North Bay Business Journal

NAPA — The city and county governments of Napa today said they have begun to jointly develop an agreement to address concerns related to the city’s potential future annexation of the planned commercial and residential development known as Napa Pipe, along with the sharing of tax revenue and service responsibilities at the site.

NAPA COUNTY — Efforts to establish an incubator for startups that produce high-tech, high-paying jobs in Napa County have taken a financial step forward, with a combined $25,000 contribution from the county and city of Napa pushing the project closer to reaching an early funding threshold of $38,000.

ROHNERT PARK – Marin and Napa counties are on track to be the “shining stars” of economic recovery in the six-county North Bay Area in 2012, though the enduring caution of commercial lenders and other pressures will likely keep growth modest across the entire region this year, according to regional economics expert Dr. Robert Eyler.

In the following interview, Mayor Techel talks about drivers and challenges for Napa’s economy, ways city government is trying to help local businesses while balancing community needs, and next steps in urban land-use planning, specifically the Napa Downtown Specific Plan, whose draft environmental-impact report is under public comment through March 15, and next phases for the Napa River flood-control project.

The annual Sonoma State University Economic Outlook Conference Feb. 23, which for nearly two decades has been one of the benchmark events in the North Bay, will include a unique combination of high-level presentations from one of the region’s leading economists, the founder of the area’s private natural foods producer and a top state budget official.

The Accelerated Wine and Beverage Certificate Program at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone has brought on wine industry veteran Robert Bath to teach classes.