OFFICERS
Harry Kellogg, Co-Chair Silicon Valley Bank
Hon. Liz Kniss, Co-Chair Dear Joint Venture Board of Directors: Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
Russell Hancock, President & CEO Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network I’m pleased to confirm our next board meeting and provide these supporting materials. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Harjinder Bajwa Solectron The meeting will take place as follows: Gregory Belanger Comerica Bank
Frank Benest The meeting will take place as follows: City of Palo Alto
George Blumenthal University of California at Santa Cruz Date: Friday September 14th, 2007 Steven Bochner Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Ed Cannizzaro KPMG Time: 7:30 AM to no later than 9:30 AM
Pat Dando San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce
Chris Dawes Place: Solectron, Inc. Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital 847 Gibraltar Drive Chris DiGiorgio Accenture Inc. Building 5, The Orchid Room
Jon Friedenberg El Camino Hospital Milpitas (a map and detailed transit, driving, and parking
Dan Fenton directions can be found here). San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau
Rick Fezell Ernst & Young
Vintage Foster San Jose Business Journal Assembled here on this site you will find all the supporting materials for the meeting
Hon. Rose Jacobs Gibson itself, and other reports updating you on our progress over the past quarter. They are: San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
Timothy Haight Menlo College 1. The agenda we propose for the meeting. Chester Haskell Cogswell Polytechnical College
Joe Head Summerhill Homes 2. Minutes from the June 2007 board meeting for your approval.
Gary Hooper Hooper & Associates 3. A memo from the Finance Committee, providing you year-end fiscal Beatriz Infante VoiceObjects, Inc. information. Mark Jensen Deloitte & Touche
Martha Kanter 4. A memo on board development from co-chairs Kellogg and Kniss, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Don Kassing recommending the election of PG&E’s Darren Deffner to the board. San Jose State University
W. Keith Kennedy Con-way 5. Background information about urban design expert Michael Freedman, our Alex Kennett Solutions, Inc. distinguished guest speaker.
Bernadette Loftus Kaiser Permanente
John Maltbie 6. A report on our Grand Boulevard Initiative, proposing your approval of the County of San Mateo Guiding Principles adopted by the Grand Boulevard Task Force. Jean McCown Stanford University
Curtis Mo Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP 7. A memo proposing a slate of indicators for the 2008 Silicon Valley Index, from
Joseph Parisi board advisors John Maltbie, Chet Haskell, Linda Williams, and Chris DiGiorgio. Therma The memo also includes a framing paper for the subject matter we propose for Hon. Chuck Reed City of San Jose the Special Analysis. Paul Roche McKinsey & Company, Inc.
Chris Sacca 8. A memo and materials from Dan Fenton and Brian Moura, who co-chair our Google, Inc.
Chris Seams Wireless Silicon Valley initiative, advising you on the new direction the Cypress Semiconductor Corporation project is taking. John Sobrato, Sr. Sobrato Development Companies
Sarah Spivey AMD 9. A memo and materials from Dick Levy and Eric Benhamou, who co-chair our
Neil Struthers Smart Health project. Building & Construction Trades Council
Bob Tabke TDA Group 10. An update on California Competes, our effort to promote an innovation agenda Colleen Wilcox Santa Clara County Office of Education in Sacramento, from co-chairs Tom Kalil and Gary Fazzino.
Linda Williams Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
Daniel Yost Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP 11. An update on the activities of our Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance, brought to you by board champion Frank Benest and SVEDA Chair Diana Whitecar. 12. A memo and materials from John Maltbie updating you on the progress recorded by our Climate Protection Task Force.
If you prefer to read (or print) these materials as a single document, you can download the entire thing here. Our office is also available to print and mail hard copy, upon request.
We look forward to seeing you the morning of September 14th.
We express special thanks to Harjinder Bajwa for hosting us at Solectron.
Yours,
Russell Hancock President & Chief Executive Officer
DIRECTIONS TO SOLECTRON CORPORATION 1007 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, California
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Solectron is served by VTA bus line 120, 140, 104 and 77. Services can be accessed from points on the Peninsula by VTA (www.vta.org) and Caltrain (www.caltrain.org).
BY AUTOMOBILE
From San Francisco Take Highway 101 S (to San Jose), exit at Montague Expressway west, turn left at South Milpitas Boulevard. Turn left at Gibraltar Drive. Building 7 is on your left.
From San Jose or points South: Take Highway 101 N (to San Francisco); exit at Montague Expressway west, turn left at South Milpitas Boulevard. Turn left at Gibraltar Drive. Building 7 is on your left.
Milpitas, CA 95035 +1 (408) 957 8500 1/00 Solectron Corporate Headquarters Building 7 1007 Gibraltar Drive 20 Robertson Ave. Milpitas, CA 95035 18
Cherry St. Mowery Ave.
all Parkway 408-957-6500 (Front Lobby) Auto M
408-957-8500 (Main Line) Blvd. 680 Mission 19 16 Warm Springs Blvd.
oad anding R Dixon L
California Ave. 22 Milpitas Blvd. H1 Highway 237 (Calaveras Blvd.)
Los Coches St. M
i 880 l p
i t a 15 To Oakland s
B 12 l v d Main Campus . Wrigley Way 238 580 1 2 Hillview Dr. 3 Vista Way San 4 5 Yosemite Dr. 13 680 6 Francisco Gr 7 ea 8 t M Gibraltar Dr. a 9 ll P 17 10 Bay H2 ar 92 kw ay H4 880 H3 pressway Montague Ex C ap Newark ito 20 l 680 Fremont Av 18 en ue To 84 SF 19 16 101
Palo Alto Milpitas 280 237 Mountain View
Sunnyvale 680
San Jose
280 101 87 85
Los Gatos 21
Milpitas, CA 95035 +1 (408) 957 8500 1/00
Meeting of the Board of Directors 14 September 2007 Solectron Corporate Headquarters Milpitas, California
Proposed Agenda
7:30 AM Reception
7:45 Call to Order, Welcome to New Members Liz Kniss, Co-Chair Harry Kellogg, Co-Chair
7:46 Approval of Minutes
7:47 Election of New Board Members
7:48 President’s Report Russell Hancock, President & Chief Executive Officer
7:50 Presentation, Discussion and Approval The 2008 Index of Silicon Valley 1. Proposed Slate of Indicators 1. John Maltbie, Joint Venture Board 2. Tracey Grose, Collaborative Economics, Inc.
2. Proposed Special Analysis “Globalization, Technology Change, and Occupational Opportunities: What is the Future of Mid-Wage Jobs in Silicon Valley?” Steve Levy, Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy Mike Curran, NOVA Workforce Board Chris DiGiorgio, Joint Venture Board
8:20 Presentation, Discussion and Approval Grand Boulevard: El Camino As It Could Be Michael Freedman, Founder & Principal, FTB Urban Design Michael Garvey, Project Manager, Grand Boulevard Initiative
9:25 Other Business
9:30 AM Adjournment Next Meeting: November 16, 2007
Minutes MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS held at San Jose City Hall San Jose, California
15 June 2007
Directors Present: Harjinder Bajwa, Greg Belanger, Frank Benest, Ed Cannizzaro, Dan Fenton, Jon Friedenberg, Russell Hancock, Chet Haskell, Kevin Healy, Beatriz Infante, Harry Kellogg, Alex Kennett, Liz Kniss, John Maltbie, Jean McCown, Chuck Reed, John Sobrato, Sara Spivey, Bob Tabke, Colleen Wilcox, Linda Williams.
Staff Present: Jason Arias, Lisa Bruner, Rick Ellinger, Seth Fearey, David Katz.
Invited Guests and Observers: Dennis Cima, Neil Cowles, Karen Davis, Anik Guha, Linda Darling-Hammond, Paula Duarte, Diane Ford, Tim Haight, Cheryl Hightower, Joe Head, Kara LaPierre, Brian Moura, Asbjorn Osland, Noella Tabladillo, Ru Weerakoon, Diana Whitecar, Daniel Yost.
▪
Welcome, Call to Order, Approval of Minutes. Co-Chair of the Board Harry Kellogg called the meeting to order at 7:49 AM and thanked Director Chuck Reed for hosting the meeting. Mayor Reed offered a welcome and invited members to tour the City Hall at the conclusion of the meeting.
After welcoming new members, the minutes from the February 2007 board meeting were presented for adoption. Upon a motion (Benest) and a second (Kniss), the board unanimously approved.
Items on Consent. Co-Chair Kellogg inquired whether any directors wished to discuss any of the items posed for approval on consent. Seeing none, he entertained a motion (Bajwa) and a second (Reed), and the voting was unanimous.
Election of New Board Members. On behalf of the Executive Committee, Mr. Kellogg nominated four new directors for service on the Joint Venture board: (1) Joe Head, CEO
1 of Summerhill Homes; (2) Tim Haight, President of Menlo College; (3) Chris DiGiorgio, Managing Director for Northern California at Accenture, Inc.; and (4) Daniel Yost, Partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. The motion was seconded (Cannizzaro) and the board was unanimous in their approval.
President’s Report. Joint Venture President Russell Hancock reviewed the three-fold mission of Joint Venture, which he summarized as follows: (1) to convene the region’s leaders, across multiple sectors; (2) to provide data and analysis for decision-making; and (3) to lead projects.
Mr. Hancock next informed the board that Joint Venture’s wireless infrastructure project for the region was experiencing significant delays, because the business partners were no longer prepared to finance the project on the strength of advertising alone. He explained how the cities comprising the Wireless Task Force are responding to the delays, and summarized the steps being taken to find a new business model for the project. He also called on co-chairs Brian Moura and Dan Fenton to answer questions.
Mr. Hancock next reviewed Joint Venture’s major accomplishments over the previous year, which he summarized as (1) the progress on initiatives; (2) the growth of the budget; and (3) the launch of a systematic communications and outreach program.
Mr. Hancock finally advised the board that, in close consultation with the Executive Committee, he was in talks with Emmett Carson, President of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, to explore the possibility of a formal partnership between the two organizations. He explained that a joint task force had been formed to oversee a period of due-diligence, and that the task force would bring a recommendation back to the full board. He concluded by stressing that a merger is not under consideration, and requested board members to refer any inquires directly to the CEO.
FY 2007-2008 Budget. Finance Committee Chair Kevin Healy presented the budget proposed for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, and offered the following observations:
The overall size of the budget has increased for four consecutive years; The organization operates in the black, but with very little reserves; the long-term goal for the organization is to create a reserve; The financial model is based almost entirely on public- and private-sector contributions, with declining reliance on foundation grants.
For additional details he referred the board to the budget report, and requested a motion for approval. Director Kennett provided it, Director Cannizzaro seconded the motion, and the voting was unanimous.
Smart Health Project. Hancock called on Smart Health executive director David Katz, who advised the board that a new employer-driven model for electronic health records was being introduced to the Valley. He explained that Joint Venture was working with Tolven Health to develop an open source record that will automatically populate personal
2 emergency information, available over the Internet to any consumer or authorized health professional. He further explained that funding for the project will come from two sources: $400,000 raised from local businesses and foundations, and $3 monthly fees to users. He announced that Palm has committed $50,000 to kick-start the project, and that they will be providing emergency records to their 900 employees in the region.
Mr. Katz next introduced Neil Cowles, CEO of Tolven Health, who answered questions and provided the board a live demonstration of how the record can be accessed and updated on handheld devices.
Education Initiative. Mr. Hancock reviewed the exploratory efforts over the past 12 months to determine whether and how Joint Venture might lead an education initiative. He explained a working group supervised by a sub-committee of the board had elected to focus the effort squarely on teachers and their professional needs, and referred the board to the white paper distributed on the subject. He further explained that the team had developed a proposal to create a Silicon Valley Teacher’s Academy that would:
Provide a permanent infrastructure for intensive professional development.
Ensure a reliable and consistent source of funding through an endowment, managed by a small professional staff, and implemented in loaned or existing facilities.
Pool resources with existing organizations.
Provide on-site coaching to reinforce and support best practices, throughout the academic year.
Establish partnerships with County Offices of Education, and leverage existing resources.
Provide incentives for teachers to undergo additional training (e.g. national board certification, paid in-service days, etc.).
Provide a valuable peer network—through focus groups, “buddy” chats, on-line dialogue, demonstration lessons, and other methods.
Be established in partnership with Silicon Valley companies, particularly technology companies, who will provide guidance and experiential learning.
Mr. Hancock continued to explain that the proposal had been presented to teacher focus groups in two counties, who provided feedback stressing the value of such an effort.
However, Mr. Hancock next advised the board that the proposal had been presented at feedback sessions to a variety of Silicon Valley leaders and opinion makers, who had criticized the proposal for being too modest in scope. He explained that Joint Venture
3 was being challenged to create something revolutionary, something wholly transformative, something that shows Silicon Valley is acting on a new set of priorities elevating the status of teaching and delivering dramatic improvements in student outcomes.
He concluded by saying that he was therefore recommending a two-pronged strategy:
1. Approve the formation of a blue ribbon steering committee to oversee a new education initiative.
2. Authorize fundraising activities geared toward this initiative, so that Joint Venture can add an accomplished, senior professional to the staff, to lead the initiative.
Hancock next introduced Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond, who fielded questions and briefed the board on the state of academic research linking intensive professional development in teachers to student outcomes. She urged the board to continue its focus on teaching and enrichment as opposed to a variety of other variables (funding, classroom size, plant & equipment, policy issues).
Considerable discussion ensued. Director Benest stressed the linkage between K-12 education and the region’s competitive stature; Director Sobrato opined that an education initiative was the most significant and exciting thing Joint Venture could lead, and urged the Joint Venture CEO to involve himself personally in the fundraising effort. Director Sobrato also stressed how important it would be to have the technology sector in firm support.
There being no further discussion, Director Benest motioned for staff to continue as proposed, with a targeted fundraising effort and the creation of a blue-ribbon panel to oversee it. Director Haskell seconded the motion, and the voting was unanimous.
There being no further business to discuss, Co-Chair Kellogg adjourned the meeting at 9:30 AM.
▪
Approved: ______day of ______, 2007.
______Secretary to the Board
4
Memorandum
TO: Joint Venture Board of Directors
FROM: Neil Struthers, Finance Committee Mairtini Ni Dhomhnaill, Finance Committee Seth Fearey, Chief Operating Officer
DATE: August 28, 2007
SUBJECT: Review of Fiscal Year 2006 – 2007 Financial Results
In this memorandum we review our income and expenses for the last fiscal year as compared to our budget.
OVERVIEW
We finished 2006 - 2007 with a net profit of $13,373 versus a budget of $841.
The year was marked in particular by the State of the Valley event. We were able to capitalize on our keynote speaker, and attract a record 1,366 paying attendees.
Other income and expenses came in close to plan with the exception of Smart Health where income failed to meet expectations. Fortunately income from the prior year allowed us to continue funding the project.
We lost Judy Kleinberg in the middle of the year, but immediately hired a consultant to continue her work on the Disaster Planning Initiative.
We enter the new fiscal year with a modest bank account, and strong financial support from our member cities, corporate sponsors, and a growing board of directors. Our plan for 2007 - 2008 is to grow the organization and our programs consistent with our ability to raise funds.
1
CASH POSITION
We finished the year with $9,005 less in our bank account.
June 30, 2006 June 30, 2007
Cash Balance $158,908 $149,903
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
We ended the year with $199,638 in Accounts Receivable. This is a combination of regular invoices to cities for membership and for Silicon Valley Prospector. In addition, it includes $50,000 to Palm for Smart Health.
June 30, 2007
Accounts Receivable $199,638
We began booking our invoices as Accounts Receivable in the second half of 2006 so we do not have a comparable figure for last year. We only record an Account Receivable when we have sent an invoice to an organization that is expecting it. The amount is offset on the balance sheet as Deferred Revenue to avoid increasing our net worth until we actually receive the cash.
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FY 2006 - 2007
Income and expenses both exceeded budget due to the additional revenue and expenses for the State of the Valley event.
Budget Actual Difference Income $1,249,200 $1,407,963 $158,763 Expenses $1,248,359 $1,394,589 $146,230 Net $841 $13,373 $12,532
Highlights:
• Our headcount stayed flat as we ended the year with five full time employees and one full time consultant.
• The State of the Valley event brought in $373,716, vs. expenses of 260,878 for a net contribution of $112,832 before allocation of salaries and overhead.
• The members of the Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance (SVEDA) raised $96,983 for the development, deployment and marketing of the new Silicon Valley Prospector website for commercial real estate.
2
• The Temporarily Restricted account represents the Smart Health initiative. Smart Health raised $35,000 vs. a goal of $150,000. Spending totaled $129,705 which was funded by a prior year remaining investment of $85,532, current year investments of $35,000 and general funds of $9,173. We are continuing to invest in the program from general funds, but have high expectations that we will see increased revenues this year. Palm was invoiced for $50,000 in May 2007. Three hospitals have indicated a willingness to contribute a total of $150,000, but more work needs to be done before an invoice would be appropriate.
• Smart Valley, excluding Smart Health, brought in $93,500, enough to cover staff salaries (Seth Fearey at half time) and consulting expenses of $16,200 for Wireless Silicon Valley.
Attachments:
• Year End Balance Sheet • Year End Statement of Activities • Charts Showing Financial History
3 JOINT VENTURE: SILICON VALLEY NETWORK STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION June 30, 2007
UNAUDITED AUDITED June 30, 2007 June 30, 2006
ASSETS Current Assets Checking/Savings Merril Lynch Money Market Checking 65,534 78,642 Merril Lynch Money Market Fund 84,369 80,266 Total Checking/Savings 149,903 158,908
Accounts Receivable Pledges 199,638 0 Total Accounts Receivable 199,638 0
Other Current Assets Prepaid Expenses 21,667 15,750 Total Other Current Assets 21,667 15,750
Total Current Assets 371,208 174,659
Net Fixed Assets 4,610 11,677
Other Assets Deposits 9,614 9,614 Long-Term Pledges Net of Discounts 0 0
Total Other Assets 9,614 9,614
TOTAL ASSETS $ 385,432 $ 195,950
LIABILITIES & EQUITY
Current Liabilities Payables 4,470 32,733 Deferred Revenue 199,638 Accrued Expenses 35,961 31,228 Total Current Liabilities 240,070 63,961
Unrestricted Equity 154,536 46,457 Temporarily Restricted - Smart Health (9,173) 85,532
TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY $ 385,432.08 $ 195,949.82 JVSV Network Statement of Activities Year to Date June 30, 07
Temporarily Unrestricted Restricted Total
Revenue and Support
41100 · Corporate Investment $786,694 $35,000 $821,694 41200 · Public Investment 368,390 $368,390 41300 · Foundation Investment 94,500 $94,500 41450 · Event Income 68,510 $68,510 41460 · Individual Contribution 47,965 $47,965 46000 · Interest Income 6,903 $6,903 47000 · Other Income $0 49000 · Satisfaction of Restrictions 129,705 (129,705) $0
Total Revenue and Support 1,502,668 (94,705) 1,407,962.68
Expense
61100 · Network Salaries 114,831 114,831 61200 · Initiative Salaries 458,811 458,811 61300 · Network Benefits & Taxes 39,774 39,774 61400 · Initiative Benefits & Taxes 73,127 73,127 61500 · Vacation Accrual (2,236) (2,236) Total Salaries 684,306 684,306
72100 · Project Consulting 202,779 202,779 72400 · Outreach 16,293 16,293 72200 · Fund Raising 17,870 17,870 73410 · Printing/Publication/Design 66,391 66,391 73630 · Program Meeting 216,384 216,384 Total Project Related Expenses 519,717 519,717
82610 · Audit Fees 9,800 9,800 82700 · Accounting Fees 26,030 26,030 82900 · Other Services 8,279 8,279 83100 · Supplies 11,682 11,682 83200 · Mailings & Postage 9,764 9,764 83300 · Telephone 15,187 15,187 83420 · Subscriptions & Publications 878 878 83600 · Staff Travel & Meetings 18,581 18,581 83610 ·Membership 245 245 83620 · Staff Training and Development 3,358 3,358 84100 · Rent 67,217 67,217 84200 · Equipment Lease 7,245 7,245 84300 · Insurance & Tax 5,233 5,233 84600 · Depreciation 7,067 7,067 Total Operating Expenses 190,566 190,566
Total Expense 1,394,589 0 1,394,589
Revenue Over Expense 108,079 (94,705) 13,373
Net Assets, Beginning of Period 46,457 85,532 131,989
Net Assets, End of Period $154,536 ($9,173) $145,363 Income History
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000 Other Income 1,000,000 Interest Individuals 800,000 Event Registrations Foundation 600,000 Public Corporate 400,000 2003 includes a 200,000 two year grant from the Packard - 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Memorandum
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Liz Kniss, Co-Chair Harry Kellogg, Co-Chair Russell Hancock, President & CEO
DATE: 6 February 2007
SUBJECT: BOARD DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the election of Darren Deffner to the Joint Venture board.
DISCUSSION
We are pleased to propose the election of one new director to the Joint Venture board, Mr. Darren Deffner of PG&E. Mr. Deffner serves as a senior government affairs representative for the company, with specific responsibility for the Silicon Valley region. We warmly recommend your approval.
Mr. Deffner’s biography is attached.
We also regret to inform you the following directors have moved to new positions, and are therefore leaving the Joint Venture board:
Vintage Foster, who has departed for a new venture and is no longer the publisher of the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
Sarah Spivey, who has left AMD. We will nominate a new director from AMD at our next board meeting.
Darren Deffner Senior Government Affairs Representative Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Darren Deffner is a senior government affairs representative at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, one of the largest natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. PG&E serves 15 million people in a service area that stretches from Eureka to Bakersfield and from the Pacific Ocean to the Sierra Nevada.
Mr. Deffner is responsible for developing community partnerships and implementing programs in Silicon Valley that enhance PG&E’s commitment to environmental stewardship, energy assistance, education, economic development, and emergency preparation. Through these partnerships, PG&E is able to work directly with local governments, elected leaders, non-profit organizations, businesses, and residents to address important community needs. Within PG&E, Mr. Deffner is responsible for helping develop innovative environmental programs that will assist communities with their sustainability goals.
Darren is currently an appointed board member of the Silicon Valley Environmental Partnership. He also serves on the Environmental Advisory Board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Previous to working at PG&E, Darren served as a policy aide in the United States Congress to Representatives Jane Harman, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Gerald Kleczka, and Anna Eshoo as well as Chief of Staff to former San Jose Councilmember Ken Yeager.
Mr. Deffner received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from San Jose State University and Master of Science degree in environmental sciences and policy from The Johns Hopkins University.
Michael Freedman Founder and Principal Freedman, Tung & Bottomley
As the Founding Partner of Freedman Tung & Bottomley, Michael Freedman has become widely known for providing communities with creative and effective solutions to revitalize their downtown districts and regional retail centers, to restructure failing or stagnated commercial corridors and workplace districts, and to create special streets, boulevards, and public places that stimulate new investment and vitality. He specializes in redevelopment and infill master planning, policy writing and in the design of special streets and public places, especially where strategies, plans and designs must be coordinated to achieve successful beneficial change to existing cities.
His professional experience spans strategy, economic development, policy and built design, ranging to include the development of land use policy, building standards and design guidelines; master plans for districts, redevelopment and infill sites, and civic centers; and transit-oriented planning and design. Mr. Freedman’s special skills in community workshop facilitation, urban design education and training presentations are a key component of FTB’s well-respected process of open public participation, and he frequently provides seminars to both public and private organizations on urban design topics targeted at the special needs of changing cities.
Education
Mr. Freedman received a Bachelor of the Arts in City Planning and Public Policy from the University of California at Santa Cruz; and holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Design from the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley.
Key Projects
As Principal in Charge and chief designer, Mr. Freedman was responsible for the revitalization plan for Mountain View, which included a Precise Plan for the City’s downtown; streetscape design for its main street, Castro Street; and Design Standards for Evelyn Avenue. Other major projects led by Mr. Freedman include the design for Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Cathedral City, a Strategic Visioning Program and Downtown Streetscape for the City of Phoenix, Arizona; a Revitalization Strategy for Downtown Arcadia. Recent projects include a Redevelopment Plan and design for a Workplace District in East Palo Alto, California; a revitalization plan for Downtown Livermore, California; the restructuring of several commercial corridors including Whittier Boulevard in Whittier, California and in Portland, Oregon; a revitalization plan for Brentwood, California’s Downtown and adjacent corridors; and several projects in Downtown Redwood City, including a master plan for its transit center, a new courthouse plaza, an outdoor dining street and a Precise Plan to direct Downtown development.
Service and Affiliations
Mr. Freedman is the Founding Director of Communities by Design, a nonprofit training resource to help improve the livability of cities. He is a Fellow of the Urban Design Institute, and an active member of the Urban Land Institute, the American Planning Association, and the Local Government Commission, and frequently contributes to the efforts of the Congress for the New Urbanism.
Memorandum
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Russell Hancock, President & CEO
DATE: 5 September 2007
SUBJECT: GRAND BOULEVARD INITIATIVE
RECOMMENDATION
1. Review this report on progress, and visit the Grand Boulevard website (www.elcaminoreborn.org) .
2. Approve the Guiding Principles developed by the Grand Boulevard Task Force.
DISCUSSION
The Grand Boulevard Initiative is a set of activities approved by the Joint Venture board to address a range of issues on our region’s “main street,” El Camino Real. We are pursuing the project through an historic, two-county task force, led by Joint Venture, the San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA), Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans).
I have the honor of co-chairing the Grand Boulevard Task Force, alongside Mike Scanlon, SamTrans General Manager. Attached please find a roster of members serving on the Task Force. We’re pleased that the body includes an elected official from each of the 19 cities on El Camino between San Francisco and San Jose. The body also includes the heads of the regional agencies, the State Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and business, labor, environmental, and housing advocates from each county. I’m especially pleased that the task force includes the following Joint Venture board members:
• Rose Jacobs Gibson • Liz Kniss • Frank Benest
1 • Neil Struthers
The Task Force has been formally constituted for little more than a year, and can already report a significant record of achievement, made possible by very strong staff support from the four supporting organizations. I’ll resort to a list:
1. We have recruited and organized a working committee composed of planners and subject-matter experts on loan from city staff. Attached, please find a working committee roster.
2. We have adopted a vision statement, and articulated a clear mission.
3. We have created a new website detailing the work of the Task Force and providing reams of information to the public about El Camino (www.elcaminoreborn.com). This includes a comprehensive library of all the reports, graphics, traffic studies and other documents relating to El Camino.
4. We have compiled detailed reports of the existing conditions on the Boulevard and made these widely available.
5. We have received a $300,000 grant from Caltrans to create a Multimodal Transportation Corridor Plan for El Camino. The plan is a historic two-county effort involving the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and SamTrans in San Mateo County, in a joint effort to do such things as synchronize traffic lights, add additional turn lanes, and run buses the entire length of the street (rather than terminating at county boundaries).
6. We have already provided small matching grants, through SamTrans, to two cities making improvements on El Camino (Daly City and Burlingame).
7. We have provided direct support to six jurisdictions applying for grants to fund safety and aesthetic improvements to El Camino.
8. Agencies participating on the working committee have cooperated in assembling data needed for specific housing and transit-oriented-development opportunity studies, saving weeks of expense and effort.
9. We have developed an e-mailing list of interested parties numbering in the hundreds.
10. We have developed a set of “Guiding Principles” for design and development on El Camino, which we submit for approval by the Joint Venture board (see below), and which we are proposing for adoption by each of the 19 cities on the corridor.
11. The Task Force has begun championing “signature projects” which exemplify the
2 guiding principles.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
After extensive study and discussion, the Task Force has adopted a set of “Guiding Principles” they hope will be embraced by planning officials and decision making bodies in the 19 cities lining El Camino. The principles span ten broad categories, and a plan is in place to present the principles—and their accompanying strategies—to each city council. The principles are of course guidelines, merely, and cannot be imposed or enforced by the Task Force, but we nevertheless hope that each city will adopt the principles through formal action; we hope every plan and proposal for the corridor will then be evaluated against the Guiding Principles.
The Task Force also plans to bring honor and notoriety to projects which exemplify these principles.
The 10 Guiding Principles and accompanying strategies are attached to this memo, and we are asking the Joint Venture board to vote approval.
Attachments:
Grand Boulevard Task Force Roster Grand Boulevard Working Committee Roster Vision Statement Guiding Principles
3 The Grand Boulevard Initiative
The Grand Boulevard Initiative is a collaboration of 19 cities, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and local and regional agencies united to improve the performance, safety and aesthetics of El Camino Real. The Vision
El Camino Real will achieve its full potential as a place for residents to work, live, shop and play, creating links between communities that promote walking and transit and an improved and meaningful quality of life. The Grand Boulevard Challenge
El Camino Real will become a “grand boulevard of meaningful destinations” shaped by all the cities along its length and with each community realizing its full potential to become a destination full of valued places.
The Grand Boulevard Task Force is a broad federation of interested public and private parties that challenges communities to rethink the corridor’s potential for housing and urban development, balancing the need for cars and parking with viable options for transit, walking and biking.
Stretching from Daly City to San Jose, the vision is of a boulevard that connects communities by a mix of land uses designed to attract people. Cities are encouraged to design for neighborhoods that include high quality building designs and diverse land uses, preserve historic buildings and places, and enhance our economic and cultural diversity, with the broad involvement of residents, workers and local businesses. Rail stations and bus facilities are valued not only as vital transportation services, but as public gathering places and assets to spur transit oriented development. Roadway improvements will be context sensitive while continuing to meet the need to move people and commerce and preserve environmental resources. Above all, change will recognize and incorporate our history and create a sense of community.
The Grand Boulevard initiative will succeed only with the enthusiastic support of public agencies, leading businesses, non-profit agencies, neighborhoods and community advocates. The Task force endeavors to coordinate planning efforts, develop incentives and other mechanisms, and secure funding to make this vision a reality.
Task Force Chairs: Ronit Bryant Bill Nack City of Mountain View Building Trades Michael Scanlon Council, San Mateo SamTrans Liz Kniss County Santa Clara County Russell Hancock Rich Garbarino Joint Venture: Silicon Michael Burns City of South San Valley Network VTA Francisco
Task Force Christine Krolik Rich Napier Members: Town of Hillsborough C/CAG Judith Christensen Henry Gardner Drew Arvay City of Daly City ABAG BT Commercial/Terranomic Patricia Mahan Ron Packard s City of Santa Clara City of Los Altos Steve Heminger Richard Cline Carolyn Gonot MTC City of Menlo Park VTA Michele Beasley Charles Marsala Barbara Pierce The Greenbelt Alliance Town of Atherton City of Redwood City Jerry Hill Russ Cohen Deborah Gordon San Mateo County City of Burlingame C/CAG Frank Benest Jack Matthews Lennie Roberts Joint Venture: Silicon City of San Mateo Committee for Green Valley Network Foothills Daniel Cruey Nadia Holober SAMCEDA Bob Grassilli City of Millbrae City of San Carlos Jean McCown Mary Boughton Stanford University Bijan Sartipi Peninsula Habitat for Caltrans, District 4 Humanity Coralin Feierbach City of Belmont Jim Hartnett Rose Jacobs Gibson SamTrans Joint Venture: Silicon Chris Moylan Valley Network City of Sunnyvale Neil Struthers Building Trades Elaine Breeze Helen Fisicaro Council, Santa Clara SAMCEDA Town of Colma County Yoriko Kishimoto City of Palo Alto Working Corinne Goodrich Committee Chair: SamTrans, Caltrain
Mike Garvey Ralph Petty City of Millbrae, City of Working Burlingame and the Town of Hillsborough Committee Members: Lisa Grote County of San Mateo Chris Augenstein VTA Christy Riviere ABAG Andrew Miner City of Sunnyvale Arlinda Heineck City of Menlo Park Aaron Aknin City of San Bruno Phil Rose City of Los Altos Susan Moeller City of Redwood City Gail Likens City of Palo Alto Robert Beyer City of San Mateo Chad Smalley City of South San Tatum Mothershead Francisco City of Daly City Stan Ketchum Yen Chen City of San Jose City of Santa Clara Lee Taubeneck Brian Moura Caltrans City of San Carlos Valerie Knepper Dan Collen MTC County of Santa Clara Jessica von Borck Rich Napier City of Mountain View C/CAG Sigalle Michael Carlos de Melo Bay Area Air Quality City of Belmont Management District
Andrea Ouse Town of Colma
Memorandum
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: John Maltbie, Joint Venture Board Chester Haskell, Joint Venture Board Linda Williams, Joint Venture Board Chris DiGiorgio, Joint Venture Board Russell Hancock, President & Chief Executive Officer
DATE: 5 September 2007
SUBJECT: THE 2008 SILICON VALLEY INDEX
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Review these materials pertaining to the 2008 Index of Silicon Valley, and approve the draft table of contents.
2. Review the “framing paper” for the Special Analysis portion of the 2008 Index, which we will discuss in depth at the September 14 Joint Venture board meeting. Pending your feedback, we will motion your approval.
DISCUSSION
We’re pleased to report considerable progress on the 2008 Index of Silicon Valley:
Our consultant team has conducted feasibility research on 23 potential new indicators.
With our oversight, as well as input from a large team of advisors, the consultants are recommending 13 new and 30 returning indicators for the 2008 installment.
With ours and extensive feedback from a subcommittee of advisors, the consultant team has drafted a framing paper for the Special Analysis portion of the Index, examining Silicon Valley’s evolving occupational structure in the context of globalization. The paper is attached, and it will be the subject of extensive
1 discussion at our board meeting September 14th. We look forward to your feedback.
Attached, please find a report detailing each of these items from the consultant team, as well as a draft Table of Contents.
Please also find the framing paper attached, “Globalization, Technology Change and Occupational Opportunities: What is the Future of Mid-Wage Jobs in Silicon Valley?”
We’re pleased by the attention the Index receives, and the value it provides. We look forward to the next installment, and welcome the involvement of interested board members.
Attachments:
Memo from the Consultant Team, with Draft Table of Contents
Framing paper, “Globalization, Technology Change and Occupational Opportunities: What is the Future of Mid-Wage Jobs in Silicon Valley?”
Roster of the Advisory Board for the 2008 Index
2
Advisors Silicon Valley Index, 2008
Bob Brownstein, Working Partnerships USA Leslie Crowell, Santa Clara County Mike Curran, North Valley Workforce Investment Board Chris DiGiorgio, Accenture Jeff Fredericks, Colliers International Corinne Goodrich, San Mateo County Transit District Marguerite Gong Hancock, Stanford University Chester Haskell, Cogswell Polytechnical College James Koch, Santa Clara University Connie Martinez, Children’s Discovery Museum Stephen Levy, Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy John Maltbie, San Mateo County David Pearce, Miasole Chris Seams, Cypress Semiconductor Reesa McCoy Staten, Robert Half International AnnaLee Saxenian, University of California, Berkeley Kim Walesh, City of San Jose Anthony Waitz, Quantum Insight Linda Williams, Planned Parenthood
Date: 9/6/2007 To: Russell Hancock, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network From: Doug Henton, John Melville, Tracey Grose RE: Status Report on the 2008 Index of Silicon Valley CC:
Progress from May through August Work has been underway since early May on the 2008 Index of Silicon Valley, scheduled for release on February 22nd, 2008.
• Members of the Index Advisory Board met on May 31st to share their ideas for new areas of research for the index, as well as ideas on how to improve existing indicators. This input was used to make a list of indicators for further feasibility.
• Data collection for the tenth annual Land Use Survey is underway. The surveys were sent out in August, and responses are coming in. For the second time, this year’s survey will collect information on approved conversions of land from non-residential to residential and vice versa, which will give us insight on future growth patterns for our cities.
• Collaborative Economics conducted feasibility research on 27 potential new indicators.
• The draft Table of Contents (please see Attachment A) contains 30 “returning” indicators and 13 “new” indicators. This set of indicators is the result of input from the Index Advisory Board and the feasibility analysis thus far.
• The 2008 Index of Silicon Valley Special Analysis will examine opportunities for career mobility in Silicon Valley across all wage levels. As the competition for talent, technology and capital has increased dramatically, this competition has promoted a restructuring of the Valley’s economy with a shift toward higher value-added activities. The analysis will explore occupational trends in the region across all industries to identify growing occupational opportunities that do not require advanced degrees as well as evidence for career mobility within and across industries. In addition, opportunities in the region for accessing related technical training will be assessed.
785 Castro Street, Unit A, Mountain View, CA 94041 Tel 650.404.8120 Fax 650.623.0090 Email [email protected] www.coecon.com
Next Steps
Our work will continue through February, 2008. The following list outlines our next major steps toward completing production of the Index.
Our next steps are to:
9 Present the draft Table of Contents to the Joint Venture Board for their discussion and approval on September 14th
9 With the Board’s approval, finalize the table of contents and begin research and analysis of available data through mid-October
9 Write Draft I of the 2008 Index by October 27th
9 Continue developing indicators in preparation for Draft II by mid-November
9 Present major findings to date at the meeting of the Joint Venture Board of Directors on November 16th
9 Prepare the Index for the Advisor comment period in early January.
9 Work together with the design team to make the Index ready for printing by January 23rd.
9 Finalize presentation of 2008 Index for the State of the Valley Conference on February 22nd.
Attachment A Draft Table of Contents *indicates new topic this year; [pending] indicates continued feasibility underway
Special Analysis: What is the Future of Mid-Wage Jobs in Silicon Valley?
Health PEOPLE 31. Health indicators (child immunization, youth & 1. Population Change adult obesity, asthma) 2. Foreign Migration patterns 32. Health insurance coverage 3. Population shares that speak language other 33. *Healthcare quality, access & employer than English at home costs[pending] 4. Foreign Science & Engineering Talent Safety 5. Science & Engineering Degrees Earned by 34. Child abuse/neglect , Felony arrests & Substance permanent & nonpermanent residents abuse rehab slot availability ECONOMY PLACE Innovation Environment 6. Value-add per employee 35. Permanently protected open-space 7. Patents per capita 36. *Renewable energy systems (residential & 8. *Silicon Valley firms with operations abroad commercial, share of CA total) 9. Venture capital, by dollars and industry 37. Air Quality (particulate matter and/or ozone) 10. Venture capital in cleantech 38. Overall water use & share constituted by recycled Employment water 11. Number of Silicon Valley jobs 39. *Electricity consumption per capita 12. Silicon Valley employment 2000-2007 40. Means of commute 13. Industry cluster employment 41. Alternate fuel vehicles registered 14. Other industry employment 42. *Vehicle miles traveled per household relative to 15. *Cleantech employment/firms gasoline price over time 16. Structural changes in employment patterns 43. *Fuel consumption, *Vehicles by fuel efficiency, 17. Broadband access versus narrowband *Carbon emissions per capita [pending] Income Land Use 18. Real per capita income 44. Residential density 19. Income distribution 45. Housing & development near transit 20. Industry cluster pay 46. Transit use and availability 21. Other industry income Housing 22. Average pay 47. Building affordable housing 23. Median household income 48. Housing affordability SOCIETY 49. Foreclosure rates, *Down-payment as share of Preparing for Economic Success total price of home 24. Graduation & drop out rates, by ethnicity 50. *Resales vs. permits for new construction 25. Fulfillment of UC/CSU requirements Commercial Space Early Education 51. Commercial space 26. Third grade reading 52. Commercial vacancy & rents 27. Kindergarten readiness GOVERNANCE & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 28. *Childcare supply vs. demand [pending] Civic Engagement Arts & Culture 53. Voter participation 29. *Giving to arts relative to income 54. Voter approval of local bonds 30. Participation in arts events[pending] 55. Public charities & private foundations
Governance 56. City revenue 57. Regional contribution to state revenues
Attachment B
2008 Index Advisory Board Membership
Bob Brownstein Working Partnerships USA Leslie Crowell Santa Clara County Mike Curran NOVA Workforce Board Chris DiGiorgio Accenture Jeff Fredericks Colliers International Marguerite Gong Hancock Stanford University Corinne Goodrich SAMTRANS Tracey Grose Collaborative Economics Chester Haskell Cogswell Polytechnical College Doug Henton Collaborative Economics James Koch Santa Clara University Stephen Levy Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy John Maltbie County of San Mateo Connie Martinez Children's Discovery Museum Reesa McCoy Staten Robert Half International Dave Pearce Miasole AnnaLee Saxenian University of California Berkeley Chris Seams Cypress Semiconductor Corporation Anthony Waitz Quantum Insight Kim Walesh City of San Jose Linda Williams Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
Globalization, Technology Change and Occupational Opportunities: What is the Future of Mid-Wage Jobs in Silicon Valley? 2008 Special Analysis Framing Paper Draft: August 31, 2007
The Context: Our Flexible Economy Creates Uncertainty for People The 2007 Special Analysis detailed Silicon Valley’s integration into the global network of innovative regions. As the competition for talent, technology and capital has increased dramatically, this competition has promoted a restructuring of the Valley’s economy with a shift toward higher value-added activities.
On a local level, in our communities, how are these forces playing out? Are our communities as capable as our companies in finding innovative solutions to new challenges? How broadly enjoyed are the benefits of this transforming employment environment characterized by increasing uncertainty and flexibility? In short, what do these changes mean for people?
Our firms need to be flexible to stay competitive; however, flexibility for firms translates into anxiety for our workers. The new employment environment is characterized by uncertainty and the need for adaptability in the following ways:
• More frequent employer switches • Shorter job tenure • Required retraining/skills up-grading • More frequent wage gaps • Increasing self-employment • Required geographic mobility
(See Appendix for more detail on the changing nature of employment)
The Challenge: Meeting the Need for Globally Competitive Industries and Jobs of Place
In addition to world class engineering, design talent and professional talent, our region demands skilled workers in mid-level occupations in a broad array of industries. Technological advance generates not only new opportunities for design and new product development but also new occupational opportunities for technical support. While this is true for the Valley’s significant information technology sectors, growing biomedical and health technologist fields also exemplify these important relationships between high and mid level occupations
Beyond globally competitive industry sectors, the Valley needs “jobs of place” that promote the essential quality of life of the region. These include health care professionals, teachers, public safety personnel as well as construction workers. These are mid-level jobs that are the foundation of the community. In addition, there is a growing problem of finding enough skilled
1 people to fill both technical positions in globally competitive industries as well as these “jobs of place” because of a coming wave of retirements in fields such as nursing, construction and production.
How can Silicon Valley continue to match its workforce to both high and mid-wage occupations to promote economic prosperity and quality of life – through both globally competitive jobs and jobs of place? How can the region address the urgent demand for technically skilled people to replace the retiring workforce, and what options could there be for expanding adult training for this purpose? In particular, how can the region ensure that we meet the needs of both high and mid wage occupations in globally competitive industries and jobs of place and, in the process, continue to find a place for the middle class in the Valley?
The 2008 Special Analysis will address the following: ¾ What occupational opportunities are growing in Silicon Valley? In particular, what opportunities are there in the middle income level that do not necessarily require a bachelors degree or more? ¾ What are the career paths for these occupations and do they provide for upward mobility? And what training opportunities are available in the region for mid-tech occupations in demand? ¾ What occupational linkages based on common skill sets exist across industries? Can these occupational clusters help workers transition across industries and expand their career path potential?
Our Analytical Approach: Understanding Occupational Change in the Region The analytical component will explore the new occupational opportunities in the changing economic conditions. The analysis will focus on three parts: 1.) Identifying and profiling growing mid-tech/mid-wage occupations in Silicon Valley, 2.) Identifying potential paths for economic mobility within occupations and through skills development, and 3.) Exploring occupational linkages across industries based on skills. The analysis will incorporate the use of occupational data from the Occupational Employment Survey (OES), O*NET, survey data, as well as possible proprietary data sources on occupational trends.
Part 1 will examine occupational growth patterns. This analysis will reveal any change in the region’s occupational mix by income level and specific occupations. In addition to identifying growing occupations in new areas, this analysis will examine the projected demand for replacement workers in occupations that are facing significant numbers of retirements in the coming years.
Occupational analysis for the entire economy and the region’s clusters using OES data will include:
• Occupational distribution by low, mid and high income levels o CHART 1: Percentage distribution o CHART 2: Absolute distribution
2
• Occupational gains/losses 2001-2007 • Change in region’s occupational concentrations • Replacement jobs in demand o CHART 3: New jobs and net replacements
Part 2 will look at career paths and educational and training requirements associated with growing occupations in order to identify potential paths for economic mobility. Additionally, using survey results from the region’s community colleges, access to training opportunities for occupations in growing demand will be determined in terms of availability, cost, and time commitment.
Information on educational requirements and typical career paths will come from OES: • Required education & training levels of growing occupations • Career paths and educational requirements for mobility
Survey of region’s community colleges will include the following: • Training programs for occupations with growing demand • Ratio of available slots to number of applicants by program • Cost of programs • Time commitment for programs
Part 3 will explore the linkages of occupations by skill sets across industries for identifying occupational clusters. This effort will not only produce an alternative view of Silicon Valley’s economic activities, but it will also provide the foundation for easing the inevitable and evermore frequent transitions between industries. Further, this analysis will explore the potential for expanded avenues for career mobility across industries.
Skills analysis using O*NET data will include: • Skills profiles for growing occupations • Skills profiles for declining occupations • Identification of common skills and potential for “bridging” across occupations and industries
What Can Be Done: Options for Social Innovation? When social cohesion crumbles, there are real ramifications in an innovation economy. Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernake, explains that while the ability of our labor and capital markets to accommodate and adapt to economic change has made possible our strong productivity growth, these dynamics have also produced painful results for people whose skills become obsolete in the process (2007). Further, he cautions: “If we did not place some limits on the downside risks to individuals affected by economic change, the public at large might become less willing to accept the dynamism that is so essential to economic progress” (2007). In addition, Martin Wolf, Economist at the Financial Times argues, rising inequality causes
3 declining equality of opportunity, and “it also makes losing a job costlier, more objectionable and so more resisted” (2007). The pace of change is fast. Firms and people need the flexibility and support to quickly adapt to the new speed of changing market forces. Intrinsic to these new market forces are uncertainty and risk, job volatility, and demand for new skills.
Joint Venture’s “Next Silicon Valley” report describes trust as core to an innovation economy in which entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers collaborate in a highly competitive environment. “Trust has become important because it fosters the cooperation and risk sharing that promotes innovation and flexible responses to change” (Joint Venture, 2001, 30). Silicon Valley will be a resilient region when the region can support its people, companies, and communities as they mutually adapt to increased economic volatility (Joint Venture, 2001).
“Unless social innovation accompanies technology innovation, the relentless flow of new innovations can have real and growing downsides — downsides that threaten the special habitat that births them. (Joint Venture, 2001).
Where is there potential for pursuing social innovation?
• If risk and uncertainty are now both the sources of economic progress and the sources of social degradation, in what ways could the region apply its innovative capacity in technology to developing novel solutions to social pressures with wide-reaching impact on the economic potential of the region? • How can Silicon Valley improve its high school graduation rates and expand options for adult training? • If worker displacement will continue to increase, how can the resulting real personal and social costs be mitigated? • How can these significant market changes be best leveraged so that the wealth of the growing global market can be most widely shared?
4 Appendix
1. The Changing Nature of Employment In this highly competitive environment of quickly changing market conditions, a central component to maintaining competitive advantage is the willingness to take risk. The Treasury Secretary during the late 1990s, Robert Rubin, explained the reason economic growth of the 1990s was so much greater in the U.S. than other technologically advanced countries was due to “America’s cultural and historical disposition to take risks and embrace change” (Rubin 2003, 195). American companies could more readily invest and implement new technologies due to flexible labor and capital markets; in addition, open trade and its competitive pressures forced companies to increase efficiencies (195-6). On the macro level of global competition, these are huge assets, but what does this fast-paced, flexible and innovative economy mean to individuals, families and ultimately the communities in which we live? And what options are there for innovative public policy framed for the benefit of everyone in the Valley and the region’s sustainable prosperity?
Flexibility and the Diminishing Role of the Firm As businesses need the flexibility to quickly adapt to market changes in the ever-quickening global economy, employees are exposed to increased uncertainty. Just as the firm is no longer the primary unit of production, its role as the primary source of important social benefits is also diminishing. In addition to firms employing fewer people, employee tenure is declining as people change jobs more frequently. Further, the demand for higher skills continues to rise and with it the earnings gap between the high and low-skilled is widening. How is growing uncertainty impacting individuals as they cope with the adaptation demanded of them, and what are the real options for mobility? The 2007 Index illustrated that the typical primary unit of production – the firm – is evolving. In general, the size of a typical firm in Silicon Valley is shrinking. Also, since 2002, the number of firms without employees has been growing at a faster rate than the number of jobs at firms with employees. Further, these changes have significant consequences for workers in terms of continued access to vital benefits such as health insurance and retirement. Nationally, the decline in health care coverage through employers has occurred in small firms and not large firms (Kim, et al. 2007, 13). With health care costs rising faster than before, small firms are feeling the pressure. For Silicon Valley in particular, a region characterized by very small businesses (Zhang 2003) and high employee turn-over (Saxenian 1999), there are serious implications for maintaining access to quality health care in the region. In addition to health coverage, the traditional framework for retirement savings has been disrupted by dropping job tenure.
Rising Return to Skill Linked directly to a company’s innovative capacity is its ability to attract the best talent. As workers are expected to move between employers more frequently, they are also expected to
5 command high-level skills and to continually up-grade these skills. The 2007 Index illustrated the Valley’s high school graduation rates are dropping. Further constricting access to education and skills development, nationally college tuition has risen faster than inflation for the last 26 years (Kim, et al. 2007, 23). Evidence suggests that over the last 30 years, the rising return to education and skill has increased the earnings gap between higher and lower skilled workers. In testimony to the Joint Economic Committee in January 2007, Alan Blinder, Professor of Economics at Princeton University, reported that since the 1970s, earners have become increasingly unequal due to a growing wage premium for higher-levels of education and skill. In a study of family income in California, Deborah Reed of the Public Policy Institute of California finds similar evidence for the rising value of education but also reports the long-term trends in income inequality as well as trends over the recent economic expansion. Results suggest that although poverty and income inequality in 2002 were substantially lower than in 1993, poverty and income inequality in 2002 were still notably higher than in 1969 (2004).
Earnings Mobility & Job Churn What is uncertain about trends in income is the extent of earnings mobility. In a report on earnings mobility in California, Michael Dardia et al. explains that since studies citing income inequality typically are based on cross-sectional analysis rather than longitudinal analysis, it is not possible to determine if today’s low-wage workers are the same as yesterday’s (2002). Using payroll data, the analysis tracked the earnings of 187,000 California workers from 1988 to 2000 and found substantial earnings mobility for individual workers. When set in contrast to a cross- sectional analysis using the same data, the earnings growth illustrated through the longitudinal analysis was significantly higher. The results suggest that although the low and high ends of the earnings spectrum may be diverging, individuals over time are still achieving real earnings growth. Related to earnings, is the regularity of earnings. While businesses try to adapt to rapid market changes, workers experience more irregularity in employment or “job churn”. In recent testimony before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, Peter Orszag posited that while macroeconomic fluctuations are now much milder than they were in the past, “households continue to experience substantial variability in their earnings and income, and that variability may now be much higher than in the past— perhaps contributing to anxiety among workers and families” (2007, 12).
2. Technological Advance, Market Demand and New Occupational Opportunity In addition to structural changes in the economy, technological change and demographic trends drive occupational demand. How is the occupational demand in Silicon Valley changing and what new opportunities are arising in terms of career and income mobility?
Silicon Valley is well-positioned to be a driver of new occupational demand through both the generation and the early adoption of new technology. New occupational opportunity is emerging from technological advances and new market demand for products and services. For example, the complexities of new technology in the areas of medical technology require the specialized
6 expertise of multiple individuals for the conducting of tests, process monitoring, and interpreting of results. Further, as waves of workers reach retirement, demand is quickly growing in more traditional technical fields.
Governor Schwarzenegger has called for expanding vocational education opportunities in California with new investment in Career Tech. His 2006-07 budget includes a $50 million investment to expand career technical education programs for high school students; and his Strategic Growth Plan education bond would $1 billion in supplemental grants for new construction, and reconfiguration of career tech ed facilities (Strategic Growth Plan 2006). Vocational education programs have been lauded for keeping kids in school and for providing young people with viable paths of opportunity.
Sources Cited: Auerhahn, Louise, Bob Brownstein, Brian Darrow, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins. 2007. “Life in the Valley Economy. Silicon Valley Progress Report.” Working Partnerships USA (March 2007). Austin, Jenny & Nancy Tucker. 2006. “Silicon Valley Roots: Foundational Occupations with Growth Potential.” NOVA Workforce Board report. Bernake, Ben. 2007. “The Level and Distribution of Economic Well-Being,” Remarks before the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Omaha, Nebraska. U.S. Federal Reserve Board. February 6, 2007. Blinder, Alan. 2007. “Will the middle class hold? Two problems of American labor” Testimony before the Joint Economic Committee. January 31, 2007. Dardia, Michael, Elisa Barbour, Akhtar Khan, Colleen Moore. 2002. “Moving Up? Earnings Mobility in California,” in Growth and Employment, California Policy Review. Burlingame, CA: SPHERE Institute. (April 2002). Henton, Doug, Kim Walesh, Liz Brown. 2001. “Next Silicon Valley: Riding the Waves of Innovation.” White Paper prepared with the Next Silicon Valley Leadership Group for Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. December 2001. Kim, Ann, Adam Solomon, Bernard Schwartz, Jim Kessler, Stephen Rose. 2007. “The New Rules Economy: A Policy Framework for the 21st Century. “A Third Way Report. The Third Way Middle Class Project. National Center for O*NET Development. 2006. “New and Emerging (N&E) Occupations Methodology Development Report.” Employment and Training Administration Office of Workforce Investment, Skill Assessment Team. U. S. Department of Labor (March 2006). Orszag, Peter. 2007. “Volatility Report.” Congressional Budget Office Testimony before Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives. January 31, 2007. Pikulinski, Jerome. 2004. “New and Emerging Occupations.” Research Summary. Monthly Labor Review. Bureau of Labor Statistics (December 2004).
Strategic Growth Plan. 2006. “Governor Schwarzenegger Stresses Importance of Vocational Education.” (March 21, 2006). http://www.strategicgrowthplan.com/index.php?/full/governor-schwarzenegger-stresses- importance-of-vocational-education/
7 Reed, Deborah. 2004. “Recent Trends in Income and Poverty,” in California Counts Population Trends and Profiles. San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California. (February 2004). Rubin, Robert and Jacob Weisberg. 2003. In an Uncertain World. Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington. New York: Random House. Walesh, Kim, Doug Henton, Chi Nguyen, Liz Brown, John Melville. 2001 “Unfinished Business: Women in the Silicon Valley Economy,” Women of Silicon Valley, a project of Community Foundation Silicon Valley and Collaborative Economics (April 2001). Wolf, Martin. 2007. “Why America will need some elements of a welfare state,” Financial Times. Feb. 13, 2007.
8
Memorandum
TO: Joint Venture Board of Directors
FROM: Brian Moura, Co-Chair Dan Fenton, Co-Chair Eric Benhamou, Chair, Smart Valley Seth Fearey, Initiative Director
DATE: August 29, 2007
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON WIRELESS SILICON VALLEY
This memorandum provides an update on the Wireless Silicon Valley project:
Wireless Silicon Valley continues to make progress, though more slowly than we would like.
The Transportation Users Group is moving forward with plans to use our test sites for experiments.
DISCUSSION
Business Model. The press has been reporting that municipal wireless networks are failing because the business model is not generating sufficient revenues from services and advertising. Network providers, like MetroFi and Earthlink, are moving to an anchor tenancy model that requires local governments to commit $250K or more up front to help capitalize the network.
Silicon Valley Metro Connect has ALSO changed its business model, but they are not asking us to adopt the anchor tenancy model. Instead, they plan to bootstrap the business by deploying the network first in the communities that offer the greatest potential for service revenues. They plan to approach businesses, government agencies, and other organizations to present the business case for wireless services and sign up accounts.
1 The Executive Committee presented the new model to the members of the Wireless Silicon Valley Task Force. The Task Force decided that the change to the business model does not warrant revoking the Notice to Proceed and re-starting the program. They noted that it is important that Metro Connect adhere to its promises to build out the entire Valley and that the network must cover the entire city, not just a business district.
Concept Cities. We held high level meetings with Cisco executives to express our concerns with the rate of progress on the legal agreements and the construction of the two “concept cities” in Palo Alto and San Carlos. Cisco has escalated the importance of the project and is playing a much stronger role in ensuring the project’s success. Nonetheless, the order for the equipment for the test sites still has not been placed.
Coverage Maps. An important question has been how much of a city would be covered and with what level of service. Azulstar prepared two sample coverage maps (attached) to help us understand their plan. In most areas the service would be very strong. Some areas would have a weaker service and others, typically parks, golf courses, and forests would be covered by a low speed signal or might require a special line-of-sight connection. The Task Force is pleased with the proposed coverage, but asking for additional details on how the service would work in the least densely populated areas.
Legal Agreements. Brian Moura and Greg Rubens, the attorney for SAMCAT, have made considerable progress on the terms in the model agreement. The services, pricing, quality of service, privacy agreement, network neutrality statement and other sections are consistent with the response to the RFP and favorable to the cities.
Once work has been completed on the model agreement, our attention will turn to the enhanced services agreement. We hope to finish that agreement quickly. The agreement for establishing the Joint Powers Agreement is complete.
Transportation Users Group. At its second meeting, the Users Group narrowed the list of projects from six to three. The highest priority is on running experiments in the concept cities to test the ability of the network to maintain a connection at speed, and to test the transmission of Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) data to Road Side Units. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is interested in donating a 5.9 GHz radio for the tests.
Attachments
Draft coverage maps for San Carlos and Palo Alto Roster for Wireless Transportation Users Group Various articles about municipal wireless networks, including one on Seth Fearey’s presentation in Hong Kong
2 DRAFT – PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS
1 DRAFT – PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS
2 Wireless Transportation Systems Users Group
First_Name Last_Name Organization Rafi Cohen Alvarion Shamir Efrony Alvarion Chris Borek AzulStar Steve LeVeck AzulStar Tyler Van Houwelingen AzulStar Jim Misener Berkeley Max Kicherer BMW Kyle Williams Bosch Jens Faeugev Bosch Badi Raghunathan Bosch Greg Larson California Transportation Martin Griss Carnegie Mellon University Mike Saberi CCDeck Norind Su CCDeck Alan Scheik Cisco Maz Zabaneh Cisco Glenn Loo City of Palo Alto Bob Harrington City of Palo Alto Dan Zack City of Redwood City Brian Moura City of San Carlos Jim Helmer City of San Jose John Telija City of San Jose Chris Wilson Daimler Chrysler Byron Shaw GM Kevin Fanton IBM Michael Fenn IBM Brent Grotz IBM Philip Mullins IBM Seth Fearey Joint Venture Holger Schmitt MBMW Benjamin McKeever MTC Kathryn Heatly Outreach Wei-Bin Zhang PATH Geroge Cameron Samtrans Mark Simon Samtrans Keith Klemba SAP Ike Nassi SAP Ann-Marie Fowler Sekay Laura Stuchinsky SVLG Janice Partyica Technocom Tip Franklin Telvent Joan Ravier Telvent Rick Veith Tesla Motors Jessie Pu Town of Los Gatos Jun Fukuyama Toyota Somak Gupta Toyota Vinuth Rai Toyota Kevin Sato Toyota Daniel Xing Toyota Doug Beley VTA Casey Emoto VTA David Kobayashi VTA Keith Roan VTA George Sandoval VTA Tom Chan VW Chuhee Lee VW Arne Stoschek VW
9/4/2007 TUG Roster and Project Team 5 07 1
WiFi Could Soon Be Available Behind The Wheel To Make Roads Better and Safer
By Tomas Roman
Jun.11 - KGO - Peninsula and South Bay commuters may soon have help in avoiding traffic jams. New technology may come with real time traffic reports, weather; just about everything else you can get on the Internet. The difference is all this and more could be available inside your car.
San Carlos Assistant City Manager Brian Moura is showing us the plans for a hi speed broadband network that will cover every city in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, an area of 1,500 square miles. The WiFi could give drivers real-time traffic information or help a doctor.
Brian Moura, San Carlos Assistant City Manager: "It might be wireless in a hospital a doctor could be carrying a tablet or a PDA and carry around patient records."
The broadband technology would be available to all households, business and public service agencies like police and fire. The cost is about $150 million dollars to be paid for by IBM, Cisco and others.
"Vendors front the money they get paid back with the subscriptions."
Palo Alto Police got a presentation from Moura today and may use the new network in their plans to develop nationwide emergency communication.
Sheryl Contois, Palo Alto Police Department: "This would allow us to pass that information instantly in our dispatch cities patrol cars fire trucks wherever we need to"
Moura says the county got a real surprise when car companies called about their WiFi plans.
Brian Moura: "Car companies approached. People like BMW, Chrysler, VW, G.M. and said were testing future car prototypes that have wireless technologies inside."
So now those car companies are going to install 40 transponders that will send signals to their car prototypes. They plan to use the new broadband technology that San Mateo and Santa Clara County will have to send signals and information to their cars.
Brian Moura: "It might give you text info a picture showing a traffic jam two miles ahead and then it might re route you. if the computer is smart enough it may show you another route."
The 40 transponders will go up this summer, and will go all the way from El Camino Real and Highway 101 to San Jose and San Francisco.
Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT
.
Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - June 18, 2007 http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/06/18/story5.html
BUSINESS PULSE SURVEY: What do you think of using the state budget to try to block global warming i Valley's $100 mil wi-fi project off track but hopes still high Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - June 15, 2007 by Timothy Roberts The effort to turn Silicon Valley into a wi-fi paradise is running months behind, although proponents of the plan insist it will still happen.
The $100 million program to bring wireless fidelity to every nook and cranny of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties was supposed to have been in operation nearly six months ago. Instead, organizers are still wrangling over the wording of agreements among the nearly 40 government agencies and with the technology companies that would build and operate the system.
"We are not where we thought we would be," says Seth Fearey, executive director of Smart Valley, the initiative launched by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, the technology-oriented civic and business organization that came up with the idea.
The concept would cover 1,500 square miles with a combination of wi-fi and wi-max. Wi-fi is a short-range signal that allows high-speed Internet connections. Wi-max does the same thing but is a much stronger signal that reaches much farther than wi-fi. More than 2.4 million people would be able to receive the signal.
The scope of the project is the most ambitious in the country, according to a spokesman for Cisco Systems Inc., although projects as large have been successful in Europe and Asia. The project is to provide more than just a free wi-fi signal for residents. It could also offer separate secure frequencies for use by emergency services, traffic warning systems and business uses.
In fact, it is those special services that would finance the entire operation. The only government involvement with the program would be in connection with the communication services that police and fire departments or other government agencies would pay for.
The idea was Joint Venture's, but other than the $80,000 it raised for a study, it has no money in the project either. Instead it has selected a small startup in Grand Haven, Mich., named Azulstar Inc., to install and operate the system.
Privately held Azulstar has recently gotten a new CEO and an influx of an unspecified amount of cash, says Vice President for Marketing Noa Eisenberg, herself a new addition to the company.
Azulstar has wireless operations in seven other locations, the largest one being in Winston-Salem, N.C. It's operation in Rio Rancho, N.M., was recently criticized by the city council for failing to sign up any more than 700 subscribers in a city of 70,000 people.
The first two cities scheduled to receive the service are Palo Alto and San Carlos.
"The city council is enthusiastic," says Palo Alto Councilman Bern Beacham.
Beacham says the program will provide new services to residents, allow the city to better communicate with police officers, firefighters and other employees, and it's being built by the private sector. All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved. "The council is not putting up any money for this," he says.
San Jose is taking a slower approach. Chief Information Officer Randy Murphy says the city is looking for a consultant who will help it determine what wireless services would be useful for the city.
"Once we establish that, we can go back to the wireless authority and ask what it can do and how much it would cost," he says.
The program is attractive, says Steve Turner, deputy CIO in charge of business applications, because "it has a business model that is sustainable."
In that model, Azulstar will sign up what it calls anchor tenants, meaning early adopters of the system who will pay for services. With that guaranteed revenue the company will seek financing for the cost of installing the system, which will use IBM software and Cisco radios to broadcast the signal.
Completing the system for the entire two-county area could cost from $100 million to $150 million dollars, says Eisenberg.
"This is not your typical muni wireless system," says Fearey as he acknowledges the delay. "We are building something very large and not taxpayer financed."
Although the system will be supported by city services for communications, businesses also will be able to sign up for service. Azulstar got its start in Stevens Point, Wis., when Sentry Insurance purchased wi-fi accounts for all of its employees and all the school children in the city.
Eisenberg was not immediately able to say what percent of the company's business is public and how much is private.
She says the agreements that will enable the start of construction in Palo Alto and San Carlos will be signed "in the very near term."
Fearey says the agreements should be signed by the end of the month. Then it goes to the lawyers. Then the cities vote to approve them. Then construction.
So when will Silicon Valley go wireless?
"I don't want to get my name out there associated another completion date," he says.
TIMOTHY ROBERTS covers public policy, corporate governance and Internet security for the Business Journal. Reach him at (408) 299-1821.
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Citywide WiFi considered for San Jose
CC,10p8OFFICIALS PLANNING TO HIRE CONSULTANT
By Eli Segall MediaNews San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:07/07/2007 01:39:34 AM PDT
San Jose officials are pondering free, citywide WiFi, but before any wireless Internet system is set up, they want to know how much it will cost, who will use it or if it can even be installed.
The city plans to hire a consultant by the end of the month to explore the pros and cons of the wireless system and to assess what, if any, improvements are needed to support it, said San Jose's chief information officer, Randy Murphy.
"We need to get a strategy," said Murphy, who added that public meetings are planned for the next four to six months.
Murphy presented the plan to hire an outside expert to the city council's public safety, finance and strategic support committee June 21.
Currently, public wireless is available only in City Hall and in limited sections of downtown. If the city does expands the system, it can do so one of two ways.
Wireless Silicon Valley, a consortium of 40 cities across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, including San Jose, is exploring a regional wireless network that would serve 2.4 million people. A provider was selected in September, but project details are still being negotiated with the various city councils, said Brian Maura, co-chair of Wireless Silicon Valley. San Jose has not committed to fully joining.
The city's other option is to increase its current coverage under MetroFi, which also provides wireless access to eight cities nationwide, including Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Cupertino.
Wireless Silicon Valley, launched in late 2005, is geared toward outdoor computer users, Maura said, adding that it should be easy to find San Jose residents who are interested in the network. The area is tech-savvy, and it has a strong residential and commercial base, Maura said.
MetroFi touts itself as providing a free, reliable wireless network for anyone, including employees who want to telecommute.
Possible wireless users in San Jose include the police and fire departments and city government, as well as residents, Murphy said.
Although both Wireless Silicon Valley and MetroFi offer free access to users, cities often pay for poles that wireless signal receptors are attached to, and end up doing maintenance work themselves, Murphy said.
"We need to be mindful that there is a $16 million deficit," Murphy said of the city's general fund shortfall for the 2007-08 fiscal year. "We need to figure out how this won't be a drain on city resources."
Close Window Send To Printer Users pushing wireless valley
By Kristina Peterson MediaNews Group San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:07/12/2007 01:35:18 AM PDT
The iPhone will probably reshape the mobile phone industry, most experts agree.
It may also bring wireless Internet service to the valley much faster.
The folks behind a regional plan to develop a massive outdoor network of wireless Internet service for the region are getting pushed to speed up from a brand-new activist group: local iPhone users.
"We're getting pressure from people who want to use it. The more specific pressure is from the iPhone users," said Brian Moura, co- chair of the Wireless Silicon Valley project and assistant city manager of San Carlos.
The organizers said Wednesday they hope to start the network's pilot programs in San Carlos and Palo Alto this fall. They'd originally hoped to start this testing phase early this spring.
The plan to provide 41 agencies between South San Francisco and Santa Cruz with widespread, outdoor wireless Internet is being developed by a team of vendors called Silicon Valley Metro Connect, is managed by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, and likely will cost "upwards of $100 million," IBM spokeswoman Clay Helm said earlier this year. Cisco is among the other companies taking part.
Spokesmen from IBM and Cisco referred questions to other agencies Wednesday.
Anne-Marie Fowler, principal at SeaKay, the company responsible for the project's public outreach, said the project's delays stem from the complexity of the new network.
"If we were just doing hot spots, this would've gone up a long time ago. But this is a major communications network for Silicon Valley," she said. Fowler declined to describe which applications would be part of the new network, which should be available to all residents in 2008.
However, she did confirm that the consortium is working with anyone making a WiFi phone. "The network and the iPhone are certainly going to be friends," she said.
Robert Scoble, who with his son bought the first two iPhones at the Palo Alto Apple store on June 29, said he is looking forward to the network. Using an iPhone outdoors these days is "pretty slow," he said.
Though residents of Palo Alto and San Carlos will not get to try out the network until fall, Fowler said locals may have spotted some equipment already being installed.
"Cisco is doing various survey work at this point to determine the best placement of the access points," she said.
Mora said test sites will include places like car dealer showrooms, where those behind the network can show off its capabilities.
E-mail Kristina Peterson at kpeterson@dailynewsgroup
.com.
Close Window Send To Printer
Posted: Monday, 23 July 2007 8:33AM
Bay Area WiFi Struggling Through Delays
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KCBS) -- The wireless network being designed to cover 1,500 square miles of the Bay Area is having a hard time getting off the ground.
The network was originally scheduled to start this spring, and for once, the hold-ups aren’t being caused by public sector, according to Joint Venture of Silicon Valley CEO Russell Hancock.
“The cities are ready. They’re ready to go. They’re ready to provide the approvals. The public sector has been very fast on this. It’s been harder for the private sector partners to actually find the business model, to find a way to actually capitalize the network,” said Hancock.
He added that Joint Venture is pushing to roll out two test sites before the end of the year.
KCBS’ Mike Colgan has more
(RdD) Copyright 2007, KCBS. All Rights Reserved.
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Daily News Publications Tuesday Jul 24 City weighs wireless options By Kristina Peterson / Daily News Staff Writer
Though Palo Alto doesn't yet have citywide wireless Internet access, it's not from a lack of interest by organizations ready and willing to provide it.
To shed some light on the growing number of wireless options, Palo Alto members of the Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Project today will meet with municipal wireless Internet consultant Craig Settles today to figure out what makes sense for the city.
"Everybody is trying to tackle the high-speed (Internet) issue. It's the critical element on many levels," said Settle, whose services are being provided to the city for free by Northrop Grumman, the systems integrator of the regional interoperability project.
Sheryl Contois, director of technical services for the Palo Alto Police Department and vice chair of the interoperability group's executive committee, said the goal of today's meeting is to figure out whether the regional public safety group should build its own wireless network or join the developing Wireless Silicon Valley regional project.
Founded in 1998 and involving 18 jurisdictions in Santa Clara County, the interoperability project aims to link law enforcement and other emergency first responders across the county so they can communicate more efficiently.
Originally, the group planned to build its own wireless broadband spectrum, "which really doesn't make perfect sense," Contois said. Now it is evaluating whether to join the Wireless Silicon Valley network instead.
Spearheaded by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, the Wireless Silicon Valley project aims to link 41 agencies from South San Francisco to Santa Cruz in one regional wireless network that cities and businesses would pay to join, but would be free to all outdoor users.
Right now Palo Alto pays $65,000 to $100,000 annually to a commercial wireless service to transmit public safety data, Contois said.
Settles said the city will have to evaluate the kinds of services it might want from a wireless Internet provider and the type of business models they should be pursuing.
"There needs to be a detailed analysis of how organizations work and where are all the places where the network can or can't impact that group," he said.
Settles also will be working with Santa Clara County and the cities of Mountain View, San Jose, Milpitas, Campbell and Santa Clara to analyze their wireless needs.
Meanwhile, Seth Fearey, chief operating officer of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, said his group has been meeting monthly with city officials the past two years to discuss what services his network will be able to provide them.
"We welcome the cities doing their own investigations," he said. Fearey said there are no deadlines for cities to select their desired package of applications.
But Contois said that due to a grant application deadline, the interoperability group at least will decide by Aug. 13 whether to join the network.
E-mail Kristina Peterson at [email protected].
From: GOODMORNING SILICON VALLEY
August 6, 2007 Municipal WiFi — no wires, lots of strings
It’s taken a little while, but those rosy predictions of free municipal wireless Internet access for all are starting to lose their glow, and not surprisingly, it’s over that fundamental question about any free service: Who’s going to pay for it?
Up in San Francisco, the city has been moving toward a deal with EarthLink and Google for citywide WiFi under an arrangement in which the companies would pay for the right to build and operate a network that would provide low-speed access for free and low-end broadband for $20 a month. Things looked to be on track until the city came back with a few suggested changes — like making the low-end broadband speed free and charging for anything snappier, adding some more privacy protection and cutting the length of the contract from 16 years down to eight. Apparently in shock, EarthLink asked for a month to think things over, and judging by the recent comments of EarthLink’s new CEO, the company is looking at issues far bigger than just the San Francisco deal. “The Wi-Fi business as currently constituted will not provide an acceptable return. We’re actively exploring ways to scale this business more economically,” said Rolla P. Huff in a conference call last week.
One possibility raised by Huff is already starting to come into play in the regional plans of Silicon Valley’s Joint Venture Wireless Project — the prospect of relying on cities becoming paying “anchor tenants” of their community WiFi service, guaranteeing their provider some reliable revenue. Said Huff, “That would go a long way in our being able to get an acceptable return on this investment. Until we’re convinced that we can build new networks and get an acceptable return, we will delay any further new build-outs.” And that’s the direction the Silicon Valley project is heading. The 40 or so cities in the region will be asked to pay to use their WiFi network to connection municipal departments and employees. On top of reports showing skimpy usage of existing municipal WiFi networks, this is enough to send many of the cities back to the keyboard for some heavy-duty cost-benefit analysis.
Posted by John Murrell at 10:56 am
Launched:08/06/2007 01:33:12 AM PDT
Municipal WiFi: A not-so-free lunch
By Sarah Jane Tribble, San Jose Mercury News
It's been more than a year since Silicon Valley's Joint Venture Wireless Project first announced plans to build a regional wireless network, giving millions of local residents free access to the Internet.
But that network won't be so free after all, and the area's millions of local residents may not really use it.
While initially the project was lauded as a way to give the masses affordable Internet, key organizers have gently shifted the focus of the network from serving residents, for free, to giving businesses and city governments wireless access, for a price.
"The idea that we've always had is that this is not just a WiFi network for people to get their e- mail," said Seth Fearey, project leader for the Joint Venture Wireless Project. "Right from the start we said, `We know the operator has to make money; it's very, very important there be a sustainable business model."'
Once complete, the network is expected to span 1,500 square miles - one of the largest in the country - and, yes, be available for free to 2.4 million people with download speeds of 1 megabit per second.
But the increasing focus on dollars and cents reflects a trend nationwide: As cities strive to provide wireless Internet service, they're realizing it can't truly be free.
Sure, once the towers and antennas go up in a city, residents will be able to walk to the park with a laptop or iPhone and pull up WiFi - but someone has to pay for all those antennas and so-called "access points."
That's where the 40 or so cities in the region come in. They will be asked to pay to use the network, enabling police officers, firefighters and even housing inspectors to file reports on the go. At first, pioneering companies and some communities thought the networks could be for the sole use of residents and funded by advertising - before you can access a Web site you'd be greeted with a quick pop-up commercial.
But five years after Mountain View's MetroFi launched on the premise of providing advertiser- supported wireless access, the company has changed its tune. It now only builds networks in communities where the city government has agreed to pay for services or be an "anchor tenant" in the network.
"I think the business model has been really evolving," said MetroFi President and Chief Executive Chuck Haas. "A little less than a year ago, we moved to the 100 percent anchor tenant model; we only build it for cities who are using the network for municipal uses."
MetroFi, which is constructing or has built networks in nine cities, still provides free service to residents, but only after it has a guaranteed contract - and revenues - from the city itself.
The shift is occurring, in part, because it's not clear how many people are actually using the free networks, and that makes it difficult to sell advertising.
As of June, 385 cities and counties nationwide were planning or had already built a wireless network intended for at least some consumer use, but actual use remains low, according to a July report by Forrester analyst Sally Cohen. Only 27 percent of U.S. households were using WiFi late last year, and most of those were using their home wireless connection, she said.
"Most mainstream consumers aren't equipped to use wireless networks," Cohen said. "Many of them don't have laptops. Also, they're not well acquainted with the idea of mobile Internet access, so the value of what it means to be computing `mobile-ly' is not clear to them."
Instead of relying on residents to use the network, communities should also ask how the city government, businesses and local universities might use wireless access, she said.
San Jose's information technology manager, Randy Murphy, agrees.
"We want to learn from different governance models and funding sources on how to capitalize on this," Murphy said, adding that he doesn't believe in a "free lunch."
Silicon Valley's wireless project is expected to cost $100 million to $150 million. Silicon Valley Metro Connect, the technology team building the network, will initially pay for it. It is asking the cities to commit to paying for certain services.
Cities will be able to evaluate how those services might work once one-square mile test sites in Santa Clara and Palo Alto are built. But those tests are months behind schedule, as Metro Connect works out contract details with city officials. Fearey said he believes construction will begin by late August or September. A handful of cities in Santa Clara County are now assessing whether it's worth the cost, said Craig Settles, who along with Northrop Grumman, is doing a benefit analysis for the county. Palo Alto, Campbell, Santa Clara, Mountain View and Milpitas are participating in the cost- benefit assessment.
Settles said he believes the cities will see a need for wireless and five years from now the project will be up and running.
"It seems like there are reasonable heads at play behind this thing," he said.
Link to the story online.
How two cities handle wifi Mercury News Article Launched: 08/06/2007 01:34:09 AM PDT
These two cities exemplify the evolving WiFi market:
Corpus Christi, Texas: The city built a 147-square-mile wireless network to monitor gas and water meters, saving city employees the time involved in visiting houses and filing reports. The network automates data collection, and customers can now check their property's water and gas use online. Within a year, the city workers in code enforcement, health inspection, animal control, public works and public safety were also using the network to cut their workload and save time. EarthLink took over the network this summer, expanding it to allow residents to pay for use.
Portland, Ore.: MetroFi launched one of the first free, advertising-supported WiFi networks here last year, promising coverage that would blanket the city. But industry watchers say response has been mixed and the network didn't meet expectations as residents and businesses complained about spotty coverage. Since then, the city has begun paying for some higher-level service. MetroFi recently announced that the network had 11,200 users in May 2007, a percent of about 11.5 of the population within the coverage area.
Source: Mercury News research
Memorandum
TO: Joint Venture Board of Directors
FROM: Eric Benhamou, Smart Health Co-Chair Richard Levy, Smart Health Co-Chair David Katz, Smart Health Executive Director
DATE: September 5, 2007
SUBJECT: SMART HEALTH PROGRESS REPORT
This memo provides an update on progress with the Smart Health Initiative, whose mission is to demonstrate and disseminate in Silicon Valley a new model for healthcare delivery through the comprehensive use of well-coordinated information systems to facilitate evidence-based cost-effective healthcare decision making and management for all Silicon Valley residents.
Since the last meeting of the board in June 2007:
• We are closing in on a grant from the Misys Corporation’s Center for Community Health Leadership. The grant would provide $3MM in physician EMR software to develop a “vertical” RHIO centered at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose and include San Jose Medical Group, SCCIPA and others.
• We continued working toward a business model for the pilot of a system to reduce administrative waste, focused on real-time eligibility checking, real-time claims adjudication, and real time payment to healthcare providers.
• We have developed a business model for personal emergency health records for Silicon Valley employees, developed a working prototype in conjunction with Tolven Health, and began recruiting employers to sponsor the project. Palm has committed $50,000 to project sponsorship. We are currently meeting with employers to discuss interest in participation.
• We have dropped all plans to do a Smart Health-sponsored clinical data/image sharing project involving El Camino Hospital, Lucile Packard Hospital, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and Stanford Hospital. All scaleable projects we were working
1 on simply did not meet the business needs of the parties.
• We met with Dr. David Brailer, new CEO of Health Evolution Partners. We are developing a plan to cosponsor a November event to showcase startups in healthcare technology.
Comments below elaborate on the points above:
O’Connor RHIO Project:. Smart Health responded in January to a grant opportunity from the Mysis Corporation Center for Community Health Leadership. The grant would provide approximately $3MM in Mysis EMR software for physician offices that would integrate hospital clinical data into physician records. The Daughters of Charity system, which includes six hospitals in California, and one in Silicon Valley (O’Connor Hospital in San Jose), has recently installed electronic patient record software, is interested in partnering to integrate hospital records with affiliated community doctors in the area, including Santa Clara County Independent Physicians Association (SCCIPAO, San Jose Medical Group and others. The Daughters are willing to host the Mysis software and perform integration to enable sharing of data. Over the last six weeks we have held several meetings with Daughters of Charity, O’Connor Hospital staff and physicians, San Jose Medical Group and Santa Clara County Independent Physicians Association (SCCIPA). All are supportive of the grant, and will meet with Mysis leadership on September 4. If we are successful, the O’Connor RHIO will be the largest single RHIO in Northern California. The linkages will reduce duplicated testing, and improve the quality of care for patients by putting the right information in front of the doctor at the point of care. The grant can produce revenue for Joint Venture by charging a program fee to the doctors who participate in the program. Reduction of administrative waste. Several months ago IBM approached Smart Health to work with local health care providers, employers and insurance companies on a pilot to reduce administrative waste in processing claims. According to industry estimates, the excess administrative cost in processing claims amounts to as much as 15% of the cost of care, and results from: • Administrative overhead in the processing of claims • Bad debt • Denied claims IBM is developing a “Health Transaction System” (HTS) in which they will work with healthcare providers, employers and insurers to provide patients with a health plan card that, when presented in a doctor’s office will open real time connections to the patient’s insurer and to a financial POS system. When presented, the physician will be able to: • Verify that the patient is covered by the insurer • Upon completion of treatment and presentation of a bill in the doctor’s office, HTS
2 will submit the claim to the insurer’s real time adjudication engine, which will, in approximately 70% of cases, determine the amount of coverage while the patient is in the doctor’s office • Based on previously identified patient accounts and the approval of the patient, the system will deduct the patient portion of the bill from a predetermined health savings account, a checking account, a credit card, or other account. The pilot is currently being defined and is expected to be up and running in time for the employee signup period in the fall so that patients will be able to begin testing the system in January. Current participants in the pilot include employers IBM and Cisco Systems, insurers Cigna and Wellpoint, and El Camino Hospital. Additional employers will be identified in the late summer and fall Assuming that real cost savings are identified in the pilot, two issues will become important: • How will cost savings be allocated among physicians and insurers? • How will ongoing transactions be handled? We are currently working gathering data to develop a business plan that would make Smart Health the provisioner of services to providers and insurers. Such a model would enable the cost savings for providers identified in the administrative network we have been discussing, and provide the HTS service as well. Revenues would come from a per transaction or membership charge to providers and insurers who would benefit from the service. Personal Emergency Health Records. Working with local employers and Tolven Health, Smart Health has developed an innovative open source electronic personal health record that will automatically populate a personal emergency health record that will be available over the Internet to the consumer and to any clinician authorized to view it. Funding for the project will come from two sources: contributions of $400,000 to develop the records, raised from local businesses and foundations, and the ongoing revenues from sales of the records to employers and consumers at $3 per record per month. Palm has committed $50,000 to kick start the project, and will provide emergency records for their 900 Bay Area employees. We are currently meeting with firms all over the Valley to discuss participation. Clinical Data Sharing Projects: For over a year we have considered a variety of clinical data sharing projects involving local providers, and have invested considerable energy in developing projects that would meet the business interests of the partners and provide a scaleable model for sharing across the Valley. These projects include an image sharing project involving El Camino Hospital, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford, and a data exchange between El Camino Hospital and Camino Medical Group. All of these projects have not come to fruition for one or more of the following reasons: • Unwillingness of one or more of the parties to share data • Cost of developing scaleable solutions as opposed to point to point sharing • Lack of compelling technology
3 I currently believe that, in the very competitive Silicon Valley market, we will have sharing of clinical data only when employers, acting in concert, exert leverage to force providers to make patient data available to others. Startup event. With the increasing availability of venture capital for healthcare (David Brailer’s $700M CalPERS-funded initiative; Jeff Rideout recently left Cisco to become managing partner of HealthVest, a $100M fund), we are working with David Brailer to develop a startup fair to show what is being developed in Silicon Vallley in this area. The event would be held in late fall.
Attachments: O’Connor RHIO Project: 1. Mysis Center Grant Application Criteria 2. Mysis Center Selects New Haven Reduction of Administrative Waste: 3 Powerpoint about the reduction of administrative waste Personal Emergency Health Records: 4 Powerpoint explaining personal emergency health records 5 Personal Health Record Business Plan Startup Event: 6. New York Times account of the Brailer venture
4 Grant Application Criteria- Misys Center for Community Health Leadership - Misys Heal... Page 1 of 1
Speaking Engagements
Community and Individual Entity Selection Grant Application Criteria
Criteria Contact Us
Advisory Board
Media Inquiries The Center for Community Health Leadership will be granting Misys software to selected communities across the country with the goal of Looking for Misys Healthcare Systems? Visit furthering the adoption of electronic health records and the misyshealthcare.com establishment of clinical data sharing networks. A community is defined by the Center as any grouping of medical professionals committed to exchanging patient data for the purposes of diagnosis and therapy – said community may be a hospital, group of physician practices and home care agency; a network of 25 physician practices; an already established RHIO; or other model.
Criteria for Selection: Community
There must be a single community sponsor – a leader within the community – to ensure the success of the project
There must be a commitment to data sharing within the larger community and an intent to use Misys software to improve clinician access to patient data in all venues of care
Misys Connect – the Web-based system that facilitates data exchange between EHRS – must be a part of the community’s solution
Community at large must have the ability to execute and implement Misys products within a 12 month period from selection
Community must have the commitment to capture pre- and post-implemenatoin data, report on it, and share the results with Misys for publication
Sites must have both technical and clinical involvement
Criteria for Selection: Individual Entity
Grant applied for must include electronic health record (EHR) software (Misys EMR, Misys CPR, Misys Homecare) or an expansion or upgrade of a client’s previously installed Misys EHR product.
Organization must be committed to sharing patient data with other medical entities in the community (physician practices, hospital(s) and homecare agency(s))
Must be willing to implement the Misys software being granted within a 12 month period from selection
Must be willing to participate in pre-live and post-live benchmarking for ROI case studies
Must be willing to display, showcase, and present its success with Misys Healthcare Systems to both members of the media and potential prospects engaged in the Sales process
Organization must be willing to sign Master Agreement with Misys Healthcare Systems, Inc., for ongoing maintenance and other costs not covered by the grant
Must be willing to report on project progress and attend community meetings related to Misys Center grant distribution
MISYS CENTER FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH LEADERSHIP • 8529 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615 • T: 1.800.877.5678 x 1084 / 919.329.1084
About Misys Healthcare Systems | Center Program | Advisory Board | News | National Focus | Community Spotlight | Technology Council | Links & Resources | Contact Us | Privacy Policy Copyright © 2007 Misys Healthcare Systems
http://www.misyscenter.com/Contact+Us/Grant+Application+Criteria.htm 9/6/2007 The Center For Community Health Leadership Selects New Haven, Connecticut For $3 ... Page 1 of 3
News Releases
The Center For Community Health Leadership Selects Media Contact New Haven, Connecticut For $3 Million Grant
Chosen from over 60 communities across America, New Haven wins opportunity to dramatically improve patient care
RALEIGH, N.C. – January 16, 2007 – The Center for Community Health Leadership, an initiative sponsored by Misys Healthcare Systems, announced today that it has selected Greater New Haven for a grant of healthcare software valued at $3 million.
New Haven, Connecticut will be the first community to receive grants of electronic health record (EHR) software to establish a community- wide network of connected medical organizations. The grants, in the form of EHR software valued at up to $3 million, are available to healthcare professionals in New Haven and surrounding towns interested in participating in the initiative. The Hospital of Saint Raphael, a large teaching hospital in New Haven, played a major role championing the application process for the grant, and will be an active leader advancing this initiative in the New Haven area.
“The goal of this grant program is to provide local healthcare organizations with the resources and expertise they need to make community-wide data sharing a reality,” said Leigh Burchell, director of the Center for Community Health Leadership. “With this grant, we will provide healthcare professionals in southern Connecticut with education, technology and resources so that they can successfully achieve their goals of enhancing the patient experience, reducing the potential for medical errors and improving business efficiencies.”
“The healthcare professionals in our community are very pleased that New Haven has been selected for this large grant from the Center for Community Health Leadership,” said John Drury, M.D., chief medical information officer for the Hospital of Saint Raphael. “Through this grant, New Haven’s physicians and nurses across all healthcare settings will have the latest electronic record technology at their fingertips, helping us deliver the best care possible in the most efficient way to the patients we serve.”
The Center for Community Health Leadership selected New Haven as the Center’s first grant recipient because of the area’s reputation for healthcare excellence, the strong commitment to data sharing exhibited by the physicians and nurses in the area, and their interest in electronically connecting all settings of care – hospital, physician offices, homecare agencies and long-term care. New Haven County is home to more than 800,000 residents.
“We’re facing a national healthcare challenge when it comes to the costs of quality medical care and the technology needed to support it,” said David Benfer, president and chief executive officer of the Saint Raphael Healthcare System. “The Hospital of Saint Raphael worked hard to secure this grant because it will help significantly reduce the costs to our community physicians and their practices.”
National healthcare leaders recognize the importance of the Center’s award program. “The deployment of health information technology is absolutely vital to transforming health and healthcare in America,” said
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Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and founder of the Center for Health Transformation. “Our goal as a nation should be to have every physician and healthcare provider equipped with the most sophisticated tools available, and that’s why I am so supportive of and excited about what the Center for Community Health Leadership is doing.”
The Center for Community Health Leadership was launched June 2006 by Misys Healthcare Systems, to spearhead the widespread adoption of electronic health records on a local community level. The grant program accepted applications through the end of 2006 from interested communities across the country, as well as regional healthcare organizations including hospitals, physician offices and homecare agencies. In addition to pledging a donation of up to $10 million in healthcare IT software to grant recipients, Intel and other partners will further assist grant recipients in the successful installation, training and operation of healthcare technologies. Additional communities will be named as grant recipients by the Center for Community Health Leadership later in the year.
Applying for Grants Medical organizations in the area will submit their individual application on www.misyscenter.com. There they will request the specific software their physician practice, homecare agency or hospital is interested in receiving from Misys Healthcare Systems, with implementation at the various organizations and the community connectivity efforts slated to begin in the spring.
For additional information on the grant program from the Center for Community Health Leadership, please visit www.misyscenter.com.
About the Center for Community Health Leadership The Center for Community Health Leadership, launched by Misys Healthcare Systems in June 2006, facilitates the development of health information pathways by building connected, prepared and responsible communities. These communities will improve healthcare and reduce costs in everyday care delivery, as well as in crisis situations such as epidemics and natural disasters. The Center will transform the healthcare system one community at a time via grants of Misys software and contributions of hardware and services from industry partners such as Intel. For more information on the Center for Community Health Leadership, visit www.misyscenter.com.
About Misys plc Misys plc (FTSE: MSY.L), the global software and solutions company, is one of the world's largest and longest-established providers of industry-specific software. Founded in 1979, Misys serves the international banking and healthcare industries, combining technological expertise with in-depth understanding of customers' markets and operational needs. In banking Misys is a market leader with over 1,200 customers, including 49 of the world's top 50 banks. In healthcare Misys is also a market leader, serving more than 110,000 physicians in 18,000 practice locations, 1,200 hospitals and 600 home care providers. Through Sesame, a wholly-owned subsidiary, the company is also a leading provider of support services to financial advisers in the UK. Misys employs around 6,000 people who serve customers in more than 120 countries. For more information, visit www.misys.com.
About the Saint Raphael Healthcare System The Saint Raphael Healthcare System (SRHS) is an integrated delivery system providing a complete spectrum of care: wellness and health promotion activities, acute care, long-term care and homecare. Among the System’s entities are the 511-bed Hospital of Saint Raphael; the 125-bed Sister Anne Virginie Grimes Health Center; VNA
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Services, Inc.; and the Saint Raphael Foundation. For more information, visit www.srhs.org.
MISYS CENTER FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH LEADERSHIP • 8529 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615 • T: 1.800.877.5678 x 1084 / 919.329.1084
About Misys Healthcare Systems | Center Program | Advisory Board | News | National Focus | Community Spotlight | Technology Council | Links & Resources | Contact Us | Privacy Policy Copyright © 2007 Misys Healthcare Systems
http://www.misyscenter.com/News/2007_01_16.htm 9/6/2007 Hospital Public Health
Smart Health:
Health Transaction Services Physician’s Office Home
Employers & Plans Pharmacy & Lab Emergency 1 Healthcare Transaction Services (“HTS”) Concept Summary • Problem: The healthcare industry’s payment and reimbursement system is notoriously inefficient, characterized by a high degree of manual processing, high administrative costs, slow payments, and bad debt. The annual cost of the inefficiency exceeds billions of dollars in the US. • Solution: A system in which each patient carries a healthcare payment card that, when tendered to providers, invokes via a POS system the services of a transaction hub (“HTS”) which, in turn, aggregates all sources of payment (insurance, HSA, FSA, debit and credit accounts) into a single electronic payment to the provider.
• Stakeholder Benefits: – Reduced cost of providing medical care – Reduced administrative and processing costs for providers and payers – Competitive positioning for initial participants – Initial participants demonstrate leadership role in healthcare industry – Showcase for innovation – Foundation for launching and accelerating the adoption of the PHR and EHR and other advanced applications – Global applicability
2 What’s New in HTS?
• Real-Time: real-time eligibility and claims adjudication at the point-of service, replaces paper- based, manual and batch processes. • Multi-Purse Processing: single electronic payment transaction calculates insurance coverage and, as needed, debits patient’s financial accounts according to patient’s pre-set rules. • Business Model: Technology and business model combines the purchasing power and market influence of large stakeholders, and applies a transaction processing fee as a percentage of invoiced amounts.
3 Six Functions Comprise the HTS System • Plan Selection – On a web portal, each covered employee (or, “patient”) selects coverage options and links to HSA, FSA, brokerage, credit and debit accounts. • Card Issuance – Employer issues a healthcare payment card to each covered employee. • POS – At time of check-in, patient tenders card to provider who swipes the card, establishes a connection with HTS, and confirms eligibility. – At check-out, card swipe initiates claim submission and contractual settlement. • Adjudication – HTS integration with payer systems enables claim submission and real-time adjudication. • Financial Debits – HTS determines patient’s remaining obligation and debits applicable HSA, FSA, brokerage, credit and debit accounts in accordance with pre-set rules. • Settlement – HTS authorizes payment the provider, net of transaction fees, and issues detailed record to patient.
4 HTS Diagram and Process Steps Patient Employer Enrolment" to "Plan a.Enrollment selection i.Enrolls in healthplan and selects coverage ii.Selects payment options and links financial accounts to healthcare account Assigns unique universal patient ID iii.Selects payment priority and debit sequencing iv.If available, selects PHR provider b.Medical consultation i.Makes provider appointment ii.Upon arrival, presents card to clerk HTS c.Payment i.Upon departure, presents statement of service codes and card to clerk HIPAA ii.Authorizes payment transaction iii.Settles remaining obligation, if any X12 Transaction Lab Plan Financial Institution $$$ Transactions Plan design and real-time adjudication Transaction Processing $ Receives pre-authorization request Pharmacy a.Enrolment Sends pre-authorization to HTS i.Issues health services card Receives payment authorization b.Claim Management Settles transaction Transactions i.Receives claim for adjudication Transmits funds to HTS ii.Processes real-time adjudication iii.Sends payment advice and plan coverage Financial Transactions
a. Medical consultation i.Checks patient eligibility HTS ii.Upon patient arrival, reconfirms eligibility Real-time claims iii.Obtains patient data and financial transaction processing iv.Accesses PHR v.Provides care Receives request for payment advice vi.Prescribes medication Submits claim for adjudication Receives payment advice and plan coverage b. Invoice for services i.Prepares statement of services Applies funding rules to patient obligation ii.Invokes patient billing form Requests pre-authorization against patient accounts
iii.Service codes entered into HTS portal Provider Medical Consultation Sends preliminary advice to clerk iv.Requests payment advice Upon receiving authorization instructions, executes funding rules v.Receives payment advice, seeks patient authorization Sends funding advice to clerk vi.Initiates transaction instructions Funds settlement vii.Updates PHR viii.Updates office management system
5 Proprietary Approaches Begin to Address Systemic Issues
• Payers – UHG – Availity • Humana • BCBS Florida • HCSC • Financial Institutions – American Express
6 Basic Framework for the Silicon Valley Pilot
• Employers – IBM, Cisco • Providers – El Camino Hospital – Stanford Hospital – One or more IPA • Payers – Wellpoint – Cigna • Functionality – Real-time eligibility and adjudication, at point of service – Patient payment options at point of service
7 Timeline
• Phase One: Definition of Pilot Scope, Terms and Conditions – May to September 2007 • Phase Two: Development and Testing – August to December 2007 • Phase Three: Deployment and Launch – January 2008
8 Questions and Comments
• David Gruppo – IBM Corporate Strategy – [email protected] – 917-609-8999 • David Katz – Executive Director, Smart Health – [email protected] – 408-938-1510
9 Thank you.
David Katz Executive Director, Smart Health katz @jointventure.org
10 . . . . .
Personal Health Records
......
A Health Record Service for Silicon Valley Employees and Residents
Smart Health A Project of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network March 2007
Personal Health Records
A Health Record Service for Silicon Valley Employees and Residents
Introduction
The purpose of this document is to summarize the scope and business proposal associated with the deployment of a Personal Health Record service for Silicon Valley employees and residents.
The Personal Health Record service will enable employees and residents of Silicon Valley to: 1. Collate healthcare information from multiple sources into a single secure repository 2. Selectively and securely share their personal health information with healthcare providers
The initial service provided by Smart Health will be the foundation for a number of services to be added soon after, including disease management and monitoring; population health analysis; clinical trials recruitment; and disaster recovery.
The immediate benefits of such a service would be to save money, improve patient safety and health, and respond to consumer demand through:
• Reducing medical errors • >1.5M U.S. residents are harmed each year by medication errors1 • ~$3.5 billion annually in avoidable health care expenses1 • Eliminating duplication tests and treatments • 20% of healthcare expenses could be eliminated by reducing redundancy with information available at the point of care2 • Decreasing healthcare-related paperwork • The U.S. could save $125B by eliminating unnecessary paperwork3 • Increasing the effectiveness of clinical care • Availability of clinical data at the point of care improves outcomes • Improving individual access to healthcare records • 66% surveyed prefer electronic access to their health records3 • 70% surveyed want access to health records to check for errors3
1 Institute of Medicine 2006 2 Washington Technology 2006 3 Markle Foundation 2006
3
Delivery Model
Smart Health will provide service oversight and serve as the single point of contracting to end customers. End customers will include:
→ Large Silicon Valley large employers
→ Healthcare providers
→ Special interest groups
→ Sponsoring civic organizations
→ Individual subscribers
Smart Health will subsequently contract with a hosted service provider, additional services (e.g., call center and return on investment studies) and software services (e.g., technical support and new service development).
The entire Personal Health Record solution will be deployed using open source technologies to minimize the cost of deployment and speed broad adoption.
3
Scope of Personal Health Records
The Personal Health Record services will be introduced in three distinct phases:
Phase 1
The first phase will support consumer entered data via intuitive data entry wizards which will enable consumers to create a Personal Health Record based on the “Continuity of Care Record” for both themselves and other members of their immediate family.
Additional direct data feeds will be incorporated in Phase 1 where possible (e.g., laboratory data feeds).
Consumers will be able to electronically and securely share all or selected parts of their own or their family member’s Personal Health Record with their healthcare providers. Healthcare providers will have the ability to add to data shared by consumers, and any new provider-generated data can be incorporated into the consumer’s Personal Health Record.
Phase 2
The Personal Health Record created as part of Phase 1 will be accessible to Silicon Valley emergency department personnel, enabling data from a consumer’s Personal Health Record to be accessed by care providers in an urgent situation. Additionally, the emergency department summary will be available to consumers for inclusion in their Personal Health Record.
Summaries from payors/insurance companies will be available to consumers. Consumers will be able to import these documents into their Personal Health Record.
Phase 3
The Personal Health Record created as part of Phase 1 and 2 will be integrated with other care provider systems.
In addition, an electronic Clinician Health Record solution will be offered as a hosted service to physician offices that do not have an electronic medical record solution. Funding for a Clinician Health Record solution falls outside the scope of this program, although the cost to a clinician for the delivery of this service is expected to be modest (~$10 per user per month).
Each phase will add incrementally to the overall goals of saving money, improving consumer safety and health, and responding to consumer demand.
3
Timetable
The timetable for the introduction of this service is as follows:
• MOU Commitments 9 April 2007
• Fund Raising 9 April - 31 May 2007
• Implementation 10 April - 28 September 2007
• Pilot Phase (500 accounts) 1 October - 30 November 2007
• Phase 1 Rollout Starting 3 December 2007
• Phase 2 Rollout Starting 5 May 2008
• Phase 3 Rollout Starting 29 September 2008
• Additional Services Continuous throughout the 18 month program
Interfacing Strategy
The Personal Health Record will be populated through direct data entry by the consumer, in addition to information feeds from existing healthcare information systems (e.g., payor, laboratory and provider electronic records).
Wherever possible, existing integration points will be leveraged to establish no or low-cost interfaces between the Personal Health Record and other healthcare information systems. The cost for developing additional integration points will be funded through net income generated by this program.
Provisioning Service to the Uninsured
Excess revenues derived from the Personal Health Record program could be directed to make a similar service available to the uninsured and safety net clinics in the area. Grant funding may also be available to support outreach to the uninsured.
An option to authorize third-party advocates for the management of an individual Personal Health Record would be available to all users.
3
Funding Organizations
The start-up funding of the Personal Health Record service would be derived from:
• Sponsoring Employers based in the Silicon Valley
o Technology sector
o Service sector
o Other employers, including government and other municipal organizations, as well as healthcare companies which may elect to offer this as service to their staff
o Payor organizations (healthcare insurance companies that recognize the value of extending this service to their policy holders)
o Health care providers (hospitals, physician groups)
• Special Interest Groups
o CalPERS
o AARP
• Granting Agencies
o California Healthcare Foundation
o Local agencies
o Other philanthropic organizations
Lead organizations will be asked to donate $50,000 and commit to funding a minimum 1,000 Personal Health Record accounts for the first 12 months.
3
Summary
The innovative business model proposed as part of this project will enable a valuable service to be rapidly deployed to Silicon Valley employees and residents. The funding mechanism for this service enables the service delivery to become self- sustaining in a very short period of time based on achievable levels of uptake of the service.
The Personal Health Record service to Silicon Valley employees and residents will be administered by a not-for-profit “Smart Health” organization, which will use the profits derived from the service to provision services to the underprivileged and uninsured residents of Silicon Valley.
Substantive benefits will be realized by the community as a whole, including lower costs, improved safety and health, and increased consumer satisfaction. Once again, Silicon Valley will serve as a model other communities will strive to emulate.
3
Hospital Public Health Smart Health:
A Revolutionary Leadership Opportunity for Silicon Valley Physician’s Office Home
Employers & Plans Pharmacy & Lab Emergency 1 Smart Health Using information technology to collaboratively define new models of healthcare delivery that improve the quality and reduce the cost of care
Co-Chairs: Richard Levy, Varian Medical and Eric Benhamou, Palm Providers Employers Payers Stanford Hospital Cisco Systems Aetna PAMF Oracle Blue Shield El Camino Hospital Intel Wellpoint Valley Medical Center IBM Kaiser Kaiser Palm Veterans Administration Agilent SCIPPA Sun Microsystems Daughters of Charity Varian Medical Sutter AT&T San Jose Medical Group Con-Way Lucile Packard Children
2 Current State of Healthcare Informatics
Information Exists in Organizational Silos
Healthcare Analytical Providers Requirements
Emergency Public Health
Hospital Surveillance
Radiology Outcomes
Laboratory Research Other Organizations
Payer Pharmacy Alternative Medicine
Medical data is unavailable at the point of care, resulting in costly duplication, medical errors, and a focus on chronic care. Consumers have insufficient information to make informed choices about their care.
3 Smart Health Solution
Diagnostics
Protocols Diagnostics
Monitoring Smart Health Powered by Clinician Consumer Pharmacy
Clinical Trials
Clinical Drug Alerts Trials Pharmacy Wellness Informaiton Consumer and Clinician Solutions Single point of access to information collated from multiple sources Integration with exiting healthcare applications Consumer privacy and confidentially High value, seamless population of data
4 Benefits for Employees and Employers
• Drives – Reductions in • hospitalizations • medical errors ePHR • unnecessary tests • inappropriate procedures • absenteeism – Adherence to protocols – Effective monitoring – Improved outcomes eCHR Mobility
Basic personal health record solutions have demonstrated reductions of up to 25% in employer healthcare costs
5 Service Offering and Cost • Smart Health acts as a trusted delivery agent – Service provisioning – Administration of service and billing – Help desk – Disaster recovery • Resilience for natural disaster • Hardware and service costs grow incrementally – Planned benchmarking with Sun – 30 million people • Cost for service – <10,000 employees $3/person/month – >10,000 employees $2/person/month • Because it is based on open source software, the Smart Health model can be scaled and replicated anywhere • The Smart Health PHR can be integrated with the HTS model immediately 6 Deployment Model
Clinician Access EMR for physician offices Consumer Phase 1 Oct 2007 Laboratory
Access at point of care
ePrescribing Mobility
Phase 2 Emergency Jun 2008 Payer Alerts, Reminders, Remote Monitoring
Hospital Consumer Access
Phase 3 Doctors Office Additional service offerings Jan 2009 •Data analysis Imaging Center •Health and wellness services •Disaster planning •Emergency room and emergency access •Independent measures of quality/cost 7 8
Get Home Delivery Business
Venture Fund to Seek Out Cost Cutters in Health Care
Jerry W. Hoefer for The New York Times Dr. David J. Brailer, a former Bush administration official, will emphasize investments linking information technology to patient service.
By STEVE LOHR Published: June 5, 2007
Venture investment in the health business typically chases miracle cures and high-technology gadgets, like bioengineered drugs and new medical devices. They promise much but cost a lot.
Dr. David J. Brailer, a former senior health official in the Bush administration, is starting a $700 million private equity fund, Health Evolution Partners, with a different mission. “We’re going to be investing in things that can reduce the crushing costs of health care,” said Dr. Brailer, who was the administration’s national coordinator of health information technology. At the outset, the sole investor will be Calpers, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public pension fund in the United States with assets of $240 billion. Calpers funds form the basis for pension and health benefits for 1.5 million workers, retirees and their families.
So as Dr. Brailer’s equity fund pursues investments in cost-effective, high-quality health care, the impact on Calpers could extend beyond its balance sheet.
“Those businesses could meaningfully affect how you care for the insured,” said Fred Cohen, a doctor and a partner at the Texas Pacific Group, a large private equity group. “Calpers and David Brailer have done a lot of thinking about how one does good and how one does well.”
Calpers, Dr. Cohen added, is “big enough to be able to use its financial resources to do clever things to try to change the health system.”
Health Evolution Partners, Dr. Brailer said, would look to invest in companies with new ideas in fields like remote monitoring of patients, the management of chronic diseases, telemedicine, predictive genomics to tailor drug doses and eBay-style Internet marketplaces for services like reading chest X-rays.
During his two years in the administration, which ended in May 2006, Dr. Brailer championed the adoption of electronic patient records to improve the quality of care and cut costs. But his investment firm, he said, has no plans to invest in electronic health records, which he termed a “saturated market.”
Today, Dr. Brailer said, the opportunity lies in linking health information technology to services. As an example, he mentioned the possibility of putting inexpensive remote sensors in the home of a person with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, so a doctor or nurse could monitor the patient’s condition and activities. The patient, Dr. Brailer explained, could live more independently for a time and delay going into a nursing home, which can cost several thousand dollars a month.
Dr. Brailer said that he would not rule out an investment in a company offering technology or service to a hospital. “But mostly, we’re going to invest in things that keep people out of institutions,” he said.
The challenge to that investment strategy is that payment in America’s health care system is typically on a fee-for-service basis. So doctors, hospitals, clinics and drug companies are paid more for doing more — more tests, more surgeries, more pills.
Medical experts and economists have routinely criticized fee-for- service incentives for encouraging an unnecessary run-up in costs that can produce worse health outcomes. Dr. Brailer, who is both a medical doctor and an economist, calls it “high-volume, procedure- churn med- icine.”
He says that the system and its incentives are beginning to change, as insurers become convinced that preventive medicine, disease management and other long-term cost-cutting steps are both cost- effective and better medicine.
Health Evolution Partners, Dr. Brailer said, is the start of a 10-year strategy that assumes such approaches will increasingly move into the mainstream of health care.
Calpers will be the only investor for a year, with $500 million earmarked for direct investments and joint venture investments, and $200 million more for investments in other health funds.
After a year, the fund will be open to other investors. “We want to create an ecosystem to help change health care,” Dr. Brailer said.
Memorandum
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Kara LaPierre, Vice President, Joint Venture On Behalf of Champions: Gary Fazzino, Vice President, Hewlett Packard; & Tom Kalil, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Science and Technology, UC Berkeley
DATE: 7 September 2007
SUBJECT: California Competes
This memo serves as an update on the activities of California Competes, last discussed at the February 2007 Board Meeting.
Joint Venture, together with TechNet, the California Healthcare Institute (CHI), the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and many other associations, universities, and individual companies, have worked collaboratively for the past year to advance an agenda that values innovation in California. California Competes focused on 3 areas in 2007 (described in more detail in the attachments):
1. Excellence in California’s K-16 Math and Science Education: Increase the number of qualified math & science teachers in the state.
2. Investing in Innovation: Provide state support for R&D, consistent with Governor Schwarzenegger’s Research and Innovation Initiative, to give our research institutions the tools they need to grow.
3. Encouraging Companies to Invest in California: Modify our state’s tax policies to keep high-tech, life sciences, and other high-value jobs & companies here.
The 2007 budget gave us mixed results on our priority issues. According to analysis by the University of California, the final state budget did provide some support for R&D projects and teacher training, but did not include operating funds for the California Institutes for Science and Innovation. There was progress on tax policy as well, with the Assembly passing a package with a limited sales apportionment factor modification, but that bill did not survive in the Senate.
1 The coalition will regroup after the legislative session has concluded to revisit priority issues and discuss options for 2008. If you are interested in getting involved with California Competes, please contact Kara LaPierre, [email protected].
Attachments:
• Editorials from San Jose Mercury News & Sacramento Bee • Letter to Legislative Leaders re: Funding California’s Research Institutions
2 This story is taken from Sacbee / Opinion.
Research institutions fuel state economy
By Phil Bond, David Gollaher and Carl Guardino - Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, June 9, 2007
Scientific research in California is proof that you can have the best of both "green" worlds -- a strong economy with a healthy environment.
Recent technological innovations and discoveries flowing out of California's public research universities -- backed by state and industry funding -- are helping to keep our economy competitive, improve our health and safety, and find cleaner, more efficient solutions to our use of energy and natural resources.
These advances represent great returns of previous investments in California research, but we need to put more "green" into future "green research" initiatives to keep the momentum going.
With the $95 million California Research Initiative proposed by the governor and supported by many state legislators, the University of California could tackle many of the critical economic, energy and environmental issues that lie before us.
Our member organizations know these crucial research efforts have great potential to extend California's global dominance in research, development and delivery of new technologies for end users -- continuing California's long tradition of scientific advances that so often create new industries, keeping us competitive in an increasingly complex global marketplace.
The proposed funding would:
• Build and operate an Energy Biosciences Institute, which would be dedicated to long-term research into the production of alternative fuels.
• Construct the energy/nanotechnology research building for the Helios Project, which would create sustainable sources of energy by producing the next generation of superefficient solar energy technology to reduce greenhouse gases and oil dependency.
• Enhance UC's national bid to build the world's most powerful computer, which would generate an enormous competitive advantage to California businesses and universities, and attract the best students and faculty.
• Continue state support for the four California Institutes for Science and Innovation, based at UC campuses across the state. They focus on fields key to the future of California's economy, bringing together UC scientists and students with industry researchers to produce new knowledge and the next generation of highly skilled scientists and technological innovators.
Created in 2000, the institutes already are helping expand California's economy into new industries and markets and bringing the benefits of innovation more quickly into the lives of all Californians.
Among the major innovations already making their way into commercial markets are new ways of monitoring energy use and lowering it when prices or demand are high, saving us as much as $5 billion in energy costs and 4 million tons of carbon each year.
In Northern California, the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) has already spawned an entirely new California-based industry in the manufacture and use of micro-miniature wireless sensors and networks to increase port and border security, monitor and reduce toxic waste and provide greater energy efficiency. At the California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3), recent innovations include a new "smart pill" delivery system that can reduce treatment costs and make drugs safer and more effective.
In Southern California, the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) has created innovative wireless technologies that help emergency responders cope with major disasters, and is reducing traffic congestion through a free wireless service that lets motorists call in for personalized commute information.
The California Nanosystems Institute is developing molecular computers that are much smaller and could be more powerful than today's silicon-based computers and a nanoscale membrane that can double the productivity of seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation with half the energy consumption.
State funding for the operational budgets of these institutes is essential to protect our already considerable investment in building the institutes and demonstrate the stability that federal agencies and industry partners look for places to invest their research dollars.
Nearly a half-billion federal dollars have been brought to California by these institutes in just five years, while the institutes' 275 partner companies -- from all sectors of the economy -- have invested over $200 million.
We are poised to extend California's global dominance in the area of research, development and delivery of new technologies for end users, which will provide incredible public benefit. However, the institutes need the operating funds to continue this work. We are counting on our legislators to give strong support for these vital research initiatives as the state budget process winds up over the next few weeks.
Go to: Sacbee / Back to story
This article is protected by copyright and should not be printed or distributed for anything except personal use. The Sacramento Bee, 2100 Q St., P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852 Phone: (916) 321-1000
Copyright © The Sacramento Bee Critics of industry-academia collaborations are off base By William T. Archey, Russell Hancock and Lezlee Westine San Jose Mercury NewsArticle Launched:05/30/2007 01:36:24 AM PDT
For more than 50 years, the rise of California's leading-edge industries has been fueled by a unique collaboration between the private sector and researchers at the state's pre- eminent academic institutions.
It is no accident that Silicon Valley has flourished in the shadow of the University of California-Berkeley and Stanford. It is no coincidence that the Bay Area has become the global headquarters for biotechnology. Success has been fueled by a dynamic blend of experimentation and innovation, basic research and business savvy, academic rigor and the entrepreneurial spirit.
As a result, our state has reaped the rewards of job creation and economic development, and the lives of people around the planet have been enriched by our home-grown products and processes.
For this reason, we welcome new academic-private sector partnerships designed to address the growing threat of global climate change. We believe such collaborations are the only way to generate solutions that can move quickly from the laboratory to the marketplace. Working with industry is the best way to ensure that new approaches to energy production and environmental protection are safe, sustainable and practical.
We are particularly impressed with the recently announced $500 million university research contract awarded by global energy corp- oration BP to a research consortium led by UC-Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The mission of the new Energy Biosciences Institute will be to develop innovative biofuels, which can help stem global warming and mitigate our nation's energy crisis.
We believe that recent criticisms of the partnership are misinformed.
For example, some have claimed that under the terms of this collaboration, BP will be allowed to set research agendas for two of the nation's leading research institutions. If this were true, we, too, would be vociferous critics. Private-sector interests must never be allowed to compromise basic research. But in reality, both UC-Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley have been pursuing research on new, sustainable, carbon-neutral sources of energy long before BP came along. The BP funding will augment a previously launched endeavor, while ensuring that results quickly make their way to fuel pumps around the world. Furthermore, we are confident that governance of the institute will be shared so that no individual institution can unilaterally dictate the direction of research endeavors.
We further feel that the institute's critics aren't providing sufficient context. A recent Opinion page column in the Mercury News raised fears that BP might be allowed to "buy a campus," failing to mention that the program's new funding amounts to less than 3 percent of UC-Berkeley's annual research budget. If anyone knows where we can "buy" an institution with such a distinguished tradition of independence, integrity and excellence with that kind of investment, we're ready to write the check.
Silicon Valley as a whole has always been extremely vigilant about the protection of intellectual property. Here, too, recently published opinion pieces have ignored the fact that UC-Berkeley will retain intellectual property ownership rights in all research conducted by Berkeley personnel. These arrangements are entirely consistent with UC policies that govern thousands of contracts between the private sector and UC's vast research apparatus. We are satisfied that campus leadership is taking the necessary steps to safeguard academic integrity, the interests of present and prospective students, and the faculty's freedom to pursue avenues of research, no matter where they may lead. UC- Berkeley has been here before. It has a proven track record of working effectively with the private sector in the public's interest without sacrificing its fundamental institutional values.
When the BP grant was announced, UC-Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau called the quest to combat global warming "this generation's moon shot." We think it's that and, because of the direct consequences for human life, a great deal more. If the past is any indication, these investments will be an important catalyst for the rapid development of our region's next great cluster of industries. These are industries that should do very well by doing good for the entire planet.
8 June 2007
The Honorable Don Perata President Pro Tem State Capitol, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Senator Perata,
As the founding members of the California Competes Initiative, we are writing to stress the importance of funding the University of California’s research institutions in this year’s budget. The California Competes coalition, established in September 2006, brought together leaders in industry, academia, and regional economic development, and was endorsed by CEOs and senior executives in information technology, semiconductors, life sciences, clean energy, and nanotechnology. Our effort stems from our conviction that the future welfare of our state demands a well-defined plan and set of public policies that will preserve our position as the home of cutting-edge technologies, advance economic growth, prepare our students for the jobs of the future and use new technologies to address the major challenges of the 21st Century.
True to its founding mission, UC is harnessing the unparalleled breadth and depth of its ten campuses and five medical centers – a collective power unrivaled by any other higher education system in the world, public or private – to serve the state of California:
Many of the innovations and industries already driving California’s economy – from biotechnology to the Internet – have direct ties to UC.
UC is playing a lead role in research that will lead to the next wave of economic growth, in fields from nanotechnology to green technologies.
UC students are educated in a high-quality research environment and graduate quickly – the average time to degree is four years and one quarter.
Funding the state’s research infrastructure will allow the universities to identify and tackle more and more of the critical issues facing Californians. The $95 million Research and Innovation Initiative announced by the Governor has great potential to extend California’s global leadership in research, development and delivery of new technologies for end users—continuing California’s long tradition of scientific advances that so often create new industries, keeping us competitive in an increasingly complex global marketplace.
In particular, it is critical that support for the California Institutes of Science and Innovation (CISIs) be continued in that they provide a unique opportunity and research infrastructure to help California capitalize on UC’s substantial federal and state investment in research and education.
We understand the fiscal challenges facing our state. Nonetheless, we believe it is imperative for our leaders to identify creative solutions so that California
makes investments necessary to preserve and advance its global leadership in technological innovation. The CISIs provide that type of creative solution and partnership.
We first contacted you in March, 2007 to ask for your support for the California Competes Agenda. Funding for the California Institutes for Science and Innovation is a key component of the agenda. We hope that we can count on your strong support for these important items as the budget process winds up over the next few weeks. We urge you again to ensure that California remains a worldwide leader in innovation and technology.
Sincerely,
William T. Archey R. Sean Randolph President & CEO President AeA Bay Area Economic Forum
Russell Hancock David Gollaher President & CEO President & CEO Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network California Healthcare Institute
Phil Bond Lezlee Westine President President & CEO Information Technology Association of America TechNet
Carl Guardino CEO Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Copy: Senator Hollingsworth, Senator Machado, Senator Ducheny, Assemblyman Niello, Assemblyman Leno, Assemblyman Laird, Assemblyman Villines, Senator Ackerman, Speaker Nunez
Attachment
Memorandum
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Frank Benest, City of Palo Alto and Board Champion, SVEDA Diana Whitecar, City of Milpitas and Chair, SVEDA Kara LaPierre, Executive Director, SVEDA
DATE: 7 September 2007
SUBJECT: Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance
This memo provides an update on the activities of the activities of the Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance (SVEDA).
Joint Venture recently hired Kara LaPierre as the inaugural Executive Director of SVEDA and Vice President of Joint Venture (see attached).
As you may recall from previous meetings, SVEDA has developed SiliconValleyProspector.com, a web-based application which allows businesses and individuals to search for available commercial real estate across 3 counties in Silicon Valley. We are delighted to announce that, in addition to the Award of Merit the site received in May from the California Association for Local Economic Development, SVEDA will receive an “Excellence in Economic Development” award from the International Economic Development Council at their annual conference in mid- September. This honor is among the most prestigious in the industry, and illustrates just how ground-breaking an achievement the Prospector represents.
We are actively pursuing partnerships with trade associations in the real estate and facilities fields to raise awareness for the site and encourage use by both brokers who provide listings and site selectors who are looking for space. Other ongoing activities for SVEDA staff and members include training sessions in the participating Prospector counties to familiarize brokers with adding real estate listings to the site.
SVEDA staff is also working on the Uniform Building Code, encouraging local jurisdictions to adopt minimal and consistent amendments where possible and offering assistance in bridging any communications gaps between the public and private sectors – particularly focused on the builder/developer and commercial real estate communities
1 SVEDA will also have an active presence at one our most significant trade shows, BayBio’s annual Gene Acres conference, on September 25. The life sciences industry is among our most significant clusters, and this conference is an opportunity to interface with its leaders from here and abroad – reminding them that Silicon Valley is a great place to locate and to grow.
SVEDA members and staff are working on marketing plans for Prospector, the SiliconValleyOnline.org portal, and our region as a whole, and we look forward to sharing our efforts – and successes – with the Joint Venture Board again in November.
Attachments:
• Press Release: Kara LaPierre named Joint Venture Vice President • IEDC Award Notification
2
July 3, 2007
Karen Davis Economic Development Manager Silicon Valley EDA and City of Sunnyvale 456 W Olive Ave PO Box 3707 Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Dear Ms. Davis:
Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you that Silicon Valley EDA and City of Sunnyvale has been selected for an award in the population category of greater than 200,000 for the Special Purpose Website submitted for the 2007 IEDC Excellence in Economic Development Awards. A panel of economic development experts consisting of members from both the public and private sectors selected the project.
The award will be presented at a reception during the 2007 IEDC Annual Conference at the Westin Kierland in Phoenix, AZ. We will update you of the details of the reception. Your award entry will also be displayed throughout the conference.
Winning organizations are required to have at least one representative register for the conference to receive the award in person. The early registration deadline is July 31, 2007, which is quickly approaching. It truly is an event you do not want to miss. Visit our web site at www.iedconline.org for information on the annual conference, to register online, and secure your hotel accommodation.
We will contact you at a later date about press releases and the presentation ceremony. If you have any questions regarding the award presentation, please contact me at (202) 942- 9483 or [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you in Phoenix!
Sincerely,
Kobi Enwemnwa Program Associate
3 OFFICERS
Harry Kellogg, Co-Chair Silicon Valley Bank
Hon. Liz Kniss, Co-Chair Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
Russell Hancock, President & CEO Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network Contact BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Harjinder Bajwa Solectron Lisa Bruner , Media Relations
Gregory Belanger Comerica Bank Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network
Frank Benest City of Palo Alto 408-271-7213 or [email protected]
George Blumenthal University of California at Santa Cruz
Steven Bochner KARA LaPIERRE Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Ed Cannizzaro NAMED JOINT VENTURE VICE PRESIDENT KPMG
Pat Dando San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce
Chris Dawes Program Director from Silicon Valley Leadership Group to Lead Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital
Chris DiGiorgio Building Code Project, Economic Development Alliance Accenture Inc.
Jon Friedenberg El Camino Hospital San Jose, CA—Kara LaPierre has been Dan Fenton San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau appointed to a vice president position, Joint Rick Fezell Ernst & Young Venture CEO Russell Hancock announced Vintage Foster San Jose Business Journal today. LaPierre will serve as the executive Hon. Rose Jacobs Gibson San Mateo County Board of Supervisors director of the Silicon Valley Economic Timothy Haight Menlo College Development Alliance (SVEDA), and lead Chester Haskell Cogswell Polytechnical College
Joe Head Joint Venture’s efforts to develop a unified Summerhill Homes
Gary Hooper building code across the region’s Hooper & Associates
Beatriz Infante municipalities. VoiceObjects, Inc.
Mark Jensen Deloitte & Touche “I can hardly think of anyone more ideally suited to this assignment,” Mr. Martha Kanter Foothill-De Anza Community College District Hancock said of the appointment. “Kara brings deep ties to the business Don Kassing San Jose State University community, marketing savvy and experience, years working in W. Keith Kennedy Con-way Sacramento on technology policy, and advanced degrees in public Alex Kennett Solutions, Inc. administration. Equally important, she brings superb skills at Bernadette Loftus Kaiser Permanente communication and relationship building. She will be an enormous John Maltbie County of San Mateo strength to us.” Jean McCown Stanford University
Curtis Mo Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP Ms. LaPierre’s chief duties as vice president will be to serve as executive Joseph Parisi Therma director of the Silicon Valley Economic Development alliance (SVEDA), Hon. Chuck Reed City of San Jose a Joint Venture initiative carried out in cooperation with the economic Paul Roche McKinsey & Company, Inc. development directors of 25 Silicon Valley cities. She will oversee the Chris Sacca Google, Inc. expansion and development of two key websites developed by SVEDA Chris Seams Cypress Semiconductor Corporation which provide troves of data about doing business in the region: John Sobrato, Sr. Sobrato Development Companies www.siliconvalleyonline.org and www.siliconvalleyprospector.com . Sarah Spivey AMD
Neil Struthers Building & Construction Trades Council Ms. LaPierre will also oversee an effort to create a unified building code Bob Tabke TDA Group for the Silicon Valley region. With the state of California poised to adopt a Colleen Wilcox Santa Clara County Office of Education
Linda Williams Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
Daniel Yost Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP new building code, every municipality by law must adopt the new code, but in so doing, each city can add their own amendments to the code. Building on earlier Joint Venture efforts, Ms. LaPierre will work with cities across four counties in an effort to adopt the same amendments across the region, a move viewed by the private sector as a significant boost to the Valley’s competitiveness. SVEDA Chair Diana Whitecar (City of Milpitas) praised the appointment. “Kara brings stellar credentials and a wealth of experience, but what we’re most pleased about is her superb ability to forge relationships and alliances, across multiple sectors. This ability was on full display while she was at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and we feel fortunate now to be building on that experience.”
Ms. LaPierre served as Director of Economic Vitality at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a business-sponsored organization, since 2005. She also staffed their federal issues committee, and led their efforts in health policy. She previously worked in Sacramento as a self-employed consultant under contract with the California State Department of Transportation. She holds an M.A. in Public Administration from the University of New Hampshire, and a B.A. in Political Science from the Plymouth State University.
# # #
ABOUT JOINT VENTURE: SILICON VALLEY NETWORK Established in 1993, Joint Venture provides analysis and action on issues affecting the Silicon Valley economy and quality of life. The organization brings together established and emerging leaders—from business, government, academia, labor, and the broader community—to spotlight issues, launch projects, and work toward innovative solutions.
Memorandum
TO: Joint Venture Board of Directors
FROM: Dean Warshwasky, City of Los Altos Hills, Project Co-Chair Ellen Becht, Silicon Valley Bank, Project Co-Chair Seth Fearey, Project Director
DATE: August 29. 2007
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON CELL PHONE COVERAGE PROJECT
This memorandum provides an update on the cell phone coverage project:
We have completed an update of the primer.
We are convening a meeting of carriers and other interested private sector representatives to mobilize resources for a staff person.
We have added a form to the Joint Venture website for reporting dead cell zones, and are tabulating the information.
DISCUSSION
Last year we developed a four part strategy for improving cell phone coverage in Silicon Valley:
Print and distribute a primer on the reasons for poor coverage and what we can do about it. Create a website for collecting and reporting dead cell zones. Convene a meeting with the major cell phone carriers serving the Valley. Organize a cadre of people who will write letters and speak at city council and county board meetings in favor of better coverage.
1. Cell Phone Coverage Primer We drafted the primer last year and have just completed an update (see attached). Pending available resources, we plan to design,
1 publish, and distribute 1,000 copies, including copies for all of the elected officials in the region, municipal and county executives, planning commissioners, and thought leaders in the community. An electronic copy would be distributed widely and posted on our website.
2. Dead Cell Zones Reporting. We have created a simple electronic form on our website for reporting dead cell zones. You can access it on the Cell Phone Coverage project page on the Joint Venture website. We hope board members will use the site to report problems with coverage and encourage others to follow. Joint Venture will share the data we collect with the cities and the carriers.
3. Letter Writing. We have already sent a number of letters in support of improving coverage to city councils and boards of supervisors with great effect. We will continue this program as we find out about applications that are being debated. T-Mobile has just launched a new website to help residents find out about and support cell site applications. An application in the City of Sunnyvale is one of the first uses of the site. The web site includes the ability to send an e-mail to the appropriate city officials to register opinions.
Attachments
1. Example map of dead cell zones in Silicon Valley 2. T-Mobile webpage for City of Sunnyvale permit application 3. Draft primer on cell phone coverage
2
1. Sample reports of dead cell zones from www.deadcellzones.com as of August 15, 2007. Data in this image is incomplete.
3 2. T-Mobile Webpage in support of a cell site application in Sunnyvale.
http://www.t-mobile-takeaction.com/sunnyvale.html
4
DRAFT for COMMENT on CONTENT only
How We Can Improve Cell Phone Coverage in Silicon Valley
A guide for community leaders, residents and service providers
Prepared by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network
August 16, 2007
Cell phone service is no longer a matter of convenience for businesses or luxury for consumers. Today many people can not imagine getting through the day without it. A rapidly growing population has disconnected their land lines. The cell phone-based E911 service is saving lives by automatically directing emergency workers to the scene of an accident, heart attack, or crime. Businesses and consumers are choosing locations for offices and homes based on the quality of cell phone service.
And yet, many people in Silicon Valley find they can not rely on the service. Calls are dropped, sound quality is poor, and sometimes you just can not connect at all.
Cell phone service in Silicon Valley is not up to world standards. This short primer provides an overview of the problem and provides suggestions for how we, by working together, can make it better.
This printing and distribution of this primer was made possible by donations from:
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Cell phones are a part of our daily lives
Cell phones have enormous personal benefits for mobility, convenience and safety. There is no better indicator of the benefits of cell phones than their increasing popularity. In the U.S., CTIA-The Wireless Association found that a substantial 76% of the population – 233 million people – had a cell phone subscription at the end of 2006.1
Cell phones are becoming our primary communication medium In the second six months of 2006, subscribers used a whopping 960 billion minutes on their cell phones, translating to an average of approximately 700 minutes per user per month. Minutes used increased 15% over the second half of 2005, and 30% annually since 1998.
The cell-only population is growing In early 2003, just 3.2% of households were cell-only.2 In December of 2006 the CTIA reported that 13% of US households-7.8% of the population-are “cell-only,” i.e. they do not have a fixed phone line. Half of these cell- only users are below 30 years old, as compared with 21% of the US population. A study by the National Center for Health Statistics found that 26% of parents of minors use only a cell phone and do not have a landline.
We depend on our cell phones in emergencies More than 230,000 calls are made to 911 daily from cell phones every day in the United States. 74% of subscribers say they have used their cell phone in an emergency and gained valuable help.3
1 Source: CTIA – The Wireless Association. Except as noted, all data citations and charts in this report are from the CTIA. The CTIA has granted permission to use their data in this report. 2 Source: The Pew Internet and American Life Project 2003 3 Source: The Pew Internet & American Life Project memo on cell phone use; April 2006
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Cell phones have become a lot more useful Cell phones have become deeply integrated into the lives of users. Today cell phones provide not only voice calls, but also a host of other data services such as Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), traffic mapping, e-mail, watching television, and sending photos. In 2005, while total wireless revenues increased by 11%, revenues from data services (services other than voice calls) increased 86.4% over 2004.
The most popular among the data services is SMS, a feature that is growing rapidly in popularity in the United States. In 2006, cell phone users sent 158 billion text messages, almost double the 81 billion sent in 2005. 52% of cell phone users send text messages on a regular basis - up considerably from 44% in 2005.4 Other popular data services identified by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, Associated Press, AOL cell phone survey include sending photographs, playing games, surfing the web, and e-mail.
% of cell users using various data services
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0 Send/receive Take still Play games Access Send/receive Play music Record video Get mobile SMS pictures internet email clips maps
We have come to depend on our cell phones. We expect them to work. We need them to work.
4 Source: Jupiter Research Corporation
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Cell Phone Coverage in Silicon Valley is Not Competitive
The major carriers in the San Francisco Bay Area are Sprint/Nextel, AT&T/Cingular, T- Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Everyone has their favorite deadzone -- Page Mill Road, spots on Highways 280 and 880, Stanford Hospital, a neighborhood, a school campus. When visitors come to the Valley from Europe and Asia they are surprised by the difficulties of finding a signal, the frequency with which calls are dropped, and the lower quality of the sound.
When my cell phone doesn’t work, I don’t work. -- Ellen Becht, VP, SVB Financial
Visitors from Asia always seem surprised that cell phone service in Silicon Valley is worse than it is back home. -- Dean Warshawsky, CEO, Teltek Systems and Mayor, City of Los Altos Hills
I use T-mobile and I don’t get signal at my friends’ house in Fremont, where I go every week. When I’m there I’m just not available, no matter why you need to reach me. -- Amit Kumar, resident of San Jose
How did this happen? Why, in the world’s center of innovation, is it so hard to connect?
Map of reported dead cell zones by carrier on www.deadcellzones.com
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What are the reasons for poor cell phone coverage?
Poor cell phone coverage is not unique to the San Francisco Bay Area. Many communities in the United States are suffering and the primary reasons are often the same.
1. The original network was not designed to provide ubiquitous coverage.
When the cell phone network was first deployed, the priority was on covering business districts and travel corridors. Tall, industrial size, towers were built along highways and antennas were installed on the roofs of office buildings in the downtown areas.
As prices fell and more consumers got cell phones, the carriers began building cell sites along major arteries and tried to cover residential communities. But the signal could not reach everywhere; carriers needed to build inside the neighborhoods to fill in the gaps.
2. The growth in the number of users and the volume of usage is overloading the network.
The cell phone network was designed to handle voice communications. Originally an analog system, the carriers converted their networks to digital signals starting in the late 1990’s in order to increase capacity. With the explosion of new data services, the network is struggling again. E-mail, web search, mapping, sending photographs, and now watching television on a cell phone is overloading the system. The carriers are just beginning to deploy WiMax, a new technology that is better designed for data-intensive communications.
3. Frustrated users do not realize that they can help solve the problem.
When service is bad, cell phone users tend to blame the carriers. They should also be contacting their local elected officials and city/town/county staff members to let them know about the problem and encourage them to improve coverage. Letters and phone calls can make a difference.
Users can also report coverage gaps on public websites like www.deadcellzones.com, and www.cellreception.com.
4. Carriers are applying for permits to expand coverage, but the process is slow and cumbersome. The carriers have been trying to increase their coverage by building more cell sites. They recognize that good service is necessary to attract and retain customers. Some, like T-Mobile and Sprint, now provide detailed coverage maps on their websites to help customers choose the carrier that provides coverage where the customer needs it.
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Darker color indicates stronger coverage.
Many cities developed guidelines for the review and approval of applications from the carriers for new installations and for co-location on existing facilities. Still, the typical application takes 18 months to two years to get approved. Some cities require the carrier to conduct an extensive analysis of alternatives before an application can be submitted. Even when an application meets all of the requirements in the guidelines and is supported by city staff and the planning commission, an application can be held up by the elected officials at the request of residents.
There are two major reasons why some applications get reviewed at the council or board of supervisors level.
Residents are worried about the health effects of radio frequency radiation from cell site equipment. They are concerned that with all the new technologies sending radio signals through the air that there will be long term health effects, and that children in particular, may be vulnerable.
Radio equipment is regulated to ensure public safety, and equipment is tested and certified. Countless scientific studies have been conducted worldwide; there is widespread agreement in the scientific community that so long as equipment conforms to the standards there is no health risk. The Federal Communications Commission has ruled that local governments may not deny a permit based on health fears. Nonetheless, a number of municipalities have hired consultants to review equipment specifications and testify before councils. The answer is always the same: the carrier’s equipment meets or exceeds the FCC safety standards.5
Residents believe the cell site will be unattractive, spoil the view, and reduce property values. The carriers have responded to these concerns by designing sites that are smaller in size and disguised to fit in with the surroundings. Cell sites can be hidden in chimneys and church steeples, mounted on park lighting, and disguised as trees.
5 For more information see, “Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Fields: Guidelines for Cellular and PCS Sites” at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/rfexposure.html. Also see the World Health Organization fact sheet on “Electromagnetic fields and public health: the International EMF Project at, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs181/en/
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The following are a few of the disguised cell sites on the Peninsula.
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What we can do to improve cell phone coverage
City and County Leaders • Make sure your city or county has a set of guidelines for permitting cell sites. • Permit applications should be reviewed by staff and the planning commission, not at council and board meetings. • Speed through applications that meet all of the guidelines. • Create a map of cell phone coverage gaps in the community and work with carriers to fill them in.
Carriers • Provide consumers with an easy way to report coverage problems. • Provide jurisdictions with accurate coverage maps to identify where there are gaps in service. • Work with staff to design cell sites that are appropriate for the community while achieving technical objectives. • Submit applications that conform to the permitting guidelines of the community. • Contact local subscribers to let them know that you have filed an application. Encourage them to call or write letters to council members and staff expressing their views on cell phone coverage
Residents and Businesses • Notify your carrier about your coverage problems by e-mail or letter. • Write a letter or e-mail to your city council or board of supervisors to let them know that you want coverage improved. Provide the address or intersection where you are experiencing problems and the name of the carrier. • Report your dead zones on www.deadcellzones.com and on www.cellreception.com.
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For additional information please visit • The Pew Research Center - http://people-press.org/ • Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) – www.ctia.org • The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)- www.fcc.gov
About this Primer Improving cell phone coverage in Silicon Valley is a project of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network in partnership with the Santa Clara County Cities Association. The project was co-chaired by Ellen Becht of SVB Financial and Dean Washawsky, member of the Town Council for the Town of Los Altos Hills. The team included representatives from local businesses, city planners, and carriers. Parsons Company, a business that prepares cell site applications for the major cell service providers across the country, provided valuable assistance. This primer is one element of a four part strategy. For additional information, please see http://jointventure.org/programs-initiatives/cellphoneproject/CellPhoneCoverage.html.
Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network Established in 1993, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network provides analysis and action on issues affecting our region's economy and quality of life. The organization brings together established and emerging leaders — from business, government, academia, labor, and the broader community — to spotlight issues and work toward innovative solutions. www.jointventure.org.
______
Sponsor logos
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Memorandum
TO: Joint Venture Board of Directors
FROM: John Maltbie, Board Champion Eric Benhamou, Smart Valley Board Seth Fearey, Project Director
DATE: August 28, 2007
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE CLIMATE PROTECTION PROJECT
The following is an update on the Climate Protection project:
The Climate Protection Task Force has grown to include 38 public agencies.
A free, community-scale, greenhouse gas emissions inventory workshop for Silicon Valley cities will be conducted by the Air Quality District and ICLEI.
DISCUSSION
Membership in the Task Force has grown to 38 cites, counties and special districts. (A copy of the roster is attached.) We are hoping to attract about seven more cities that lie within Joint Venture’s traditional boundaries.
City Operations Emissions Inventories. The Climate Protection Task Force met for the second time on July 12th. We heard a proposal from ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, and Sustainable Silicon Valley to conduct greenhouse gas emissions inventories for municipal operations for an average price of $13,000 each, assuming we can sign up at least 20 cities. Their normal price is $20,000 to $25,000.
After a review of alternative ways of doing the inventories, the task force voted to enter into negotiations with ICLEI and SSV, and to complete the agreement in time for the next meeting of the Task Force on September 26th.
Community Emissions Inventories. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District partnered with ICLEI and PG&E to develop a free workshop to help cities develop
1 community-wide emissions inventories. (A copy of the flyer is attached.) Participants will be provided with data for their community and will leave the four hour workshop with a completed analysis. The workshop is being offered first to the cities of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. It will then be repeated in the rest of the Bay Area.
We’re pleased that as of August 24th, the workshop is almost sold out. It will be repeated for other parts of the Bay Area.
Seth Fearey will work with the Air District to capture the results of the Silicon Valley workshop and develop a regional picture.
Local to Local Carbon Offsets. At the suggestion of the Smart Valley board, Seth Fearey presented the idea of establishing a local-to-local carbon offsets program. The core idea is to allow businesses and individuals to support the cost of greenhouse gas reduction projects in their own communities, instead of sending the money to organizations like TerraPass that promise to invest the money in projects in China and Minnesota.
The Task Force welcomed the idea and created a committee to work on it. The first meeting of the committee will be on September 28th.
Preliminary research indicates that no community has implemented a local offsets program, but the City of Berkeley is being funded by the University of California to start a program. We plan to exchange ideas with them.
Joint Venture’s first Fellow, Prof. Asbjorn Osland of San Jose State University, has taken an interest in this project. He is collecting research on offset programs and may decide to make this project a focus of his sabbatical.
Attachments
Roster for Climate Protection Task Force Flyer on the BAAQMD Emissions Inventory Workshop on September 7th Various accounts of the initiative in the press
2 Climate Protection Task Force not for distribution outside of the task force Cities, Counties Name Title San Mateo County Peggy Jensen Deputy County Manager San Mateo County Kim Springer Resource Conservation Programs Mgr. San Mateo County Doug Koenig Deputy Director of Public Works Atherton Charles Marsala Councilmember Belmont Adam Politzer Parks & Recreation Director Belmont - backup Thomas Fil Director of Finance Brisbane Fred Smith Assistant to the City Manager Brisbane - backup Caroline Cheng/Fred Smith Management Analyst Burlingame Phil Scott Public Works Superintendent Burlingame - backup Gordon Gottsche Management Analyst Daly City Joseph Curran talking to Pat Martel, CM Daly City - backup Howard Lee East Palo Alto Carlos Martinez Economic Development Foster City Kristi Chappelle Assistant City Manager Hillsborough Kathy Leroux Assistant City Manager Hillsborough - backup Heather Henwood Menlo Park Ruben Niño Assistant Public Works Director Menlo Park - backup Dianne Dryer Millbrae Shelly Reider Sustainability Coordinator Pacifica Susan Digre Councilmember Portola Valley Leslie Lambert Redwood City Magda Gonzalez Deputy City Manager San Carlos Brian Moura Assistant City Manager San Mateo Susan Loftus Deputy City Manager South San Francisco Marty Van Duyn Assistant City Manager Woodside Susan George Town Manager Santa Clara County Caroline Judy Mgr, Intragovernmental Support Services Cupertino Ralph Qualls Public Works Director Gilroy Larry Cope EDC Los Altos David Casas Council Member Los Gatos Regina Falkner Community Services Director Milpitas Felix Reliford Planning Director Monte Serreno Brian Loventhal City Manager Morgan Hill Tony Eulo Environmental Programs Mountain View Cathy Lazarus Public Works Director Mountain View Backup Kevin Woodhouse Assistant to the City Manager Palo Alto Nancy Nagel Sustainability Team Leader Palo Alto Emily Harrison Assistant City Manager San Jose John Stufflebean Dir. Of Environmental Services San Jose Mary Tucker Supervisory ESS San Jose Ben Yurman-Glaser? Mayor's Office Santa Clara Larry Owens Silicon Valley Power Saratoga Barbara Powell Assistant City Manager Sunnyvale Coryn Campbell Assistant to the City Manager Alameda County Newark Susie Woodstock Maintenance Superintendent Fremont Dan Schoenholz Policy and Special Projects Manager
9/4/2007 Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network 1 of 2 Climate Protection Task Force not for distribution outside of the task force Cities, Counties Name Title Santa Cruz County Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Martin Bernal Assistant City Manager Santa Cruz Mary Arman PW operations manager - Resource Recovery Special Districts Santa Clara Valley Water District Jim Crowley Engineering Unit Manager Santa Clara Valley Water District - backup Cris Tulloch South Bayside Waste Management Authority Alyssa Rice Wilson Recycling Coordinator South Bayside Waste Management Authority Courtney Lindberg Industry, Vendors, Consultants EcoAdvantage Gina Blus Consultant Johnson Controls John Coleman GM Construction Johnson Controls Bill Hadinger Chief Engineer Pacific Gas & Electric Darren Deffner Government Relations Pacific Gas & Electric Sara Birmingham Solar Program Pacific Gas & Electric Marvin Nuslat SunPower Bobby Ram Director, Community Relations Resources ABAG - Energy Watch Ann Guy Bay Area Air Quality Management District Abby Young Bay Area Air Quality Management District Ana Sandoval Bay Area Air Quality Management District David Vintze Bay Area Alliance Allison Quaid Executive Director League of California Cities, Peninsula Division Rebecca Elliot ICLEI Garrett Fitzgerald ICLEI Brooke Lee Program Officer ICLEI Micah Lang Program Officer ICLEI Margarita Maria Parra Sr Program Officer / CCP Global Coordinator Institute for Local Government Steve Sanders Director, CA Climate Action Network Local Government Services Kathleen Gallagher Consultant Santa Clara County Cities Association Joanne Benjamin Executive Director Silicon Valley Leadership Group Justin Bradley Sustainable Silicon Valley Sally Tomlinson Sustainable Silicon Valley Rick Row Executive Director Volunteer for Financing Mark Goldman
Count 76
Contacted, Not Members, Yet Half Moon Bay Marcia Raines San Bruno Connie Jackson Campbell Dan Rich City Manager Campbell Jackie Lind Young Aug 20 07 Los Altos Hills Union City Larry Cheeves City Manager Colma Diane Mcgrath Hayward
9/4/2007 Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network 2 of 2
Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Work Session For Local Governments in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties
Join us for the first in a series of Bay Area Climate Protection Work Sessions for local governments.
Date: September 7, 2007 Who should attend: Time: 10:00 am – 2:30 pm Interested local government staff Location: San Mateo Public Library (e.g., energy managers, environmental 55 West 3rd Avenue coordinators, public works directors San Mateo, CA 94402 and environmental services managers) 650.522.7802 and interested elected officials.
At this Work Session you will: • Obtain emissions data for your jurisdiction’s major Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions sources (e.g., utilities, transportation, and waste sectors) • Prepare a report on your jurisdiction’s community-scale GHG emissions inventory utilizing the Clean Air Climate Protection (CACP) Software1 • Learn how to develop and update your community’s emissions inventories • Hear and discuss ideas for advancing climate protection locally • Join your peers in a climate protection network
Agenda
9:45 am Doors Open/Check-in 10:00 am Welcome and Introductions 10:15 am Introduction to Local Government Climate Protection & GHG Emissions Inventories 10:45 am Discussion of Major GHG Emission Sources & Data Sources 11:30 am Introduction to Inventory Tools 12:00 pm Lunch & Networking Time (lunch provided) 1:00 pm Hands-on Activity: Developing Your Community’s Community-Scale GHG Inventory 2:00 pm The Next Step: Communicating Results to Your Elected Officials 2:30 pm Adjourn
Capacity is limited, so please RSVP by Friday, August 28th to Ayrin Zahner at [email protected] or (510) 844-0699 ext 307.
Hosted by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, in coordination with Sustainable Silicon Valley, Pacific Gas & Electric, and the Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network Climate Protection Task Force. For additional questions, please contact Ana Sandoval, Principal Environmental Planner, Bay Area Air District at 415.749.4667 or [email protected].
1 Use and support for the CACP software is available to ICLEI members. This work session will allow local governments who are not ICLEI members to utilize the software at the time of the workshop. Work session facilitators will provide source data and underlying assumptions in the emission factors used by the CACP software to all participants to ease future replication.
Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Work Session For Local Governments in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties
Workshop Location Computer Lab San Mateo Public Library 55 West 3rd Avenue San Mateo, CA 94402 (650) 522-7802 http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/dept/library/
Public Transit Directions Try the TakeTransit Trip Planner for the best transit options between the San Mateo Public Library and anywhere in the Bay Area, courtesy of 511.org.
Rail Caltrain serves downtown San Mateo. Exit the train at the San Mateo stop. Walk south on B Street. At 3rd Avenue, walk west. The library is at 55 West Third Avenue.
Bus SamTrans is available. Routes 250, 292, 295, 390, 391, 397, MX, and PX stop in downtown San Mateo.
Driving Directions
Driving South on Highway 101 Take the 3rd Avenue exit. Go west on 3rd Avenue about one mile. The library will be on the left side of 3rd Avenue after you cross El Camino Real.
Driving North on Highway 101 Take the 3rd Avenue exit. Go west on 3rd Avenue. Drive about one mile. The library will be on the left after you cross El Camino Real.
Driving South on El Camino Real Turn right onto West 3rd Avenue. The library will be on the left.
Driving North on El Camino Real Turn left onto West 3rd Avenue. The library will be on the left.
Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Work Session For Local Governments in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties
Hosted By:
Bay Area Air Quality Management District is responsible for maintaining air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area. On June 1, 2005, the Air District launched its regional Climate Protection Program. One focus of the program is to provide technical assistance to local governments and facilitate local climate protection action. The September 7th work session represents the launch of a regional effort by the Air District to assist all Bay Area local governments with their community-scale inventories.
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is an international membership association of more than 650 cities, counties, towns and villages around the world. In the US, ICLEI has grown from a handful of local governments in 1993 to over 250 that are now providing national leadership on climate protection. With ICLEI’s guidance, these local governments are achieving over 23 million tons of greenhouse gas reductions annually. ICLEI has 45 members in the Bay Area alone, 25 of which have already used ICLEI’s tools and methodologies for their greenhouse gas inventories. Throughout the operation of this campaign, ICLEI has hosted over 40 training workshops for local government staff. The Clean Air and Climate Protection (CACP) software, which will be used at this work session, was launched in 2003 and developed through a collaboration between ICLEI and the State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators and Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials (STAPPA/ALAPCO, now the National Association of Clean Air Agencies). It is designed to specifically help state and local governments asses and manage their greenhouse gas emissions. The CACP software is the preeminent tool in use by local governments in the United States to conduct greenhouse gas emission inventories.
In Coordination With:
Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) is a collaboration of businesses, governments, and non- governmental organizations that are identifying and addressing environmental and resource pressures in the Valley. SSV is collaborating with ICLEI and the Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network Climate Protection Task Force in providing climate protection assistance to the local governments of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is one of the largest combination natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. It provides natural gas and electric service to approximately 15 million people throughout a 70,000-square-mile service area in northern and central California. PG&E has undertaken numerous climate protection initiatives, among them being a charter member of the California Climate Action Registry and launching Climate Smart, the first-of-its-kind voluntary customer climate protection program. PG&E has also exemplified a commitment to assisting local governments in climate protection by regularly providing utility data, building programs to assist cities with their sustainability goals, and by participating in this ground breaking work session.
Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network Climate Protection Task Force The Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network Climate Protection Task Force includes most of the cities in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, the Counties themselves and several special districts. The Task Force plans to conduct greenhouse gas emissions inventories, set goals, identify opportunities for reducing emissions, and form a procurement pool for technologies that will help reduce emissions from local government operations.
Local Cities forge ‘green’ alliance Edward Carpenter, The Examiner 2007-06-04 10:00:00.0 Current rank: Not ranked
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - First it was Burning Man, then the Mavericks Surf Contest. Now two-dozen Silicon Valley cities and counties, including 19 on the Peninsula, have set their sites on becoming carbon neutral while spurring the growth of the area’s burgeoning “green” industry.
From Daly City to Palo Alto and beyond, public agencies including San Mateo and Santa Clara counties have united with the nonprofit Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network to measure the region’s carbon polluting footprint and come up with a plan to reduce it to zero, according to Joint Venture CEO Russell Hancock. (Juan Carlos Pometta Betancourt/Special to The Examiner) The strategy is simple: Leverage their combined purchasing power to buy everything from Jim Granucci, director of the hybrid vehicles and solar panels to funding technology trials for new products, said San Mateo County Forensic Assistant San Carlos City Manager Brian Moura, a member of Joint Venture’s climate Laboratory, has received a protection task force. number of environmental awards. “Instead of purchasing a single solar panel or enough to cover one building, we’re going to be purchasing enough to cover 500 buildings,” Hancock said.
Buying green technology will not only cut into the amount of greenhouse gas produced from lighting acres of public buildings and fueling thousands of municipal vehicles, but also drive the development of better and cheaper technology, Hancock said.
“It’s moving a market along in a way it probably wouldn’t if left to its own devices,” Hancock said. Similar strategies were used in the early 1990s to spur Internet development by wiring schools, and more recently to encourage the development of wireless outdoor networks on the Peninsula and in San Francisco, Hancock said.
While various events such as Burning Man, with its Cooling Man campaign, and the Mavericks Surf Contest, along with a growing number of Northern California cities, have pledged to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Joint Venture’s consortium may be one of the largest coalitions of its kind in California, if not the country, officials said.
By becoming carbon neutral in 2006, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District — which employs about 350 people — eliminated 1,645 metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution from the air, spokeswoman Karen Schkolnick said. “That’s the equivalent of taking 320 Bay Area vehicles off the road.”
Reducing public agencies’ carbon footprint to zero won’t happen overnight, but the participating agencies are “aggressive, ambitious and persistent,” said San Mateo County Manager John Maltbie, an advocate of the project.
While Joint Venture’s program, only in its infancy, is primarily aimed at cities and counties, officials hope success will mean wider participation by local businesses and homeowners, Moura said.
“Over time, the idea is to work with businesses and residents to promote practices that would also reduce their carbon footprint,” Moura said. Silicon Valley cities taking action
» 45% have or plan to conduct an inventory of CO2 emissions by city/county operations
» 23% have already set CO2 emission-reduction goals
» 36% already have resident-based organizations advising the cities and counties
» 82% already have building retrofit programs to reduce energy use
» 86% have installed low-energy, light-emitting-diode traffic signals
» 62% have already purchased hybrid vehicles
» 45% have already installed solar panels to generate electricity; another 30% have firm plans to invest in solar
Note: Based on a survey of Silicon Valley Cities from Daly City to Sunnyvale, with 22 responding
- Source: Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network [email protected]
Examiner
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California's power play: Is renewable energy enough?
By Sarah Jane Tribble Mercury News San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:06/08/2007 01:00:00 AM PDT
Stephen del Cardayre hopes to help solve the Earth's most challenging problem by studying some of its tiniest inhabitants.
He and his colleagues at San Carlos clean-energy start-up LS9 are on the hunt for a microbe in plant bacteria that could become a renewable fuel for California's cars - the state's single largest source of the pollution that causes global warming.
But even del Cardayre, as passionate and committed as he is, working for a company fueled by millions of dollars in venture capital and at the epicenter of Silicon Valley's fast-growing clean-technology industry, offers a sober assessment of the state's ambitious goals to fight global warming.
"There is definitely not a silver bullet," del Cardayre said.
Nearly one year after California passed landmark legislation to cut carbon-dioxide emissions 25 percent in 13 years, the state already risks failure. Among the challenges:
» California's utilities, required by law to ensure that 20 percent of their power is renewable by 2010, are struggling to reach that target because there is not enough energy from solar, wind and other low-carbon sources - and no certainty that will change in three years.
» The federal government is blocking a key part of the state's plan to dramatically cut vehicle emissions.
» Despite the focus on new, carbon-free sources of energy, the state is still approving carbon-dioxide-spewing natural gas plants. And the most promising new energy sources are more expensive than natural gas and coal.
"There needs to be an energy revolution," said Dan Skopec, undersecretary for the California Environmental Protection Agency.
For decades, California has been a leader in energy innovation. About 11 percent of the state's power already comes from renewable sources - one of the highest levels in the nation. But that percentage has been stagnant for the past four years.
Perhaps most daunting is the scope of the challenges facing a state as big as California, with the world's eighth-largest economy.
To meet the state's emissions goals, every resident would have to make changes both big and small, from replacing light bulbs to cutting commutes. Fractious state agencies would have to cooperate in unprecedented ways. Dozens of new regulations would have to be passed. And businesses big and tiny would have to cooperate on energy-efficiency standards.
"The goals are hard," said Dorothy Rothrock, vice president of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association. "Now the question is whether we really can do it."
The plan: State sets benchmarks for carbon emissions
California's new law, AB 32, which took effect in January, sets a series of benchmarks for cutting carbon emissions starting in 2010, then 2020. The state also has separate goals for 2050.
Most experts say the 2010 goals should be relatively easy to meet, with already established changes such as a low-carbon fuel program passed in January. Even so, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nu`ñez, D-Los Angeles, who co-wrote AB 32, said last month that he is concerned the state could be turning too soon to market-based mechanisms that essentially would allow businesses to trade carbon credits. California should first focus on new regulations and better energy-efficiency standards, he said.
"As the world leader on climate change, we must do as much as possible," Nu`ñez wrote Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
How California achieves the 2010 goals sets the stage for the next benchmark - which represents the biggest challenge. Under AB 32, known as the Global Warming Solutions Act, California seeks to cut its greenhouse-gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 - to the same level as 1990. That reduction would come even as California's population is projected to increase 47 percent over those 30 years.
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Put another way, California produced 426 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1990, or more than 31,500 pounds for every person in the state. By 2020, the state needs to slash that to 21,400 pounds per person.
Schwarzenegger Chief of Staff Susan Kennedy said she believes the goals are "definitely a challenge" but the administration does not consider failure an option. Using market-based mechanisms will be necessary to reach the goal, she said.
To do that, California must tackle its residents' long-running love affair with the automobile. One key element is a law that requires automakers to cut the emissions from the cars they sell in California, which would save about 30 million metric tons of carbon, or about 17 percent of the state's 2020 goal. But this regulation faces strident federal and industry opposition.
The state's plan also calls for a broad swath of other changes including eliminating 6 million metric tons of carbon a year through waste management, and eliminating more than 30 million metric tons by selectively growing trees and cutting down others in state forests, possibly using the debris for biofuel.
The state plans to eliminate nearly 30 million metric tons by requiring energy-efficient products and buildings as well as changing manufacturing standards; and an additional 1 million metric tons by using less water, which reduces the amount of carbon expelled when transporting the water around the state.
The challenge: California's size complicates effort
California's leaders have few examples to follow. No other state has passed a plan like AB 32.
The state's sheer size also means its actions capture global attention.
"California is most certainly being watched not just in the West and D.C. but around the world," said Josh Bushinsky, Western policy coordinator for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.
If California moves too slowly, a report by the Climate Action Team predicts the state would face diminished drinking water supplies, rising sea levels, and more droughts, forest fires and withering hot days.
"The longer that business as usual goes on, the more difficult challenge it becomes," said Chuck Shulock, manager of the greenhouse-gas reduction program for the Air Resources Board, which is charged with making sure the state reaches its carbon-cutting goals. "It's a question of sort of turning a very large ship."
A very large ship. One state report estimates that if California were a nation, it would be the 16th-largest carbon-dioxide emitter in the world - producing more carbon than Australia, Saudi Arabia or Spain.
Gold rush: Investors finding energy opportunities
During a recent tour of LS9, del Cardayre moves quickly and speaks quickly - and wants to act quickly. Even the bacteria are being asked to work quickly, he said.
"We're speeding up the evolution and looking for which one is the right one," del Cardayre said. He couldn't say how long it would take to create his plant fuel and get it to the pump. It could be five years - or 15.
LS9, which received $5 million in funding from prominent venture capital firms Khosla Ventures and Flagship Ventures, is one of dozens of start-ups in Silicon Valley that are part of an alternative-energy gold rush.
Venture capitalists started investing in Silicon Valley's low-carbon or clean technologies like solar and biofuels about two years ago, according to industry research firm Cleantech Group. Seth Fearey, chief operating officer for Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, an economic development group, recently counted more than 60 companies with local offices in the industry. He's sure he missed some.
Conferences, symposiums and networking events for clean technologies in the valley happen weekly - sometimes daily - as those with ideas try to meet those with money. All the activity is enough to bring back memories of the dot-com boom and make investors nervous, said Michael Horwitz, senior research analyst with Pacific Growth Equities.
"There is a bit of this `Let's throw money at the problem and see what happens,'" Horwitz said.
California leads the nation in clean-technology investments with $730 million in the past two years, with more than 60 percent of that spent in Silicon Valley.
And if solutions aren't found quickly?
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"That just means that we have to spend more money," Horwitz said. "In some ways, these companies will benefit more from these ambitious goals. It's perverse."
Richard Swanson, founder and chief technology officer of San Jose-based SunPower, the biggest U.S. solar manufacturer, warns that building renewable-energy projects takes patience. He spent nearly two decades developing solar cells before his company's product hit the market and became a global brand.
"One of the things people find when they get into this space - especially from the dot-com sector - is the energy field moves much slower because of the infrastructure," Swanson said.
High costs: Renewable energy is more expensive
SunPower, the fastest-growing company in Silicon Valley last year by sales, plans to lower the price of its panels by 50 percent in the next five years. Even as the solar market explodes, the energy source is still limited to those who can pay premium prices.
That price gap will be a continuing challenge with alternative energy.
Including construction costs, solar energy is expected to cost 13.7 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2020 - more than twice as much as natural gas at 5.6 cents per kilowatt hour, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.
Indeed, when including the cost to build the plants, all renewable-energy sources cost more than traditional energy sources like natural gas and coal.
That's a problem LS9's del Cardayre is determined to overcome. The company hopes to sell its biofuel at a competitive price.
"It simply won't succeed unless you can make this product cost-competitive," del Cardayre said. "Acceptance will be directly proportional to cost."
But first, the renewable energy has to be available as an option.
California Energy Commission member John Geesman has been warning about the availability of renewable energy for months, saying there might not be enough available for the utilities to meet a law that requires them to provide 20 percent of the power they sell from renewable sources by 2010.
The problem is twofold, he said. First, California lacks the power lines needed to transport the energy produced by the sun, wind or other renewable sources to the state's electricity grid that powers homes and businesses. Second, most of the venture money is going to technologies that will take years, even decades, to develop.
"We have some extreme institutional problems in planning," Geesman said.
At the Electric Power Research Institute, whose members include power companies and government organizations, environment sector director Michael Miller recently estimated that billions of dollars will be needed to improve alternative-energy options and build out the state's electricity grid.
Only vehicle emissions contribute more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than the utilities. If the utilities fail to meet their goals for using renewable energy, it will be harder for the state to reach its carbon-cutting goals, he said.
State leaders believe the utility companies' contribution is so great that the California Public Utilities Commission is considering a way to require that utilities provide 33 percent of their power from renewable energy by 2020.
Fossil fuels: State moving ahead with natural gas plants
When Angela Johnson-Meszaros, co-chair of one of the two advisory committees for the climate-change law, considers the state's time frame, a wry tone enters her voice. She wants to be supportive.
But as director of policy and general counsel for the California Environmental Rights Alliance, Johnson-Meszaros has watched the state's energy market enough to be skeptical. After all, she said, California is still building carbon-generating natural gas plants.
"We are making, I think, some very bad choices right now," she said. "Fossil-fuel power plants have a 30-year life. For every megawatt we provide using fossil fuel, that's one megawatt we won't site using renewable energy."
Of the seven new plant applications the California Energy Commission has approved for construction within the next two years, six are fossil-fuel-based natural gas plants and one is a geothermal plant that uses the Earth's core heat to produce steam energy. An additional 14 power plants are under review and could be built by the end of 2010. All of those would use natural gas.
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Even though most of the new plants will produce less carbon dioxide than the old ones they replace, Johnson-Meszaros says that's not good enough. If California wants to drastically reduce carbon, it should be approving carbon-free plants, she said.
"How can you let this kind of contradictory policy behavior exist?" Johnson-Meszaros asked.
The contradictions exist because of the need to replace old plants and to provide energy for new residents, utility executives said.
Even California's most established renewable energies - wind and solar - don't provide the kind of dependable energy needed for daily life, said Tom King, chief executive of Pacific Gas & Electric. People like to know that when they flip a switch, a light comes on, he said.
PG&E - which supported AB 32 and touts itself as a green energy company - gets 13 percent of its energy mix from wind, solar, biomass and other renewable-energy sources. It has contracts to add more at a steady clip.
But ask King about reaching the state's goals and he pauses. It takes a moment for him to concede that his company still needs big power plants. So King poses a question: If we take our reliance off carbon-emitting natural gas and coal, what is the clean answer?
"We're not confident that without something as large-scale as a nuclear facility that we can completely meet the objectives," King said. "Nuclear has an opportunity to play a big part."
Contact Sarah Jane Tribble at [email protected] or (408) 278-3499.
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Local Project aims for ‘greener’ lights Beth Winegarner, The Examiner 2007-07-13 09:45:30.0 Current rank: Not ranked
San Mateo County - A co-operative of cities in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties has already come up with one bright idea in their effort to join forces and reduce their contributions to global warming.
(Juan Carlos Pometta Betancourt/Special to Years ago, cities began replacing incandescent bulbs in traffic signals with low- The Examiner) Almost 40 Peninsula cities are taking part powered light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, which use 80 to 90 percent less in a project to render city streetlights more electricity and require significantly less maintenance, according to Larry Owens, environmentally friendly. customer-services manager for Silicon Valley Power. Now, the Joint Venture Climate Protection Project — with almost 40 member cities on the Peninsula — hopes to do the same with the region’s streetlights and other public lighting.
“Some cities on the East Coast are using LEDs in city buildings and parking structures,” said Brian Moura, San Carlos’s assistant city manager. So far, no one’s done it with streetlights. “We could jumpstart a whole industry.”
The Joint Venture Climate Protection Project, launched last May, is charging out of the gate with a number of ideas to reduce carbon emissions regionally. Alone, each city only has so much money to put toward environmental issues, but joining forces should help them do such things as buy hybrid vehicles in bulk, according to Joint Venture chair Russ Hancock.
Early tests of LED technology show that the diodes just aren’t bright enough yet to be used in streetlights, where safety is a concern, according to Owens. While Joint Venture pushes local LED firms to step up the technology, the group will explore adding the lights in parking garages and walkways to save power.
“The promise of LED streetlights for us and a billion other streetlights across the U.S. is that we could save 80 to 90 percent of our energy, and see five to ten times longer life,” Owen said. “Our heart is really set on that.”
Joint Venture cities met Thursday to discuss other plans to get the environmental ball rolling — including a plan for each city to contribute an average of $14,000 to hire consultants to establish the region’s carbon footprint, according to Hancock. From there, cities can work together to reduce their emissions and develop specific strategies for doing so.
“There is enormous desire to do something at the regional level,” Hancock said. “[Climate change] is for real, so what can we do collectively?” [email protected]
Examiner
2007-08-20
President's Message
How California Cities Are Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change August 2007 by Maria Alegria The issue of climate change presents some robust challenges for California city officials and their communities. At the same time, it offers numerous opportunities for leadership and innovation. Cities throughout the state are exploring ways to reduce their carbon footprint. They are implementing exciting projects and programs to cut greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, lessen our dependence on foreign oil and improve air and water quality. These efforts benefit the local community, the region, the state and, ultimately, the planet. It's interesting to note that many of these municipal programs and projects have been under way for some time now -- in some cases, several years.
Green Buildings Offer Multiple Advantages For example, the City of Santa Rosa launched its Santa Rosa Build It Green (SR BIG) program in 2003. A voluntary program, SR BIG promotes building and remodeling homes in a way that reduces energy demands, releases far fewer pollutants into the atmosphere, conserves water and reduces construction waste. The program follows a set of simple but comprehensive Green Building Guidelines that provide a roadmap for building design and construction. SR BIG-certified homes look like any other home, and include large custom homes, production subdivision homes, affordable homes (built by Habitat for Humanity) and municipal remodeled dwellings, such as the Santa Rosa Samuel Jones Hall Homeless Shelter. An SR BIG home is at least 11 percent more energy efficient than a conventional new home and is commensurately less expensive to heat, cool and operate. In the same spirit, in 2004, the City of San Jose opened the world's first green library, which was conceived and constructed as a model of green building design. It uses 30 percent less energy and 50 percent less irrigation water than standard buildings, and incorporates natural light and a variety of chemical-free fabrics and materials to improve indoor air quality and the comfort of library patrons. At least 25 percent of the materials used during construction were made from recycled products, such as soda bottles, and 20 percent of the building materials were manufactured locally. Green buildings make good sense financially. In October 2003, the State of California released an in-depth analysis called The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings, which presented a comprehensive study on the cost benefits of green buildings and concluded that the financial upside exceeds the cost by a factor of 10-to-1. And on the flip side, the practice of deconstruction -- the process of remov ing a building by taking it apart in the reverse order it was constructed -- is enabling building materials to be salvaged and recovered for reuse. Deconstruction reduces greenhouse gas emissions created by the production of replacement building materials, provides lower-cost building materials to the community, extends the life of landfills and protects the natural environment by reducing the need to extract new resources. The City of Palo Alto requires salvage as part of its construction and demolition debris reuse and recycling ordinance, and numerous businesses throughout the state are now offering deconstruction services.
Encouraging Energy Conservation Cities are also involved in efforts to increase energy efficiency. In Southern California , the 15 cities of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments launched an innovative effort to encourage residents to increase energy efficiency. The program was initiated in February 2003, and has now expanded to include partnerships with Southern California Edison, the Ga s Company and local water agencies. Now known as the South Bay Energy Savings Center (SBESC), the program is housed in a walk-in resource center and targets local businesses as well as residents. Its motto is, "Save water, save energy, save money!" Funded by grants from the California Public Utilities Commission, SBESC offers rebates, information kits and free compact fluorescent light bulbs, technical assistance for businesses, and "Build It Green" workshops. According to Program Manager Marilyn Lyon, SBESC works to help cities, residents and businesses reduce their energy use. In the past eight months alone, they've distributed more than 7,000 information kits and free compact fluorescent bulbs. In a similar innovative effort, the City of Palm Desert is working with Southern California Edison, the Gas Company and the Energy Coalition (a nonprofit agency) to reduce the city's overall energy consumption and peak demand by 30 percent over the next five years. The project includes a variety of rebates and financial incentives on energy-efficient air conditioning units, pool pumps, appliances, solar panel installation and ventilation duct sealing, as well as a comprehensive community-based marketing and energy education campaign to increase awareness and community participation. The partnership intends to create a model that, once proven successful, can be replicated by cities and utilities throughout the state. And in 1999, the City of Irvine partnered with Southern California Edison, the Gas Company, the Energy Coalition and the City of Santa Monica to form what's now known as the Community Energy Partnership. The partnership's mission was to investigate new energy management ideas and technologies and introduce them to residents and businesses. Since then, the number of participating cities has grown to 10. Having the public utilities engaged with the partner cities allows for an exchange of ideas and an opportunity to capitalize on the successes of each. It has also allowed Irvine to draw upon resources available through the utilities, such as energy audits, products and installations for homes, schools and businesses. Providing personalized, one-on-one attention to residents and businesses is one method Irvine is using to deliver the mes sage, "Saving energy saves money and the environment!"
Turning Brownfields Green Brownfields -- land that is contaminated with industrial pollutants and often abandoned -- present another opportunity for local governments to revitalize neighbor hoods and protect the environment. Cities throughout the state have been working to transform brownfields into affordable housing, parks and mixed-use developments. The City of Emeryville launched an aggressive effort in 1995 to clean up 385 acres of brownfields and build housing on the land. To date, the city has built nearly 2,000 housing units. About 20 percent are affordable for low- and moderate-income households. In a similar effort, in 1987 the cities of Bell Gardens and Commerce began cleaning up a 10-acre site that straddled the two communities. In 1995, the site was clean and safe. Using redevelopment funds to leverage private investment, the two cities partnered to build Vista del Rio, a 102-home development -- half of which is affordable for low- and moderate-income families. Construction began in 2000, and today the development is home to dozens of families.
Ensuring Future Clean Water Supplies In March 2005, the Local Government Commission convened a group of for-ward-thinking water experts from the federal, state and local levels to craft a set of land use principles that would provide guidance to communities concerned about future water supplies. The Ahwahnee Water Principles for Resource-Efficient Land Use advocate a change in land use planning to create the compact, walk able, mixed-use neighborhoods and town centers that are growing in popularity with young adults and seniors as a place to live. The Ahwahnee Water Principles focus primarily on how California cities might provide for a growing population while developing a minimal amount of land. They provide a strategy to ensure that new growth is accommodated without destroying the precious watersheds that supply our water. The principles call for:
Stretching the water we do have via water recycling and conservation strategies, such as low-flow toilets and drought- tolerant landscapes; Planning urban areas to reduce paved, nonporous areas by using narrower streets and smaller or multi-storied parking lots; Using newly available porous concrete and asphalt; and Incorporating water-efficient technologies, such as low-flow toilets, efficient clothes washers and efficient water- using industrial equipment, in new and remodeled construction. Such innovations also reduce the amount of energy consumed (and greenhouse gases emitted) in the treatment and distribution of these precious water supplies.
The City of Los Angeles has demonstrated the effectiveness of such efforts. Despite an increase in population, the city is us ing the same amount of water today as it did 30 years ago. This was accomplished through a citywide campaign to retrofit all homes with low-flow toilets. At the October 2005 League of California Cities Annual Conference, members voted to send the Ahwahnee Water Principles to every city, accompanied by a resolu tion that encourages members to consider adopting them. The California State Association of Counties took similar action at its annual conference. Preserving natural water systems and fostering appropriate, water-sensitive new growth will have multiple benefits, including an adequate supply of clean water, reduced flooding, a stronger economy, more livable communities and a better quality of life.
Buying Green, Best Practices And More This month in Western City, the climate change section that begins on page 11 includes articles on the advantages of green purchasing and how cities can save money by buying green, best practices for reducing greenhouse gases in city operations and services, and how California cities are tackling climate change. In addition, the article on page 35 explains how Santa Barbara is co-generating methane gas for renewable energy. If you missed last month's climate change articles and related features, you can find them online at www.westerncity.com/green. These are just a few examples of the efforts under way in cities throughout California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve natural resources.
New Program Helps With Climate Change Issues And now there is additional assistance with climate change issues available for local governments. The Institute for Local Government recently launched the California Climate Action Network (CalCAN), an exciting new program that is helping local officials by:
Providing quality information and resources on specific strategies that can be applied in individual communities to make a difference on climate change issues; Coordinating the statewide CalCAN to bring local city and county leaders together to share ideas, and link officials to a wide variety of climate change programs and resources that provide technical assistance to local agencies; and Recognizing the voluntary efforts of communities that implement climate action best practices.
The CalCAN program is featured in a section of the ILG website ( www.ca-ilg.org/climatechange ), which offers climate action resources, best practices, case studies and more. Local communities are implementing many strategies to reduce carbon emissions and combat global warming. In most cases, these strategies not only help the environment, they also save money and make great economic sense. I urge you to become familiar with the numerous ways that cities are doing this, and put these strategies to work in your community. By making changes at home, at work and at play, we can work together to improve the environment and the quality of life for all. Silicon Valley Launches Climate Protection Task Force The cities and counties of Silicon Valley have formed a Climate Protection Task Force to take collective action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With assistance from Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, more than 25 cities and special districts are partnering with local climate protection organizations, utilities and clean technology companies. Task force members will share experiences, collaborate on conducting greenhouse gas emissions inventories, pilot new technologies, form a procurement pool and weigh in on public policy issues, including AB 32 implementation. For more information, contact: Seth G. Fearey, vice president and chief operating officer, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network; phone: (408) 938-1511; fax: (408) 271-7214; or visit www.jointventure.org/programs- initiatives/climateprotection/climateprotection.html.
last updated : 7/25/2007