Business Finds a Friend in San Fernando New San Fernando City Administrator Jose Pulido puts streamlining development process at the top of his to-do list. By JACQUELINE FOX Staff Reporter Business owners in the city of San Fernando have long been frustrated with the snail-like pace at which city officials worked to bring new commercial development to the 2.4-square-mile municipality. Consequently, developers have either shunned the city, fearing they would be stalled by the lack of political support for their projects, or have found themselves embroiled in local politics midway through the application process. Just two years ago, San Fernando was set to finally see its centerpiece project, a downtown retail/entertainment center with a multiplex cinema and 200,000 square feet of retail, come to fruition. But infighting among city council members and challenges to the bidding process resulted in a pullout by the developer. Plans to transform a 36-acre swap meet site into a big-box retail center were also tabled. Things only got worse in 2001 when two new members were elected to the city council, creating a greater divide between those on the panel who favored big-box projects and those who pushed for smaller mom-and-pop business development. The internal wrangling led to the abrupt departure last year of City Administrator John Ornelas and two other top officials. Meanwhile, Jose Pulido was routinely driving the streets of his old stomping grounds on his days off from his post as the economic and community development manager for the city of Montebello. When he heard there was an opening for an interim administrator in the city where he had been raised and his parents still reside, he quickly filled out a letter of interest. Instead of considering him for the interim post, the council gave him the permanent job of city administrator on Sept. 12. Today, plans are in place for a beautification program on Maclay Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods. Escrow was set to close last week on the sale of the swap meet land to make way for the retail/industrial complex, and the city just received a $150,000 grant from the state to revitalize its downtown area. So, it is little surprise that Pulido is optimistic that the problems that have plagued the city in the past with respect to development have been mitigated. He says he’s committed to doing for the city what he and others did for Montebello, a city that also has a strong Latino tradition and a checkered history when it comes to economic development. Pulido spoke recently with Business Journal reporter Jacqueline Fox about his first six months in office, his relationship with the San Fernando City Council, the differences between San Fernando and Montebello, and his strategy for business development. Question: Why did you want the job of San Fernando city administrator? Answer: I don’t like to ever wonder “what if?” I’ve never really left San Fernando. My parents live here, I was raised here. I was happy in Montebello, but I would come here once a week and I’d look around and see so much potential. I’d think of all the things I saw get accomplished in Montebello and wonder if I couldn’t do the same for San Fernando. Q: In the past, the San Fernando City Council has had a reputation for being divided into two camps on the issue of economic development: one being pro-big box, the other favoring smaller projects. Is this still true? A: I can’t really speak for the council. But I think we all agree, from a staff perspective, there has to be a balance. Communities need big-box projects to keep the revenue going, but we also want to make sure we do all we can to support existing businesses. So it’s a delicate balance as city administrator I have to strike. Having grown up here gives me a greater sense of respect for the situation, so I want to do everything I can to help the city grow in the right direction. For example, I want to get developers to buy and relocate residential properties along Maclay Avenue and replace them with commercial projects. But I also want smaller buildings. Big box has its place, but the arguments for or against them haven’t really surfaced because we haven’t had anything come before us. Q: Your predecessor left under somewhat inauspicious circumstances. How would you describe your relationship with the city council so far? A: The relationship I have with the council so far has been very professional. We are still establishing a relationship; it’s only been six months. But I can say that every member of the council wants to see certain projects get off the ground, so I will try to just anticipate certain concerns that may arise as time goes by. Q: Plans for the downtown mall area seem to remain in a constant state of wait-and-see. What’s the status of revitalization plans for that area? A: When I first came on board I had a chance to see some of what was accomplished and it became apparent to me that what we needed was a specific plan for growth. I realized that we need to codify planning changes so we can move forward, and we are working on those. Then in January we applied to the state for grants for the Downtown Rebound program. Funds for that program will go to eight or nine cities. We got $150,000 from the state and the city would put up about another $100,000. The grant will allow us to take a proactive look at long-term planning for the area so that we lay out a plan for changes and not have to alter those plans later on. Q: Roth Properties is hoping to break ground on the retail/commercial complex at the swap meet site. How realistic is it to think that project will get off the ground this year? A: Escrow on the property is supposed to close any day. We are optimistic that he will meet his needs. We are looking forward to the project without a doubt. (Roth Properties owner Randy Roth) has been very proactive in the way he’s worked with the owner of the property and the vendors at the swap meet. We have yet to meet with Roth and won’t really negotiate until escrow closes. So from the city’s perspective, the burden is on him to get to the next level. What we can do is we can expedite the permit process so we won’t be holding anything up unnecessarily for him or the vendors as they are moved to the new site. Q: The swap meet site notwithstanding, how interested are developers in the city of San Fernando? A: Let’s face it, we’re built out and we have limited funding to offer. At this point, we haven’t had any applications for requests for proposals from developers, so it’s been just developers coming in and seeing what’s going to happen with the Downtown Rebound program. Q: Describe, from a business perspective, the differences or similarities between Montebello and San Fernando. A: Montebello has considerably more money than San Fernando and is three times larger. But, from a business perspective, they share similarities. San Fernando is 89-percent Latino and Montebello is about 79 percent. Montebello went through what San Fernando is going through 20 years ago. It needed a master plan with a good mix of big-box retail and commercial development. So what we are doing here in San Fernando is laying the foundation for the future, which is what my predecessors in Montebello did when they began working on the Montebello Town Center project in the 1970s. What’s interesting to me is I get to use my experience in Montebello here as I start from ground zero, but I’ve also been able to come home. Q: What would the impact of Valley secession be on the city of San Fernando? A: There’s no question that smaller jurisdictions have the ability to make things happen a little more quickly. It’s just the nature of the organization of smaller cities. The accountability is more centralized. But I would only see us benefiting if the surrounding areas have better services. So from that perspective, would I want the Valley residents to have what we have here? Yes. If secession is what it takes to do that, then maybe it needs to move forward. PROFILE: Jose Pulido Age: 37 Title: City administrator, San Fernando Education: B.A. from UC Berkeley in social sciences, M.A. from UCLA School of Urban Planning Career-turning point: “When I submitted my letter of interest to the San Fernando City Council for this job.” Most admired people: Parents, Roberto and Francisca Pulido Personal: Married, three children