Chamber Connection (November 2022)

State of the City 2022: Mayor Patino Paints a Hopeful Picture of the Future of Santa Maria for Years to Come

Arguably the most important business event of the year, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber hosted the 2022 State of the City at the Radisson Hotel Santa Maria on October 26th. Local community leaders and business representatives gathered for an update by our local government leaders: Mayor Alice Patino and City Manager Jason Stilwell. There were many exciting new developments discussed including:

• The continued installation of fiber optic cables in the City of Santa Maria, keeping the community prepared with the latest technology.

• 16,000 new housing units planned for completion by 2045.

• The Downtown Revitalization Project, and the planned apartment complexes around Broadway & Main Street.

• City Manager Stilwell also reported on the status of public safety, the housing market, and the general economic outlook of the city.

The morning was a promising message of hope and as Mayor Patino stated, "I think the state of our city is healthy and we're getting healthier."

Mayor Patino explained how the City of Santa Maria has had a long standing tradition of being fiscally conservative, only spending the money that is available within the budget, and making a priority to save for 'rainy days' to prepare for whatever the

The

Maria Valley

at the Radisson Hotel

future may hold.

This same value was seen when city leaders secured a water rights contract from the State of California, enabling the city to carry out its plans to build a significant number of new housing units in response to the statewide housing crisis. Mayor Patino retirated that the City is doing everything

they can within their power to allow new construction, however, the most significant challenges poised come from newly implemented state regulations.

“Housing is the biggest challenge I think we face in the state of California. More and more, it’s being taken out of local control, and it should not be taken out of

SANTA

Santa

Chamber hosted the 2022 State of the City address on October 26th

Santa Maria. Mayor Alice Patino and City Manager Jason Stillwell addressed local business and community leaders on the state of our city.

Chamber Board of Directors: 2022-2023

Executive Committee

Chairman: Sandra Dickerson, Your People Professionals

Chairman-Elect: Paul Cook, CoastHills Credit Union

Vice Chairman: Shannon Seifert, Santa Maria Valley YMCA

Vice Chairman: Laurie Tamura, Urban Planning Concepts

Past Chairman: Danny Deveraux, CalPortland

Board Members

Sue Andersen, President and CEO, Marian Regional Medical Center

Dominick Barry, Quintron Systems, Inc.

Michael Boyer, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast Ron Cossa, Tolman & Wiker Insurance

Donna Denham, Santa Maria Country Club

Karen Fothergill, Andre, Morris & Buttery

Gina Gluyas, Realtor, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Haven Properties Emily Kitts, Naughty Oak Brewing Company

David LeRoy, Toyota of Santa Maria David Merlo, Glenn Burdette Luke Ontiveros, Santa Maria Bonita School District

Tere Paredes, Maya Restaurant Era Polly, Era Polly Real Estate

Max Tucker, Best Western Plus Big America

Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D., Superintendent/ President, Allan Hancock College Tim Williams, Digital West

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst for business growth, a convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger Santa Maria Valley.

Learn more about the Chamber by visiting www.santamaria.com.

- State of the City 2022: Mayor

Patino Paints a Hopeful

Picture of the City of Santa Maria for Years to Come

Continued from p.1

local control,” Patino said. “When housing developments do not have to go before the Planning Commission, do not have to go before the City Council and can just be built I think is fundamentally wrong. We’re seeing that more and more, and this is what’s coming down from that state and we have to deal with it.”

The Mayor also acknowledged the challenges poised by the existing city infrastructure, and recognized that the city must continue to develop and improve infrastructure to match the pace of growth in the city. At current, the City estimates its population to be well over 120,000 residents. This makes the City the most populous in the County of Santa Barbara. The City anticipates a growth of an additional 40,000 residents in the upcoming years.

City Manager Jason Stillwell presented a report showcasing all the development activity underway. Attendees of the State of the City address had a sneak preview of planned construction renderings, including the highly anticipated downtown revitalization project around the intersection of Broadway and Main streets. There will be multiple mixed use buildings underway and quite a few new apartment complexes to be built in the blocks around that intersection. Proposed projects under review also

provided the crowd a source of excitement for the future of the city. There is a proposed annexization off of Orcutt Rd and Union Valley Parkway, among many other housing development plans.

City Manager Stillwell also spoke on key indicators of a strong community:

• The Santa Maria Valley housing market hit an unprecedented record of both units sold and median home sale price.

• Unemployment rate is recovering and is now at a 50 year low of 3.5%.

• New development continues to forge forward strong.

• Crime is consistent in most categories with the rest of the nation.

• Doubling of funds available for road maintenance and construction.

The State of the City of Santa Maria is strong, and continues to grow stronger. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is proud to be a Catalyst, Convener, and Champion for both the City of Santa Maria and the Santa Maria Valley as a whole. We appreciate the City for both their support and continued efforts on our shared goal of strengthening the local community and creating a prosperous place for business.

Questions?Emailpaulina@santamaria.com

Mayor Alice Patino, Chamber President & CEO Glenn Morriss, and City Manager Jason Stillwell pictured here during breakfast at the 2022 State of the City address.

Working Hard on Your Behalf: Chamber Month in Review

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is here for business. We are a catalyst for business growth, convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger Santa Maria Valley. We continue to work hard to serve our members, local businesses and the Santa Maria Valley community. Here’s a glimpse at what we’ve been up to lately.

Catalyst for Business Growth

• The Economic Development Commission assisted 12 small business/ business startups. Additionally, connected with an advisor for business counsulting in the chamber.

• The Chamber filmed our latest Local Business Spotlight Video, done in partnership with the Santa Maria Times. For October, we highlighted Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum which recently welcomed a new curator, Shelley Klein. The full video can be viewed at https://santamaria.com/local-business-spotlight.

• The Chamber welcomed two new employees: Paulina Leang, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, and Madison Grimnes, Administrative Assistant.

• The Visitor's Bureau announced the extension of the 2022 Santa Maria Wine Trolley which will now run through November.

• The Tourism Board continued efforts on the Events & Festivals strategy.

Convener of Leaders and Influencers

• Hispanic Business Mixer turnout was approximately 70-80 people, and 4 organizations attended Mixer.

• The Tourism Board hosted journalist Hannah Stephenson in partnership with Visit CA for a FAM in Santa Maria Valley.

• The Chamber recently celebrated its newest members who joined in August and September by recognizing them during the October mixer.

• The Chamber’s Ambassador Committee continues to meet monthly to stay connected in supporting new members as well as to play an active role in attending upcoming ribbon cuttings and events.

• The Chamber’s weekly BYB, (Build Your Business) continues to meet every Friday morning at 8AM. This networking meeting is now being held at Roscoe's Kitchen, located at 224 Town Center West.

Champion for a Stronger Santa Maria Valley

• Jennifer Harrison (Tourism Director) and Taz Dougherty (Tourism Coordinator) attended the CalTravel Summit 2022 in the Greater Palm Springs Area. Travel, tourism and hospitality professionals came together during this summit to discuss pressing advocacy issues, take a dive into future tourism outlooks and forecasts, and create new connections within the tourism space.

• Junior CEO held their kickoff event for their Fall 2022 session. Over 60 young entrepreneurs are enrolled in the program, and will open their businesses to the public at the Santa Maria Town Center Mall on November 19th.

• The Chamber launched a “2022 Local Election Guide” including voter resources and a Q&A from candidates running for Santa Maria City Council and California State Assembly. The Election Guide is available at https://santamaria.com/2022-ElectionGuide

• The Chamber, in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Education Office, launched their “Tours for Teachers” program. The program connects local high school CTE teachers with local business leaders and offers a full day of tours and small group discussions centered around specific CTE pathways. The first two tours offered were centered around the Agriculture and Business/Finance/Cybersecurity CTE career pathways. The next round of teacher tours will be in the first quarter of 2023.

• The LSMV class enjoyed their October topic day on public safety with tours of the police station and fire station.

Produce

SantaMariaValleyHistoricalSocietyMuseum was featured in the Chamber's "Local Business Spotlight" series, done in partnership with the Santa Maria Valley Times.

Real Men Wear Pink October Mixer hosted by American Cancer Society & Central Coast Truck Center.

Innovative

was the second stop of Agriculture Day. George Adam and Phil Adam pictured here answering questions about strawberries.

Leadership Santa Maria Valley: Exploring Public Safety in Our Community

Medical Center spoke to the class about Leadership in Today’s World. Sue provided the class with exceptional advice like, ‘take every opportunity you get, [and] jump on it,’ and ‘build teams for the next level of leaders.’ The presentation was passionate and showed the class what it meant to be a leader beyond the organization by being a leader in the community.

Leadership Santa Maria Valley had the opportunity to visit and meet those who make the greatest influence on our community safety. Organizers included: Amelia Gonzalez-Paz (Coast Hills Credit Union), Shelby McLean (CALM), Joyce Melena (Community Health Centers) and Diane Alleman-Stevens as Leadership Advisor. The goal for the day was to get a glimpse of what our local Public Safety team does on a day-to-day basis, and explore opportunities for growth within our community.

The committee arranged for our class to visit the Santa Maria Police Department and Fire Station #2. The day began with a guided tour of the Police Department from Sgt. Nathan Totorica. The class had a first-hand look at the department at work--visiting not only stations but also the crime lab and holding facility. Marc Schneider, Chief of Police, gave a presentation reviewing the labor shortage the department faces. He stressed that the department ‘has issues

with recruiting, not budget’--reminding us all of the difficulties in finding qualified employees in the Santa Maria area. Chief Marc Schneider shared his hopes of revitalizing community outreach and maximizing personnel to meet the city’s increasing needs.

The class then met with Officer Robles, who is a part of the Police Department Special Enforcement Team. He addressed the various gang crimes in the City of Santa Maria and shared strategies his team uses to monitor and track gang activity. We ended our morning with a SWAT presentation from Officers Whitney and Yee. To qualify for the SWAT Team, there are various physical requirements that go above and beyond typical police officer duties, in addition to a written recommendation from their supervisor. The demonstration included Flash Grenades and specialized sponge tip bullets used during SWAT raids. Leadership Speaker, Sue Andersen, President and CEO of Marian Regional

The class ended the day at the oldest and busiest fire station in Santa Maria, Fire Department #2 on Carmen and Depot. We toured the facility and Battalion Chief Anthony Clayburg spoke about the volume and nature of calls received at Station #2, most of which are medical aid calls. His team gave us a special demonstration on Urban Search and Rescue vehicle. Firefighters climbed a ladder to the top of a training building and showed us how they cut holes on the roof to omit smoke. We spoke to Capitan Youngern who explained the close working relationship between the City’s Fire Department and Police Department, and the availability of various fire trucks within the City’s limits.

The committee would like to give a final thank you to the following: Diane AllemanStevens for providing breakfast and being an excellent advisor; Coast Hills for providing lunch; all of our presenters at the Santa Maria Police Department; the team at Fire Department Station #2; and special shout out to Nathan Totorica for all your help with coordination at the Police Department.

Leadership Santa Maria Valley class tours the Fire Department #2.

Chief Marc Schneider gives a presentation to the Leadership of Santa Maria Valley class.

Officer Yee and Whitney from the Santa Maria Police Department SWAT division presenting tactical gear

ThisarticlewascontributedbyJoyceMelena, a Leadership Santa Maria Valley Student and Corporate Trainer for Community Health Centers.

Celebrating Local Business: Chamber Ribbon Cuttings for September & October 2022

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is a champion for our local business community. We are thankful for the support from our local businesses, and excited to celebrate new members and major business milestones with the following local businesses in September & October 2022.

Juice It Up!

471 Betteravia Rd, Santa Maria, CA (805) 803-1970 juiceitup.com

Juice it Up!'s goal is to provide delicious, lifestyle products designed to meet the varying needs of our guests at all different levels of health. Whether it's Raw Juices, Fruit & Veggie Smoothies or Superfruit Bowls, we've got your cravings covered!

Vida Yoga

130 N. Broadway Suite B, Orcutt, CA (805)266-3958 vidayogaorcutt.com

Vida Yoga in Old Town Orcutt celebrated their Grand Opening with a Ribbon Cutting! The studio aims "to nurture your divine spirit, enhance your physical & spiritual wellness, and take your (yoga) practice to the next level." Vida Yoga offers a variety of classes seven days a week, check out class offerings on the Vida Yoga website.

Crumbl Cookies

449 E. Betteravia, Santa Maria, CA (805)293-7272 crumblcookies.com

Crumbl Cookies is a national cookie bakery with over 623 locations nationally. The Santa Maria Location at Enos Ranch is the first Central Coast California location. They are open 8AM-10PM Monday through Thursday, and 8AM to Midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Heritage Church

4799 S Bradley Rd, Santa Maria, CA (805) 934-2635 heritageepc.org

Heritage Evangelical Presbyterian Church, led by Pastor Mark Wright, recently celebrated 40 years of worship and service to the community.

As a Chamber member, we are happy to partner with your business and help you celebrate a new business opening or major milestone with a ribbon cutting!

To learn more and reserve your space on our calendar, contact Membership Manager Cara Martinez at (805) 925-2403 x 852 or cara@santamaria.com. Ribbon cuttings are open to the public and we encourage all to attend and celebrate local business with us! Upcoming ribbon cutting events can be found on our Chamber Events Calendar at santamaria.com, and by viewing our events on our Facebook page (facebook.com/ santamariavalleychamber)

Not yet a Chamber member? Now is an excellent time to join! Being a member of the Chamber will connect you with other local professionals and help grow your business.

Be a part of our growing community of over 800 local businesses who are members of the Chamber - Contact Membership Manager Cara Martinez to join today, and the next ribbon cutting we celebrate could be yours!

Opening a new business or location? Celebrating a major milestone? Host a ribbon cutting!

Chamber Membership Corner

New Members: September 2022

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is proud to welcome these new members joining the Chamber. We highly encourage you to support Chamber member businesses.

Investor

Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County

411 E Canon Perdido St. #12, Santa Barbara (805)964-5245 www.dvsolutions.org

Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County Santa Maria, CA (805)964-5245 www.dvsolutions.org

Farm Supply Company - Arroyo Grande 1079 El Camino Real, Arroyo Grande (805)489-5514 www.farmsupplycompany.com

Farm Supply Company - Buellton 700 McMurry Rd, Buellton (805)688-8101 www.farmsupplycompany.com

Premium

Future Leaders of America

PO BOX 396, Santa Maria (559)974-6326 www.futureleadersnow.org

Telecare Corporation 124 Carmen Ln Ste. A, Santa Maria (805) 348-1850 www.telecarecorp.com

Youth Leadership Conference PO BOX 396, Santa Maria (559)974-6326 www.futureleadersnow.org

Member Frontier 23456 Madero Suite 105, Mission Viejo (949)278-5593 www.internet.frontier.com

Vida Yoga 130 N. Broadway Suite B, Orcutt (805)266-3958 www.vidayogaorcutt.com

Interestedinseeingyourbusinessname displayedononeofournextissues?

Join the Chamber today by

Membership Manager Cara Martinez at 925-2403, ext. 852 or email cara@santamaria.com.

Renewing Members: September 2022

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is excited to recognize these partners who strive each day to create jobs, boost our local economy and build a community of which we can all be proud. Thank you for your loyalty and continued support in renewing your commitment to the Chamber and to the communities of Santa Maria Valley.

42 Years: Santa Barbara County Education Office

40 Years: Fence Factory 38 Years: Atlas Performance Industries

37 Years: Martinez & Assoc Architecture, Inc.

33 Years: Santa Maria Joint High School District

29 Years: The Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

28 Years: Hacienda Oaks Property Management J B Dewar, Inc. Righetti Specialties, Inc.

27 Years: Transitions - Mental Health Association

26 Years: Spencer's Fresh Markets

25 Years: Farm Credit West 23 Years: Santa Maria Public Airport

20 Years: OASIS, Inc.

19 Years: Community Auto Group

18 Years: Cowboy Flavor LLC

16 Years: Central Coast Visionary Insurance & Financial Services LLC Mint Properties

15 Years: Driscoll's Berries Mission Paving, Inc. Orcutt Veterinary Hospital

14 Years: Achievement House Inc. Blast 825° Brewery

12 Years: Del Taco #89 Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County

9 Years: El Pueblito Restaurant

8 Years: El Toro Tortilleria II Noozhawk

7 Years: American Legion Auxilliary Unit 56 Guild Mortgage Co. Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Shred 2 You, Inc. Wine & Design Orcutt

6 Years: Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 82 Old Town Quilt Shop

4 Years: Certified Freight Logistics Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara County Mexi-Thai Roll Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau

2 Years: Cold Stone Creamery DRK Real Estate, Inc. Rock Chip Armor Automotive Survival Products Santa Maria Counseling

1 Years:

Leading From Within That One Photobooth, LLC Truly Gifted

Member Testimonials

"Since joining the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, I’ve developed so many new relationships unique to our local chamber business community. The new business generated immediately paid for itself many-fold! I am grateful for my fellow chamber members like Kelsi Fitzgerald of Veritas Innovative Pest and Termite Solutions whose support and encouragement has been such a warm welcome to the SMVCC family. My business certainly wouldn’t be where it is today without my chamber of commerce relationships."

--Marina Garcia-Endert, Owner of Truly Gifted “Your Professional Gift Company”

"As a 40 year resident of Santa Maria, there was never any question where I would start my own business! I have owned Wine & Design in Orcutt for over two years now, and I know first-hand how the right community support can help your business grow! Being a member of the Chamber has opened doors for Wine & Design that we may not have found otherwise! The camaraderie and extensive networking opportunities are second to none! If you are not yet a member, feel free to call and ask me about it! If you are a member, do your business a favor, and look into attending as many Chamber functions as you can! Chamber members take care of one another!"

--Julie Jorge, Owner, Wine & Design Orcutt

614 S. Broadway Santa Maria, CA 93454

Chamber Connection is the official monthly publication of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. For questions about this publication or to be added to our monthly mailing distribution list, email molly@santamaria.com.

Order your 2023 Required Employment Posters!

Did you know that every California employer MUST have a CURRENT California and Federal Labor Law Poster on display at each company facility? Those not displaying current posters can be fined.

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is offering substantial discounts on these required posters and other employment notices when you order through the Chamber! The Chamber offers state and federal posters in English and Spanish. We also offer laminated posters, and "poster protect", which means we'll automatically replace your poster if any mandatory chaners occur during the

2023 calendar year.

Poster orders are due by December 8th in order to receive your materials by January 2023.

To order your poster, email madison@ santamaria.com to request an order form and additional information about the other HR materials the Chamber has available for purchase.

We are happy to provide this service to our members to make sure all local busiensses are in compliance by displaying up-to-day state and federal labor laws.

To receive your order form for your required 2023 HR posters, email madison@ santamaria.com or scan the QR code above.