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Vallejo EDC welcomes interim economic development director and advances Shop Local plan
Summary
Vallejo’s Economic Development Commission introduced interim ED director Brad Paul and reviewed staff plans for five draft RFPs, including a $28,000 Shop Local contract; commissioners pressed for clear metrics, broader outreach to Latino and small businesses, and faster permitting support.
Brad Paul, the city’s interim economic development director, joined the Vallejo Economic Development Commission at its Jan. 14 meeting and outlined his intent to jumpstart local recruitment and partnership work during a roughly six-month interim appointment. “I’m delighted to be here,” Paul told commissioners, saying Vallejo is “one of the still most affordable places in the Bay Area” and that the city has opportunities to attract more residents and good-paying jobs.
Staff framed Paul’s arrival as a fill for a vacancy that has left the department short-handed for about a year. Gillian Hain, assistant city manager, said the department has five draft requests for proposals—among them a Shop Local campaign, downtown activation pop‑ups, a real‑estate broker contract and a long‑range property management study—and that staff will seek midyear funding and the unfreezing of two positions to support implementation.
The commission spent the bulk of the meeting reviewing the Shop Local scope of work presented by Kathy Nubla, an economic development administrative analyst. Nubla said staff plans to post the RFP around February and expects to enter a contract by March; $28,000 is currently budgeted for the first year and staff will ask council for additional midyear funding. “We believe strong collaboration among all stakeholders, staff, and EDC is key,” Nubla said.
Commissioners pressed for measurable outcomes and more precise outreach. “We should have an expected outcome that is part of the RFP,” Commissioner Harrell said, urging that the contract include formalized, measurable deliverables. Commissioners suggested tracking sales tax by geographic area, counting businesses contacted, measuring foot traffic and identifying key retailers to target. Nubla and Hain proposed requiring quarterly reports from the consultant, creating a steering committee of business owners, and using PlanetBids plus chamber networks and targeted outreach to reach underrepresented business owners.
Several commissioners also tied Shop Local’s success to public‑safety and street‑condition improvements. Hain noted a sheriff augmentation contract effective Jan. 17 and said council will consider an $11,000,000 Measure P recommendation for multiyear street repairs at midyear. “If people don’t feel safe and we don’t have an aesthetic that draws people in, we’re really challenged,” Hain said.
The commission did not take final action on the RFP at the meeting; staff will incorporate commissioner feedback into the scope and return with a revised draft. The next steps include finalizing performance metrics, clarifying outreach requirements to ensure inclusion of Latino and small businesses, and confirming the RFP posting and contracting timeline.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to postpone action items 9A, 9B and 9C to the commission’s next meeting in February — passed by roll call (5 yeas, 0 nays).
