Sanchez wants to
see how Solano moves forward on marketing
By Ryan McCarthy From page A1 |
March 24, 2017
FAIRFIELD — Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez,
who worried last year that federal funds for Moving Solano Forward might just
produce an $800,000 website, says he’s hopeful the effort will assist cities
and the region in attracting business.
The project has provided cities in Solano
County with good information about potential business locations, Sanchez said,
and marketing follow-up will be crucial for whether Moving Solano Forward
succeeds.
“It remains to be seen,” Sanchez said
Wednesday.
He said the fate should be apparent in six to
18 months.
A $453,460 grant from the federal Office of
Economic Adjustment funded a second phase of the Solano project and follows the
first part that received $370,000 in federal money and paid consultant Economic
Planning Systems Inc. for an economic diversity report.
Fairfield City Council members meeting Tuesday
indicated they support increasing the municipality’s yearly payment to Moving
Solano Forward from $10,000 to $45,000.
Councilwoman Catherine Moy said Wednesday that
Sanchez has been skeptical about the marketing program “and I believe
rightfully so.”
Moy said she won’t vote for the additional
funds for Moving Solano Forward when the council takes up the payment.
“I need to see how the money,” she said, “in a
real way is bringing business to Fairfield and not just Solano County.
“I don’t see any cause and effect,” Moy said.
“I want to see hard facts.”
Sandy Person, chief executive officer of
the Solano Economic Development Corporation, had told the council that more
than 4,300 new jobs were added last year in Solano County.
Person said Thursday that economic development
involves a lot of moving parts and that the “Solano Means Business” marketing
by Moving Solano Forward includes such specifics as sites for businesses to
locate.
“It’s not buckshot,” Person said.
“It’s about all of us leveraging our assets
together,” she said. “We have to build that regional brand.”
Companies from outside of Northern California
think of regions where they may locate, rather than seeing cities or counties,
Person said.
While different demographics make up Solano
County and each community is unique, she said, success in one city is success
for the region.
“What’s good for Vallejo is good for
Fairfield,” she said.
Person said Suisun City and Vacaville
will be also be asked for contributions to Moving Solano Forward. Funding
from cities is based on population.
“Solano Means Business” was introduced March
10 at a meeting of the Solano Economic Development Corporation in Fairfield.
Mario Giuliani, the economic development
director for Benicia, said a vehicle is in place to grow the local economy.
“Let’s start our engines,” Giuliani said.
Reach Ryan McCarthy at
427-6935 or rmccarthy@dailyrepublic.net.
