TITLE
Recommendation to refer to Economic Development Commission to conduct a deeper assessment of economic inclusion in Long Beach by embarking on the "Everyone In Listening Tour" and providing further outreach to marginalized and disenfranchised segments of the business and working community; and
Increase appropriations in the General Fund (GF) in the Economic Development Department (ED) by $40,000, offset by Ninth Council District one-time infrastructure funds transferred from the Capital Projects Fund (CP) in the Public Works Department (PW) to supplement the targeted outreach.
DISCUSSION
In April 2017, the City Council approved the City's Draft Blueprint for Economic Development that informs the City's overall economic development work plan for the next ten years. The Draft Blueprint embraces policy recommendations that identify broad focus areas that will drive economic growth over the next ten years, such as: key industry clusters and emerging sectors, economic inclusion, workforce development, business assistance, the development environment, quality of life, and economic leadership and cooperation.
While the Draft Blueprint is a comprehensive plan, more outreach must be done into the focus area of economic inclusion to ensure that whole segments of our community who traditionally are underrepresented, have the opportunity to provide valuable input and recommendations. In order to do this, the Economic Development Department should take a "deeper dive" into economic inclusion and conduct further outreach to small businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs, home owners, and others through a series of conversations and small focus groups.
These conversations will seek to understand policies, programs and practices that have supported these workforces as well as policies, programs and practices that have produced barriers to ownership and employment and their unintended negative consequences. Future community conversations will work with these workforces to co-design improved business opportunities. These conversations should be approached using an "equity lens" which analyzes what disparities exist among different groups, and takes into account historical and current institutional and structural sources of inequality.
Beginning in December 2017, specific outreach should include, but not be limited to the following communities:
• African American
• Latino
• Asian and Pacific Islander (API)
• Cambodian
• Millennial
• Women
• LGBT
• Real Estate diversity
• New & emerging industries
• Contractor diversity
Listening and responding to specific segments of our small business and worker communities is a key component of the "Everyone In" economic inclusion initiative, and will create an environment that is more accessible to business owners and entrepreneurs.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total appropriation increase of $40,000 in the General Fund (GF) in the Economic Development Department (ED) is offset by a transfer of $40,000 from the Ninth Council District one-time infrastructure funds in the Capital Projects Fund (CP) in the Public Works Department (PW).
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
VICE MAYOR REX RICHARDSON
NINTH DISTRICT