Riverbank council moves to place termination of Opportunity Stanislaus MOU on next agenda after members criticize outreach

Riverbank City Councilors voted to place consideration of terminating the city's memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Opportunity Stanislaus on the council's next meeting agenda after several members said the countywide economic-development nonprofit's work has not shown clear, Riverbank-specific returns.

At the meeting, Dave White, chief executive officer of Opportunity Stanislaus, reviewed services the organization provides to the city and to local businesses. White described workforce and business-support activities and presented itemized measures of activity and estimated value to Riverbank over the past year: he said Opportunity Stanislaus' talent-development team recorded 106 hours of direct work for Riverbank employers with an estimated return-on-investment (ROI) of about $11,900 for recruitment, HR consulting, training and research; economic-development activities were listed with an estimated ROI of roughly $36,250; and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) work this year served 32 Riverbank clients, which White said supported 122 jobs and helped clients access roughly $3.14 million in funding.

Several council members said they appreciated the organization's countywide role but expressed frustration that Riverbank businesses and residents do not see regular, city-specific outreach or events. One council member said they had not been contacted as a local small-business owner and asked why local businesses were not aware of SBDC services. Another council member urged Opportunity Stanislaus to make Riverbank-specific marketing and in-person outreach a priority and to run more workshops or workforce events in Riverbank venues.

After back-and-forth discussion, a councilmember introduced a motion to bring back an item to terminate the city's MOU with Opportunity Stanislaus. The motion to place termination on the next meeting agenda passed on roll call 4-0-1, with Mayor Rachel Hernandez recorded as abstaining. The motion does not itself terminate the MOU; it schedules formal consideration and a possible future vote.

What the MOU covers: the city's current agreement, adopted in December 2021, provides about $25,000 per year to Opportunity Stanislaus for economic-development and workforce services (the agreement runs through the current fiscal year). The MOU lists services such as local industry engagement, talent development programs, business outreach, market research, and support for the Riverbank Industrial Complex. City staff and some council members said they have received periodic reports but asked for clearer, consistent Riverbank-specific quarterly metrics and more visible outreach within the city.

Next steps: the council action schedules formal discussion of termination. Staff will place the proposed termination item on a future agenda; prior to any final action, the council will have an opportunity to review the organization's reports and any staff recommendations. Opportunity Stanislaus' CEO said the organization will provide existing program data and described offers to stage Volt Institute training and SBDC events in Riverbank to increase local visibility.

No change in service or funding has occurred yet; the meeting action only placed the termination question on a future agenda for a formal vote.