Seed Grants to be awarded March 29

The Partnership Seed Grant Review Committee has received 35 full applications for the $2.5 million that the Governor and Legislature set aside to advance the work of the Partnership. The applications represent innovative projects from improving the health of San Joaquin Valley residents to enhancing efforts to create skilled workers in the region among others.

The board is scheduled to meet in Sacramento from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 29 to discuss the recommendations from the Review Committee and award the Seed Grants. Contracts are scheduled to be in place by April 30.

At the Partnership board meeting on February 2, the board invited 36 organizations to submit full applications out of the 106 concept proposals originally submitted.

Seed Grants are intended to jumpstart major initiatives that will result in significant immediate impact or lay a solid foundation for long-term priority strategies and investments. It is expected that the Seed Grants will attract other partners and investors and will facilitate new ways for existing organizations to improve region-wide collaborations.

Meet the Deputy Chairs

Appointed as deputy chairs of the Partnership Board by Gov. Schwarzenegger on Jan. 31, California Department for Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman and Fritz Grupe are no strangers to the Valley.

Chrisman, a fourth-generation rancher from Tulare County, has served as California’s Secretary for Resources since 2003, advising the Governor on the state’s natural, historical, and cultural resources.

“The Partnership provides us with an opportunity to think and act regionally in meeting the challenges that we all face,” Chrisman said.

Grupe has been building residential communities for more than three decades. He founded The Grupe Company in Stockton, and his family has a history of farming, horse and cattle ranching, and habitat restoration. Grupe, who became the first resident west of the Mississippi River to claim the 2005 United States Equestrian Federation National Pairs Championship in 2005, sees great opportunity for the San Joaquin Valley.

“The eight counties that make up the Partnership share similar opportunities and threats, but there has never been a vehicle to address the issues in a collaborative way,” Grupe said. “The Governor has provided that vehicle - now it's up to us and our delegation to capitalize on this opportunity.”

Chrisman agreed, stating: “The Partnership represents the promise of a healthy future for our Valley's residents, and for California.”
 

Work groups spend day making connections
to advance the work of the Partnership

The Partnership work group consultants met February 16, to orient each other on the work under way for each of the 10 work groups. In addition to those leading the work groups, representatives of the Valley state and federal delegation – as well as newly appointed board members Luisa Medina and Stanley Simpson – were in attendance.

“I'm so glad that I participated in this team meeting; it provided me with a better understanding of the tremendous work that is taking place in each of the work groups,” Medina said. “I also learned how all of this ties together leading to serious discussion and action regarding our collective future.”

The all-day meeting allowed the work group consultants an opportunity to find important connections among the ten work groups in achieving the objectives of the Strategic Action Proposal.

“The work group consultants really know their stuff,” Simpson said. “These people genuinely love the Valley and spoke from the heart; furthermore, as a good friend of mine always said, ‘if you can’t have fun, stay home!’”

Implementation in full force

The implementation stage of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley is officially under way. The 10 work groups are working to implement the objectives outlined in the Strategic Action Proposal. Some of the highlighted work includes:

• Advanced Communications Services and Information Technology Work Group convened a meeting with the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Business Transportation and Housing Agency on March 9 to identify partners and prioritize action. For more information, contact: Carolyn Lott, carolyn@greatvalley.org.
• Air Quality Work Group has organized advocacy efforts to ensure that the San Joaquin Valley gets its fair share of Prop. 1B funds for air quality mitigation. The work group will convene its next meeting March 26 to discuss the Air District’s Ozone (SIP) Plan, and Dr. Lents of the ISSRC will discuss his proposed plan.
  For more information, contact: Mark Keppler, mkeppler@csufresno.edu.
• Health & Human Services Work Group met with UC Merced key champions March 6 to discuss status of the UC Merced medical school business plan and coalition building.
  For more information, contact: Dr. John Capitman, jcapitman@csufresno.edu.
• Outreach efforts are under way targeting key stakeholders in the Health and Human Services goals: methamphetamine recovery, foster care prevention, workforce development for older adult services, and evaluation methodologies for state grant proposals. A federal appropriations request was submitted for a methamphetamine recovery project to educate, prevent, and treat methamphetamine use in the region. For more information, contact: Juanita Fiorello, jfiorello@csufresno.edu.
• K-12 Education Work Group convened a meeting of all eight county superintendents March 12 and will be taking a group of Valley educational leaders to a one-day technology conference in San Francisco hosted by Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation on March 14. A federal appropriations request was submitted for an English Learner Leadership and Mentoring Academy to raise the academic achievement of second language learners in the San Joaquin Valley.
  For more information, contact: Marcy Masumoto, mmasumoto@springboardschools.org.
• Land Use, Agriculture and Housing Work Group will take part in the meeting of the San Joaquin Valley Housing Trust March 21 to refine AB 1129 and plan a strategy for implementation. The meeting also will include a discussion about furthering the Trust organization. For more information, contact: Rollie Smith, rollie.smith@hud.gov.
• The Workforce Development & Higher Education and Economic Development work groups held a day-long work group meeting for representatives from the Workforce Investment Boards, EDCs, community colleges, universities, and ROPs to align programs and services in creating a skilled workforce and supporting business vibrancy.
  For more information, contact: Manjit Muhar-Atwal, manjitm@csufresno.edu.
• The Higher Education and Workforce Development Work Group secured partners for the pilot community-based college access center and are working on the Know How 2 Go Campaign, www.KnowHow2Go.org, to nurture a college-going culture in the Valley. For more information, contact: Cheri Cruz, ccruz@csufresno.edu.
• A federal appropriations request was submitted for the San Joaquin Valley Bio-Resource Initiative. For more information, contact: Dr. David Zoldoske, at davidzo@csufresno.edu.

Legislative work furthering goals of Partnership

Proposition 1B

On March 6 and 7, the State Senate Transportation and Housing Committee and the Environmental Quality Committee held informational hearings on “Proposition 1B Air Quality Related Impacts” and the “Implementation of Prop 1B Fund” to discuss the criteria in allocation of billions of dollars for the Trade Corridor Improvement Fund and the Air Quality Program. Two representatives from the Valley region were invited as panelists: Andrew Chelsey of the San Joaquin Council of Governments, and Tom Jordan of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Additionally, the Partnership submitted testimony reflecting the Valley’s needs and recommendations.

Farm Bill

On March 2, Congressmen Jim Costa, Dennis Cardoza, Devin Nunes, and California Dept. of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura, held a listening session in Fresno hosted by Costa on the Bush Administration’s proposals for the 2007 Farm Bill. The bill is an omnibus multiyear authorizing law for major food and farm programs, covering such issues as energy, nutrition, conservation, and rural development.

Federal Flood

The House of Representatives passed three clean water bills authorizing $14 billion in low-interest loans over four years to help states control water pollution. One of the Valley’s newest representatives, Rep. Jerry McNerney [CA-11], introduced one of the bills, HR 700, The Healthy Communities Water Supply Act of 2007. The bill successfully passed the House by a floor vote of 368 – 59.

“I am excited about this act, which encourages innovation by authorizing funding for pilot projects to develop water supplies through conservation, management and reclamation,” Rep. McNerney said.

Additionally, Rep. Dennis Cardoza [CA-18], exercised his role on the Rules Committee by providing the legislation needed for consideration of Congressman McNerney’s bill on the House floor.

Last week, lawmakers also endorsed legislation, HR 569, to authorize $1.7 billion over five years for grants to replace aging sewer systems, and HR 720, to authorize $14 billion over four years for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The reauthorization of this fund will couple federal and state contributions to provide low-interest loans for construction of wastewater treatment facilities and other pollution-abatement projects.

In the Spotlight

Assemblywoman Nicole Parra (D-Hanford) has again this year introduced legislation to authorize the Partnership beyond its December 2008 expiration. Parra introduced the initial legislation, AB 31, in 2004.

“I'm proud to have introduced Assembly Bill 27 as my very first bill this legislative session to ensure the already-proven and most-valuable work of the Partnership is sustained well beyond 2008 when the current executive order expires,” Parra said.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the Governor, the Partnership Board, and all interested parties throughout our Valley to place the Partnership in statute and helping secure subsequent funding and economic opportunity for our region.”

The Assemblywoman is currently serving her third term representing the State’s 30th Assembly District, which includes all of Kings County as well as portions of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties. She chairs the Agriculture Committee, the Select Committee on Water, Infrastructure and the Economy, and is a member of the Committees on Banking and Finance, Insurance, and Water and Parks and Wildlife.

Feedback on the Partnership Web site

We need your feedback on the Partnership Web site, www.sjvpartnership.org – let us know what you like, what is missing, and what can be improved. Please visit our survey at www.sjvpartnership.org/websurvey to give us feedback.

Dates to know

March 21

Land Use, Agriculture, and Housing Work Group
10 a.m. to noon
Meeting of the San Joaquin Valley Housing Trust
Fresno HUD Conference Room
2135 Fresno Street, Fresno
Contact: Rollie Smith, rollie.smith@hud.gov

March 26

Air Quality Work Group
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fresno Council of Governments, Conference Room
2035 Tulare Street, Suite 201
Contact: Mark Keppler, mkeppler@csufresno.edu

March 29

Partnership Board Meeting to review and finalize Seed Grant funding
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Contact: Ann Marquez, anmarquez@csufresno.edu

May 4

Partnership Board Meeting
Time and location to be announced
Contact: Ashley Swearengin, ashleys@csufresno.edu