The City is in the process of updating the Housing Element of the General Plan for the 2023-2031 period as required by State law. The Housing Element establishes policies and programs to address Morgan Hill’s existing and projected housing needs for all economic segments of the community. The first step in this process is to ask community members what they see as Morgan Hill’s most important housing needs. Please complete this 10 question survey HERE to provide us with your input. All responses are confidential.
We encourage you to be a part of the housing conversation by attending the Housing Element Plan Virtual Townhall Meeting on Thursday February 10th @ 530PM. The meeting will include discussions on the existing and upcoming Housing Element, housing needs of the city, the cities Sites Inventory, housing policies, and Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) requirements. Review all 2021 Housing Conversation Workshops HERE.
“Roses are red, violets are blue, we buy local, how about you?”
Last December, the City updated and re-launched the Buy Local Campaign with the intent of working to support citywide businesses not only during the holidays, but year round. The City, along with Visit Morgan Hill and other community partner organizations, is launching three February Buy Local themes: Love Your Local Business, The Big Game and Sweet Treat Trail. If you are a business owner, please send over your deals, specials, catering offers, foodie and cocktail pics, to be featured for FREE on the Buy Local Website and social media pages. Please also visit the 95037 Business Directory to ensure your business is listed. We encourage you to participate in one or all three campaigns to gain business visibility, up your social media game and grow your customer base! Together we can encourage our community to “LOVE Local” the entire month of February!
1. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we have designed a campaign around “Love Your Local Business!” Please send a picture, description and/or flyer for any Valentine specials you are offering including prix fixe dinners, menu specials, love-themed cocktails/mocktails, wine pairings, free dessert specials, complimentary glasses of champagne, etc.
2. Because we can’t forget about football, the second piece of our February Campaign will be around “The Big Game!” If your restaurant will be showing “The Big Game” on your “Big Screen” please let us know so we can direct fans your way. Please send over pictures, descriptions and/or flyers for your game day viewing setup, trivia, catering or in-house specials you will be offering during “The Big Game!”
3. Last but NOT least, we would also like to create a “Sweet Treat Trail” where we highlight the “sweet” offerings in Morgan Hill. We are happy to feature your Flourless Chocolate Cake, Chicken and Waffles plate, or Chocolate Martini! To be added to the “trail” all you need to do is send a picture and description of your sweet treat!
Send your Buy Local content and questions to City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Coordinator Brittney Sherman at brittney.sherman@morganhill.ca.gov
Businesses of ALL size, industry and location, wanting to locate in California or stay/grow their existing footprint within the state, are eligible to apply for the CCTC and CCG Programs. In the 2021/2022 fiscal year, a total of $394,707,469 are available for allocation over three separate application periods, one of which is NOW OPEN! January 3rd-January 24th, 2022, approximately $140 million in tax credits and $120 million in grant funding are available. Applications are submitted wholly online and take approximately 90 days to process. Businesses that apply are evaluated on twelve different factors, including number of full-time jobs created, amount of investment and strategic importance to the state/region. GoBiz is the oversight agency, reviewing applications and awarding dollars for both programs. Businesses may only apply for ONE program at a time, however a business CAN be a recipient of both programs during separate application periods as long as they neither apply for nor receive a grant for the same jobs for which they have already been awarded a tax credit. To apply for a California Competes grant, after previously receiving a tax credit, the business must commit to additional full-time jobs and investments. Both the CCTC and CCGP programs have been outlined in detail below. For additional information and to submit your application for consideration, visit the website here: California Competes Tax Credit.
California CompetesTax Credit (CCTC)
The main purpose of the California Competes Tax Credit is to attract and retain high-value employers in California in industries with high economic multipliers and that provide their employees good wages and benefits. GO-Biz is required by statute to consider the extent to which the credit will influence the business’s ability, willingness, or both, to create new, full-time jobs in this state that might not otherwise be created in the state by the taxpayer or any other taxpayer.
This credit applies only to income tax owed to the Franchise Tax Board, is non-refundable and has a 6-tax year carryover. The minimum credit request is $20,000 and NO MORE THAN 20% ($78.9 million) may go to any one applicant per fiscal year.
The application is a two-phase qualification process. Phase I is a quantitative analysis in which the credit amount requested is compared to the hiring and investment commitments of each applicant via a “ratio” based on the applicant’s credit request divided by the sum of its aggregate investment and aggregate employee compensation. Phase II is a variety of quantitative and qualitative factors, including local unemployment and poverty, competing incentives, economic impact, strategic importance, industry outlook, and the extent to which the credit will play a significant role in the company’s decision or ability to create new, quality, full-time jobs in California.
California Competes Grant Program (CCGP)
The primary goal of the CCGP is to make resources available for businesses that do not qualify for the non-refundable income tax credit and continue to incentivize them to choose California and create quality, full-time jobs in the state. The CCGP was specifically created for three types of businesses: (1) businesses that continuously reinvest profits, generating either significant research and development tax credits and/or net operating losses resulting in little to no tax liability; (2) smaller businesses with relatively low tax liabilities; and (3) startups with little to no tax liability.
This program allocates 120 million in one-time (fiscal year 21/22) funding, has a minimum grant request of $5 million, with NO MORE THAN 30% ($36 million) awarded to any one applicant per fiscal year.
Businesses of any size may apply but they MUST meet at least one of the following criteria: create at least 500 new full-time jobs in California, make at least $10 million of capital investments in facility construction and/or renovation or create said jobs or investments in an area of High Unemployment and/or Poverty.
The application is a two-phase process and to progress to Phase II, a business must score in the top 200% of Phase I. Applications may progress regardless of score, if the project will occur outside CA if not funded and/or at least 75% of new jobs work at least 75% of the time in a high poverty/high employment area.
Have questions? Contact City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Director Matt Mahood at Matt.Mahood@morganhill.ca.gov
We hope you are enjoying the season and looking forward to a prosperous New Year. As we close 2021, we wanted to express our gratitude for your contributions to make Morgan Hill a beautiful, vibrant, and healthy community, much of which is attributed to the passion, commitment, and resiliency of our local businesses.
In this eNewsletter, you will find information about key efforts that impact our business community, including:
· Buy Local Campaign,
· Updated Development Fee Study,
· Downtown Lane Reduction and Place-Branding Project,
· Industrial Lands Preservation Efforts,
· Climate Action Plan, and
· Business Resources
Read the December 2021 eNewsletter HERE and please feel free to reach out to the team if you have any questions or want to connect. We wish you happy and safe holidays and thank you for continuing to "Choose Morgan Hill."
Have questions? Contact City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Director Matt Mahood at Matt.Mahood@morganhill.ca.gov
Industrial lands are key to the economic vitality of the City. These employment lands provide local jobs and taxes to support City services. Today, there are only 120 acres of undeveloped industrial land in Morgan Hill. Over the past 8 years, industrial lands inventory has declined by 59%. Preserving existing industrial parks and optimizing remaining industrial lands will support the City’s economic prosperity, offer jobs to the community and preserve the quality of life in Morgan Hill. City staff plans to bring forward Zoning Code amendments, and an Industrial Ordinance that formalizes the current Urgency Ordinance essentially prohibiting stand-alone distribution uses and certain types of buildings commonly used in distribution facilities.
Staff proposes a new Industrial Lands Preservation and Optimization Policy to:
-Prohibit stand-alone ecommerce warehouse and distribution use citywide
-Prohibit General Plan conversions of Industrial Land
-Prohibit non-compatible uses in Industrial buildings to preserve vacancies for industrial businesses and jobs
-Expand zoning for office and medical uses
-Encourage conversion of current commercial land to industrial land
These items are expected to be presented to the Planning Commission in February and to the City Council in March 2022. Attend one of the upcoming community discussions to learn more or contact City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Director Matt Mahood at Matt.Mahood@morganhill.ca.gov
Prism Electronics was formed in 2002 for the purpose of providing Independent Component Distribution and Asset Recovery Services for a growing demand in the Silicon Valley and beyond. The company consolidated operations and relocated from Santa Clara to Morgan Hill, quickly outgrowing a space on Digital Drive, before moving into their current locations on Sutter and Lightpost Drive. Their two existing buildings total over 100,000 square feet and they employ 90 people. The company’s Reverse Logistics Program provides clients with a revenue stream, maximizes ROI and reduces liability. Refurbishing and remarketing are an important part of the company’s business model and zero-waste environmental policy. They provide certified destruction and recycling on multiple levels. With key competitors leaving the area, Prism Electronics has risen to become one of the largest companies of it’s industry.
