Business Environmental Resource Center
The Sacramento County Business Environmental Resource Center (BERC) is the administering agency for the SRRMDZ and is the primary point of contact for a vast network of businesses resources. BERC offers many services and incentives that can result in streamlined permitting processes, decreased regulatory requirements and compliance costs, increased process efficiency, improved workplace health and safety, reduced waste disposal costs, and enhanced environmental quality.
Free and confidential consultative services for both environmental and nonenvironmental issues.
Coordinated consultation to help businesses obtain the required permits as quickly and smoothly as possible with no surprises.
Regulatory/technical services, such as identifying pollution-prevention opportunities, determining permitting requirements, and facilitating inter-agency team meetings designed to simplify and expedite the permitting process.
Pollution prevention assessments
Market development for previously discarded materials
Business advocacy services include providing fact sheets, guidance documents, ombudsman/facilitation services, as well as conducting seminars and workshops. Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency
The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) markets various State tax incentives including hiring credits for five years, sales or use tax credit on manufacturing equipment, business expense deduction, net operating loss carryover, and a net interest deduction for lenders. A new Special Economic Development Loan Program from SHRA is available to a wider range of areas than the current commercial corridors of the redevelopment and Community development Block Grant (CDBG) areas Special Economic Development Loan Program is available to commercial businesses within State-designated Enterprise Zones, CDBG eligible, or redevelopment areas.
Other SHRA incentives include:
- EnterFund: Adirect loan program for small businesses, including start-ups, newly established, or growing small businesses, which are unable to access capital through conventional lenders.
- GROW Sacramento Fund (GSF): A loan program designed for energy-related businesses ventures.
- Enterprise Zone and Local Agency Military Base Recovery Area (LAMBRA) facilitates the attraction and retention of businesses at the former McClellan and Mather Air Force Bases.
- Enterprise Zones: Located within the Sacramento Army Depot and Florin Perkins area, as well as the City of West Sacramento.
- Environmental Phase I Report Grant Program: Provides interested parties with a professional Phase I Environmental Report at no charge.
- Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund: Fnances the cleanup of blighted properties in redevelopment areas.
- Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program: Provides businesses with federal hiring credits ranging from $1,500-$8,500 for employing individuals from targeted groups.
City and County
The Sacramento County Department of Economic Development provides a mixture of incentive options that may include unsecured property tax rebates (for a fixed number of years), tax exempt financing, construction of off-site improvements, fee rebates/deferrals for certain capital impact fees (regional sanitation connection fees, roadway and transit impact fees, various development fees).
The City of Sacramento offers a Development Impact Fee Deferral Program to assist businesses and prospective companies that create jobs and provide a community benefit by deferring certain impact fees for a period of up to 3 years. This provides a financial incentive by spreading out fixed payments over time without charging interest. In addition, businesses within the city and county may be eligible to take advantage of discounted sewer connection fees under the Economic Development Treatment Capacity Bank which can provides a 60 percent discount of the sewer impact fees normally paid by a qualified business.
Other Incentives
- California Capital Small Business Development Corporation: Bank loans provide working capital, funds for expansion, inventory, equipment and improvements of facilities.
- Removal of Underground Storage Tanks (RUST): Provides loans to remove, upgrade, replace or repair underground storage tanks.
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Loan Guarantee Program: Offers a line of credit not exceeding $500,000 for small businesses that contract or subcontract with SMUD.
- Center for International Trade Development (CITD): Offers access to experienced professionals with trade expertise.
- Business Information Centers: Provide free information and technical assistance designed to help entrepreneurs start, operate, and grow their businesses.
- McGeorge School of Law, Business & Community Development Clinic: Provides free legal advice to selected existing and startup businesses located in Sacramento area.
- Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE): Retired business executives volunteer their time and expertise to provide one-on-one counseling to small business owners and those wanting to start new businesses.
- California Manufacturing Technology Center (CMTC): Helps promote the competitiveness of the state’s smaller manufacturers and provides manufacturing companies with business and technical consultants.
All of these agencies, organizations, and programs provide needed services and deal with an array of issues to assist businesses obtain permits, financial resources, tax credits, and employees.
