Business View Civil & Municipal l November 2022

65 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 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 then I try to see if we can develop incentives that would help them to actually open here.” Small business grants during COVID, extended hours at City Hall, and flexibility towards developers are all part of the business-friendly initiatives in Coalinga. “Our city council is very pro-growth, and so if there are any fees the developer is requesting to waive, I can’t guarantee that the council will approve it, but we always take it to them and let them decide if that’s something they want to do or not. We really do have great customer service in the city, and that’s everybody here. I think that makes us stand out as being a very business- friendly city,” Trejo says. In terms of workforce development, the community relies on a partnership with West Hills Community College, which has both a campus and a district office in Coalinga. “West Hills College is so easy to work with,” says Trejo. “If we have a new industry coming to town, they will develop a curriculum to teach those employees.” Offering the example of the psych tech curriculum brought in by the college when the Coalinga State Hospital was opened, she adds, “Anyone from the community who wants to be a