Yuba City Council adopts regional SEDS report, authorizes submittal to Commerce Department
Loading...
Summary
The Yuba City City Council voted unanimously Feb. 17 to adopt the 2025 SEDS performance report and its 2026 update, authorizing staff to submit the document to the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration for consideration. Presenters emphasized infrastructure limits and a reported $1.2 billion in retail "leakage."
YUBA CITY — The Yuba City City Council on Feb. 17 unanimously approved a resolution adopting the 2025 Sustainable Economic Development Strategy (SEDS) performance report and a 2026 update to the 2025–2030 SEDS document and authorized staff to submit the package to the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.
Cynthia Roderick, chair of the SEDS committee, told the council the plan centers on four pillars— infrastructure, economic growth, workforce and quality of life—and is intended to remove barriers that keep businesses and housing projects from moving forward. She said the region’s major projects include the South Yuba County Regional Water and Wastewater Project, improvements to the Yuba–Sutter transit facility, levee and bypass projects and transportation upgrades.
"Without infrastructure, growth stalls. With it, private investment will follow," Roderick said. She said the report identifies 23 public-works projects for Yuba City and estimates 10 will be completed in 2026. Roderick also said the report shows a "$1,200,000,000 leakage in Sutter County in retail and commercial development," money she said the region loses to nearby communities.
When Mayor Boomgaarden asked how the leakage figure is measured, city staff member Brenda said the city uses a third‑party subscription service, Placer AI, to model demand and expenditures and estimate purchases made outside the region. "We have a third party subscription service, Placer AI, that... they run that data for us," Brenda said, describing the vendor data the city uses to estimate spending that occurs outside Yuba City.
Council members praised the report as outcome-driven and practical. Council member Shaw moved to adopt the resolution and Council member Kirchner seconded; roll call recorded ayes from Shaw, Kirchner, Vice Mayor Pasquale and Mayor Boomgaarden (Council member Cole was absent). The motion passed unanimously.
The council’s authorization directs staff to submit the SEDS update to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, as the next step; authorization to submit does not guarantee federal funding.
