Catalyst. Convener. Champion.
Chamber Connection
SA NTA M A RIA VA LLE Y CH A MB E R MO NTHLY NE WS LE T TE R | O C TO B E R 2020
Chamber Provides Ballot Positions & Resources to Make Informed Decisions in the 2020 Election The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is committed to helping create and support an environment that betters our local businesses and community. Our organization recognizes that the upcoming elections can directly impact that environment. Based on our commitment to our community, the Chamber is offering guidance on a number of business-related propositions on the 2020 election ballot. Of the twelve proposals on the general election ballot, the Chamber's Board of Directors determined that five would have significant and direct impacts on the business climate of our state. Of those five, the Chamber recommends supporting two and opposing three. The Chamber supports the following ballot propositions: • Proposition 19: Property Tax Transfers, Exemptions, and Revenue for Wildfire Agencies and Counties • Proposition 22: App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies The Chamber opposes the following ballot propositions: • Proposition 15: Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties for Education and Local Government Funding Initiative
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce continues to advocates for business and the local community, and encourages everyone to participate in the upcoming election. •
Proposition 21: Local Rent Control Initiative • Proposition 24: Consumer Privacy Law Amendments Additional details on the Chamber's ballot positions and reasoning behind these positions can be found at bit.ly/ SMVCC2020BallotPositions
"As the leading voice for business in the Santa Maria Valley, the Chamber’s board regularly advocates for legislation that will help advance economic vitality, and against proposals that make it more difficult for entrepreneurs and businesses of all size to create jobs and investment in our economy," explained Glenn Morris, President and Continued on p.2
WHAT ' S INSIDE : AUGUS T 2020 ISSUE
PG&E Wildfire Prevention p. 2
Leadership Santa Maria Valley p. 3
Chamber Month in Review p. 6
Continued - Election 2020: Chamber Ballot Positions Continued from p.1 CEO for the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. "We hope that the information we provide on our positions can help the community better understand how their vote on these measures could impact our local community." The Chamber encourages all community members to their own research and make informed decisions when they submit their ballots this election season. "We encourage all community members to prepare for the upcoming election and cast your vote," Morris said. "This election will have lasting impacts at the local, state and national levels, and it is important that your voice is
included in those decisions." To help educate voters, the Chamber recently held a Candidate Forum for local City Council and Mayoral candidates. Over 50 community members participated in the virtual event, where they had opportunities to talk with candidates in a small group format. Additionally, the Chamber will be conducting interviews with local Congressional and State Assembly candidates. These interviews will be available on the Chamber website and social media platforms, so community members can get to know who is running locally for
these seats, what their platform positions are, and what impact they have at the state and local levels. Finally, the Chamber offers a variety of election resources on their website (santamaria.com/advocacy), including a voter guide, voter registration and ballot information, and more. "Your voice matters, and your vote matters," Morris said. "As champions for our community, we encourage everyone to make informed decisions and cast their vote in the upcoming election."
PG&E Expands Efforts to Prevent Wildfires High temperatures, extreme dryness and record-high winds have created conditions in California where any spark at the wrong time and place can lead to a major wildfire. More than half of the area where PG&E customers live and work is at high risk for wildfires. Their Community Wildfire Safety Program includes plans to make their system, and our community, safer. An outline of this plan includes: • Reduce wildfire potential • Asset inspection and repair • Enhanced vegetation management • System automation • System hardening • Public Safety Power Shutoffs • Improve situation awareness • Weather stations • High-definition cameras • Wildfire Safety Operations Center (WSOC) • Meteorology • Reduce impact of PSPS events • Reduce impacted customers • Reduce length • Improve coordination with and support communities and customers You can learn more about PG&E’s plans to continue to improve wildfire prevention efforts at http://bit.ly/ PGEWildfirePrevention. The site also provides a place where you can sign up to receive notifications on Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in your area. 2
The image above shows the California Public Utilities Commission High Fire-Threat District Map for Santa Barbara County. With fire seasons in California becoming longer and more severe, PG&E has put together a long-term plan to help make communities safer, and more prepared for dealing with wildfire threats.
A Big Thank You to Leadership Santa Maria Valley Class of 2020 Sponsors Leadership Santa Maria Valley, Class of 2020, would like to thank all of our sponsors that have helped us reach this point in this year’s Legacy project. These projects, a mobile observatory, and bilingual children’s book will be remembered for years to come as having been completed during a pandemic. We are now on the final stretch to finish the build of the mobile observatory. On Sept 19th, we were lucky enough to participate in an inaugural COVID-Safe stargazing event at Los Flores Ranch Park (LFRP). It was COVID-approved by local health officials and done exclusively using the LSMV telescope and camera system. This was the first physical stargazing event done on the Central Coast since March. It is expected that LFRP will host another COVID-Safe stargazing event in October, so keep a lookout! We are also on the final stretch of the art contest for 4th-12th graders to illustrate the bilingual children’s book, Strawberry Moon Says, Goodnight. This contest is giving students an opportunity to create illustrations that will go into this book. The drawings depict local landmarks and things that make Santa Maria Valley and our surrounding areas memorable. The
kids have a chance to win a $100 gift card, and one of the 20 artists selected to be in the book will win the Grand prize to win a Nintendo Switch. Of course, none of this would be possible without the generosity of businesses and individuals in our community. Together, we have raised over $27,000 to fund the completion of these projects. Thank you all! Those sponsors are: Allan Hancock College, Carpenters Local 1800 Training Corp, SMV Community Foundation, RRM Design Group, Northern Santa Barbara County United Way, WAV Group, Mr. Alfred Borzall, Altrusa International of Santa Maria, Santa Maria Association of Realtors, R.W. Scott Construction, Toyota of Santa Maria, Honda, Premier Surgery Center of Santa Maria, CalPortland, Morris & Garritano Insurance, Diani Companies, Mrs. Diane Alleman-Stevens, Paul Blanco & Associates, McDermott & Apkarian, Community Bank of Santa Maria, SearchLight Properties, Santa Maria Kiwanis for Kids, CoastHills Credit Union, Mr. Jerry & Mrs. Anne Keely, and Rotary Club of Santa Maria Breakfast. Our Leadership Santa Maria Valley Class would not have been able to bring our legacy projects from concept to reality without their support. Thank you!
Chamber Board of Directors: 2020-2021 Executive Committee Chairman: Edgar Gascon, Hacienda Realty Chairman-Elect: Danny Deveraux, CalPortland Vice Chairman: Janet Silveria, Community Bank of Santa Maria Vice Chairman: Laurie Tamura, Urban Planning Concepts Past Chairman: Jean-Luc Garon, Radisson Hotel Santa Maria Board Members Mark Allen, Marian Regional Medical Center Ron Cossa, Tolman & Wiker Insurance Sandra Dickerson, Your People Professionals Donna Farrell, Santa Maria Town Center Karen Fothergill, Andre, Morris & Buttry Doug Janzen, The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center Emily Kitts, Naughty Oak Brewing Company David LeRoy, Toyota of Santa Maria Butch Lopez, V Lopez Jr. & Sons General Engineering Contractors David Merlo, Glenn Burdette Tere Paredes, Maya Restaurant Era Polly, Era Polly Real Estate Shannon Seifert, Santa Maria Valley YMCA Michelle Shipman, Searchlight Properties Kevin Walthers, 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.
LSMV held an art contest for their Children's Book, "Strawberry Moon Says Goodnight", as a way for local students to get involved in the project and support local arts in the community. Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | October 2020
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Chamber Membership Corner Thank You Chamber Investor Program Sponsors:
New Members: July & August 2020 The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome these new members joining the Chamber. We appreciate their vote of confidence in our ability to add value to their business and to create a strong local economy together. We highly encourage individuals and businesses to support Chamber member businesses. Executive Level
Member
Central Coast Community Energy 140 Zaca Ln, #140, San Luis Obispo (831) 641-7222 www.mbcommunitypower.org
Cold Stone Creamery 4869 S. Bradley Rd Ste. #113, Santa Maria (805) 934-9545 orders.ordercoldstone.com/menu/acornplaza/
Cottage Urgent Care – Cottage Health 1846 N. Broadway St. A., Santa Maria (805) 361-4279 www.cottagehealth.org/urgent-care/ Investor Level NKT Commercial I, LLC 684 Higuera Street, Ste. B, San Luis Obispo (805) 541-9004
American General Media Armando’s Autobody & Paint Inc. BBSI Babe Farms, Inc. Black Bear Diner - Santa Maria Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast CALM CenCal Health Certified Freight Logistics College and Career Readiness, Santa Barbara County Education Office Comcast Community Bank of Santa Maria Community Carpenters Diani Companies Family Care Network, Inc. Golden State Water Company Innovative Produce J. Wilkes Wines Jack's All American Plumbing Mega 97.1/La Buena Morris & Garritano Insurance New Life Painting/Bath & Kitchen/Restoration NKT Commercial I, LLC On the 101/ Beach Betty Creative PCPA - Pacific Conservatory Theatre Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC Phoenix Property Inspections Plantel Nurseries Safran Cabin Santa Maria Safran Seats Santa Maria Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Maria Bonita School District Santa Maria Country Club Santa Maria Joint Union High School District SCORE San Luis Obispo SESLOC Federal Credit Union Smith’s Alarms & Electronics, Inc. SM Tire SunOpta Terracore Operating Company Testa Catering Tileco Distributors, Inc. The Towbes Group, Inc. Trojan Petroleum, Inc. Urban Planning Concepts/ Rural Planning Services VTC Enterprises Walmart #2507 Wave Business Wells Fargo Bank Wine & Design Orcutt WSPA Xtreme Electronics The Y
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Dottie's Sweet Delights Santa Maria, CA (805) 607-9495 Dottiessweetdelights.com DRK Real Estate, Inc. 195 S. Broadway, Orcutt (805) 714-3072 www.drkrealestate.net Sergio Ruiz Productions Santa Maria, CA (805) 264-6841 sergioruizprod.com
Member Upgrades: July & August 2020 The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce thanks the following companies for upgrading their membership by stepping up their commitment to our Chamber Investor Program and to the communities of the Santa Maria Valley. Director Level United Way Northern Santa Barbara County 1660 S Broadway, Suite 201, Santa Maria (805) 922-0329 www.liveunitedsbc.org Investor Level BBSI 3450 Broad St., Ste #102, San Luis Obispo (805) 762-4907 www.barrettbusiness.com
Jack's All-American Plumbing 2011 Preisker Lane, Suite A, Santa Maria (805) 925-0199 www.jacksplumbing.net New Life Painting/Bath & Kitchen/ Restoration 2225 Skyway Dr., Santa Maria (805) 937-9836 www.newlifehi.com
Add Your Name to the List...Join the Chamber Today! Join our growing organization of over 800+ local businesses! More information about the benefits of joining the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce can be found at santamaria.com. Or, contact Membership Manager Cara Martinez at (805) 925-2403 x 852 or cara@ santamaria.com.
Renewing Members: August 2020 The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce 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. 72 Years: Diani Building Corp.
29 Years: Western Propane Service
Auto Body) Hometown Insurance Services, Inc
50 Years: PCPA - Pacific Conservatory Theatre
26 Years: Michael W. Moats, MD Santa Maria Car Wash
10 Years: Smith's Alarms & Electronics, Inc.
42 Years: CoastHills Credit Union Company's Coming 40 Years: Bonipak Produce Industrial Medical Group of Santa Maria Valley M & W Pumps Quintron Systems, Inc. 38 Years: Fence Factory 34 Years: Poor Richard's Press 30 Years: Pacifica Commercial Realty Urban Planning Concepts 29 Years: S. Lombardi & Associates
25 Years: B & B Steele & Supply of Santa Maria Rancho Sisquoc Winery Santa Maria BBQ Outfitters 21 Years: M & M Restaurant Supply 22 Years: Carolyn McCall Santa Maria Foursquare Church 21 Years: American Assoc. of University Women Local Copies Etc 17 Years: Family Care Network, Inc. 14 Years: Costa De Oro Winery
32 Years: Fischer's Fine Jewelry
13 Years: Magnolia & Primrose Mario A Juarez, Attorney at Law Santa Maria Police Council, Inc
30 Years: Farm Supply Santa Maria Bonita School District Santa Maria Seeds, Inc.
11 Years: Arensdorf Chiropractic Call Krista - OiC Real Estate Services Fix Auto Santa Maria (formerly Premier
9 Years: Santa Maria Wisdom Center The Towbes Group 8 Years: Woody's Butcher Block 7 Years: Radiology Associates-Digital Medical Imaging 6 Years: El Toro Tortilleria II 5 Years: American Legion Auxiliary Unit 56 4 Years: Idler's Home Appliance Center Pickups Limited Southern California 3 Years: Black Bear Diner - Santa Maria Pizzeria Bello Forno 2 Years: Stephens & Stephens LLP 1 Year: Ranchos de Ontiveros at The Station
Member Testimonial 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, Studio Owner, Wine & Design Orcutt
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | October 2020
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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 Chamber continues to see significant traction in their “Support Santa Maria Valley” campaign, with over 7,000 video views and 1,700+ uses of their #SMVOpenForBusiness hashtag on social media channels.
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The Chamber’s Economic Development team is working with the City of Santa Maria to solicit development proposals for city-owned parcels in the Downtown core.
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Working with the REACH regional economic development collaborative, the Chamber assisted in submitting a nomination for Vandenberg Air Force Base to serve as the host base of the newly created US Space Command HQ. If successful, this selection would result in 1,500+ jobs in Northern Santa Barbara County.
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The Visitors’ Bureau continues to host writers and influencers who share their experiences with print and digital audiences, spreading the word about the Santa Maria Valley as a new get-away destination.
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The Visitors’ Bureau started the process to renew the Tourism Marketing District. This hotel-driven, Chamber-managed initiative generates revenues which are used to market the region as a tourist destination.
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber has continued their "Support Santa Maria Valley" Campaign to help encourage community members to support local businesses.
Convener of Leaders and Influencers
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The Business & Government RoundTable had their monthly meeting and received an update on Wildfire prevention measures from PG&E.
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The Chamber held a candidate forum for Mayoral and City Council Candidates, with over 50 community members participating in roundtable discussions with the candidates.
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The Chamber Ambassador Committee continues to meet via zoom for their monthly meeting. The ambassadors continue to assist with welcoming new members, sharing chamber news and assisting at virtual events when needed.
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The Santa Maria Connect! Young Professionals Board met to discuss creative ways to bring relevant content to young professionals during a time when in person events are not an option.
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Leadership Santa Maria Valley’s Board of Directors created a task force to revise the way the program will be run, so they are prepared to accept new applications for the program whenever the social requirements allow it to continue to operate in 2021.
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The Visitors Bureau continues to hold their virtual meetings for tourism and hospitality partners to connect and share ideas.
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The Santa Barbara County Chambers of Commerce held a business briefing to provide and update on the new statewide COVID-19 tiers and business openings.
The Chamber Ambassador Committee continues to meet monthly via zoom. The committee assists the Chamber with welcoming new members, sharing the benefits of Chamber membership with teh community and assisting the Chamber as needed.
Champion for a Stronger Santa Maria Valley •
The Chamber Board of Directors released their ballot positions for the 2020 Election
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The Chamber celebrated their 2020 Annual Awards by airing the Awards Show on KCOY and streaming on YouTube. Viewers were invited to participate in a “Tune in to Win” contest for a chance to win a Santa Maria Staycation prize package.
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The Chamber sent out their monthly COVID-19 Business Impact Survey. Though businesses continue to face challenges, over the past 3 months of conducting the survey, there has been an increase sense of optimism in the business community.
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The Chamber participated in Employee Voter Registration Week, and continues to share the importance of voting in the upcoming election with the local community.
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The Chamber is encouraging local businesses to complete required Harassment Prevention Training before the end of the year, and has partnered with CalChamber to offer a 20% discount on training.
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The Chamber launched their weekly video blog, with President/CEO Glenn Morris gives an update on the Chamber, and ways our community can engage in the Chamber.
The Chamber recognized local leaders, businesses and organizations during their 2020 Annual Awards Show, which aired on KCOY on September 24th.
Protect. Respect. Repeat! Community leaders encourage continued protection efforts as Santa Barbara County downgrades COVID threat level Community leaders are strongly encouraging county residents and businesses to continue efforts to protect families, businesses, and communities as Santa Barbara County moved to a lower COVID-19 threat level this week. The group launch ed an updated “Protect. Respect. Repeat!” campaign to encourage face coverings and other precautions to fight the pandemic locally. The downgrade from a purple to red COVID-19 risk level is evidence that efforts to slow the spread of the virus through social distancing, wearing face masks, and other practices are working. But members of the “Protect. Respect. Repeat!” are asking community members to stay vigilant and keep those practices in place to protect the health and safety of their loved ones and neighbors and support the region’s economic recovery. “The people and businesses in our county have worked hard to meet the state-mandated metrics, and the county’s ability to downgrade the risk level affirms that effort,” says Glenn Morris, President/ CEO of Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. “But we can’t let our guards
down now. Individually, we must continue wearing our masks, washing our hands, and keeping our distance in public if we want to keep making progress and re-open our economy even further.” “Marian has seen the impacts of COVID-19 firsthand,” says Sue Andersen, President/CEO at Marian Regional Medical Center. “While we have experienced a decline in the number of coronavirus cases at our facility, we encourage community members to continue to do their part to protect themselves, even among their closest family and friends. As our community begins to reopen, we ask the public to keep masking, social-distancing, and handwashing to maintain the progress we have made.” The “Protect. Respect. Wear Your Mask.” campaign debuted in Northern Santa Barbara County in May and expanded county-wide over the summer. The campaign was created as part of a partnership between the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, the cities of Santa Maria, Lompoc and Guadalupe, Marian Regional Medical Center, Allan Hancock College, and other community stakeholders.
The campaign utilized a media campaign to urge residents to wear masks in public spaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As the county seeks to lower its COVID-19 risk level and continues reopening efforts, CDC still recommends that people wear a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth in community settings. This is a public health measure people should continue taking to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in addition to (not instead of) social distancing, frequent hand cleaning, and other everyday preventive actions. For more information, visit www. protectrespect.org.
Stay Connected with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber Visit: 614 S. Broadway, Santa Maria Call: (805) 925-2403 Email: info@santamaria.com
614 S. Broadway Santa Maria, CA 93454
Website: santamaria.com Facebook: facebook.com/SMVCC Twitter: twitter.com/SMVCC Instagram: santamariachamberofcommerce Email List: bit.ly/SMVCCMailingList Text Message Alerts: Text "CHAMBER" to 33222 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.
Chamber offering 20% Discount on Required California Harassment Prevention Training California employers with five or more employees must provide harassment prevention training to all employees by January 1, 2021. That’s two hours of training to California supervisors, and one hour of training to nonsupervisory employees in California. Training must take place within six months of hire or promotion and every two years thereafter. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with CalChamber and offer our local businesses a 20% discount on harassment prevention training for employees and supervisors. Details available at bit.ly/ HarassmentPreventionTrainingSMVCC. We encourage all businesses who have not yet done harassment prevention training to take advantage of this expert training before the January 1st deadline.
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau 614 S. Broadway, Santa Maria | (805) 925-2403 | santamaria.com | info@santamaria.com 8
