City Council approved a motion last week which will now have City Manager Pat West work directly with the LA County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) in beginning the process of possibly becoming a federally designated “manufacturing community.”
A federal register was released on December 10 of last year noting that $1.3B of funds stretching across ten federal agencies will be dispersed nationwide through a competition under the Obama Administration’s Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP). The IMCP is seeking out communities that “best highlight their strengths and demonstrate they can combine their efforts around workforce training, infrastructure and research centers to implement an economic development plan that will attract, retain and expand manufacturing investment.”
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The IMCP award will eventually be dispersed to twelve communities before the year’s end. Their designation will last for two years after which the community must reapply to renew their designation.
The agenda item, pushed forward by 5th District Councilmember and mayoral candidate Gerrie Schipske, emphasized that the accessibility to both much-needed money and federal assistance.
“This is a wonderful opportunity,” Schipske said. “The Office of the Mayor of City of Los Angeles is already working furiously to get their information in so that LA can become [part of this designation]. Receiving this designation would mean that the LA region would have access to $1.3B in funding.”
The application to apply has to be vetted through a regional source, in this case the LAEDC. Deputy City Manager Tom Modica has already been in talks with JoAnne Golden-Stewart, Director of Public Policy for LAEDC, in moving the application forward.
Participating agencies in the IMCP award include:
- Department of Agriculture*
- Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
- Department of Commerce, NIST/MEP
- Department of Defense
- Department of Education
- Department of Energy
- Department of Housing and Urban Development*
- Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration*
- Department of Transportation*
- Appalachian Regional Commission*
- Delta Regional Authority*
- Environmental Protection Agency*
- National Science Foundation*
- Small Business Administration*
The agencies with an asterisk (*) are the nine agencies which are guaranteeing funding. The others, minus an undisclosed agency, are expected to offer assistance only.