 on Tuesday, marking progress toward fulfilling what she described as the Natomas Promise.){kind=link}
Sacramento, California – Big plans for North Natomas depend on more than attracting businesses and encouraging development. They also require infrastructure, long-term investment, and a clear strategy for paying for improvements that can support the community’s future growth.
That process has now reached an important milestone. Sacramento officials have taken an initial step toward establishing a financing framework that could help bring new opportunities to Natomas and neighboring communities.
Sacramento City Councilmember Lisa Kaplan announced that the City Council held its first meeting of the Innovation Park Public Financing Authority (PFA) on Tuesday, marking progress toward fulfilling what she described as the Natomas Promise.
Kaplan, who serves as chair of the authority, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative and the group responsible for helping move it forward.
Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes serves as vice chair. The authority also includes Councilmember Roger Dickinson, who helped develop state legislation establishing Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (EIFDs).
Two community representatives are also part of the authority. They are Alyssa Lozano, a lifelong North Natomas resident and former president of the Natomas Chamber, and former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo.
The authority’s central responsibility will be overseeing the preparation of an Infrastructure Financing Plan. That document will establish a framework for how an EIFD could support infrastructure improvements, encourage private investment, and open additional economic opportunities.
The initiative is not limited to attracting new development.
According to Kaplan, the broader goal is to encourage investments that generate employment, strengthen the local economy, and deliver meaningful benefits to families living throughout North Natomas.
Those potential benefits could also extend into surrounding District 1 neighborhoods, including Robla and other nearby communities.
Kaplan emphasized that the work represents an opportunity to connect economic development with the needs of local residents, rather than treating growth as an isolated objective.
She also thanked Sacramento city employees for their efforts in bringing the initiative to its current stage.
While the authority’s first meeting represents an organizational milestone, significant planning remains before its financing framework can take shape.
The next important phase will involve developing the Infrastructure Financing Plan and determining how the district could help support future investment.
For Kaplan, the meeting marks the beginning of that work and another step toward delivering on the Natomas Promise.