Turlock council OKs plan for creating jobs

Half a mile from a hiring fair for a future dairy plant, the City Council adopted an updated plan for economic development Tuesday night.

The council voted 5-0 for the plan, drafted over the past year by a task force of community members.

The 36-page document urges continued support for the farm-based industries that have driven the Turlock economy for decades. It is home to dairy, turkey, nut and other processors, and to many companies that provide goods and services to these operations and the farms.

The plan sees potential as well in education, health care, retail and other sectors.

The vote came while Hilmar Cheese Co. was still holding its fair at the Turlock War Memorial building. An undisclosed number of jobs will be created at a milk-powder plant set to open in about a year in the west side industrial zone.

Councilman Forrest White noted that the fair was featured in a television news report that included Mayor John Lazar’s statement that Turlock could become “the Silicon Valley of food processing.” The plan said the city should recognize that biotech and other advanced sciences will be an increasing part of the food business.

The document, updated from a 2003 version, notes the downtown revival that has happened since then, the relatively affordable power rates from the Turlock Irrigation District, and the city’s parks, arts venues and other attractions for possible employers.

Key suggestions:

▪ Continue to fill out the 2,600-acre industrial zone west of Highway 99.

▪ Work for an expressway connecting Turlock with Interstate 5 in Patterson, which would supplement Highway 99.

▪ Support retail growth, including stores at Monte Vista Crossings and elsewhere that draw shoppers from outside Turlock.

▪ Continue efforts to improve the permitting processes for new and expanding businesses.

▪ Review development fees to ensure that they reflect the cost of providing city services.

▪ Promote internships and other links to California State University, Stanislaus, while advocating for a Turlock campus of Modesto Junior College.

▪ Target jobs to Turlock residents who are among the estimated 15,000 county residents who commute to the Bay Area each day.

This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 9:05 PM with the headline "Turlock council OKs plan for creating jobs."