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7 <br /> <br /> The City’s Public Works Agency continues to actively pursue grant opportunities to <br />fund the design and construction of stormwater capture and flood reduction <br />projects. These multi-benefit projects help improve water quality, increase water <br />supply, address flooding and aging infrastructu re issues, and improve the quality <br />of life for Santa Ana residents. <br /> <br />4. Economic Development Element <br />The Economic Development Element strives to address critical issues pertaining to <br />the City’s economic base; that is, jobs, business and industry, and the real estate <br />market, all of which contribute to the local tax base. The Element provides a blueprint <br />for directing the City’s economic development initiatives over the long term, based <br />upon the strengths in the local economy. <br /> <br /> As part of the annual City of Santa Ana budget process, the Economic <br />Development Division identified strategies for business attraction and retention <br />efforts that led to an overall increase in the City’s tax base. <br /> The Economic Development Division’s partnership with the Santa Ana Chamber <br />of Commerce for business retention activities has resulted in the outreach to over <br />200 local businesses. It was a reduction over previous outreach numbers due to <br />COVIC-19 pandemic. The program, which is designed to outreach and build <br />relationships with local businesses, has gathered pertinent data on the businesses’ <br />immediate needs, future plans and opportunities for continued growth in the City. <br /> The Economic Development Division continues to identify and evaluate area job <br />cluster industries. Santa Ana’s regional job profile shows strength in government, <br />education employment, biomedical employment, and some advantages in <br />information technology and analytical instruments compared to the rest of the <br />County. <br /> The City’s WORK Center, in conjunction with the State of California continues to <br />provide comprehensive employment search and training services for residents in <br />the City. In the last fiscal year 2020/2021, the WORK Center served over 10,000 <br />individuals with services ranging from resume assistance, job training, and job <br />recruitment services. <br /> As an establishing cluster of bio-medical companies has emerged in the industrial <br />area off the 55 Freeway, the Economic Development Division continues to attract <br />these similar cluster businesses to available vacant industrial space in that area. <br /> The City’s Economic Development Division continues to disseminate marketing <br />materials on a targeted basis to business prospects within the Southern California <br />region and nationally, as appropriate. <br /> The Economic Development Division continued to identify and promote <br />development opportunities for future business attraction and retention efforts. <br />These efforts included marketing vacant City-owned property to businesses <br />looking to expand as well as redevelopment opportunities for the attraction of new <br />businesses to the City.