Half Moon Bay seeking ways to help business community recuperate

The City Council heard an update about the Coastside Recovery Initiative at its Nov. 16 meeting, with councilmember eager to start work on recommendations to help residents.

“It’s about joining in and doing the hard work of the task force, but the benefit to the city is we learn, and we grow because of it. The staff alone cannot come up with a program or with a plan the way our general community can,” Councilmember Deborah Penrose said.

Half Moon Bay has made improving the economy a critical 2021 initiative. Tourism, the restaurant industry and small businesses make up a massive part of the coastside economy and have been hit particularly hard during the pandemic, with the city focused on helping address issues to create long-term economic stability and growth.

Recommendations highlighted protecting the environment by supporting farmers and ecotourism, coordinating organizations to steward lands, advocating for law and policy farming changes, increasing farmers’ training and support, and building on the As Fresh as It Gets campaign. A significant portion of recommendations focuses on creating new spaces, utilizing vacant space and reviving downtown areas and business districts. Options include redesigned streetscapes on Heritage Main Street, incentivizing service near beaches, playgrounds and fields, creating a community plaza in Pescadero and creating a staff position to support economic and community development projects there as well. Other recommendations include more vocational training, creating a business incubator for new companies, developing a small business assistance center, a community lending strategy and improved nonprofit safety net services for vulnerable residents.

City Manager Bob Nisbet said the past year had been the planning phase of recommendations, with the implementation process upcoming. The city is considering potential new positions and structures in City Hall that include a division in the City Manager’s Office that focuses on economic development. Nisbet said he hoped to have something to bring back to the council later in the year. He noted investment to achieve these recommendations will need to come from both the city and private sector. The city has previously said San Mateo County could help address infrastructure investment or programing recommendations.

“Implementing some of these recommendations is bold, and some may cost money,” Nisbit said. “It may take a while.”

The city said the initiative has helped launch Make it Main Street to help artists display their talents, advocated for $70,000 in city funding to match the county, and partnered with Stanford Prevention Research Center.

Assistant City Manager Matthew Chidester said a point of emphasis is positioning for the next economy and being forward-thinking. He noted the next economy would need to be an equitable regional economy. He said the pandemic showed how reliant the coast was on tourism, with the need to be more balanced in traditional and new industries.

“As we get into implementation and the how, part of that effort will be to figure out what that next economy looks like as far as industries, businesses and where they are located and how they are staffed,” Chidester said.

Councilmember Harvey Rarback urged the city to get more resources to nonprofits to help the community immediately, something Vice Mayor Debbie Ruddock agreed was critical. She also wanted to see more specifics on implementation.

“Getting resources to our nonprofit community is really important, but also building capacity to do the work that they were formed to do and more effectively,” Ruddock said.

Task Force Member Gopi Mattel thanked the city for being involved with the initiative and looked forward to implementing recommendations.

“I know that with the right support from our administrators and politicians and government, our efforts can take our legacy and emerging industries into the next economy, Mattel said.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102