SCV Business Journal September 2021

Contact: Perry Smith Business Editor Phone: 661-287-5599

S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y

BUSINESS JOURNAL BJ INSIDE SPOTLIGHTS B4 A Message from the SCV

Email: psmith@signalscv.com Mail: 26330 Diamond Place Suite 100 Santa Clarita, CA 91350 SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · WWW.SIGNALSCV.COM · B1

SUMMER HOUSING MARKET STAYS HOT IN SCV

BY EMILY ALVARENGA Signal Senior Staff Writer

Chamber B5 SCV Chamber Events/

Advocacy B8 SCV Econowatch NEWS & FEATURES B1 Summer housing market

stays hot B3 Business community

resumes cautious gatherings B9 City phases out temporary

dining rules SCV BUSINESS VOICES B1 Henry Mayo Newhall

Hospital B3 SCV Economic

Development Corp.

B8 M&M Fasteners B10 Audiology Associates FROM THE EXPERTS B2 Ken Keller: Nine toxins that

destroy growth B2 Paul Raggio: It’s time for

strategic thinking B10 Jeff Prang: Tax agents

bombard appeals board

A

s the economy continues to recover in the midst of the pandemic, housing prices continued to increase, hitting record numbers for this time of year in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The median price of homes hit a record of $830,000 in June, up 27.7% from a year ago, then decreasing to $810,000 in July, which was still up 23.7% from this time last year, according to reports released in August by the Southland Regional Association of Realtors.

The condominium median price rose 15.9% to $495,000 in July, down from the record high of $520,000 reported in May, per the SRAR report.

A total of 277 homes were sold last month, an increase of 1.8%, and 3.1% lower than the 286 sales reported in June, which was the highest tally since November, according to SRAR data.

“The local home market typically starts to slow around this time of year, though these remain unusual times,” said Nicole Stinson, chair of the SCV Division Council of the SRAR. “We’re still seeing strong sales, many with multiple offers, yet the pace appears to be slowing slightly, even as more homes hit the market and interest rates remain below 3% for 30-year loans.”

Meanwhile, the historically low supply of homes on the market — with a record low 193 listings reported in December — improved slightly in July, with the 337 active listings the highest monthly supply reported since October and up 7.3% from last year.

“The increase in inventory is slight and comes primarily in single-family homes,” Stinson said, “yet even a few more homes listed for sale may ease upward pressure on resales prices.”

New developments, such as Vista Canyon in Canyon Country and FivePoint in Valencia, will assist in providing inventory to those looking to purchase homes in the SCV, Stinson and SRAR officials agreed.

SCV BUSINESS VOICES

A host of new projects, including this new KB Home development, is expected to help with the shortage of supply in the local housing market. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL KB HOME UNVEILS CLOVER COMMUNITY’S MODEL HOMES Of the new Valencia project builders is KB Home, whose 70-home Clover community is under construction at the site situated just north of Magic Mountain Parkway and west of Commerce Center Drive on Adventure Avenue.

The community consists of three floor plans, ranging from approximately 1,400 to 1,700 square feet, with up to three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms “The project has had a long path to

get to where it’s at, so it’s definitely been a long time in the making,” said Keltie Cole, President of KB Home’s Los Angeles and Ventura County division.

Each home is set to be ENGERGY STAR-certified, built with construction techniques and materials that ensure higher than average energy efficiency, as well as with healthier home living standards, using MERV-13-rated air filters.

See DEVELOPMENT, page B7

MAKE A FAMILY EMERGENCY PLAN PATRICK MOODY Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

D

o you need a plan?

It’s important for families to have an emergency plan in place before disaster strikes.

Knowing what to do in case of an emergency can help reduce your fear and anxiety—and even keep you out of harm’s way altogether.

Being prepared may also protect you against possible losses or ease the impact of the disaster, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

LEARN ABOUT HAZARDS IN YOUR AREA Knowing what your risks are is the first step in creating an emergency plan. Here in Southern California we are prone to fires and earthquakes. In addition, learn about potential human-caused disasters — such as hazardous materials incidents or nuclear power emergencies.

CREATE A FAMILY EMERGENCY PLAN Once you are aware of potential dangers, you can create an effective emergency plan. FEMA suggests that your emergency plan address issues such as: • Family communication. All members of your family should memorize the phone number of an out-oftown contact person. Always carry a cellphone to call this person to check in if there is an emergency.

• Evacuation plans. Local officials will usually provide information about how and where to evacuate in the case of a natural or human-caused disaster. Also, know about local warning services, such as sirens or emergency radio or TV broadcasts.

• Establish where your family will meet in case of an emergency.

• Utility safety. You may need to know how to shut off your utilities in the case of an emergency. For instance, all family members should know how to shut off gas service.

• Some disasters may crack water lines and pollute the water supply, so it’s also important that family members know how to shut off the water.

• Personal records. Create an inventory of your personal property, and keep your important documents, such as insurance records, property records and identification, somewhere safe, such as a safe-deposit box.

• Care for pets and livestock. Consider the needs of your pets and livestock when making a disaster plan.

Identify shelter and other resources for your animals.

Do not leave pets at home in the event of an emergency. Identify an appropriate shelter, such as a hotel or motel that allows you to bring your pets, because many emergency shelters will not accept pets. Contact your local emergency management office or animal shelter for advice.

For more information, visit ready.gov, or visit HenryMayo. com. 

B2 · SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · THE SIGNAL

NINE TOXINS THAT DESTROY GROWTH KEN KELLER

SCVBJ Contributing Writer

C

EOs would be wise to remember Gen. George Patton’s preaching, “A good plan violently executed right now is far better than a perfect plan executed next week.”

My question is: Where is your Profitable Growth Sales Plan? You can execute a good sales plan, but you can’t execute a plan that doesn’t exist. Let me share the nine toxins that destroy your chances for sales growth starting with the lack of a written sales plan for your company.

This means total reliance on each person in sales to dream up and execute their own magic plan. But they don’t have a plan, and never did; this explains why sales have been flat or declining despite the words from sales that things will turn around soon.

The second is your out-of-date sales comp plan.

Nothing says, “Thank you and I will work harder,” than big commission checks.

The third is the lack of clarity what kind of business you want to pursue. Minus clear direction, sales will bring in all the low-hanging fruit they can reach, and much of it will be rotten.

Fourth, there is no companywide prospecting effort.

Your best closers will bumble through prospecting instead of investing time signing deals. The rest will, figuratively, drink poison to get out of the torture of prospecting.

Fifth is failure to launch. The most valuable time for selling is during normal working hours; usually 7am. to 6 pm. The average salesperson doesn’t make their first call before 11 a.m. Look out for people running out for a quick client visit followed by a long lunch, more than half the day already wasted.

Next, the typical salesperson is happy to spend 71% of their time in administrative work (34%) or in other, blissful, non-revenue-producing activities (37%), because it’s easier than selling.

Seventh, just 15% of a salesperson’s day is spent with current clients, making that income vulnerable for the taking by the competition.

Eighth, a full 50% of all sales calls end not moving the relationship forward.

Toxin nine is the frequency at which salespeople give up on possible buyers. After the first call, half of all salespeople give up. Following the second call, a full 65% of salespeople have given up on the prospect.

Once the third call is completed, 79% of salespeople are done with the prospect. After the fourth call, 90% of salespeople won’t make another call on the prospect.

Yet, research suggests that by the eighth call, not only has a relationship started to form, but the salesperson is also the only person who has been both consistent and

AFTER THE FIRST CALL, HALF OF ALL SALESPEOPLE GIVE UP. FOLLOWING THE SECOND CALL, A FULL 65% OF SALESPEOPLE HAVE GIVEN UP ON THE PROSPECT.

There are a number of toxins that can kill growth in your business — ignore them at your own peril, writes expert Ken Keller. (MC) persistent in pursuit of the business opportunity.

If you, the CEO, desires better sales results, if you want to drive these toxins from your company, your role must change to be one of teacher, coach, and enforcer.

You must set into motion what is needed to consistently improve the sales skills of all, from rookie to the old pro; you will need to get out of the office, investing time with everyone to coach for improvement, and you will need to enforce a policy of “achieve or else.”

Ignore these toxins at your own peril.

Ken Keller is an executive coach who works with small and midsize B2B company owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs. He facilitates formal top executive peer groups for business expansion, including revenue growth, improved internal efficiencies and greater profitability. Email:Ken.Keller@strategicadvisoryboards. com. Keller’s column reflects his own views and not necessarily those of the SCVBJ. 

IT’S TIME FOR STRATEGIC THINKING, EXECUTION PLANNING

BY PAUL RAGGIO Co-owner, One True North

O

peration Overlord, the plan executed that led to the end of World War II, is one of the most complex and multidimensional plans in our world’s history.

Consider uniting 13 allied nations and executing a cross-channel invasion from England to Normandy in the Northwestern part of France.

Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the channel, preceded by a 1,200-plane airborne assault and a 5,000-ship amphibious assault. Airborne drops of paratroopers at multiple sites added complexity, as did the hundreds of thousands of multinational assaulting ground forces already staged in Europe.

It’s hard to imagine the strategic thinking, then execution planning that went into Operation Overlord, all without the benefit of cell phones and texting, computers and instant messaging, virtual meetings and webcasting endless PowerPoint presentations.

Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the supreme Allied Forces commander, was known to say, “In preparing for battle, I have always found plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Strategic thinking and execution planning are what Eisenhower and his four-star cohorts did in creating and successfully executing Operation Overlord.

Strategic thinking and execution planning is a discipline and mindset the best CEOs habituate. Envisioning their company’s place years in the future and the milestones necessary to achieve each progress pillar along the pathway to a vibrant, thriving, dominating business is the definition of strategic thinking.

Defining the multitude of goals, sequentially and concurrently time-framed to leverage and optimize resources, articulating what success looks like for each goal, and then assigning a champion held accountable to achieve them is the definition of execution planning.

Gone are the days of strategic planning that results in a group of executives coming together to chat about the future, producing a notebook laden with platitudes that eventually is book-shelved for the year and has little or no connection to the company’s financial forecasts.

Planning is an organizational process. If you do it well, then you have a defined and deliberate method that addresses future environments and how your company will contribute and benefit under forecasted and predictable, and unpredictable conditions. If you do it poorly or not at all, you’re leaving the fate of your company in the hands of others, and they’ll indeed determine your short-term success and long-term failure.

So, CEOs and business owners, if you haven’t started to think strategically about 2022 and creating executable plans containing strategies on how you intend on achieving the organization’s goals, you’re behind the power curve. The second and third quarters are the times to do your strategic thinking and execution planning and the third and fourth quarter is when you map your execution plan to the preliminary 2022 budget.

If you’re a small business, think eighteen months out.

If you’re a medium to large business, think 36 to 60 months out.

The framework for strategic thinking and execution

IF YOU’RE A SMALL BUSINESS, THINK EIGHTEEN MONTHS OUT. IF YOU’RE A MEDIUM TO LARGE BUSINESS, THINK 36 TO 60 MONTHS OUT.

One expression Gen. Dwight Eisenhower was known for: “Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” If you’re a business owner who hasn’t started planning for 2022 yet, you’re a little behind the ball, writes Paul Raggio. planning always starts with envisioning the future.

Where will we be in five years, three years, and at the end of next year? How will we get there, and what are the resources we’ll consume along the way? Refresh your purpose, vision, mission, and values aligning them with what you envision. Develop goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, time-bound, encouraging and rewarding. Prioritize the goals and identify the resources your company will require to achieve them.

Then turn your focus to where your company has been. Where were sales against the goal? How much backlog exists, and how does it measure against the plan? Was the profit goal achieved? What worked and what didn’t. What conditions led to success and failure.

What leadership and management skills increased, and what lack of skills inhibited productivity? What annual goals remain and determine if they warrant being pursued, rescoped, or eliminated. Where and why were there budget over and underruns?

End with the present. Evaluate your existing organization and ensure it’s easily scalable and fully leverages its span of control, lines of communication, systems, facilities, capacity and human capital. Assess your systems,

procedures, and processes, introduce technology where needed, clarify the procedures and processes where uncertainty exists. Then document and train them by job, section, department, division and other organizational stratification. Most importantly, assign, provide the resources, and support accountable champions to achieve the goals. Finally, create a budget and multiyear forecast that aligns the company’s priorities to match resources to annual and out-year goals.

Strategic thinking and execution planning are disciplines CEOs, and their executive teams must master if they want their companies to thrive. Gone are the days when executives escape on retreats to build a strategic plan laden with platitudes and lacking accountability and resource fidelity. As Eisenhower noted, plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. Be that strategic thinker and inspire your leadership team to create an executable plan to launch your business on an exponential pathway to growth and success.

This is how you lead, think, plan and act. Now let’s get after it!

Paul A. Raggio is co-owner, with his sister Lisa, of One True North INC Leadership and Business Coaching Solutions. 

THE SIGNAL · SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · B3

BUSINESS COMMUNITY RESUMES CAUTIOUS GATHERINGS

BY EMILY ALVARENGA Signal Senior Staff Writer

D

uring the pandemic, virtual events all but replaced in-person gatherings as the business community worked to continue operations as much as possible.

Whether a conference, meeting and even happy hour, the business community attended events virtually for the past year and a half, but after working remotely, countless Zoom calls and a lack of business travel, business leaders in the Santa Clarita Valley agree it’s time to return to some normal business practices — as safely as possible.

As the economy began to re-open, in-person events also began to resume, with many local business organizations returning to holding at least some of their events face-to-face.

However, as COVID-19 cases begin to increase once more and the more infectious Delta variant spreads locally, many in the business community are left wondering how to proceed.

“I think everybody’s trying to figure out what’s the right balance, but I think that businesses are eager to get back to being in person as much as they can,” said Holly Schroeder, president and CEO of the SCV Economic Development Corp. “The pace of that is different business by business, depending on what industry they’re in and what’s going on with their employees, but I think they’re eager to do so.”

The SCV Chamber of Commerce was among some of the first organizations to return to its in-person gettogethers, with many sharing their excitement as such during the first Business After Hours Mixer held at Valencia Acura last month.

“In-person interactions are vital for both fostering and creating connections, and while we did our best in the virtual environment to keep everyone connected, there’s no substitute for genuine one-on-one interaction,” Ivan Volschenk, managing partner at Evolve Business Strategies, which manages the chamber, said in a previous Signal interview. “The business community thrives on in-person events, where our leaders engage in authentic interactions to build lasting connections with one another, and these reliable bonds ultimately strengthen the fabric of our business community.”

Similarly, the Valley Industry Association has hosted a few of its events in person, such as its’ fourth annual State of the State in June and city update in July, both of which were held at the Hyatt Regency Valencia.

Even so, both organizations have been monitoring the changing situation and making adjustments as necessary.

“VIA is trying very hard to determine the thoughts and concerns of the business community about inperson meetings,” said Kathy Norris, president and CEO of VIA. “In fact, we’ve recently sent out a survey in which that question was asked, along with

Don Fleming, right, welcomes attendees to the first in-person Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Mixer held at Valencia Acura in Valencia on July 14. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL several others.”

Initial data from VIA’s survey indicated 79% of those that responded thusfar were reportedly comfortable attending in-person programs and events, while just 21% were not, according to Norris.

Norris said VIA plans to use the data to make final decisions regarding its upcoming VIA BASH, scheduled to take place in November.

“Whatever the results, the BASH will go on for

2021,” Norris added. “We conducted a very successful virtual BASH in 2020, but our hope is to present the 2021 BASH in person, whether indoors, or outdoors.

We will, of course, follow appropriate protocol to keep attendees safe.”

The SCVEDC is also planning to host its fall Economic Outlook Forecast in person, as the organization monitors the health orders, according to Schroeder.

See GATHERINGS, page B6

SCV BUSINESS VOICES

INNOVATIVE SCV COMPANIES SHARE HOW THEY CONNECT, CONTRIBUTE HOLLY SCHROEDER President & CEO of SCVEDC

H

ow well do you know the businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley? Most residents don’t realize that SCV is home to a broad range of companies across major industry sectors including Aerospace & Defense, Advanced Manufacturing, Biotech & Medical Devices, Digital Media & Entertainment, and Information Technology. The Santa Clarita Valley is also one of the few places in LA County that is seeing increasing population growth, with numerous ongoing residential, commercial, and industrial projects.

Over the past year, I have been interviewing many of the leaders of these innovative companies for our podcast series “SCV Means Business.” I am inspired by their commitment and dedication to not only their employees, but also the community.

It’s widely known that the Santa Clarita Valley is where many TV shows and movies are filmed. Additionally, there are about 40 soundstages such as recently expanded LA North Studios who joined us to discuss trends in production space and the impact of new streaming services on the film and television industry.

This wealth of production space has, in turn, attracted several companies that support the film industry into the area. Listen in on Alliance Integrated Technology who provide high performance storage and computing for the media and entertainment space, and how Vision Media provides innovative digital and physical solutions to various businesses in both film and tv.

One of the big advantages to Santa Clarita is its abundance of open areas for development. Listen in as Jim Backer talks about the Vista Canyon residential project, that combines high value homes with creative office spaces, new park and metro access, and exciting retail opportunities. Commercial development has also been booming, as you’ll learn from our podcasts with the IAC Commerce Center and the Center at Needham Ranch.

Each provided hundreds of thousands of square feet of highly desired real estate, making room for companies like LA North Studios to expand, and creating ideal operating centers for newcomers like DrinkPAK, Amazon and more.

The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) is a unique private / public partnership representing the united effort of regional industry and government leaders. The SCVEDC utilizes an integrated approach to attracting, retaining and expanding a diversity of businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley, especially those in key industry clusters, by offering competitive business services and other resources.

For more information, contact the SCVEDC at SCVEDC.org or call (661) 288-4400.

2021 DIRECTORS

B4 · SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · THE SIGNAL

REDISTRICTING MATTERS TO BUSINESS

By Ivan Volschenk Should the Santa Clarita Valley be represented by strong legislative leaders? Should our legislative districts be tied more with the San Fernando Valley and West L.A. or North County?

These are actual issues the SCV Chamber is actively working on right now to ensure the Santa Clarita Valley remains the center of legislative districts and continues to be represented with similar communities of interest.

CHAIR OF THE BOARD JOHN VANCE

Vance Wealth

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HUNT BRALY

Poole, Shaffery & Koegle, LLP

MARISOL ESPINOZA

Southern California Gas Company

KEVIN HOLMES

Martini Akpovi Partners, LLP

TROY HOOPER

Kiwi Hospitality Partners

DR. CHRIS RAIGOSA

Kaiser Permanente

CHRIS SCHRAGE

LBW Insurance Financial Services

NANCY STARCZYK

Realty Executives

BOARD OF DIRECTORS KAREN BRYDEN

SCV Locations

ANDREA CARPENTER

Logix

STEVE COLE

SCV Water Agency

JASON CRAWFORD

City of Santa Clarita

ANDREA DE LA CERDA

Scorpion

MATT DIERCKMAN

Colliers International

JEFFREY FORREST

College of the Canyons

MARAL MATOSSIAN

Westfield Valencia Town Center

PATRICK MOODY

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

DR. IZU OKPARA

Omni Wound Physicians

DAN REVETTO AT&T BECKI ROBB Princess Cruises HENRY RODRIGUEZ

State Farm Insurance

SANDY SANCHEZ FivePoint LINDSAY SCHLICK

SchlickArt Video & Photography

ROCHELLE SILSBEE

Southern California Edison

G. JESSE SMITH

California Institute of the Arts

DR. DIANNE VAN HOOK

College of the Canyons

DENNIS VERNER Burrtec KARINA WINKLER

Holiday Inn Express

BUSINESS COUNCILS Government Affairs The Government Affairs council meets to discuss policy decisions on a local, county, state and federal level. As a member, you are encouraged to attend a meeting and have your voice heard throughout the SCV and take a stance on pertinent issues relative to the business community or your industry in particular.

Industry & Technology The Industry and Technology council works to improve and enhance a strong business climate for Santa Clarita Valley based industry, manufacturing, processing and technology companies through pro-business advocacy to develop balanced laws, effective regulations and sound public policies to stimulate economic growth and create new jobs while safeguarding environmental resources.

Small Business Small Businesses are at the core of our Chamber’s membership and are the backbone of our economy. The Chamber offers a variety of educational and networking programming to help your small business thrive. The council focuses on three main objectives: Advises the SCV Chamber on small business related issues, programming and networking opportunities; Supports the Chambe’s “Retail Walks” with elected officials; and helps promote the nationwide “Small Business Saturday” program which highlights small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Non-Profit The SCV has a strong philanthropic community with more than 100 locally-based non-profit organizations that help our community thrive. Our non-profits are a key reason why Santa Clarita is a great community and always looking towards a better future. The council provides business resources for our local non-profit leaders to help them connect, grow and learn about valuable information so they can successfully meet their organizations mission and goals.

Latino Business Alliance Our LBA council works to promote Latino-owned business as well as relevant issues facing our Latino business community. In addition the LBA helps to educate businesses on how to enhance a company’s business efforts with Latino customers and other Latino-owned businesses.

NextSCV NextSCV is our next generation of leaders and the group aims to develop the next leaders of the Santa Clarita Valley through personal and professional development, civic engagement, and network building opportunities that ultimately stimulate local businesses and support the mission of the SCV Chamber.

In 2008, California voters created an independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that took the power to draw the district lines away from the state Legislature and handed to us as residents.

California is only one of several states that use an independent commission for this important task. This is our time and opportunity to ensure that we have our say in deciding the districts which range from members of congress, state legislators and many county and municipal offices.

In April the commission began the many months long process of informing the community of the process and seeking community feedback to make their determination. The SCV Chamber held a informational webinar for the entire community in April with Commissioner Ahmad that explained the process. To learn more, you can find it on their YouTube channel.

With the 2020 US Census, California is set to lose one seat in Congress for the very first time in history. Populations change, some districts gain while others lose residents. That’s why district boundaries are redrawn every ten years to ensure each district has about the same number of people and representation.

Many states consider “communities of interest” when drawing their districts. Community of interest is a term for groups of people who share common social, cultural, racial, economic, geographic, or other concerns. These groups are likely to have similar legislative interests as well, and that means they can benefit from common representation in the government. Other redistricting goals — like keeping a district compact or within county borders — are usually proxies for keeping communities intact.

The Santa Clarita Valley has been labeled as a community of interest. Not only are we affected statewide, but at the county level, as well.

The California Citizens Redistricting Commission will decide boundaries for Congressional, State Senate, Assembly and State Board of Equalization districts. It is imperative that our voices are heard, and that the Santa Clarita Valley, as well as the city and surrounding unincorporated areas, be included in one district for each of these.

The Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) will be deciding the boundaries for each Supervisorial District.

We urge the community to request the Commission keep the Santa Clarita Valley, including the city and surrounding unincorporated areas, within one Supervisorial District and to also, be placed within compact districts that include the communities in the Antelope Valley and northwest communities of the San Fernando Valley.

For decades, North County cities and communities have partnered in advancing public transportation, various development issues, land use, public health initiatives and public safety concerns. Most of these programs impact the region as a whole and are not specific to one community. It is in the best interests of the continuity of these initiatives that the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys be able to continue to advocate as one body.

It’s time to take action!

The SCV Chamber has an easy tool for you to send your support for keeping Santa Clarita in one district.

There are two campaigns, one for the California Citizens Redistricting committee and one for the Citizens Redistricting committee. When you sign onto each, emails will be sent directly to the commissioners. We encourage everyone to join us and send a strong message that we do not want Santa Clarita broken up into different districts.

The campaigns can be found on the SCV Chamber’s website on their Impact SCV page. You can also email them at hello@scvchamber.com for more information and any questions you many have.

To find out more about the Chamber, the benefits of membership, its business councils and all its resources please email hello@scvchamber.com or visit

SCVChamber.com

THE SIGNAL · SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · B5

ADVOCACY NEWS As the largest business membership organization in the santa clarita valley, the scv chamber of commerce is the voice of business. the chamber actively advocates on behalf of our business community on important local, regional and statewide issues that have direct impacts on our local businesses.”

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COUNCIL WEIGHS IN ON HOUSING AND BROADBAND BILLS Our Government Affairs Council recommended oppose and support positions to the Board of Directors on Senate Bill 679 and 743, respectively.

Senate Bill 679 was brought to us by LA County BizFed, and it is set to establish the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency.

Currently the bill requires a board composed of 19 voting members and one nonvoting member from Los Angeles County. This bill would permit the board to determine its organizational structure and to delegate specified powers.

SB 679 would authorize the agency to raise and allocate new revenue, incur, and issue bonds and other indebtedness, and place on the ballot in Los Angeles County and its incorporated cities funding measures, to raise and allocate funds for purposes of preserving and enhancing existing housing, funding renter protection programs, and financing new construction of housing developments.

OUR ADVOCACY HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT. JOIN THE CHAMBER TODAY TO STRENGTHEN THE VOICE OF BUSINESS IN THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY Senate Bill 743, which was also submitted by LA County BizFed, is tailored to meet the broadband needs of public housing communities to access service in individual housing units and in common areas transformed into computer labs.

Approval of this bill would establish a new grant program, under the administration of the CPUC, to fund internet service subsidies, broadband adoption, digital literacy, and computer equipment for publicly supported communities.

If the bill passes, it will take effect on January 1, 2022.

The bill specifies that the program shall award grants to eligible publicly supported communities for the purpose of providing both of the following: One-time funding for computer equipment and to establish computer labs, as well as ongoing funding for up to three years for broadband service and digital literacy programs.

This bill will essentially authorize a new agency with the authority to pass higher taxes and fees on land use decisions that will make housing even more unattainable and less affordable now.

Our Government Affairs Council meets every second Tuesday of the month from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM. It is open to all members. If you are interested in joining, please email hello@scvchamber.com.

UPCOMING EVENT HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH Every year from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by appreciating the community’s history, heritage, and contributions of the Latino community.

Hispanic Americans have been integral to the prosperity of the U.S. and the Santa Clarita Valley. Their contributions to the nation are immeasurable, and they embody the best of American values. The Hispanic-American community has left an indelible mark on the U.S. culture and economy.

Our Latino Business Alliance will be kicking off the celebrations on Wednesday, September 15 by acknowlging the rich Hispanic heritage and diverse businesses that help make Santa Clarita Valley the great place it is.

We are accepting nominations for businesses and community leaders of the year. Annually a business and community leader is recognized and honored for their achievements.

This year, we welcome back Sand Canyon Country Club as the Title Sponsor for the event.

To sponsor, get more information, or to nominate a business/community leader email us at hello@scvchamber.com. Nomination deadline is September 8, 2021.

Go to www.SCVChamber.com to find more details of the event and get your tickets.

MEMBER UPDATE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONIES

Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda and City Council Members Marsha McLean and Jason Gibbs help celebrate Slater 50/50’s one-year anniversary.

Santa Clarita business owners, elected representatives and corporate representatives gathered to celebrate Holiday Inn Express & Suites, SpringHill Suites by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott’s official grand opening.

B6 · SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · THE SIGNAL

GATHERINGS

FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE FOR GATHERINGS, VISIT BIT.LY/GATHERINGGUIDANCE

Continued from page B3

When in-person events resumed, the chamber made it clear the community’s health was always its top priority, according to Volschenk, who added, “We were excited to bring those events back, but (were) always cognizant that their health and maintaining everybody’s ability to work, and businesses to remain open was a top priority.”

Chamber events have always followed the latest Public Health guidelines, including masking guidelines and limited capacities among others, and while many of the chamber’s smaller in-person events have continued, the chamber recently made the decision to postpone its annual State of the County event out of an abundance of caution due to the high number of attendees planned for the event.

The 11th annual State of the County was scheduled to be the chamber’s first large-scale, signature event in more than 16 months, with more than 400 in-person guests scheduled to attend at Six Flags Magic Mountain with guest speaker Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

Most business organizations are continuing to offer a mix of in-person and virtual events, which local business leaders agreed they believe will remain the case for the foreseeable future.

However, while the virtual world can offer many benefits to the business community, many business leaders agree that it does not entirely replace in-person meetings, which are vital to a company’s growth and success.

“You can make a lot of good relationships using virtual tools, and they’ve been really effective in helping people maintain them, (but) I still think that there’s value and being face-to-face,” Schroeder said.

Networking and making new connections are more organic in an in-person setting, Schroeder explained, while inperson meetings also offer more opportunities to make these connections.

“There’s nothing that can take away from a personal, one-on-one interaction,” Volschenk added. “Virtual (interactions) have made it a little bit easier to maintain some of those relationships, but especially for new businesses, coming to a networking event is very important for them to meet people and to engage with the community at large.” 

Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda, Assemblywoman Suzette Valadares, Rep. Mike Garcia form a panel at the Latinos in Politics event hosted by the SCV Chamber of Commerce at College of the Canyons University Center in Valencia on Friday, 082021. PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

Attendees sit down for lunch at the Valley Industrial Association luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Valencia on July 20.

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Explosion sparks fire Blast at Valencia industrial park business sends three burn victims to hospital

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

An explosion at a Valencia industrial park sparked a brush fire and sent at least three people to the hospital Tuesday afternoon with critical burns and other injuries.

Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel first responded to initial reports of a possible explosion on the 25100 block of Rye Canyon Loop just before 4:45 p.m., according to Supervisor Leslie Lua. Meanwhile, SCV Sheriff’s Station officials advised residents to stay clear of the area as fire crews and Hazmat units worked to conduct their investigation.

Units arriving on the scene reported a quarteracre brush fire running uphill just before 5 p.m., Lua said.

“Three burn victims are all being transported to a local trauma center with additional injuries,” added Supervisor Ed Pickett. “We don’t know what caused it, and we are doing an investigation right now.”

Forward progress on the blaze, dubbed the #RyeFire, was halted around 5:20 p.m. at 1 acre, according to Supervising Fire Dispatcher Martin Rangel, adding that “initial reports are that it was an explosion at

Judge hears case of DDA union vs.

Gascón

S A N TA C L A R I TA VA L L E Y

BUSINESS JOURNAL

The Official Publication of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce

MARCH 2020 | VOL. 12 | NO. 3 | SCVBJ.COM

IT’S TAX TIME

Decision expected by end of the week

Proud to be this community’s only local newspaper.

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

Caleb Lunetta/The Signal (above) Dan Watson/The Signal (left, below left, below)

(Above) A firefighting helicopter drops water from above while personnel from multiple agencies battle the Rye Fire — which officials say was sparked by an explosion in a Valencia industrial park Tuesday. (Left) Los Angeles County Fire Department Public Information Officer Jonathan Matheny holds a news conference Tuesday evening about the investigation of the explosion. (Below left) The county Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad arrives on the scene to help with the investigation. (Below) First responders clear the roadway as three burn patients in critical condition are transported to a local trauma center Tuesday.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge said Tuesday a decision in the case of the union for county prosecutors against District Attorney George Gascón could come by the end of the week, after hearing both sides of the argument.

Judge James C. Chalfant held a preliminary injunction hearing at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in L.A., where attorneys for the union argued that such a hearing was appropriate to help prevent deputy district attorneys from “violating the law.” The lawsuit argues that it was illegal for Gascón to issue what they deemed as a blanket rule that prohibits prosecutors from seeking sentencing enhancements under the Three Strikes law.

“I think preliminary injunction here is appropriate, your honor, in particular, because, as a result of the special directives, the deputy district attorneys in this county are put in the unfortunate position of having to violate the law in carrying out their duties in prosecuting these cases,” said David Carroll, attorney for the union. “By the special directives, telling the deputy district attorneys, ‘It doesn’t matter; you can’t plead See GASCÓN, A2

See EXPLOSION, A2

City: Business losses ‘significant’; help on the way Council begins discussion of pandemic’s economic turmoil, 2021-22 spending plan

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

Santa Clarita businesses suffered a total revenue loss of more than $300 million, while others permanently closed in 2020, painting a clear image of the economic turmoil brought

forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, but city officials announced Tuesday hope is on the horizon.

At the start of the coronavirus crisis, sales tax revenue was projected to drop in the double digits, and it did at 13%, or $3.2 million last year.

“I want to emphasize the sales tax revenue collected by the city is only 1%,” City Manager Ken Striplin said in a budget meeting before the City Council and commission members. “As you look at what is the economic impact of that loss beyond our $3.2 million, you’re looking at a total loss of revenue to local businesses of $300 million.

So, definitely a very significant number.”

Much of the loss in revenue comes after unwavering health orders that forced major industries, ranging from restaurants to retail, to shut down or implement a series of changes.

Santa Clarita is also facing an unemployment rate of 9.3%, which falls just below L.A. County’s rate of 10.7%.

At the peak of the pandemic over the summer, Santa Clarita had reached a rate of 20%,

according to the state’s Employment Development Department. There are now 109,400 jobs across the city, a number that dropped from 114,000 in 2019, according to Striplin.

“The longer we remain in this crisis, the more prolonged the impacts will be felt and the longer the recovery will take,” said Striplin, adding that the See BUDGET, A2

Hart district to discuss return to school

By Caleb Lunetta Signal Staff Writer

The William S. Hart Union High School District governing board is set to discuss school safety practices, a return to school campuses and the recognition of Black History Month.

One of the first topics the board will cover is a school safety update from Collyn Nielsen, chief administrative officer for the district, according to the meeting agenda for tonight’s session.

The presentation breaks down the 22 items involving safe school best practices in four different categories: mental health and wellness, site security, policy and training, and communication.

Nielsen’s report will go through

the various items, and explain why each policy is a best practice before highlighting the district’s progress in that area, according to a publicly available PowerPoint presentation.

The plan includes continuing the district’s partnership with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, including professional development opportunities for teachers, standardizing security cameras at each site and installing bulletproof glass.

Kathy Hunter, assistant superintendent of educational services, will also provide the board with an update on the status of online learning in the district, and the continued planning for a return to campus when it is deemed safe to do so.

The district has said it is targeting a Feb. 8 return date for small groups of cohort students to return to campus.

INDEX Lottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A7 Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2

The board also plans to join in with the rest of the nation during the month of February and recognize Black History Month. The resolution reads that the William S. Hart Union High School District “recognizes and celebrates the contributions of African American historical figures, leaders, teachers, parents, community activists and students” but also encourages each of the district’s school sites to “host discussions and presentations to enhance the education of each student.”

The virtual Hart district governing board meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m. The meeting can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/ WQC9_nrWLm8. Public comments can be submitted by email to wshpubliccomments@hartdistrict. org no later than 4 p.m. today.

For more than100 years, The Signal has carried the banner of responsible community journalism in the Santa Clarita Valley.

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THE SIGNAL · SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · B7

Inventory continues to be a factor in keeping prices high, according to the experts. Graphic COURTESY THE SOUTHLAND REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

DEVELOPMENT

Continued from page B1

In total, the Valencia project consists of approximately 15,000 acres and approximately 21,500 planned homes, along with 11.5 million square feet of commercial space, new schools and 10,000 acres of open space, among other amenities.

“Santa Clarita has been just always a strong marketplace for us in home building,” Cole said, adding that the KB Home’s Vista Canyon in Canyon Country has had a great response. “Coming off of that project and into Valencia has just gave us a lot of enthusiasm that we’re delivering the right product and people are really responding to our floor plans and our pricing.”

Grading is also underway across town on the Dockweiler project, near the intersection of Dockweiler Drive and Sierra Highway, with KB Home’s Trenton Heights community models set to begin construction in early 2022.

Additionally, KB Home already has an additional three communities planned for phase 2 of the Valencia project, including Vesper, consisting of 54 homes ranging from 1,700-1,900 square feet, Sage, with 91 homes ranging from 1,900-2,600 square feet, and Crimson, with 84 homes ranging from 1,800-2,000 square feet.

The Valencia project is set to open to the public next month, but in the meantime, interested parties can contact KB Home to view its model homes by appointment. (More information can be found at KBHome. com.)

IMPACT OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON THE MARKET It’s these new developments that Holly Schroeder, president and CEO of the SCV Economic Development Corp., said provide more opportunity in the community.

“We’ve had low inventory for some time now, and this provides new inventory, which allows people who’ve been in their homes to move up or move down, depending on what their needs are, and then that opens up resale homes, and really just creates that velocity and turnover in the market that gives people the housing choices that they need over the course of their life,” Schroeder explained.

The housing supply shortage is not just local, as growth in housing inventory slowed in the aftermath of the 2008 housing crisis, creating an “underbuilding gap” of 5.5 million-6.8 million housing units across the country since 2001, according a June report from the National Association of Realtors.

“We have underproduced housing in the United States, relative to our population needs, so it’s really great to see all the new inventory coming on, but we still are just bringing ourselves out of the hole,” Schroeder added.

MARKET STARTING TO ‘COOL OFF’ While multiple offers and high prices are still the norm, Stinson noted that she’s seeing the market cool off a bit, adding, “We are for sure shifting from a market that just a month or two ago was crazy.”

Stinson believes this may be a slight correction to the market. Rather than 20-30 offers, there are now 3-6 offers on a property, and rather than offers coming in $50100K over asking, offers are coming in at asking price or $10-15K over asking price, Stinson added.

With many buyers exhausted from getting outbid for months, some have slowed or stopped their search, others with hopes that new developments could quell the market. 

Chris Hopkins, KB Home vice president of sales and marketing, compares kitchen faucets in the KB Home design studio. PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

Senior Director of Public Relations for KB Home Craig LeMessurier looks at choices in the KB Home design studio.

B8 · SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · THE SIGNAL

Economic Development Corporation 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road | UCEN 263 | Santa Clarita, CA 91355 | (661) 288-4400 | www.scvedc.org

Econo Watch Santa Clarita Valley Q2 2021 Q1 2021 Q1 2021 Sq Ft Commercial Vacancy Rates Office Space 16.71% 14.46% 2,795,259 Industrial Space 4.90% 5.60% 25,234,329 Total Marked Sq. Ft. Vacancy Percentage: 28,029,587 Office Space - as a % of Vacancy 9.97% 10.05% Industrial Space - as a % of Vacancy 90.03% 89.95

Building Permits

Jul ’21 Jun ’21

New Commercial/Industrial Building Permits Commercial Tenent Improvements/Alterations

Local Company Stock Prices Bank of Santa Clarita (BSCA) California Resources Corp (CRC) Carnival Corp. (CCL) FivePoint (FPH) Mission Valley Bank (MVLY) Six Flags * (SIX) Woodward (WWD)

0 27

N/A N/A

Jul ’20 8 40

Jul ’21 Jun ’21 % Change 13.98 328.11 21.65 8.37 14.65 41.45 121.56

14 30.14 26.36 8.08 14.35 43.28 122.88

Unemployment Rates

-0.14% -6.74% -17.87% 3.59% 2.09% -4.23% -1.07%

3 53

Jul ’21 Jun ’21 % Change

Santa Clarita

9.6%

Palmdale

13.7% 13.5% 1.48%

Lancaster

13.8% 13.5% 2.22%

Glendale

10.7% 10.4% 2.88%

Los Angeles County

10.5%

State

8.0% 7.9% 1.27%

Housing Stats

SCV Average Home Price SCV Average Condo Price

9.0%

10.1%

6.67%

3.96%

Jul ’21 Jun ’21 Jul ’20 880 880 630,00 559

559

409,500

SCV Home Sales

1,443

4,443

263

SCV Condo Sales

560

560

81

SCV Avg. # of Days on Market (SF) 29 29 85 SCV Single Family Home Inventory

320

320

255

SCV BUSINESS VOICES

M & M FASTENERS SUPPLY OFFERS SUPPORT FOR RETURN OF FILMING, CONSTRUCTION GROWTH

F

or years, the Santa Clarita Valley has been a home to feature films, TV shows, commercials and now streaming productions, as the SCV sits in the northern half of the Thirty-Mile Zone, or TMZ, an area created to encourage filming through tax breaks.

But what a lot of people might not realize is how many local companies, businesses like M & M Fasteners Supply Inc., play a vital role, so to speak, in making sure productions have the right parts.

While M & M has been known as a reliable name in commercial, aerospace and construction for four decades, after relocating to the SCV in January 2019, M & M CEO Eunice Hajek quickly realized that while she might be moving away from Hollywood, she was moving her company to a place where its ability to provide quality, reliable tools and fasteners would be hugely important for the filming industry.

Known as “Hollywood’s backlot” and “Hollywood North,” the SCV relies on countless local businesses like M & M to keep things running smoothly on the sound stages, on scene and anywhere else that complex, expensive film equipment or set building needs support tools and technology.

Another growth area for M & M has been in the support of essential construction. This progression was also a natural growth area for a company that’s long prided itself on supplying parts to keep us safe in the sky for the aerospace industry. Moving to a hotbed of growth has allowed M & M to become an authorized distributor for other trusted names, such as DeWalt, Senco, Elco, and Grabber Construction Products for hardware, tools, adhesives and more . Whether the need is a concrete anchor, an eyebolt, tek screws or nails, M & M prides itself on the motto, “Where quality meets customer service.”

“We have the tools and the hardware available not only to support the filming industry but also the construction industry,” Hajek said. “We’ve always provided quality customer care and the best parts available, but these recent economic conditions have really allowed us to demonstrate the ability and value of working with a local business as our economy begins to open up again.”

M & M Fasteners Supply is a stocking supplier of quality fastener products and accessories specializing in OEM, MRO, electrical and aerospace markets. M & M can also supply parts from a blueprint or technical specification. For more information, visit mmfastsupply.com or call (818) 767-8833. 

THE SIGNAL · SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · B9

CITY PHASES OUT TEMPORARY DINING RULES

BY KEV KURDOGHLIAN Signal Staff Writer

S

anta Clarita businesses and restaurants had until last Monday to take down the temporary outdoor spaces they built in response to COVID-19 restrictions that limited their indoor capacity during the first 15 months of the pandemic.

Temporary-use permits issued by the city of Santa Clarita allowing the outdoor operations on sidewalks and in parking lots expired on June 15 in conjunction with the state’s decision to remove COVID-19 restrictions on indoor capacity.

The city issued 63 permits free of charge to restaurants as part of its “Eat Local” program and 24 permits to non-restaurant businesses as part of its “Shop Local” program.

Jason Crawford, the city’s manager of planning and economic development, said the city worked with restaurants to determine a reasonable timeline to return the sidewalks and parking spaces to their pre-pandemic state.

“Having just been on Main Street where city staff are setting up for (Thursday night’s) Senses event, I saw that all of the tented expansions on to Main Street were removed,” Crawford said via email.

He said he’s not aware of any business that did not comply with the city’s order to remove their temporary outdoor spaces.

“Many of the restaurants that expanded via Eat Local also have permanent outdoor eating on patios,” Crawford’s email said. “These can be seen at restaurants across the city on Main Street, at Westfield and at retail centers in Saugus, Canyon Country, Newhall and Valencia.”

Restaurants that received temporary-use permits have not made requests to permanently add or expand patios, Crawford noted.

Ben Law, who co-owns Brewery Draconum, had created a temporary outdoor dining space in front of the

Outdoor diners at Newhall Refinery on Main Street in Newhall. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL Main Street location.

He said he took down his temporary outdoor dining space three weeks ago, leaving Brewery Draconum with indoor seating and a permanent outdoor dining area in the back.

“We literally just sold all the K Rail that we bought,” he told The Signal. “We had to get rid of it. We had nowhere to put it. You know, it’s bulky...so we sold it.”

About two months ago, when Law and other restaurant owners heard of the June 15 expiration date, Law attempted to organize restaurants against ending the temporary outdoor dining spaces.

“The city said, ‘We’re going to do it,’” he said of the city’s decision to allow the permits to expire. “And none of the restaurants complained.” 

B10 · SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 · THE SIGNAL

TAX AGENTS BOMBARD APPEALS BOARD HOPING TO MAKE A BUCK

BY JEFF PRANG Los Angeles County Assessor

I

’ve been trying to resolve an important issue since I was elected in 2014 that, I submit, is crippling the process by which property owners appeal the assessment on their property. In fact, it has created a huge backlog of more than 40,000 cases still waiting for a hearing, and that could take years to accomplish.

In no small measure, this situation has been caused by a handful of tax agents who file thousands of appeals — this year, 3,600 from one tax agent in a single month — that are without merit, withdrawn at the first sign of legitimate questioning or a no-show at the hearing.

Our tracking reveals that 70% of these frivolous appeals are withdrawn as soon as my appraisers challenge the claim. Moreover, the appeal will come to an unscheduled and screeching halt when the tax agent fails to appear at the hearing, which happens with alarming frequency.

I have to dedicate more than a dozen of my appraisers to handle these meritless cases who could otherwise be doing our primary work – processing transfers of property and new construction, which contribute to the Assessment Roll, the foundation of the property tax system. For instance, the appraisers that are assigned to preparing assessment appeals cases for thousands of meritless appeals, could be reassigned to process new construction permits. This year, 40,000 new construction permits will be delayed for processing until 2022.

These permits have an estimate value of $4 billion, or $40 million in property tax revenues. These funds will not be available to the County this year for public services such as police, fire, public schools and all kinds of infrastructure maintenance. It’s higher this year because of the COVID pandemic.

Historically, I delay 20,000 new construction permits annually because of this issue, which is $20 million in annual revenue that the County can’t use for public services. That’s a lot of money!

Essentially, these tax agents have monetized the assessment appeals process. They file a high volume of assessment appeals in hope that a smaller percentage will be approved without the necessary scrutiny, which is hard to provide when the system is overloaded by so many cases. I estimate that in hard costs the County loses at least $15 million annually in tax revenue. The lost “opportunity costs” are in the tens of millions.

The tax agents, on the other hand, receive 30%-50% of whatever firs- year tax reduction they get for their client. It doesn’t cost the tax agents anything to file these thousands of claims that they typically secure through mailing solicitations to unsuspecting homeowners.

These very same homeowners are experiencing a huge boost in their home’s value. Yes, small businesses have struggled, many forced to shutter, but the housing market has been booming.

BY INTRODUCING THE $46 FILING FEE, LOGIC DICTATES TAX AGENTS WILL BE MUCH MORE DISCRIMINATORY WHEN DECIDING WHAT LEGITIMATE CASES TO SUBMIT. OTHERWISE, I WON’T BE ABLE TO GET MY JOB DONE.

A backlog of appeals for property owners has prompted a number of delays and impacts the county’s assessor is looking to address. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL The average single-family residence has increased 22% over last year in the average home price, cresting at median of about $817,000.

However, most of the appeals are for residential properties. That’s right, when homes are rising, tax agents say home values are plummeting. It just isn’t the case. Not even close.

I have a possible solution. Something that many other counties in the state already have: A $46 filing fee, along with a hardship exemption if a homeowner cannot afford the nominal fee.

As an example, the 3,600 claims filed by one agent since July 2 would cost $165,600 in fees. I bet they would think twice about incurring such a cost, if it was required. Now, it costs them nothing to file. Nothing.

By introducing the $46 filing fee, logic dictates tax agents will be much more discriminatory when deciding what legitimate cases to submit. Otherwise, I won’t be

able to get my job done, legitimate appeals cases will go unheard, and the assessment appeals process will continue to be overwhelmed.

One last thing, which is very important, I am committed to making sure that property owners are getting fair and timely resolutions to their disputes without rough players consuming my Office’s resources for their own personal gain For more information on Prop. 19 or other tax savings programs, visit assessor.lacounty.gov or call 213-974-3211. Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang has been in office since 2014.

Upon taking office, Prang implemented sweeping reforms to ensure that the strictest ethical guidelines rooted in fairness, accuracy and integrity would be adhered to in his office, which is the largest office of its kind in the nation with 1,400 employees and provides the foundation for a property tax system that generates $17 billion annually. 

SCV BUSINESS VOICES

HEARING LOSS AND DEMENTIA — WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW DR. KEVIN BOLDER AuD, Audiology Associates

P

redicted to nearly double in prevalence every 20 years, dementia is a general term for cognitive decline that’s severe enough to interfere with daily life. Memory loss is one of this condition’s greatest side effects, which is why Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia.

What’s more is that research suggests that untreated hearing loss can actually accelerate the progression of dementia. When you can’t hear, you have a natural

tendency to become socially withdrawn, participate in conversations less, and experience an increase in mental stress—eventually, these things can contribute to dementia. When the brain can only focus on trying to hear, there is less energy being put into retaining information and forming memories. Conversely, when certain parts of the brain aren’t receiving enough stimulation, it can also affect its ability to function.

So, what can you do to make sure you are safeguarding against dementia?

The good news is researchers have found that hearing aids can actually delay the onset of dementia. Modern day hearing aids not only enhance and amplify sounds, they also make it easier for the brain to process and make sense of all sounds in an environment. This makes a significant difference. Even someone with a mild hearing loss can significantly lighten their cognitive load with

the use of hearing aids.

It’s important to remember that your hearing health is closely related to your overall health. In addition to dementia, hearing loss is also connected to depression, heart disease, obesity, and more. To make sure you are leading a happier and healthier life, the best thing you can do it get your hearing screened regularly by a hearing healthcare professional.

To make an appointment with a hearing health care provider, please call Audiology Associates at 661-2841900. Kevin Bolder, Au.D. and John Davis, Au.D. are two of the best in Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valley. Visit our website at www.AudiologyAssociates.net or stop by our office located at 23838 Valencia Blvd, Suite 100, Valenica, CA 91355. We are hearing health care excellence! 