This item is intended to inform the Board and public about the outcomes of the work performed under the USDA grant described herein.
BACKGROUND
Small business assistance is a key component of the county’s Board-adopted Economic Development strategy, and is particularly timely in this difficult economic climate. In late 2008 the county received a $50,000 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business Enterprise Grant, which provided the resources needed to conduct systematic business outreach to over 227 (25%) of our 923 farms and 112 (29%) of our 352 other small businesses in Yolo County. The outreach included surveying and/or interviewing these businesses on-site. Our goals were to 1) characterize our ‘typical’ farmer and small business owner; 2) assist with any desired entrepreneurial, marketing and/or other training, and 3) identify policies and programs that will help these businesses thrive. The attached report documents the three activities.
The Yuba Sutter Small Business Development Center (YSSBDC) and Michelle Stephens, a former student intern in the Economic Development Division, did the face-to-face outreach and surveys. The YSSBDC conducted Quickbooks®, Internet marketing and entrepreneurial training classes as appropriate. The Economic Development Manager and Michelle Stephens coordinated any permit assistance, site selection assistance, loan referrals, and other services. All services were performed at no cost or nominal cost to the business. Business assistance made possible by this grant has contributed to the creation of five new jobs and five retained jobs, with another six jobs to be filled by projects now under construction.
The report’s findings and recommendations were presented to 4 groups, whose input is reflected in the above action plan.
- Capay Valley Ag Task Force – December 2, 2010;
- Yolo County Landowners Association – January 10, 2011;
- Yolo County Farm Bureau – January 11, 2011;
- Clarksburg Winegrape Growers and Vintners Association – January 12, 2011
Findings of the outreach include:
- It appears the County’s existing economic development strategy, policies and programs are close to the mark.
- The county’s strong efforts to protect agricultural land and water, to streamline permits, and to adopt housing and land use policies helpful to agriculture are indeed important;
- In spite of efforts by the County, there is not a clear perception that the county really cares about a healthy business community;
- Ways to directly help our small farmers include:
- Continue to help our farmers maintain local control over their water resources;
- Continue streamlining and reforming our permit and regulatory processes at Planning, Building, Environmental Health, Agriculture and Public Works;
- Create/designate a farmbudsperson position at the county;
- Promote the dissemination of the Agricultural Permit Manual and other permit information, found at http://www.yolocounty.org/Index.aspx?page=357;
- Ensure that new policies, including the Clarksburg Ag District Ordinance, the agricultural zoning ordinance, the solar ordinance, and others fully consider input from and are helpful to our small farmers;
- Support and/or participate in creating small scale processing, distribution and the acquisition of processing equipment that can be accessed by small farmers through cooperatives, fee-for-service, or other forms of partnership;
- Continue to offer low-cost and no-cost entrepreneurial, marketing, business management, and accounting training;
- Support and/or participate in cooperative marketing efforts;
- Ways to directly help our small non-farm businesses include:
- Keep opening the lines of communication with businesses, including making sure they are aware of available forms of assistance and training;
- Create/designate an ombudsperson at the county, primarily for permit assistance;
- Continue streamlining and reforming our permit and regulatory processes at Planning, Building, Environmental Health, Agriculture and Public Works;
- Promote the availability of information such as the Small Business Resource Guide at http://www.yolocounty.org/Index.aspx?page=357;
- Make sure future fee increases, General Plan implementation, green building standards, and other regulatory actions consider small business input, and that adopted regulations are not onerous;
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