Businesses A link is provided below to a web version of the Controller's Office Guide for Financial Opportunities for Businesses. http://cccewd.net/files/resources/Small_Bus_Guide.pdf Guide to Federal Funding A new federal fiscal year started October 1st for over 1,500 federal programs offering funding for many community programs. Although the recent hurricanes changed and delayed federal budget priorities, millions of dollars are currently available, and additional funding is likely. The almanac is available for $235 (prepaid) and can be purchased from www.cdpublications.com/shop/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=391 or by calling 1- (800) 666-6380. Articles from the October 25, 2005 ED-Lert Issue PG&E Supports Economic Vitality of
Communities Fresno County Tops List of Economic Impact Grant Recipients USDA Rural Development has awarded 17 Economic Impact Initiative (EII) Grants. Totaling $675,778, these grants will improve safety, crime prevention, healthcare, and educational resources in rural communities. Grants were awarded based on communities that had more than 19.5 percent unemployment. USDA Rural Development State Director Paul Venosdel noted the help of Vicki Bradshaw, Secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and her staff. “Vicki Bradshaw and her staff were especially helpful in providing the latest data on unemployment in rural communities,” said Venosdel. "This shows that states and federal officials are closely working together on behalf of rural residents.” Further information on rural programs is available at www.rurdev.usda.gov/ca. Online Resource Provides Assistance for Trade Management The Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA) is participating in a regional collaborative program entitled Global California. Global California is an easy to use online solution that combines the resources and expertise of four trade promotion and three economic development partner agencies. Global California can assist your company in each step of the export or import process. For more information, visit www.globalcalifornia.org. Participate in Economic Trends Survey and Win an iPod Shuffle Participate in this national survey of Economic Development peers and become eligible to win an iPod Shuffle MP3 player. This survey will only take a few minutes to complete and responses will be kept confidential. Submit responses no later than November 1st. Click here to access the survey. High Costs Squeeze Manufacturing Profits The National Association of Manufacturing Institute found that increased operating costs hold a direct impact in profits. Also noted was that other structural costs identified in an earlier NAM/MAPI study – especially rising tort, regulatory and tax costs – also contribute to the profits downturn. A link to the new study is available at www.nam.org/costsqueeze. California Business Investment Services are Moving The new CalBIS address is: 801 K Street, Suite 2100 Sacramento, CA 95814 The new CalBIS phone numbers are as follows: (916) 322 - 0614 fax (916) 322 - 0000 main Dave Frietas (916) 322 – 0235 Direct email: dave.frietas@labor.ca.gov Dave Snyder (916) 322 – 0412 Direct email: dave.snyder@labor.ca.gov Greg Hribar (916) 322 – 0405 Direct email: greg.hribar@labor.ca.gov Greg Gibson (916) 322 – 0254 Direct email: greg.gibson@labor.ca.gov Articles from the October 18, 2005 ED-Lert Issue Intelligent Community of the Year Awards Assembly Committee Hearings Continue Tulare County Has Had a Very Good Year Unemployment is down, housing starts are setting records and the county will probably set records in terms of new jobs created and attraction of new businesses. The Tulare County Economic Development Corporation is a publicly funded entity supported by the county and its cities for the purpose of promoting business and economic growth. The EDC is responsible for much of the county’s recent growth. Paul Saldana, CEO, has been guiding the efforts of the EDC for five years with the philosophy that his organization’s job is to serve the customer – businesses that are seeking to move. In meeting their needs, Saldana believes the goals of the EDC will be met. An unpromising trend in Tulare County is the defection of young, bright people to other places for their education and employment. Saldana is disappointed that this trend leads away from a vocational focus and almost exclusively to an academic, college prep type of focus. Saldana understands that not every child will attend a four-year college and pursue a degree. However, every child does have an opportunity to pursue a good career in producing or making something. The EDC has promoted economic development and marketing on a regional basis for sometime. Collaborating with other parts of California exposes Tulare County to more businesses. At the same time, various industry groups, decision makers, site consultants and real estate brokers recognize Tulare County. In his first two years, Saldana traveled and spoke with newspaper editors about the high- unemployment rate. Saldana believes that Tulare County has been well funded thanks to investment from the public sector, and has recently received some investment from the private sector. This year, the EDC is going all-out to gain investment from the private sector as their contributions are necessary for further growth. (Excerpts from the Tulare Advance-Register.) CALED Member Creates Website for Business Development Washington State’s new business development website was recognized for its user-oriented content at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference. Created by Chabin Concepts, the website received IEDC’s Economic Development General Purpose Website Award at the September 27 awards breakfast. Chabin president, Audrey Taylor, said this award is a particular honor because it means recognition by their peers. The winning website provides easy access to community data, search features to help businesses find counties in Washington matching their location criteria, and a searchable GIS-based site and building database. “We interviewed site selectors to ask what they wanted in a website. The content is information driven,” said Taylor. Incentives Go to Court The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will consider the case of Cuno vs. DaimlerChrysler. Last fall, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that an Ohio investment tax credit given to a Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio violated the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The ruling has prompted massive but little-reported corporate blowback. Two corporate coalitions (formed by the Council on State Taxation and by Ernst Young) seek to overturn the decision, including the possible use of federal legislation. The case has also informed at least two subsequent lawsuits, one in Minnesota against the state’s JOBZ program and the other in North Carolina against the notorious Dell deal in Winston-Salem. The Supreme Court said it will decide how states may use tax incentives to lure companies into building car plants and other projects, a major test of job creation strategies nationwide. Justices will review an Ohio tax program which had been used thousands of times over the last decade until the appeals court ruled that it was unconstitutional. AEDO Program Recognizes Placer County The IEDC congratulates the Placer County Office of Economic Development who recently earned re-accreditation through the Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program. Originally accredited in 1999, IEDC re-accredited the County in 2002. In two of the three years, the county has led the nation in job growth among large counties. The office has facilitated the location of a $3 billion LEED-certified ski and golf destination village and worked with area universities on development projects totaling over $100 million. In addition, the Office developed an award-winning marketing program for technology-based economic development, and completed business retention and expansion plans for three communities. The AEDO program provides economic development organizations with independent feedback on their operations, structure, and procedures, and recognizes excellence in local economic development efforts. AEDO accreditation informs the community and prospects that their investments and businesses are in good hands. Twenty-five organizations are accredited nationally. For more information on how to become an accredited organization, please visit the AEDO webpage at http://www.iedconline.org/?p=AEDO or contact Alex Iams at aiams@iedconline.org. SACTO Earns AEDO Accreditation The Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization (SACTO) has been accredited by IEDC through the Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program. SACTO is a private, non-profit and member-supported organization, and the leading facilitator of economic development for the Sacramento region. The accreditation follows a site visit conducted by a team of economic development professionals from IEDC. The team was impressed with the high level of professionalism and exceptional leadership at SACTO, as well as the relationships SACTO maintains with other organizations in the area. In the past two years, SACTO has helped Universal Technical Institute, Northrup Grumman Mission Systems and First Data Corporation with decisions to locate or expand, adding new facilities and thousands of jobs to the region. New Energy Action Plan for California The California Public Utilities Commission has adopted the second Energy Action Plan for California. The plan was developed by California’s energy-related agencies and identifies further actions necessary to meet our energy needs. To access the plan, visit www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUBLISHED/REPORT/49078.htm. State-by-State Narrative Reports on Educational Issues The think tank Center for American Progress composed a series of new reports regarding education issues. The reports synthesize a wide range of publicly available data from external sources to rank states from first to fiftieth in a series of measures of educational performance. The reports can be accessed here. New Area Code Will Take Effect Next Summer The California Public Utilities Commission approved adding an area code to the area currently served by the 310 area code. New service that begins after August 26, 2006 may be assigned the 424 area code. To read the decision, click here. IEDC Names Best Websites The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) chose these best-practice websites as models for economic development organizations to follow. Top Special Purpose Website by Population Population 200,000 or more (tie): Greater Oklahoma City Chamber (www.OKCedis.com) and City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development (www.cityofchicago.org/smallbusiness) Population 50,000 to 200,000: Kennewick, Washington (www.KennewickProspector.com) Population 50,000 or less: Mansfield Economic Development Corp. (www.MansfieldiSites.com) Top General Purpose Website by Population Population 200,000 or more: Washington State Business and Project Development (www.ChooseWashington.com) Population 50,000 to 200,000: Tinley Park, Illinois (www.tinleyparkbiz.biz) Population 50,000 or less: Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation (www.copperascove-edc.com) Links to Online Information are Changing The following pages have been moved with their old and new URLs: Under the Microscope, Biotechnology Jobs in California California Occupational Guides California Occupational Guides in Spanish Archived California Occupational Guides WIA Planning Information Packets Size of Business These data are available on the LaborMarketInfo website at www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/. Articles from the October 4, 2005 ED-Lert Issue DCI's Winning
ED Marketing Strategies
Report Released CALED Board Member Bruce Ackerman Appointed to Community Redevelopment Agency If his appointment as a board commissioner for the Community Redevelopment Agency is approved by the L.A. City Council, Bruce Ackerman will spend his time looking for ways to renovate small, specific buildings and properties that have been under-used in addition to managing larger neighborhood conversions. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told Ackerman, “We’re specifically asking you because we want somebody who’s got an economic development foundation and background to be on that board to make sure that we’re focused on economic prosperity as well as community benefit.” If his nomination is confirmed, Ackerman expects to spend his first weeks of service getting to know his fellow commissioners and familiarizing himself with the tools in the CRA’s arsenal. (Excerpts from “CRA Appointee Seeks Different Strategy” by Jonathan Colburn for the San Fernando Valley Business Journal Staff) Chamber Urges Governor to Veto ‘Job Killer’ Bills In the closing weeks of the session, the Legislature sent eight California Chamber-opposed “job killer” bills to the Governor. These bills include AB 48 (Lieber D; Mountain View) regarding minimum wage increase, AB 169 (Oropeza D; Long Beach) regarding excessive litigation, AB 391 (Koretz D; West Hollywood) regarding UI benefit expansion, AB 875 (Koretz D; West Hollywood) regarding Government agency potential harassment of employers, AB 1310 (Nunez D; Los Angeles) regarding severance offers and increased litigation, SB 174 (Dunn D; Garden Grove) regarding new “sue your boss” lawsuits, SB 399 (Escutia D; Norwalk) regarding health care cost increase, and SB 833 (Bowen D; Redondo Beach) regarding onerous fax communication restrictions. The Chamber urges business leaders to write the Governor and request a veto, as all of these bills will negatively affect California jobs. Please visit the Chamber web site for more information. The Chamber also asks that a copy of these veto request letters be faxed to their office. Fax Dave Kilby at 916-444-6685. California Fax Bill Viewed as Restrictive On September 8, the California legislature approved a bill that would require businesses to obtain “express permission” before sending any fax communications. The California bill, while exempting nonprofit, trade, and professional associations, is viewed as a job killer by the state’s business community. The California Chamber of Commerce has urged Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to veto the bill. Valerie Nera of the California Chamber said the bill “will make California unfriendly to business and a more costly state to do business in by placing unnecessary burdens on employers.” Governor Schwarzenegger has until October 9, 2005 to act on the bill. Click here for the California Chamber’s website. Legislative Update: Redevelopment Interim Hearings Scheduled Two interim hearings regarding redevelopment issues have been scheduled. The first will occur on Wednesday, October 26 from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm at the Weingart City Heights Library, 3795 Fairmount Avenue., San Diego. The subject of this hearing is “Redevelopment and Blight.” Witnesses will be asked to present examples of successful redevelopment projects and examples of “abuse” of the current legal definition of blight. Eminent domain issues are also expected to be raised. This will be a joint hearing between the Senate Local Government Committee (Christine Kehoe, Chair), the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee (Tom Torlakson, Chair), and the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee (Gene Mullin, Chair). The second hearing will be held on Thursday, November
17 from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon in Room 4203 of the State Capitol. The
subject of this hearing is “Redevelopment Reforms.” Various
proposals for changing redevelopment laws and eminent domain issues
are expected for discussion at this hearing, as well. Economic Update: Labor Force and Industry Employment Data for August 2005 California’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in August, unchanged from the revised rate in July, and down 0.9 percentage points from one year ago. In comparison, the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in August. There were 14,808,800 seasonally adjusted jobs in total nonfarm industries in August, up 17,200 jobs from last month. California nonfarm businesses have added 223,300 jobs to payrolls (1.5 percent) since August 2004. Sectors with increased employment, in order of job gain, were: trade, transportation and utilities (7,400); leisure and hospitality (5,300); construction (4,900); educational and health services (2,100); financial activities (2,100); professional and business services (1,600); and natural resources and mining (300). Sectors with decreased employment included: information (4,000), manufacturing (1,500), and other services (1,000). The lowest unemployment rate among California counties in August was 3.8 percent in Orange County. In all, 34 counties had rates below 6.0 percent. The highest unemployment rate in August was 18.0 percent in Imperial County. In total, 6 counties had rates above 8.0 percent. View the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by county for August 2005 online at http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/lfmonth/0508pcou.pdf. Extended Mass Layoff Actions Occur in California In the second quarter of 2005, California employers took 132 mass layoff actions. These actions resulted in the separation of 25,532 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days. Both the total number of layoff events and the number of separations were sharply lower than in the second quarter (April through June) of 2004. The year-over declines were most notable in administrative and supoort services; transit and ground passenger transportation; and food manufacturing. Extended mass layoffs that involve the movement of work within the same company or to a different company, domestically or outside of the United States, occurred in 11 percent of the non-seasonal layoff events and worker separations. Employers who anticipated recalling workers involved mass layoff actions, 43 percent expected to extend the offer to all affected workers, a lower percentage than the recall rate from the previous years. The complettion of seasonal work accounted for 20 percent of all events and resulted in 6,174 separations during the period. Layoffs due to internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business ownership change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) resulted in 4,792 job separations, which represents 28 percent of all events. The level of separations resulting from company restructuring is the lowest recorded level for any April-June period since the establishment of the MLS program. Permanent closure of worksites occured in 6 percent of all events and affected 1,742 workers, the fewest number of job separations resulting from permanent closures recorded for any April-June quarter since the establishment of the MLS program. This information was collected through the federal Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) Program and released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The full BLS news release reporting MLS Program data for the April through June 2005 quarter is available at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/mslo.toc.htm. PG&E Discounts Rates to Keep Businesses in State Pacific Gas and Electric Co. won state approval to give electric discounts of 25 percent to attract and retain businesses. The state Public Utilities Commission approved the economic development rate reductions on September 8, 2005. Only businesses that use at least 200 kilowatts, such as food processors or light manufacturers, can qualify. City of Santa Clarita Needs Your Feedback The city of Santa Clarita is interested in gathering information on examples of economic incentives your community has used to attract businesses that generate significant sales tax. Which incentive is most frequently used by your community? Which incentive would you not use again? Were any particular benchmarks used (sales tax, no. of employees) to phase the incentives? Your responses are greatly appreciated. Please email your responses to Carrie L. Rogers, Marketing and Economic Development Manager for the City of Santa Clarita at crogers@santa-clarita.com. EDD Grants Extension to Employers Affected by Hurricane Katrina California employers directly affected by the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, who need additional time to file their payroll tax reports and/or pay their payroll taxes, may be eligible for an extension or waiver of penalty. Send a signed written request to EDD Taxpayer Center, Attention: Taxpayer Assistance Center, P.O. Box 2068 Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-2068 or fax the request to (916) 464-3504. To request a waiver of penalty, employers should enclose a signed written request with the report and/or payment, stating the reason for delay, and mail them to Employment Development Department, P.0. Box 826846, MIC 3A Sacramento, CA 94246-0001. For more information, contact the Taxpayer Assistance Center at (888) 745-3886. Caution on Expectations for Stem Cell Research The University of Michigan committed $10.5 million of its internal resources to establish an interdisciplinary center for stem cell research. The announcement is one of dozens from around the country since California voters approved Proposition 71 in 2004, borrowing $3 billion over 10 years for stem cell research. These types of public investments are often justified with promises of economic growth and the development of new industries, as well as new approaches to life-threatening ailments. However, the California Council for Science and Technology (CCST) states “research may take years, decades even, before payoffs in the form of therapies and treatments are seen.” In addition, CCST expressed its concern that heightened expectations about quick returns on investment could result in policies that require unrealistic revenue returns to the state. But, over the long-term, substantial economic benefits are expected to come through the creation of new jobs and new industries, with the associated increased tax base. Employment Training Panel Approves Multiple Job Training Contracts ETP is a State of California program that provides up to $85 million a year in job training funds. These funds help California companies to upgrade the skills of their workers. ETP funds are also used as an incentive to attract companies to the State or to help retain companies that threaten to leave the state. Last year, ETP approved $15 million for these critical economic development projects, which covered 3,600 new and retained jobs. In August, ETP approved a $273,000 job training contract with AmeriCold Logistics, LLC, to train 150 recently hired workers at its new Victorville (San Bernardino County) distribution center. The training will create well paying jobs and will provide workers with the skills needed to meet the company’s business expansion goals. The previous month, ETP approved a $981,000 contract with Target Corporation. The contract’s purpose was to assist Target in their growth as they add 350 new workers in their 3 import warehouses and will assist the company in training new workers and retaining current workers. For more information about how your local employees can access ETP funds, visit their website at www.etp.ca.gov. 2003 Academic R&D for Life Sciences In 2003, academic institutions across the U.S. reported having a total of $23.76 billion in R&D expenditures for research related to the life sciences, according to the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, FY 2003. The $23.76 billion figure represents 59.3 percent of the total academic R&D expenditures. SSTI has prepared a table presenting state rankings and figures for academic R&D for life-science related research. The table is available at www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/092605t.htm. International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Holds Congressional Staff Briefing The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) continues to work with the National League of Cities, the American Planning Association, the Community Rights Counsel and others organizing a response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Kelo v. New London. The group held a congressional staff briefing on Thursday, September 15th. The mission of the event was to speak with Congressional staff about the positive impacts of judiciously used eminent domain for economic purposes. IEDC Supports Those Affected by the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath have dominated much of the country’s thinking these past weeks. The challenge to those suffering in the Gulf Region and to the economic development region is hard to grasp. The International Economic Development Council is organizing a committee to find ways that the economic development community can help those affected through this terrible disaster. New BLS Tool for Economic Developers The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has introduced the “Location Quotient.” It is a new online tool that will help you compare the relative employment levels by industry between the United States, individual states, counties, and Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). When armed with the results, economic and workforce development professionals can identify the demand industries and occupations in their area and determine where to target their efforts and resources. The calculator uses data drawn from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. The tool is accessible at http://www.bls.gov/cew/cewlq.htm. Articles from the September 16, 2005 ED-Lert Issue ACCRA Presents Local ED Survey The average budgets for local and regional economic development organizations fell nearly 3 percent between 2004 and 2005, according to the second annual survey by ACCRA. This survey questions 750 respondents from the economic development field. As economic development organizations (EDOs) continue to broaden the definition of their role in supporting a variety of economic development activities, they will need to develop a greater revenue base and more diverse lines of financial resources. EDOs continue to focus on their core competencies of marketing communities and facilities to businesses. However, data suggests that small organizations do not have the adequate resources to implement these efforts effectively. The survey also questions respondents in regards to staffing levels. One-third of respondents dedicate at least 0.5 full-time equivalent staff hours to increasing private access, up from 29 percent in 2004. Efforts towards technology and product adoption/development, on the other hand, dropped from 14.9 percent of the EDOs in 2004 to 12.2 percent in 2005. The full results of the survey are available in the ACCRA store for $45. Members can view the results by logging in to the Member Area. Please visit www.accra.org to order the results or call 703-522-4980. Fresno County Delegation Speaks in Favor of EDR Application In support of Commissioner Kennedy’s EDR application 04-06-018, a delegation from Fresno County spoke under public comment at the Commission Hearing held on August 25, 2005. The EDR is to encourage investment at the current location of a business and not to relocate a business from one utility to another. If the EDR is approved, the desired results should be jobs for California residents and investment in California by companies already here in our state. The resulting purchases of new and more efficient equipment, property taxes, utility taxes, and employee wages will transfer into sales taxes that will fund the State of California. USDA Rural Development Grant Helps Dairyman to Retrieve Energy from Methane A USDA Rural Development Business and Cooperative Grant aided dairyman Larry Castelanelli and his business partners in their recent construction of a methane digester. The methane digester helps control odor problems, reduce dairy waste volume and improve dairy waste as a fertilizer. Methane produced in the digester is used to fuel electrical generators for power on the dairy. USDA’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program has recently expanded to include loans, as well as grants. For the past three years, the program has provided $22 million in funding each year to improve energy use and efficiency in rural areas of California. Eligible energy systems include those that derive any form of energy from wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal sources. For more information regarding USDA’s Rural Development programs, please visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/ca. (Information obtained from “Digester Milks Energy from Dairy Waste” by Dan Crummet for the California Farmer.) Legislative Update The legislature’s recent adjournment left the bills SB 1026 (Kehoe) and AB 1162 (Mullin) without action. Both bills would have placed a two-year moratorium on the use of eminent domain for owner-occupied residential property. However, an announcement is to be expected about interim hearings on the use of eminent domain. Regarding other legislation, the Assembly voted 56-22 to concur with Senate Amendments to AB 1390 (Jones). This legislation repels the January 1, 2006 sunset in current law on the definition of “substantial rehabilitation.” If this sunset is not removed, the former definition will go into effect. Redevelopment agencies found this former definition unworkable. New Web Blog for Economic Development Professionals New Website Provides Housing and Demographic
Information Conduct a Location Search on Any U.S. State or Community DevelopmentAlliance.com offers detailed state, county, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical data for companies seeking new business locations. The website enables comparisons of critical data sets from every U.S. county and gives corporate site selectors the ability to select up to five communities at once for a side by side comparison. This is a free service of Conway Data, Site Selection magazine, SiteNet.com and the International Economic Development Council. Articles from the September 9, 2005 ED-Lert Issue Audrey Taylor Appointed to Workforce Investment Board Congratulations to Audrey Taylor, long time CALED Member, for her appointment to the Workforce Investment Board. Audrey is president and chief executive officer of Chabin Concepts, Inc., an economic development and marketing consulting firm. For more information, check out the press release section of Governor Schwarzenegger's state website. Wayne Schell Re-Nominated to Serve on the IEDC Board of Directors – 09/28/2005 Wayne Schell, CALED President/CEO, was re-nominated to serve on the Board of Directors of IEDC. This nomination will be ratified at the next meeting of the board, September 28, 2005 in Chicago. We congratulate Wayne for obtaining this prestigious position! Red Cross Seeks Business Support in Recruiting Disaster Relief Volunteers (September 1, 2005) Hurricane Katrina has left in its wake the urgent need for volunteers to help with disaster relief efforts. The American Red Cross already has mobilized thousands of willing people to meet the needs of the affected areas, but more assistance is required. The national relief organization already is sheltering nearly 40,000 evacuees in more than 230 shelters and serving approximately 500,000 hot meals each day, according to agency statistics. The Pacific Service Region's goal is to send 125 volunteers a day to the relief operation. The organization is recruiting people for intensive training and deployment and is holding special 'crash course' training sessions for new volunteers. California employers can support and assist with this
massive recovery effort by allowing employees interested in volunteering
to take time off to train and to serve with their local Red Cross
agencies. Volunteers can expect to be deployed for up to three weeks,
according to the Red Cross. The Red Cross will be sending people to
five states affected by the hurricane and flooding. The Red Cross
points out that giving employees time to volunteer not only benefits
the community, but also allows employees to gain valuable experience
and skills ˜ from administration and management to leadership
˜ that they can bring back to their workplaces. EVC Hires Michael Manchak as New President/CEO Nat’l Endowment for the Arts Creates $500,000
Annual Program Economic Alliance Holds Annual Board Meeting ED-Lerts are a member-only service. Learn more about
the benefits and value of CALED membership.
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