CAMARILLO : Plan to Lure New Businesses Unveiled

In a bid to increase tax revenues and improve the city’s overall economic outlook, Camarillo officials have unveiled a marketing campaign designed to lure new businesses to the city.

The $15,000 campaign involves a new “fast-track” streamlining of the city’s permit processes and a toll-free hot line to assist business owners considering relocation to the city.

The campaign unveiled Tuesday also included an economic report that charted the city’s progress over an 18-month period that ended in July.

The report showed that industrial and office occupancy rates in the city improved during that time, with office vacancies dropping from 24.4% to 17.4% and industrial vacancies dropping from 17.5% to 9.7%

The report, however, also indicated that in that time, retail vacancy rates increased slightly by nearly half a percent to 9.4%. Officials said they will concentrate on improving the retail occupancy area of the city’s economy.

City Councilman Stan Daily said the campaign, organized with the cooperation of the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce, will position the city to reap the benefits of new businesses as they expand into larger facilities and move from the urban centers of Southern California.

“Specifically, we are launching a search for new or expanding start-up companies that are environmentally sensitive, long-term employers,” Daily said. “This effort will create jobs as well as revenue for the city--revenue essential to maintaining the qualities that make our city attractive.”

Helping to head the city’s campaign, along with Daily and Councilman Dave Smith, is longtime Camarillo resident James Jevens, hired as the city’s economic development consultant last summer.