County launching jobs plan to attack unemployment rate: $600,000 annual program proposed by Supes subcommittee

The Sonoma County Economic Development Board has prepared an
Economic Development Strategy and Jobs Plan which takes a top down
approach to increasing employment rates in Sonoma County.
“For nearly three years, Sonoma County’s unemployment rate has
been over nine percent,” said District 4 Supervisor Mike McGuire,
who along with District 5 Supervisor Efren Carrillo served on the
Ad Hoc Committee that oversaw the EDB’s efforts.
“Sonoma County has lost 24,000 jobs since the start of the
recession in 2008. Those numbers do not include folks that are
underemployed or whose unemployment benefits have run out. So I
think there is no greater priority than getting people back to work
in this county, which is why we have been so hyper-focused on
creating jobs and reinvesting in our local economy. Taking a broad
look, the biggest news for the county so far has been the impact
the financial downturn has taken on our well being,” McGuire
said.
The plan is designed to support business establishment and
expansion in Sonoma County, emphasizing job creation rather than
workforce re-skilling or support. If implemented in full, the
county would hire 3.5 full time employees for an annual cost of
$600,000. The cost would be borne not by the General Fund, but by
Transient Occupancy Tax funds.
Core tenets of the plan include helping businesses navigate the
regulatory process, streamlining and simplifying the regulatory
process, developing an effective brand identity for Sonoma County,
outreaching directly to businesses in unincorporated Sonoma County,
and supporting broadband development in rural areas of the
county.
“Those local businesses, those small business, how can the
county help them stay in business and expand… So what we’re
proposing is bringing forward a business development and expansion
officer that would work directly with businesses in the
unincorporated area that would assist them to continue to thrive
and, we hope, expand here at home which would mean many positives
for the local labor force,” McGuire said.
The plan, according to McGuire, was developed while working
closely with the business community.
“The other piece is we’ve actually stopped talking and started
listening. We’ve brought together the county’s 30 largest business
leaders, non-profit leaders, and governmental leaders. We asked
them simple questions – what are we doing right, and what can we
improve upon?” McGuire said.
District 5 Supervisor Efren Carrillo described the plan as being
part of the “three legged stool of environmental stewardship,
social improvement, and economic development.”
“In general, the county is showing its commitment to economic
sustainability and investment,” Carrillo said.
“Here’s what we’re committed to. We’re committing to investing
in job creation, we’re committed to ensuring and fostering an
environment that is collaborative, and we’re absolutely committed
to growing partnerships — not only partnerships that are existing,
but potentially new partnerships that will come from this
initiative. The work plan itself really focuses on strategies for
job creation and business retention and economic principle. They
work at improving government perception in the business
community.”
Carrillo noted that the plan isn’t a one-time effort, and
follows other county actions designed to support local businesses
such as a local preference program.
“The focus is really how do you leverage current resources, and
invest in what we think we should be investing in economic
development, and also addressing the fact that from my personal
perspective, we need to make this priority ongoing. This isn’t a
one time issue. Economic sustainability is at the core of ensuring
governments are able to provide key services,” Carrillo said.
Economic Development Strategy and Jobs Plan: An
Overview
The Jobs Plan outlines eight strategies to bolster the local
economy and support job creation.
1. Improve regulatory compliance assistance.  Includes hiring a new
Customer Service Ombudsman dedicated to resolving permitting
problems with homeowners and business customers.
2. Deliver business development and outreach services. Includes
hiring a Business Retention and Development Specialist who will
outreach to approximately 200 businesses per year in unincorporated
areas.
3. Create a workforce development strategy. 
4. Encourage business cluster development. Includes hiring an
Economic Development Specialist. Identified Sonoma County business
clusters are: Professional Services, Manufacturing,
Construction/Green Business, Sonoma Specialties (including wine,
dairy, food, agriculture and tourism), and Health Care.
5. Develop financial resources program. Includes investigating the
feasibility of establishing Sonoma County as an Enterprise
Zone.
6. Facilitate broadband deployment in rural parts of the
county.
7. Engage in strategic asset development and branding. Includes
forming an action group to develop an effective brand identity for
the county.
8. Enhance coordinated economic development resources within the
county.