“Coalinga is the perfect definition of a quaint little community. We have strong community support and pride,” describes City Manager, Marissa Trejo. “We are sort of isolated because there are no cities that butt up right against us, we’re surrounded by unincorporated areas. So, we are a very self-sufficient community, and we draw from the resources we have.” Marketing Coalinga as “the most business-friendly city in the state of California”, the city has compiled a list of reasons they believe this to be true. On that list is the way COVID was handled in the community, as Trejo recounts, “Our governor said that only the essential businesses could stay open. For us, in Coalinga, because we are so isolated and so independent and reliant on all of our businesses, we didn’t feel that that was fair. So, our City Council adopted a resolution declaring all businesses in Coalinga as essential businesses.” This bold act resulted in the city being denied CARES act funding for not complying, but Trejo says,“For us as a community, it was worth it. We didn’t really lose businesses during COVID as many other communities did.” Stressing that precautions were taken to ensure safety, she adds,“It’s not like we were being careless. It’s just we allowed them all to open and find ways that they could continue to stay open and provide services to the community in a safe way.” Streamlining the planning process is also part of the business-friendly environment in Coalinga, with Trejo reporting that excellent customer service is a priority throughout the city’s streamlined planning and building processes.“We are a small city, so when someone comes in, if they’re a developer, they don’t have to deal with all these layers of city government,” she shares, explaining that it is herself or the Assistant City Manager, Sean Brewer who handles all development inquiries.“I think that’s nice, because we have the answers to give them rather than them dealing with entry-level staff that have to pass the project on, and then it gets handed off to the next person. Our processes are very streamlined here.” Incentives are also offered to companies who are looking at locating in Coalinga.“We don’t necessarily have a menu of items for them to pick from because every business is different. We listen to them, and 169 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 08 COALINGA CA
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