Message from the Secretariat

The success of the Partnership’s first quarter board meeting of 2010 was made possible by our Kern County sponsors. We are sincerely grateful for the generosity and warm welcome received from Kern County as it hosted the board meeting and dinner at the newly refurbished Padre Hotel. This meeting proved to be productive as the Partnership is prepared to further advance its practices to best serve the eight-county region.

Solving Challenges in Kern

Kern County representatives from both private and public sectors were included in a roundtable discussion during the board meeting. Specific economic development barriers in Kern County were identified as well as private sector legislative challenges. Solutions were proposed and are now well on their way to being resolved. The roundtable discussion had such a great impact it was decided each board meeting would include a roundtable discussion with representatives from the county and from the private and public sectors. More time will be allocated for solving problems through the resources of the board members and the Partnership’s established networks. For more information about Solving Challenges in Kern, click here.

WIA Implementation Plan

Since the Partnership was awarded the WIA grant in November 2009, efforts have been driving toward developing the infrastructure and forging networks to insure maximum impact, leveraging of resources and the best use of the funds. At the Partnership board meeting, San Joaquin Valley stakeholders presented their role in the implementation plan. The Partnership and its associate organizations have set forth the list of deliverables for this grant project. These are depicted in the model below. For more information on the WIA implementation plan, please click here.

Sustainable Communities

As efforts and initiatives at the state and national level continue to emphasize the importance of creating sustainable communities, the Partnership through the leadership of Rollie Smith, field office director, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-Fresno has taken a lead role in driving this movement in the San Joaquin Valley. Mr. Smith outlined HUD’s newly created Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities at the Partnership’s board meeting, and highlighted the work of the Partnership’s Smart Valley Places Steering Committee in providing local input on the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program. The purpose of this program is to support multijurisdictional regional planning efforts that integrate housing, economic development, and transportation decision-making in a manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of economic growth, social equity and environmental impact simultaneously.

HUD has communicated that it will be issuing a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) in April 2010 with the goal of announcing grant awards in August 2010. For more information about the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities please click here.

To read the Partnership’s comments to HUD regarding the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program, please click here.

President Obama’s Jobs and Economic Growth Forum

In December 2009, President Obama hosted the Jobs and Economic Growth Forum, bringing together small business owners, labor leaders, academics, nonprofit representatives and Mayors from across the country to share ideas about how to grow the economy and put Americans back to work. Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin was among the distinguished guests at the White House, who at the encouragement of the President, built on the event’s momentum by hosting a community jobs forum in downtown Fresno, and continued the dialogue with a roundtable discussion at the Partnership board meeting in Bakersfield. Having heard from a number of valley business owners, elected officials and members of the local workforce, Mayor Swearengin is compiling a letter to President Obama, reflecting the challenges and opportunities for economic growth and job creation in the San Joaquin Valley. As the President and Congress continue to focus on economic recovery and job creation, the Valley’s contribution to the national discussion is critical in making sure the needs of our region are understood and addressed. To watch Mayor Swearengin discuss the Recovery Act and its impact on our region’s economic recovery, please visit The White House Administration Recovery Act

Small Communities Network

The Small Communities Network stemmed from the growing awareness that small cities, unincorporated communities, and service districts in the San Joaquin Valley often face some of the largest barriers to creating sustainable, healthy communities for a variety of reasons, many of which are not shared by the larger cities but which are shared with each other. The goal of the network is to create a united voice to pool resources, gain more attention from elected officials, engage regionally in comprehensive community planning and maintaining community culture, and develop appropriate economic development strategies. Among the immediate goals are establishing a Rural Resource Center to offer a one-stop technical assistance provider for small communities who may not be able to support in house, for example, experts in grant-writing, planning, affordable housing, wastewater treatment.

On January 28, the Partnership co-sponsored the launch meeting for the San Joaquin Valley Small Communities Network in Chowchilla. Leaders from small communities throughout the eight-county region gathered to discuss the formation of a collaborative that would facilitate opportunities for small communities to share resources, build capacity, enhance advocacy, and work together in effective ways to enhance quality of life and increase equity within their own communities.

The group came to consensus on a vision for the network and identified immediate next steps on the path to long-term goals. For more information, please visit the Small Communities Network Web site.

Partnership Secretariat Lead Executive Mike Dozier made a presentation in which he stated that there is an effort initiated by Wayne Schell, California Association of Local Economic Development (CALED) to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a Rural Resource Center to support the collaborative efforts of small communities in the San Joaquin Valley.

Legislative Update

ARRA Update

The Partnership is making sure that the Valley is getting its share of the Federal Stimulus money that is pouring into the state. For years, the Valley has been in the shadow of larger regions, such as Los Angeles and the Bay Area. However, the Partnership formed three years ago and with the strength of all eight counties, the state can no longer ignore the Valley’s One Voice. For the Partnership ARRA funding update, please click here.

The Partnership staff will continue to advocate for Valley projects and will be tracking ARRA funds received in the Valley to make sure we get our fair share. Additionally, it will continue to send notices of funding, workshops and training opportunities. The following Web sites provide additional grant opportunity resources:

www.grants.gov
www.recovery.gov
www.recovery.ca.gov
www.cacities.org/federalstimulus
www.ncsl.org/statefed/2009economicstimulus.htm

Dates to know

April 22

CALED|Here’s the Money Recovery Summit
Hilton Long Beach & Executive Meeting Center
701 W. Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach
Information: CALED|Here’s the Money Recovery Summit

April 26

Advanced Communications Services Work Group meeting
1-3 p.m.
Great Valley Center
201 Needham Ave.
Modesto
Information: Dejenue Shelton, dejeune@greatvalley.org, 209.522.5103

May 6-7

Great Valley Center annual conference
Valley Up: Ideas, Innovation, Inspiration
Gallo Center for the Arts
1000 I St.
Modesto
Information: www.greatvalley.org/conference

May 21

Partnership Quarterly Board Meeting
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Merced
Information: www.sjvpartnership.org

June 9-10

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District presents
Air Quality Conference | Particulate Pollution in the San Joaquin Valley
Holiday Inn Fresno Downtown Convention Center
1055 Van Ness Ave.
Fresno
Information: www.valleyair.org