Political Factors

Stockton is governed primarily by the city government, which is led by the City Council. It consists of the mayor and six councilmembers, all of which have four-year terms. There is a maximum of two terms as mayor or councilmember. Councilmembers are nominated by six districts across Stockton and elected by the city at-large. The city government establishes city policies, ordinances, contracts and agreements; it approves the city’s annual budget and appoints four positions: the city manager, the city attorney, the city auditor and the city clerk.1 Since Stockton is a charter city and thus enjoys wider autonomy, it is not bound by California state law on how to conduct city elections, the form of government, public contracts. Zoning ordinances are also not required to be consistent with the county’s general plan unless the city has adopted a consistency requirement by charter or by ordinance.2

Stockton is the seat of San Joaquin County. It is a general law county, which encompasses six other cities as well as Stockton. The county’s governing body is the Board of Supervisors. It is composed of five supervisors, representing five districts. Stockton is divided into three of these districts: District 1 covers North Stockton, District 2 covers South Stockton, while some western outskirts of Stockton fall under District 3, which also covers the cities of Lathrop and Manteca.3 Supervisors are elected and serve three-year terms.4 The county serves as the local government for areas outside of city limits, whereas within Stockton, its powers are limited. Thus spatial planning, public safety, animal control, parks, public works and other fields fall under city jurisdiction.

Factor Description Situation in Stockton Opportunity Threat

Bankruptcy Effect on governance and policy

Bankruptcy has had an effect on Stockton. Fiscal sustainability is now on the city government’s strategic plan. Bankruptcy judge and debtors are stakeholders in the political process5

The bankruptcy and more scrutiny could result in better management of the city’s finances

More stakeholders in the process can delay procedures and complicate decision making

1 City of Stockton (2014). City Council. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://stocktongov.com/government/council/default.html 2 League of California Cities (n.d.). General Law City v. Charter City. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://www.cacities.org/Resources-Documents/Resources-Section/Charter-Cities/Chart_General_Law_v-_Charter_Cities-07-26-11 3 San Joaquin County (n.d.). San Joaquin County Supervisoral district map. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://www.sjgov.org/uploadedFiles/SJC/Departments/board/AlldistrictNew100dpi.pdf 4 San Joaquin County (2014). Board of Supervisors. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://sjgov.org/board/ 5 Bathon, M. et al. (2014, October 30). Stockton’s Pension-Protecting Bankruptcy Plan Approved. Bloomberg. Retrieved November 10, 2014 from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-30/stockton-california-wins-court-approval-of-bankruptcy.html

City government

Possible changes in policy through elections

Next elections for mayor and Districts 2, 4 and 6 councilmembers will be held in 20166

The elections could result in continuing and/or increasing revitalization activity

The new city council could face more difficulty in agreeing on necessary measures

Cooperation with private sector

Ability to provide land to business at little or no cost endangered by bankruptcy, privatizing services may not be in the long-term interest of the city.7 The city has designated the Economic Development Plan as one of its priority goals.8

Government shows willingness to cooperate with the private sector, which is positive for Stockton’s redevelopment.

Further limits imposed by changes in state legislation or by bankruptcy procedure could negatively affect the city’s ability to attract business. Furthermore, the city’s financial situation could make retaining public services difficult in the future

County government

Change in city-county relationship

Next elections for county supervisors in 2016

There is a possibility of increased and better cooperation between the city and county

Cooperation could stall

Relationship with state and federal government

Changes in state policy Governor Brown intends to transfer more power to local authorities, especially in education and criminal justice9

More autonomy from state government to better address the specific needs of Stockton

Potentially more costs for city budget

Encroachment on local matters

The city has commented that there seems to be an increasing amount of encroachment by state and federal governments on local matters10

A predefined framework could mean more streamlined decision-making

Loss of autonomy, decreased ability to serve the interests of the people of Stockton

6 City of Stockton (2014). Candidate Index, Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved December 15, 2014, from http://stocktongov.com/government/departments/clerk/canIndex.html 7 Stagnaro, D. (2014). Request for information from Deliverable 1. 8 City of Stockton (2014). City Council Goals. Retrieved November 4, 2014, from http://stocktongov.com/government/council/default.html 9 Mehta, S., Finnegan, M. (2014, October 19). An experienced Jerry Brown vows to build on what he's already done. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-jerry-brown-20141019-story.html 10 Stagnaro, D. (2014). Request for information from Deliverable 1.

Non-governmental organizations

Influence on decision-making

The city has active NGOs, which are working in various fields. One such example is the Reinvent South Stockton Campaign, which is working towards improving education, economic development, housing, healthcare and reducing crime

Better engagement with the community, more relevant and useful solutions to problems faced by various subpopulations of Stockton

NGOs working towards their goals and focusing the city’s attention to certain issues could mean neglecting other issues which may be as important but underrepresented

Economic Factors

Factor Description Figure(s) for Stockton Average figure(s)/ situation Opportunity Threat Comment Source

Income

Median household

income 42114 60190

Decrease unemployment and

increase median income through

introduction of new industries.

Traditionally lower wage industries

needed to decrease unemployment

among population with lower

education. Higher wage industries

needed to increase the median income and quality of life.

/

5 year estimate (2008-2013)

United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)

Mean household

income 58566 85707 5 year estimate (2008-2013)

United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)

Average household net

worth 450620 685979

United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)

Median income

Median income in the bracket of up to 25 years of

age is quite similar for Stockton and California, with a difference of only $1,800 or 5.5%. The gap

increases in the 25-44 year old bracket where California

is ahead by more than $9,500 or 21%. The

difference in the 45-64 year old bracket is higher again, at over $15,000 or 26%. In

the over-65 year old bracket the difference is over $12.000 or 28%. The

statistics show the income gap is larger between the

older workforce than between the younger

workforce. Part of this disparity can be explained

by difference in unemployment rate.

Significant explanatory

Point 2 Homes demographic database

32438

44164

57794

4388034240

53740

73055

56160

1802

957615261

12280

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

under 25 25-44 45-64 over 65

Stockton

California

Difference

power is attributed to the industry breakdowns of Stockton and California. Specifically, the relative number of the population employed in traditionally

better paid industries such as finance and management.

Living income for a 2 adults + 1

child household

37718 43269

The average household in Stockton has 3.09 members while the average household

in California has 2.9 members. The living wage

yearly income for a household of 2 adults and 1 child is thus an acceptable

(but far from perfect) proxy for total household

expenditures.

MIT living wage calculator

Percent increase in

income since 2000

30% 30%

While the increase in nominal income in Stockton and in the State of California

as a whole from the beginning of the millennium

until 2013 is comparable, income growth in Stockton has tapered off relative to California for the period

2010-2013.

Point 2 Homes demographic database

Percent increase in

income since 2010

5% 7% Point 2 Homes demographic database

Industry

Industry breakdown

per population employed

Potential increase in the

manufacturing sector.

High relative part of services in

industry breakdown, demand for

which tends to be more volatile

dependent on the state of the economy.

Civilian employed population 16 and over. A large part of the population

in Stockton, 24.6%, is employed in the Educational services, and health care and social assistance sector. This

exceeds the California average of 21%. Not

surprisingly, the percentage of the population involved in Agriculture is significantly

higher in Stockton, 4%, than in California on average,

2.3%, due to highly fertile land near Stockton. On the

other hand, the manufacturing sector in

Stockton, 8.7%, is below the California average of 10%.

United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)

3,94%5,34%

8,74%4,17%

12,49%

6,30%1,57%5,49%

8,15%

24,60%

8,32%

4,91%5,98%

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining

Construction

Manufacturing

Wholesale trade

Retail trade

Transportation and warehousing, and utilities

Information

Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing

Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and wastemanagement servicesEducational services, and health care and social assistance

Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services

Other services, except public administration

Public administration

2,33% 5,99%

9,98%

3,16%

11,12%

4,65%

2,83%

6,42%

12,62%

21,02%

9,79%

5,37%4,71%

Jobs and employm

ent

Class of worker

Incentives for entrepreneurs.

Sparse funding. Potential economic

downturn can wipe out

establishing businesses - high

risk involved. Non-conducive

business environment.

Higher relative number of Government workers and lower relative number of

self-employed entrepreneurs in Stockton.

Point 2 Homes demographic database

Unemployment rate 10.6% 7.3%

Work migratio

n

Breakdown of work

commute

105,605 people commute daily to their place of employment. The

vast majority, 75%, use their vehicle and drive alone. 16% carpool and only 1.64% use

public transport, which is less than the number of people who

walk to work, 2%.

Rethinking public transport to make it a more acceptable

alternative to driving. Provide

incentives for carpooling.

Urban sprawl.

According to locals, public transport is deemed unsafe

in Stockton and is thus avoided. Using public

transport also signifies a certain stigma; other means of transport imply a degree

of wealth.

United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)

Consumer

spending Sales tax rate 9.00% 7.50%

Higher sales tax will bring in more

tax revenue. Further data needed to

confirm elasticities.

An increase of the sales tax

beyond a certain rate will result in

Local government can introduce an increase in

sales tax in area of jurisdiction. Breakdown:

California State: 7.5%, San

California State Board of Equalization

77,00%

16,80%

6,10% 0,10%

Private wage andsalary workers

Governmentworkers

Self-employed inown notincorporatedbusiness workers

Unpaid familyworkers

77,00%

14,40%

8,40%

0,20%

74,78%

16,32%

1,41%

1,64%

2,01%

3,84%

Car, truck, or van -- drovealoneCar, truck, or van -- carpooled

Public transportation(excluding taxicab)Walked

Other means

Worked at home

lower net tax revenue.

Joaquin County: 0.5%, Stockton: 1%.

Average household consumer spending:

Stockton as per cent of California

Consumer spending in Stockton is lower than the California average due to

lower income. However, as is evident from the graph,

demand for certain goods is more inelastic than others;

namely demand for tobacco products appears to be

highly inelastic as it is 92% that of the California

average while the median household income 5 year

estimate is 70% of the California average. Other highly inelastic products

include utilities, health care, food and clothing. It should be noted that demand for all

products accounted for in the graph is technically

inelastic as consumption is over 70% of California

average.

Point 2 Homes demographic database

75,00%77,00%79,00%81,00%83,00%85,00%87,00%89,00%91,00%93,00%95,00%

Note: all economic data for 2013 unless otherwise noted.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy filings index, base = 2004

Waiting on data from city.

Stabilizing economic

environment conducive for

business.

The chart represents the number of bankruptcy

filings in Eastern California (State values were not found to be available at the time of

preparation of this document) from 2004 until

2013 in the form of an index with the base year of 2004. A clear rising trend can be

seen from year 2006 onwards, peaking in 2010 of almost 900% the base value

as the aftermath of the recession. After 2010, we

see a decline in bankruptcies reported as conditions begin

to stabilize.

US Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of California

0%100%200%300%400%500%600%700%800%900%

1000%

Social / Cultural Factors

Factor Description Situation in Stockton Opportunity Threat Comment

Demographics

Population / Gender

/

/ Equal presence of the population of both

genders.

Race

Cultural and experience sharing

Possible tension and bigotry

Diversity of races and cultures; The biggest %

of population is Hispanic or Latino people. The smallest % are Native

Hawaiian.

Live Births

Improve the quality of care

provided to mothers and

newborns

Aging of the population

The lower rates are most likely associated with fewer women having babies because of the

poor economy

Age

People Quick Facts Stockton California

Persons under 5 years, percent, 2010

8,4% 6,8%

Persons under 18 years, percent, 2010

29.9% 25.0%

Persons 65 years and over, percent, 2010

10.0% 11.4%

Female persons, percent, 2010 51.0% 50.3%

Possibility for creating educated

and skilled workforce for

future; Work with youth, prepare

different types of interesting

programs for them and give them

many opportunities.

Insufficient attention paid to the education of youth due to the

economic situation;

problems for future as well.

Younger population than California average.

Language Language spoken as first language

Stockton U.S.

Opportunity for introducing languages in schools and

creating multilingual

society

In case minorities are not willing to learn or speak English, space for tensions is

open

Significant presence of native Spanish speakers

Education Education level Population older than 25 169653

Less than high school 44665

High school graduates 39333

Some college or associate's degree 55887

Bachelor's degree of higher 29768

Employ people in adequate positions (variety of profiles

and level of education

available on the labor market)

Unemployment Expenditures on education are

significantly lower than the country ones;

Stockton has bigger % of people with Grade

School education, but smaller % of them with

College, Master, Professional and

Doctorate Degree than US average. Education expenses

Opportunity for strong

improvement and development of paths for formal

and informal education.

Due to the economic

situation, low expenditures on education may lead to a lot of

people low-skilled labor in

the future.

Religion

Building stronger experience and

knowledge sharing across

generations, races and religions.

Bigotry (though unlikely)

Variety of religions; on average, more religious

that US citizens (in some extent result of crisis)

Economic

status

Source of income

Promotion of self-employment and

investment opportunities in

the city development.

Dependency and lack of initiative to contribute to

the changes.

Almost 30% of the people receive some sort

of social help.

Household No of people per household

People QuickFacts Stockton California

Households, 2008-2012 90,469 12,466,331

Persons per household, 2008-2012

3.17 2.93

Create a safer place to live for

families with children

Faced with bad conditions in community, people may decide to

postpone having children or give

up the idea

Number of person per household is bigger than

in CA (families with kids).

Occupations

Prequalification of underqualified

workers

Lack of incentive for

higher education (as many of the

people are forced to work on places for

which they are overqualified

due to the crisis and high rate of unemployment)

Most of the males work on low-skilled jobs

(agricultural, production workers, truck drivers,

etc.) and females on work higher-skilled jobs

(administrative assistants, managers,

etc.). More males work in agricultural,

production, building in Stockton than in the CA,

that is good for future development of the city and production growth

rate.

Business facts Number of firms Business QuickFacts Stockton California

Total number of firms, 2007 16,488 3,425,510

Black-owned firms, percent, 2007 9.6% 4.0%

American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms, percent, 2007

S 1.3%

Huge potential and

entrepreneurial spirit in women;

incentivize it

Overburden SMEs with taxes and

bureaucracy (in order to

overcome shortage in

budget)

Total number of firms in 2007 is about 16.500

firms. Over third of firm owners are female and that's higher % than in

CA.

Asian-owned firms, percent, 2007 S 14.9%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms, percent,

2007

S 0.3%

Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2007

19.8% 16.5%

Women-owned firms, percent, 2007

34.6% 30.3%

Sales Business QuickFacts Stockton California

Manufacturers shipments, 2007 ($1000)

2,506,558 491,372,092

Merchant wholesaler sales, 2007 ($1000)

3,701,777 598,456,486

Retail sales, 2007 ($1000) 3,340,068 455,032,270

Retail sales per capita, 2007 $11,739 $12,561

Accommodation and food services sales, 2007 ($1000)

343,526 80,852,787

Increase purchasing power

Producing is important as well; being consumer

society is a threat for the development and progress

City sales is only small part of whole CA sales (less than 1%). That is

the reason retail sales per capita is smaller than CA

average.

Family Families with kids

Community activities (not

necessarily financial in

nature) to support those families and create a feeling of

belonging and inclusion

Potential bigger need for social

assistance.

Over 33% of families in Stockton are one-parent families. The average

household size was 3.04 and the average family

size was 3.59.

Marital status

Establishing place for gathering; high

rates of single people might

indicate the need for organizing the activities within community that would enable them to make

stronger relationships with

each other.

Big % of alone people could

cause negative population

growth in the future.

Over 40% of males and over 30% of females are alone, that can at certain point be a big problem.

And % of married is about 50% for both

genders.

Marital status – alone people

People QuickFacts Stockton California

White alone, percent, 2010 (a) 37.0% 57.6%

Black or African American alone, percent, 2010 (a)

12.2% 6.2%

American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, 2010 (a)

1.1% 1.0%

Asian alone, percent, 2010 (a) 21.5% 13.0%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent,

2010 (a)

0.6% 0.4%

% of alone population is bigger in Stockton than

in CA, except % of White alone (with

Hispanic or Latino) and White alone (not

Hispanic or Latino).

Two or More Races, percent, 2010

6.9% 4.9%

Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2010 (b)

40.3% 37.6%

White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2010

22.9% 40.1%

Geography Geography QuickFacts Stockton California

Land area in square miles, 2010 61.67 155,779.22

Persons per square mile, 2010 4,730.1 239.1

/ Inability to provide all the citizens with proper life

conditions and infrastructure

(due to the density of the population in

the area)

Stockton has 20 times larger number of persons per square mile than CA.

Crime Crime index

Big changes possible (as situation is

unfortunately unfavorable for

the city). Work on appropriate law

application, opportunity for organizing the

people from the community to

contribute to this cause.

It is also an opportunity for

Neglecting or not paying

enough attention to this problem

may cause worsening of the situation leading

to South Stockton

resulting in this part being

abandoned or even scoring

higher rates of crime of any

kind.

Stockton is among the most dangerous cities in the country. In a certain percent consequence of

the crisis and city bankruptcy.

Violent crime comparison

Stockton has over 2.5 times bigger annual

crimes per 1.000 residents than CA

average and 3 times bigger indicator than US

average.

Property crime rate comparison

government to show the initiative and create better

policies and conditions for economy and

safeness, police.

The property crime rate in Stockton is for 25

bigger than CA average and the US average,

reason for this is worse economic situation in

Stockton.

Crime per square mile comparison

City has larger number of persons per square mile

and bigger crime rate, all this is reason for over 3 times bigger number of crime per square mile

than CA average.

Transportation Mean of transportation to

work

Average age Average income

Huge space for promoting car

sharing and public transportation

Unwillingness of people to change their commuting

habits

Culture of driving to work established

(commuting)

Possession of cars (per household)

Pollution; traffic Over 90% of households have at least one vehicle.

Health* Children The City of Stockton has high levels of both chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Youth between the ages of 15 to 19 have the highest rates. Nearly 60% of all teen births in the City of Stockton are to Hispanic

teens. Approximately 1/3 of Hispanic, Black, and White teens were

overweight or obese before becoming pregnant. Over 82% of obese pregnant teens gain more weight than they should

during pregnancy. Over 42% of deaths in children ages 0 to 19 are due to conditions

present at birth. Over 13% of deaths in children are due to homicide.11

Develop system enhancers ( develop info

centers, work on prevention rather

than coming to the situation in which

the problem already exists)

Difficulty to reach the critical

categories

Many things have already been done. Organizations are

established (women center, kids center, youth

services, diseases foundations etc.),

services are provided (mentoring, shelters, counseling), projects implemented (gyms, literacy, chronical

diseases education...)

Adults

11 CHILDREN’S HEALTH INDICATORS IN STOCKTON: BUILDING A SHARED UNDERSTANDING, DIRECTION, AND HOPE (n.d.) Retrieved November 25th, from http://www.kidsdata.org/topic/41/families-with-children-type250/table#fmt=470&loc=2,127,331,171,345,357,324,369,362,360,364,356,217,328,354,320, 339,334,365,343,367,344,366,368,265,349,361,4,273,59,370,326,341,338,350,342,359,363,340,335,1269&tf=67&ch=1074,1075,1067,1078,1077,1072&sortColumnId=0&sortType=asc

Tuberculosis

/ Inability to provide an adequate

treatment to all people that need

it

On aver-age from 2005-2009, 5.3% of TB cases in SJC were co-infected with AIDS. Managing these cases requires a

multi-pronged approach. Individuals co-infected

with TB and AIDS require complex

treatment regimens, as well as numerous

medical, social and other ser-vices. TB cases in

SJC also have high rates of substance abuse.12

Infant mortality

Improving the life conditions of the critical groups

Deepening the differences (in

both life conditions as well as the

accessibility to the medical

help) among the ethnicities living

in the city

High rates in African American population;

over three times the rate for White and Asian

infants and more than 2.5 times the rate for

Hispanic infants.13

12 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf 13 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf

HIV/AIDS

Inclusion of those people in the community; education of others to help rather judge in

order for them all to feel as part of

Stockton and have a will to make it a better place to live

in

If not handled properly (with education and

access to treatments and

protection), there is a danger

that the HIV prevalence can be expanded.

The AIDS rates in SJC from 1990-2009

followed the same trend as the state’s rates (but

with lower rates). In SJC, Whites, Hispanics, and

Asians all show a greater proportion of AIDS cases

than HIV cases, which indicates a greater number of older

infections versus more recently acquired

infections. Greater number of new infections with HIV are occurring in the African American

population.14

Leading death causes

Improve the protection and education on

avoiding unintentional

injuries (that are much greater

among men than women)

Hereditary illnesses; hard to eradicate them

Chronic diseases account for 70% of all deaths in the U.S., with heart disease, cancer, and stroke together accounting for more than 50% of all deaths each year. While African Americans had the highest proportion of deaths due to diabetes than any other racial/ethnic groups, they had the lowest

14 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf

Leading death causes by ethnicity

Differences in sensitivity to some external factors as well

as in accessibility to

treatments

percentage of cancer deaths. This is in contrast to the high incidence of cancer in African Americans. Hispanics had the highest percentage of deaths due to accidents (unintentional injuries) but the lowest due to heart disease.15

Obesity Highest rate of obese people in the US in 2009 Situation improved in the following years

Application of projects financed by the country or state to tackle the

issue

This problem may cause other

health issues

Sugar Sweetened Beverage Campaign

initiated-to strengthen the foundation for policy

changes aimed at reducing the

consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage in San Joaquin County.16

15 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf 16 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf

Technological Factors

Factor Description Figure(s) for

Stockton Average

figure(s)/situation Opportunity Thread Comment

Energy usage

Carbon emissions from

transportation and residential energy use [kg

per capita]

2 016 2 235 (100 largest metropolitan areas in US)

Stockton can become one of the

leading cities in the region,

promoting smart city philosophy. With low carbon

emissions, there is not much needed to do to receive

this status.

The number may increase if heavy industry or other

pollutants are being brought to

the city.

Areas with small per capita footprints tend to have higher

density, concentration of development, and rail transportation.

New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have the smallest

transportation and residential footprints.

Annual wasted fuel per person

5 000 10 000 (US average) (additional information

needed, status: obtaining)

(additional information

needed, status: obtaining)

Wasted' fuel is the difference between the fuel consumed under

estimated existing conditions and the fuel consumed under free-flow

conditions.

HERO Program - - Opportunity for all stakeholders in

the city: homeowners may

reduce their electricity bill,

municipality can benefit by

revitalizing the community, and contractors can

create jobs.

City might not be able to take full

advantage of this program due to

other limitations.

HERO Program provides Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)

funding for homeowners to finance the purchase and installation of

renewable energy, energy and water efficiency improvements, and

electric-vehicle-charging infrastructure improvements to their

property with no up-front costs .Look at the link for more info. Will

come in to affect in Fall 2014.

Access to Internet

Public Libraries-Electronic services

285 503 (cities in CA with > 400k population)

As seen from data below, nearly 1/3

of Stockton's citizens do not have access to internet. Public

libraries can help to reduce this

percentage. They can also be used

as safe point or to report a crime to

the police.

Public libraries are mainly located in

the downtown Stockton, where is

relatively good internet coverage. Due to high crime

rate zones, no library is interested in moving to area

of District 6.

May not be useful indicator due to the presence of large number of big cities (San Francisco, San Jose, Los

Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino)

Internet Speeds

As seen from the chart on the right,

Stockton is significantly

behind in maximum

download speed via landline as

well as via wireless

technology.

Implementing new technologies,

which can increase internet speeds can

be expensive, might compromise

city budget.

City is featuring decent average download speeds, which are above

the national average. National maximum speeds (especially using

wireless technology) are significantly higher than Stockton's. Investing in high-speed wireless can be costly, mainly since there is no

existing free public wireless infrastructure.

Internet Connectivity

Opportunity to increase the

percentage of population

connected to internet. Some

examples can be found in this data

sheet.

Installing internet connectivity for

greater amount of people can be

expensive, infrastructure

barriers, possibility of abuse

An estimated 198,361 Stockton residents are connected to the

Internet in some capacity - either at home, work, elsewhere or at multiple

locations. An estimated 93,346 Stockton residents are not connected to the Internet. These residents are not connected at home, work, or

elsewhere. It is estimated that 223,448 Stockton residents live in a

household where Internet is available.

Implementation of mobile cellular

network

LTE network coverage (Sprint,

Verizon, AT&T since 2012)

Excellent LTE coverage in the area of California state (lots of

tech companies)

Excellent connectivity

conditions are paving the road to

smart city concept.

Implementation of the latest

technologies, like LTE, can be

capital intensive; it might result in

more costly mobile subscription plans.

City offers great LTE coverage by all American leading

telecommunications providers.

Access to free Wi-Fi in the

city/on the buses

No Wi-Fi connectivity on the buses

Some bus stops in San Francisco are offering solar-powered Wi-Fi.

Free public Wi-Fi on buses and

other public areas helps to introduce

other solutions associated with

internet connectivity.

Abuse of the system; vulnerable

to hackers who want to access

private (and credit card) information

via public networks.

Commercial/retail areas have surveillance cameras. The quality of those cameras varies. The city, and

even county, are completely broke, I do not think any council members

would any support large-scale surveillance. At the same time, since

high-crime zones may be low-income zones. Businesses might not have enough money to buy them. -

H.L.

Innovation potential

Number of patent applications in

given years

203 (2008-2014) 2 171 012 (US patents, 2008-2012)

Relatively in the near of Silicon

valley, Stockton has potential to

become an innovation center.

City does not feature enough R&D centers, thread to be completely

swallowed by Silicon valley.

Top patent applicants: Ryan Guest (9), Edward A. Wolf (9), Joe Bradley

Lasiter (9), Jean-Pierre Dueri (8), Roger Curtis (6), etc.

Investing in renewable

sources of energy

Due to bankruptcy and according to city

expenditures plan for FY 2014-15 no investments in

renewables are being planned

California's RPS Plan: 20% of electricity from renewables by

2017. State is investing heavily.

Greater energy independence,

lowering the price of energy,

employing people in energy sector - less unemployed.

Expensive production costs

may damage city's budget - need for state subsidies or financing from other sources

(HERO program, etc.)

California produces only 71% of needed energy by itself.

R&D, percentage of city budget reserved for research and development

activity

3% of city budget ($12.8 M)

7,8% of CA GDP ($77 billion in 2007)

To take advantage of nearness of

Silicon valley and attract some

capital.

Probably insignificant, since

Stockton has no real potential to

become tech center, because to

brain drain to Silicon valley.

Companies in California alone accounted for 24% of the nation's

business R&D.

Tech Incubators (number)

At least one (obtaining more info)

California has probably the highest density of tech incubators

in the world.

Excellent connectivity,

entrepreneurial spirit, low

property value, can attract more tech incubators

Tech incubator located in downtown Stockton.

Peripheries (like D6) not included

in tech development

programs.

May not be most useful indicator, biased because of Silicon valley.

More info about the tech incubator available on the link.

Irrigation infrastructur

e

Capacity of existing irrigation

infrastructure, scalability

possibilities

No special problems with water, reservoirs,

waterway systems available, outlying

areas farmland

Central Valley Project (San Joaquin River has great

importance)

Urban farming, relatively cheap

healthy food, better-connected

community, employing local

workforce.

Costly installation of irrigation

infrastructure if not already set up.

Questionable soil quality. Great possibility of

droughts.

Outlying areas of Stockton and San Joaquin gets most of its water from the Delta a huge waterway system

that travels in SF bay. South California wants to build a massive tunnel system to feed water to its

farming areas.

Digital citizen/Smar

t city

Open-data initiatives, apps to improve cities

Stockton Police app (iOS/Android)

- Reduce crime rate, due to the

reporting feature of the app.

Abuse of the system. Local

police can be led into ambush with gangsters. Use of

surveillance cameras is

recommended.

Reporting crime, taking pictures, recording videos, submitting tips

about criminal activities. App intelligently uses your current

location.

Clean Up Stockton app (iOS/Android)

- Excellent way to make city more tidy and clean. Neighborhoods

are more attractive for tourism and

potential homebuyers.

Application is more focused on

downtown Stockton, which keeps other areas like District 6 in untidy condition.

"Perception is reality". Employs local clean-up groups, connects

community, people have active role in keeping their city clean by

reporting graffiti. More than 1,200 people downloaded app by Oct 2013.

Stockton Travel Guide app (Windows)

- A lot of room for improvements, to make app more attractive, add new features,

interactive view using camera, add

other platforms (iOS/Android)

App as-it-is is no help to promote

city as interesting and worth seeing.

Stockton travel app is a right step, but it would have to be done with

intention to deliberately promote the city and places worth seeing.

Check Online app (mobile/tablet)

- Extend volume of services you can

pay for. Completely digitalized payments,

reduced use of cash and chance for being robbed

Potential hacker attacks, similar to

what eBay experienced.

Check Online is app used for online payments for utility bills. Accepts wide variety of payment methods, including all major credit cards.

Surveillance cameras

Commercial/retail areas do have

cameras, questionable quality

Many cities feature 24/7 surveillance, police uses real-time

data to monitor and prevent crime.

Reduce crime rate at certain areas,

better traffic control, and traffic info.

Privacy strongly compromised.

Questionable support of city council members as the city is completely broke. Businesses in low-income

zones might not have enough money to afford surveillance.

(Touch)screens with real-time information

No touch-screens Interactive information kiosks are becoming more and more popular

in bigger cities

Quick information flow, easy to read the news, check

weather, find your way to wanted

destination (if you are a tourist).

Expensive to set up, not vandalism

resistant.

For more info, look at Urbanflow in Helsinki, Finland.

http://helsinki.urbanflow.io/

Smart parking

Parking apps Lots of parking apps available for most mobile platforms

Lots of parking apps available for most mobile platforms

Reduced traffic in the city, emissions

and fuel consumption.

Better navigation to desired location.

Parking spaces should be equipped

with technology, which locates free spaces. If it is not

already installed, it can represent

additional cost.

Parking apps save commuters time, gas, emissions and money and are

easing flow of traffic.

Parking payment system

No parking payment systems

(no known smart parking systems in the area, still obtaining

information)

Less infrastructure, park-o-meters

cannot be robbed because they are

Electronic payment systems are vulnerable to hacker attacks,

which could come

Think of EZ-pass for parking or an app, which will show you free

parking spaces and you will be able to pay for parking using the app.

nonexistent, you don't have to deal with cash due to

electronic payments.

to your personal credit card

information.

Charging stations for electric vehicles

6 charging stations (north Stockton, near

Lodi)

Sacramento 69, San Francisco 105, San Jose 169

Make city friendly to electric cars,

promote as green. It may actually help to reduce

emissions.

Expensive to set up, would

probably need external financing,

public private partnerships (Tesla

motors), state subsidies.

Excessive cars causes more pollution, public transport has bad stigma, people do not want to give up their car(s), electric cars have to

be promoted.

Environmental Factors

Factor Description Figure for Stockton Average national figure/situation Opportunity Threat Comment

Geography Location West coast of USA, California, between Sacramento and San

Joaquin Valley

- Relatively close to technological center

of USA

Overshadowed by more developed

surroundings

-

Elevation 8 m / 26 ft CA mean elevation: 880m / 2 900 ft,

highest point: Mt. Whitney 4 418 m /

14 494 ft, lowest point: Death Valley: -

86 m / -282 ft

Terrain that is easy to build on

Threat for some extreme weather

conditions, due to the Stockton position

in valley

-

Traffic connections

Port of Stockton, Stockton Metropolitan Airport, Interstate 5,

Route 99

The most important ports in CA: Port of

Los Angeles, P.o. Long Beach, P.o.

Oakland, P.o. Sacramento; Air

travel: LA International Airport, SF I.A., San Diego,

Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose (all among 50 busiest airports in the world), roads: I-5, I-8, I-10, I-15, I-

40, I-80

One of two major inland deep-water ports located in the

Central Valley.

Airport can be further exploit, more for cargo transport.

Stockton Airport is primarily commercial service airport. The

most popular destinations are Las

Vegas (65k passengers), Honolulu (4k), Phoenix

(2k).

Climate Temperature AA: 16,5°C / 61,8°F AA California 16,2°C / 61,2°F ; AA USA

12,5°C / 54,5°F

Attractiveness for tourism, ideal for

agriculture

Unstable energy demand: higher

demand in summer months, due to the

cooling devices and lower demand in

winter.

The hottest month in Stockton is July with

average monthly temperature of 34,1°C / 93,4°F, and the coldest is December with AM temperature of 2,9°C /

37,2°F.

Sunny days # of sunny days: 184, # of partly sunny days: 77

San Diego: # of sunny days: 146, # of

partly sunny days: 117 ; Los Angeles Downtown: # of

sunny days: 186, # of partly sunny days:

106

Opportunity for agriculture (citrus

fruits) and generating electricity (solar

panels)

Large number of sunny days without

precipitation can dry out the soil and make certain skin diseases.

Number of sunny days includes the days when cloud covers up to 30%

of the sky during daylight hours. Partly sunny days have cloud covering from 40% to 70% of the sky during

the daytime.

Precipitation AA: 35 cm / 14 in North of Stockton is Sacramento valley which receives as

much as 51 cm (20 in) rain per year, whereas south of

Stockton San Joaquin valley and is more

desert-like.

Suitable for growing arid plants

Droughts, lack of drinking water

Most of rainfall (90%) occurs from November

to April, which is considered the rainy

season.

Snow Usually no snow during the winter

Just 11 occasions of snow in the last 158

years in San Francisco

No need for snow remove equipment

- -

Wind 50% of wind comes from W & NW

Usually winds are blowing from sea

(change in pressure). When blowing from

East, winds are usually dry and cold.

Potential for generating electricity.

Due to the geographic location of Stockton in the

Central valley, there is possibility of

storms with strong winds (up to 60

mph), which may damage the wind

turbines.

Wind from with constant speed, which is

typically between 15 and 20 knots.

Natural hazards

Floods High risk - Delta Project and levees can mitigate

effects of floods

Damage to public and civil

infrastructure

-

Droughts High risk - - Damage to agriculture

-

Earthquakes Medium risk - Low residential building are less

affected by earthquakes

Earthquakes may damage residential

buildings and infrastructure (water pipeline, electricity

grid, etc.)

-

Fire hazard Low risk - Within the city plan areas that stop fire from spreading so

quickly.

Urban sprawl causes fire to spread more

quickly

-

Freeze Medium risk - - Citrus fruits cannot tolerate hard freeze and may be severely

damaged.

The San Joaquin Valley is the largest citrus

producing region in the United States, and the

production of these

fruits was adversely affected by this weather

system.

Storm events Low risk - Relatively predictable weather

Storms may affect the agriculture

Usually one storm event per year

Biodiversity Chinook salmon, variety of migratory birds is nesting in the area

San Joaquin River Restoration Program (revive the River’s

historic salmon fishery), 54,000

juvenile released in S.J. river in April

2014

Ideal tracks for biking and promoting

tourism.

Delta Project can damage unique

ecosystems.

-

Water management

San Joaquin River Restoration Program

Delta Project Waterway System

Improving water management, good system for sewers

Strong earthquake could pose serious

threat to Delta Waterway Supply

Project

-

Waste management

Private collector companies (Allied Waste and Waste

Management), Foothill Landfill for San Joaquin County, average daily volume of waste 620t

Foothill Landfill for San Joaquin County

in operation until 2055

System that rewards households which

recycle

Polluting the underground water

-

Air quality Stockton climate action plan, significant

improvements in ozone levels

Surroundings of bigger cities

experience moderate air quality, otherwise

Lower expenditure for health due to less

polluted environment

With industrialization of

the city there is growing possibility

The CAP assumes 83% of the reductions needed

to achieve the City’s GHG reduction goal

will be achieved

California has high AQI

of bringing more pollutants to the area

through state programs, with the remainder

(17%) accomplished through City ‐lev

programs. Building energy, transportation,

and waste were identified as areas with

great potential for emissions savings.

Soil quality Surroundings of Stockton has highly

fertile soil, within the city

Highly fertile soil in Sacramento - San

Joaquin Valley, one of the largest citrus production areas in

US.

Mainly productive soils, suitable for

agriculture, and urban agriculture.

High seedling mortality in brown-

fields.

-

Energy resources

Sun potential YES YES - - Number of sunny days

Wind potential YES YES - - Predictable and constant wind.

Water potential NO YES - - No real slope to build hydropower plant.

Key AA - average

annual AM - average monthly P.o. - Port of I.A. - International

Airport I-5 - Interstate 5

Legal Factors Factor Description Situation in Stockton Opportunity Threat Comments

Business regulations* Ease of doing business

California is considered one of the more difficult states to do business in. It has comparatively high taxes

and a complicated regulatory environment.17 However, by

international rankings, the US does well, especially in access to credit

and insolvency procedures.18

Attract new businesses by decreasing bureaucracy in

procedures under city jurisdiction, not necessarily

decreasing taxes.

Stockton’s position in California puts it at a

disadvantage in attracting business due

to complicated regulations and high

taxes.

The Small Business Friendliness Survey by Thumbtack and

the Kauffmann Foundation found

that small businesses are more deterred by

high levels of bureaucracy than by

high taxes.19

Crime law Enforcement

Since the rise of crime in 1980s, Stockton's Police Department has

been fighting with high gang activity, illegal drug sale, firearm sale, violent and property crime.

Low density of population, lack of distinctive high crime degree areas and the fact that crime is spread out

around the city without any recognizable pattern, have been the

main causes for police force's ineffectiveness when trying to

prevent criminal acts.20

Employing and engaging community in tackling these issues, as they are directly

affected.

Uncontrolled spreading of the criminal

activities due to the unpredictable nature of

the crime. With California having the largest number of hate

groups, the white supremacist population and white street gangs

may continue to proliferate. Violent attacks against non-

whites may continue.1

To break the cycle of chronic, generational crime and improve

public safety in Stockton, law

enforcements have been trying to

interrupt and prevent violence and homicides by

targeting high-risk persons, places and

situations.1

Corruption Convictions on state level

One of the least corrupted states (measured in number of convicted

officials per capita; counted on gross level, in top 10 with the most

convictions)

Developed consciousness about the issue can be beneficial in

eradicating it or diminishing its presence.

Hard to measure and prove. /

Codes 16 Municipal codes

Municipal Code Title 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS

Adequate implementation according to the Constitution / Wide coverage of the

topics with city

17 Thumbtack.com, Kaufmann Foundation (2014). Thumbtack.com Small Business Friendliness Survey. Retrieved December 13, 2014, from http://www.thumbtack.com/survey#/2014/1/states 18 World Bank (2014). Ease of Doing Business in United States. Ease of Doing Business 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/united-states 19 Thumbtack.com, Kaufmann Foundation (2014). Thumbtack.com Small Business Friendliness Survey. Retrieved December 13, 2014, from http://www.thumbtack.com/survey#/2014/1/states 20 Organized crime in California 2007-2008: Annual Report to the Legislature. California office of the Attorney General. Retrieved from http://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/publications/org_crime2007_08.pdf

Municipal Code Title 2 ADMINISTRATION AND

PERSONNEL Municipal Code Title 3 REVENUE

AND FINANCE Municipal Code Title 4 RESERVED Municipal Code Title 5 BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS Municipal Code Title 6 ANIMALS

Municipal Code Title 7 RESERVED Municipal Code Title 8 HEALTH

AND SAFETY Municipal Code Title 9 PUBLIC

PEACE AND WELFARE Municipal Code Title 10 VEHICLES

AND TRAFFIC Municipal Code Title 11

FRANCHISES Municipal Code Title 12 STREETS,

SIDEWALKS AND PUBLIC PLACES

Municipal Code Title 13 PUBLIC SERVICES

Municipal Code Title 14 RESERVED

Municipal Code Title 15 BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION

Municipal Code Title 16 DEVELOPMENT CODE21

enables the basis for development.

specific regulations and codes

Organization of the city City departments

Administrative Service Human Resources Animal Services

Library City Attorney

Municipal Utilities City Clerk

Public Works City Manager

Recreation Community Development

Stockton Fire

/ /

County and city departments are public service

agencies.

21 Stockton Municipal Codes (n.d.). Retrieved December 1st, 2014, from http://qcode.us/codes/stockton/

Community Services Stockton Police

Economic Development

Organized crime* Organizations/ Gangs

Eurasian Organized Crime Mexican Drug Trafficking

Organizations Marijuana Drug Trafficking

Organizations

Familiarity with the gangs and their activities;

Acknowledgement of their existence, not denial

Although white DTOs currently dominate indoor marijuana garden production

throughout California, law enforcement

reports indicate that Asian DTOs operating

indoor marijuana gardens are becoming increasingly common

in the state, most notably in the

Sacramento and San Joaquin counties. Asian

DTOs are known to establish multiple

indoor growing sites in an attempt to cover

losses from law enforcement

eradication efforts.1

Numerous EOC groups continue to

operate in California, engaging in arms

trafficking, auto theft, cargo theft, extortion, murder, prostitution, money laundering, drugs, insurance fraud, recycling

fraud, smuggling, immigration fraud,

and human trafficking. The main criminal activities of EOC groups in the state are medical

fraud, financial fraud, and auto theft.

Mexican DTOs are increasing their involvement in

human smuggling, arms trafficking, home invasion robberies, and

ransom kidnappings to supplement

declining drug trade income.1

Pending legislation Recent and new measures in City Council/on ballot

Measure B has been recently passed, which mandates the city to use a recent tax increase to fund better security services and bankruptcy exit. Measure C, a revision of the

City Charter, amending the Mayor’s compensation and delegating the

determination of the City Manager’s spending authority to the City

Council, has been passed in a fall

More flexible and effective governance through passed

measures and quicker bankruptcy exit. Increased

energy efficiency through the Climate Action Plan.

Higher upfront costs to install more energy

efficient solutions, the tax increase may hurt

business.

/

2014 election.22 The state-mandated Climate Action Plan for Stockton has

been approved in December 2014, with some measures that will affect private businesses and residents as

well. However, it is predicted to have an overall positive net effect on

Stockton23

Property tax Tax rate

As of June 2014, the effective property tax rate in Stockton was 10.77 dollars per 1000 dollars of

home value. This compares favorably with the United States

average of 12.07 dollars.24 However, some cities in California have a

lower effective rate, such as Glendale, at 8.22 dollars.25

Additional measures that are levied along with the state-

controlled tax could potentially be lowered.

California residents and local officials have virtually no control

over the distribution of property tax revenue to

local governments. Instead, all major

decisions regarding property tax allocation are controlled by the

state.

Using low property taxes as a metric of

business friendliness in California is a

complicated matter. The market value of properties generally increases faster than the 2% p/a tax-base

increase. Furthermore, the tax rate adjusts with the market value only

when the property is sold or when the market value dips

below the tax base.26 Therefore, the longer a property does not change owners, the lower the effective property tax rate, as the effective rate is calculated based on

current market values.

22 City of Stockton (2014). Ballot Measures 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://www.stocktongov.com/government/departments/clerk/balMeasures.html 23 City of Stockton (2014). Climate Action Plan. Retrieved December 16, 2014, from http://www.stocktongov.com/government/boardCom/clim.html 24 Sperling’s Best Places (n.d.). Housing in Stockton, California. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.bestplaces.net/housing/city/california/stockton 25 Sperling’s Best Places (n.d.). Housing in Glendale, California. Retrieved December 15, 2014, from http://www.bestplaces.net/housing/city/california/glendale 26 Legislative Analyst’s Office (2012). Understanding California’s Property Taxes. Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2012/tax/property-tax-primer-112912.aspx

Additional measures that are levied along with the property tax amount to around ten percent of the tax.27 The market value of the property has the largest impact on the amount of property

tax levied. CHARACTERISTICS FUNCTIONING

Justice* Judicial Council of California

The Judicial Council is the policymaking body of the California courts, the largest court system in the nation. In accordance with the California

Constitution, the council is responsible for ensuring the consistent, independent, impartial, and accessible administration of justice. Judicial

Council staff implements the council’s policies. The Judicial Council acts as a governing body for the judicial branch to

ensure the statewide administration of justice by supporting the California courts and assisting them to provide equal and timely access to an independent and impartial justice system. It establishes judicial branch policy for the improvement of an independent and impartial justice system that meets public needs and enhances public trust and

confidence in the courts.28

The Judicial Council develops judicial branch goals in its strategic and operational plans. At six-year intervals, the council develops and

approves a long-range strategic plan. At three-year intervals, the council develops and approves an operational plan for the implementation of the

strategic plan.

*State level

27 Legislative Analyst’s Office (2012). Understanding California’s Property Taxes. Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2012/tax/property-tax-primer-112912.aspx 28 Judicial Council Governance Policies (2008). Judicial Council of California. Retrieved from http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/appendix_d.pdf