HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-10-17; Economic Development Subcommittee; ; Economic Development Program and BEAR UpdateECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE
Staff Report
Meeting Date: Oct. 17, 2022
To: Economic Development Subcommittee
From: David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer
Staff Contact: David Graham, David.graham@carlsbadca.gov
Subject: Economic Development Program and BEAR Update
Recommended Action
Receive an informational report regarding city economic development activities, discuss and
provide recommendations.
Next Steps
Staff will return at the next Economic Development Subcommittee with updates to these items.
If desired, committee members can provide input and direction.
Discussion
Economic development staff have been engaged on a number of programs focused on support
and growth of Carlsbad's economy. This report provides a summary of notable programs and
ongoing activities.
Carlsbad Tourism BID
At the July 13, 2022, CTBID Advisory Board meeting, the board approved a Management District
Plan and supported a petition to establish a new TBID operating under the Property and Business
Improvement District Law of 1994. On Oct. 5, 2022, the petition was sent to all CTBID
contributors, including hotels, motels, short-term vacation rentals and other lodging
establishments -405 in total. If greater than 50% of owners/managers as measured by revenue
contributed to the CTBID petition the City of Carlsbad to establish a new TBID, it will be brought
to City Council for consideration.
Banner Program
At the end of September, the city's lightpost banner program was expanded to include 73 new
locations in several key retail areas around the city. They include:
• Bressi Ranch
• La Costa Town Square
• The Crossings
• The Shoppes at Carlsbad
The new locations add to the existing banners in the Village, Paseo Del Norte/Palomar Airport
Oct. 17, 2022 Item #3 Page 1 of 4
Road area, and The Forum. There are now 195 banner locations in the city. All banners
incorporate imagery that is symbolic of Carlsbad and help build a sense of place as well as create
an inviting atmosphere.
Along with the additional locations, roughly one-third of banners in the Village and half of
banners throughout the rest of the city incorporate Fall imagery. These seasonal banners will be
added to the annual rotation along with the evergreen, and holiday banners.
The holiday banners will be mounted citywide in November.
Future Technologies Report
Staff have continued to work with Pioneer Partners, a Kansas City-based organization to help
develop an assessment of future technologies in Carlsbad. The report, which will be presented to
the subcommittee at its November meeting, analyzes the impact of technologies like artificial
intelligence and machine learning, SG, internet of things, cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles,
and drones on the City of Carlsbad. The report examines technologies that are likely to have the
largest impact on the city, provides potential recommendations for areas the city can better
improve preparedness, and looks at economic development opportunities where the city has
existing or could potentially develop industry clusters.
Life in Action Recruiter
The Life in Action, or LIA, Recruiter platform now has nearly 400 candidates who have shared
their information and expressed an interest in a job in Carlsbad. Primarily oriented toward
careers in Carlsbad's innovation economy, the LIA recruiter captures interest from candidates
down the street and across the country. By engaging on the platform, candidates are seen by a
number of Carlsbad employers.
Carlsbad employers have found value in the program because it adds a pipeline of talent they
may have otherwise missed. Employers are able to sort through candidates by experience,
desired industry, timeline to move jobs and/or locations, and areas of interest.
With a recent "Phase 2" launch, employers are now able to subscribe to access the "talent
roster" and receive automatic updates as new candidates submit their information. This step has
created greater efficiency in the process to connect candidates with employers and allows
employers see candidates in a timelier fashion.
Job-Readiness Room
Economic development staff continue to work with library staff, the Carlsbad Chamber of
Commerce, Lightcast, and Bendable -a startup out of the Drucker Institute -on a workforce
development pilot that provides access to training and a guaranteed job interview for low and
middle-skill job seekers in Carlsbad. The pilot program utilizes the library system as a conduit for
residents and workers to see in-demand career opportunities (provided by Lightcast) and use the
Bendable platform to access entry level career skills certification, and then connect with
employers hiring in those fields through the Chamber of Commerce and city staff. Currently, the
training programs prepare candidates for jobs in manufacturing, hospitality and food service, and
Oct. 17, 2022 Item #3 Page 2 of 4
office administration. These three industries have shown to have large availability in entry-level
jobs.
To date, more than 30 candidates have enrolled in the program with four individuals having
completed. Those that complete the program are then referred to employers who have signed
up. Thus far, 15 Carlsbad employers have engaged in the program.
On Nov. 10, 2022, the program partners will announce the expansion of the program across the
78 Corridor, to include the cities of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido. These cities,
and their respective library systems, will ensure the program reaches a larger group of
candidates and employers. With a population of more than 650,000, it also creates a better
sample size to evaluate the program's success.
Carlsbad Cybersecurity Awareness Program
Staff is continuing its work with the San Diego Cyber Center of Excellence to promote basic
cybersecurity awareness and provide resources to small businesses located in Carlsbad, or that
are suppliers to Carlsbad businesses. The program includes a cyber-risk assessment and basic
cybersecurity awareness training for all employees of participating companies. Staff is working to
promote one final cohort of Carlsbad companies before the program concludes at the end of the
year. So far, 67 companies have participated in the program.
In addition to the program participants, staff was able to vet 56 city ven-dors through the
program, adding ability for the city to assess risk vulnerabilities among some vendors.
Business Expansion, Attraction, and Retention (BEAR} Update
Over the past several months, economic development staff have continued to engage on several
large BEAR projects that will yield gains in employment and new investment in the city.
Staff met with Thermo Fisher to understand their continued expansion plans. This included an
on-site visit with city leadership. In the meeting, Thermo Fisher discussed their plans to
potentially add an additional building to their campus, as well as densifying operations within
their existing footprint.
lonis Pharmaceuticals is continuing to hire for a number of new positions as the company
continues to expand in North County. lonis pursued additional space in the City of Carlsbad but
was unable to find a site that met their requirements. They announced in mid-October plans to
establish a new facility in Oceanside. This facility will complement the work being done in
Carlsbad, where they will also continue to grow.
Bitchin' Sauce, a natural foods company headquartered in Carlsbad, is pursuing several new
ventures that could lead to new businesses in Carlsbad. One of these concepts is a permanent
drive-thru coffee-cart concept that supports underserved communities by subsidizing ownership
of a cart and franchising operations to disadvantaged entrepreneurs. Staff is working with the
company to understand how this concept may fit within current zoning and land-use.
Oct. 17, 2022 Item #3 Page 3 of 4
Staff is working with Carlsbad Village Association and the Chamber of Commerce to better
understand how current market conditions and other challenges are impacting small businesses.
Public Notification
Public notice of this item was posted in keeping with the Ralph M. Brown Act and was available
for public viewing and review at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting date.
Exhibits
None.
Oct. 17, 2022 Item #3 Page 4 of 4
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
AND BEAR UPDATE
•Recommendation:Receive an informational report regarding city
economic development activities, discuss and provide
recommendations.Item 3{city of
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CARLSBAD TBID UPDATE
•CTBID Advisory Board approved pursuing efforts to establish a TBID
under the '94 ACT authorization and disestablish the current CTBID
operating under the '89 Act authorization
•A Management District Plan was approved at the July 13 meeting of
the CTBID Advisory Board
•On October 5, a petition was circulated to all 405 lodging
establishments in Carlsbad
•If more than 50% of contributors (as measured by revenue contributed
to the TBID) petition, it will go to City Council for consideration
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BANNER PROGRAM
•City Council approved funding to expand the city’s lightpost banner program in the FY 2022-23 budget
•At the end of September, the program was expanded to include 73 new locations in several key retail areas around the city. These include:
o The Shoppes
o Bressi Ranch
o La Costa Town Square
o The Crossings
•There are now 195 total banner locations in the city
•All banners incorporate imagery that is symbolic of Carlsbad and help build a sense of place as well as create an inviting atmosphere
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BANNER PROGRAM
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LIFE IN ACTION RECRUITER
•Life in Action Recruiter connects candidates from around the country with
Carlsbad innovation businesses
•Nearly 400 candidates enrolled
•More than 20 Carlsbad companies participating
•Phase 2 launched at the end of August
o Employers can now sign up for access and see candidate information,
directly
o Can sort results by desired industry, experience, timeline to move, and
areas of interest
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JOB-READINESS ROOM
•Partnered with Carlsbad Libraries, Carlsbad Chamber of
Commerce, Lightcast, and Bendable to provide basic skills
training and guaranteed interviews for entry-level candidates
•Now expanding to Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido
•More than 30 candidates and 15 companies have signed up
•Four candidates have completed the training portion and have
been introduced to Carlsbad employers for interviews
{city of
Carlsbad
CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS PROGRAM
•Final pilot Cybersecurity Awareness Program cohort to take place
in Nov. –Dec.
•So far, 67 Carlsbad businesses or suppliers to Carlsbad businesses
have participated in the program
•Through the program, staff was also able to vet 56 city vendors
to assess risk vulnerabilities
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NOTABLE ACTIVITIES
BUSINESS EXPANSION, ATTRACTION & RETENTION
•Thermo Fisher
•Tyra Biosciences
•Aptera Motors
•Status Skateshop
•Ionis Pharmaceuticals
•BMW Carlsbad
•Calsense
•L3 Harris (Viasat)
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Carlsbad
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
•Future Technologies Report
---------
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Adjourn
Thank you!
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