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Cathedral City economic development wins $20,000 Team California scholarship, launches business-support partnerships and development dashboard
Summary
Economic development staff announced a Team California scholarship worth about $20,000, a SWOT analysis of the auto industry, new partnerships with business-support organizations and a public development dashboard that maps active projects. Staff said the tools aim to retain and attract businesses and better track larger projects.
Economic development staff told the Cathedral City Council they secured a Team California scholarship valued at roughly $20,000, have begun a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis of the local automotive industry, and are launching a set of business-support partnerships aimed at retention, expansion and attraction.
"We ended up getting awarded this scholarship, which is a value of about 20,000," Economic Development Manager Eric Beceril said, describing the Team California membership and marketing benefits. Beceril said the scholarship gives the city presence at trade conferences and access to site selectors through Team California, Visit Greater Palm Springs and the Riverside County Office of Economic Development.
Beceril highlighted the city's reliance on sales and use tax revenue and the importance of the automotive sector: he said sales-and-use tax amounts to about 20% of the city's budget and that roughly half of that revenue is tied to the automotive industry. To address dealers' concerns and stay competitive with neighboring cities, staff has started a SWOT analysis with dealers and industry representatives.
Staff also outlined partnerships to expand business support without large city expenditures. The Coachella Valley Women's Business Center will provide in-person, one-on-one counseling (in English and Spanish) and will help schedule workshops at City Hall; the Desert Recreation District will provide childcare at some sessions; the Small Business Development Center and Riverside County Office of Economic Development will run multi-week training programs, including content in Spanish and assistance to help businesses qualify for financing such as SBA loans.
Victor Gomez, the city's administrative analyst for economic development, demonstrated the new development dashboard—a GIS-based public map of larger-scale projects that staff update through a Development Services Committee. The dashboard displays project status (under review, approved, under construction, completed), site plans and filters for project type. Gomez showed example projects listed on the dashboard including Canyon Springs Villas, Cathedral Canyon Apartments and Vesta at Essena, and said staff updates the dashboard at least monthly and often weekly via the interdepartmental review process.
Council members asked about the scholarship period and how Team California representation would work at conferences; Beceril said the scholarship covers a one-year platinum-level membership through June 2026 and provides access to Team California's trade-show presence. No formal council action was required; the presentation was informational.
