Jobs and Employment

By Joel R. Panzer

I will propose measures to encourage job growth to create and attract higher paying employment.

1) Provide staff direction to interpret the Salinas Zoning Code to promote and encourage the development of small businesses. Currently, some zoning code provisions limit the areas in which small entreprenuers can create business opportunities. It is my belief that these jobs, in the long-run, will be better paying than the clerk/cashiering/stocking jobs the City is currently attracting in big-box stores. To the extent that these small businesses do not reduce the quality of life in the areas proposed or result in health or safety issues, the City should promote innovative jobs creation.

2) Provide direction to the building department for fee waivers, expedited permitting processing and waivers of business licensing/tax requirements for busineeses that will create new jobs, on a sliding scale. For example, there can be fee waivers for creation of 10 or more new Jobs, expedited processing for 5 or more new jobs, parking permit bonuses for creation of three new jobs. Any encouragement by the City can and will assist new business start-ups.

3) Provide direction to the City Manager to identify opportunities to attract larger employers into the area or encourage existing employers to expand operations. For example, there are 12 acres the City owns at the Salinas Airport. The City could provide free land for a specified time-period (e.g. 10 years) to an employer that would relocate operations to create a significant number of jobs. The only caviat is t identify such a corporation that has operations differeing from local firms so as not to give them a competitive advantage