Public agencies across California are increasingly shifting toward proactive, business-friendly approaches to economic development, prioritizing strong relationships, responsive service and practical support for local businesses.

Since 2022, the City of Moorpark has made concerted investments in economic development – the city hired an Economic Development Manager, broadened its business attraction and retention efforts and increased collaboration with regional partners. In 2024, the city adopted its first-ever Economic Development Strategic Plan, outlining key initiatives that will advance long-term economic development goals.

In November 2025, the Moorpark City Council received an update on the Economic Development Division’s work over the past year, highlighting business-friendly initiatives that expanded business outreach and improved coordination across departments.

To attract new investment and support business growth, the City launched the Same-day Permit Approval & Review Kickoff (SPARK), a program that streamlines the permitting process by replacing multiple rounds of review with a single, collaborative session among departments and applicants. SPARK speeds up approvals, improves the applicant experience and creates a more business-friendly process without added fees.

Moorpark City Council received an update on the Economic Development Division’s progress in November 2025. Ongoing efforts are led by Economic Development Manager John Bandek.

“In Moorpark, being business-friendly is not a slogan – it is an operational commitment our team makes to our community. We do not see businesses as applicants navigating a process; we see them as partners investing in Moorpark’s future. Our role is to remove friction, replace uncertainty with clarity and ensure City Hall serves as a facilitator of progress, not a barrier to it,” said John.

This is just one of several examples of business-friendly initiatives that are featured on LINK. To quickly ramp up on this topic, check out this LINK article.

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