VICA Weekly: Local Officials Join VICA for 2017 Local Officeholders Luncheon

August 18, 2017

In This Issue

"We need to be vigilant to make sure the San Fernando Valley gets its fair share of transit improvements from Measure M."

- Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield at VICA's 2017 Local Officeholders Luncheon

Media Highlights

Will There Be a Dramatic Slowdown in the Construction of L.A. Housing?

LA Weekly, August 11

State Meddles in L.A. County Affairs with Push to Add Supervisors,

Daily News, August 16

Members

VICA Thanks Our Renewing Members

PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE

(1988)

GOLD MEMBER

(2010)

Signature Flights

VICA Welcomes Our New Member

Barlow Respiratory Hospital

Calendar

The Week Ahead

VICA University Workshop with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning

Thursday, August 24

9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

VICA Office

16600 Sherman Way, Suite 170

Click here to RSVP

Boost Your Business with Facebook feat. Senator Henry Stern

Friday, August 25

8:30 a.m.

Monterey at Encino

16821 Burbank Blvd.,

Encino, CA

Click here to RSVP

Save The Date

Sacramento Advocacy Day

Wednesday, August 30

All Day

California State Capitol

Click here to RSVP

Labor & Employment Committee

Wednesday, Sept. 6

8:30 - 10:00 a.m.

The VICA Office

16600 Sherman Way,

Suite 170

Click here to RSVP

VICA After Dark with LAUSD Board Member Scott Schmerelson

Sponsored by Toll Brothers

Wednesday, Sept. 6

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Palisades at Westcliffe

11741 N. Manchester Way, Porter Ranch

Click here to RSVP

Hot Issues

Energy

The organizations that run California's electric grid are gearing up to deal with the impact of next Monday's solar eclipse on the energy supply. California has almost half the solar power in the whole country.

Environment

City officials are exploring ways to combat record-breaking, rising temperatures in Los Angeles. One tactic for achieving Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's goal to reduce the city's average temperature by 3 degrees Fahrenheit over the next 20 years may involve coating city streets in a substance known as CoolSeal, a gray-colored coating designed to reflect solar rays.

Government

Five proposals for various bond measures could total billions and will be considered by the legislature over the next month. The proposals include bonds for housing, parks and water.

Health

The San Fernando Valley has experienced a spike in the number of West Nile virus cases this year. Almost half of the 22 people from Los Angeles County who tested positive for West Nile virus so far this year are from the San Fernando Valley. Officials with the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District found 49 infected mosquito samples in the past week alone.

Housing
Seventy-seven percent of Los Angeles renters plan to relocate to different cities, according to a new study from the rental site Apartment List. In Los Angeles, 49 percent of renters surveyed listed affordability as their top reason for moving.

Security
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) launched a two-day pilot program designed to test airport-style body scanners that screen subway passengers for firearms and explosives. Metro is conducting the pilot program to evaluate the accuracy and capacity of the portable machines, as well as to determine if the scanners could become permanent fixtures in the Los Angeles transit system.

The

Local Officials Join VICA for 2017 Local Officeholders Luncheon

Co-Sponsor Steve Nissen ( Comcast NBCUniversal) poses a question to Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Nick Melvoin at the Local Officeholders Luncheon.

On Thursday, over 400 VICA members and their guests met with local elected officials at VICA's 2017 Local Officeholders Luncheon at the Hilton Universal Hotel. Leaders from Los Angeles County as well as from the Cities of Los Angeles, Agoura Hills, Burbank, Calabasas, Simi Valley and Santa Clarita talked about substantive issues important to the San Fernando Valley business community.


	Presenting Sponsor David Meza ( Southern California Gas Company) looks on as Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Kelly Gonez answers a question during the Local Officeholders Luncheon.

Attendees enjoyed a question-and-answer session where each official was asked a question concerning his or her district or office responsibilities. The questions ranged from asking Los Angeles Unified School District Board Members and Los Angeles Community College District Trustees about how to better partner with industry to close skills gaps and prepare students for the workforce to asking Los Angeles City Councilmembers questions regarding the implementation of Measure M.

The 2017 Local Officeholders Luncheon was presented by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Southern California Gas Company, Walmart and Wells Fargo, and was co-sponsored by the California Apartment Association of Los Angeles, Comcast NBCUniversal, Charter Communications, Englander Knabe & Allen, Film L.A., Inc., the Los Angeles Daily News, PricewaterhouseCoopers and US Bank. Thank you to our sponsors, members and all who attended this event.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar speaks at VICA's Local Officeholders Luncheon.

Click here for more pictures from the event.

Linkage Fee Will Worsen Housing Affordability in Los Angeles

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee will consider a flawed proposal which would impose a $12 per square foot linkage fee on new housing, and a $5 per square foot linkage fee on commercial development. Los Angeles has some of the highest housing costs in the nation, and many residents have found themselves unable to afford the increase of these costs over the last few years. Only 28% of households are currently able to afford a median-priced home in Los Angeles County, and this number will continue to shrink if we do not alleviate our housing shortage. The linkage fee will increase the already sky-high cost of housing in Los Angeles, worsen our housing shortage, burden low-income families, and squeeze out hard-working middle class families. We cannot afford to make housing more expensive. Join VICA at PLUM at City Hall on Tuesday, August 22 at 2:30 p.m. to oppose this costly fee that will worsen housing affordability in Los Angeles.

For more information or if you plan on attending, email [email protected].

Friday, October 20

Hilton Universal Hotel

555 Universal Dr, Universal City

Sponsorship, Advertising & Exhibit booth opportunities are available!

Click here for an up-to-the-minute speaker list and click below for sponsorship opportunities.

Click here for sponsorship opportunities and speaker information.

VICA Strongly Opposes Ban on County Contracting

As the Legislature reconvenes on Monday, VICA is continuing to express our strong opposition to a bill which would act as a de facto ban on counties contracting out for personal services. AB 1250 (Jones-Sawyer) would place onerous reporting requirements on counties and their contractors, including requiring the reporting of detailed personal information. VICA President Stuart Waldman met with legislators to explain how this would negatively impact small businesses, non-profits, and the residents who they serve in Los Angeles County.

Send a letter opposing AB 1250 by clicking here.

Thursday, August 24

9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

VICA Office

16600 Sherman Way, Suite 170

Van Nuys, CA 91406

VICA invites you to join the Department of City Planning for a workshop that will serve as a vital component of the Department's engagement with the community to manage growth and aid the improvement of the quality of life within the Southwest San Fernando Valley.

Click here to RSVP.

VICA Expresses Support of NAFTA

This week, negotiations on updating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) began. VICA wrote to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to express our strong support for NAFTA. Los Angeles hosts two of the largest ports in the world and one of the largest airports. NAFTA helps Los Angeles export our goods and services to key international markets: Mexico and Canada are California's number one and number two export markets respectively. In 2016, California's exports to Mexico were valued at $25.3 billion, with $16.2 billion exported to Canada. Trade with Canada and Mexico supports over 1.6 million jobs in California. Los Angeles thrives because it is a gateway to the world, and the implementation of NAFTA has been integral to that success. NAFTA facilitates trade by eliminating tariffs for businesses and consumers, providing crucial intellectual property (IP) protections, and working toward more efficient customs procedures. We urged Ambassador Lighthizer to ensure that modernization of NAFTA allows Los Angeles, California, and the United States to continue our leadership in the global economy.

VICA Seeking Administrative Assistant

Immediate opportunity for an Administrative Assistant for a small, but busy office in Van Nuys. The Administrative Assistant is the face of VICA for most visitors and many VICA members. While duties range from managing the front desk activities to compiling event registration, the first priority of the Assistant is always the person who calls in or walks through the door.

This is a great opportunity for an ambitious graduate to learn about advocacy and the business community in the San Fernando Valley.

If you or someone you know is a qualified candidate, click below to learn more about the requirements for the position and information on how to apply.

Click here for more information.

Join VICA's 2018 Board of Directors or Be a Committee Chair

VICA's 2018 Board of Directors nomination and selection process is under way, and we want your suggestions! Board members must be able to attend regular board meetings and be prepared to vote on a wide variety of public policy issues. Board members must also attend regular committee meetings and VICA events. Additional responsibilities may include calling or writing lawmakers, attending press conferences, testifying, authoring editorials, interacting with top opinion leaders and more. For more information on the 2018 Board of Directors guidelines, click here.

If you or someone you know is interested in participating on the board in 2018, please click on the nomination form below and submit to [email protected]. If you don't want to serve on the board, but are interested in serving as a committee chair, please let us know that on the nomination form.

Click here for the Board of Directors Nomination Form.

Send VICA Your Nominations for the 2017 Harmon Ballin Award

VICA's Harmon Ballin Community Service Award annually honors an active VICA member who has made an outstanding contribution to our community through their long-term community service activities. A nominee is someone who:

1. has been an active VICA member, and is still a Board member or is otherwise actively engaged

2. has significant and long-term involvement in philanthropic and community/public service organizations or a significant record in that area

3. is a role model as a community leader.

Please submit your nomination to [email protected] by Friday, August 25.

Click here for the Harmon Ballin Nomination Form.

On October 7, 2017, join Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV and Homes 4 Families in going Over the Edge for Veterans - a chance for the most daring donors to rappel down the Universal Hilton. 100 percent of the funds you raise will help build homes and provide services for veteran families in North Los Angeles County. Click here to register or explore sponsorship opportunities, or call Donielle DeLeon at (818) 884-8808.

Member Messages:

Get Your Message in VICA Weekly!

VICA members can promote their business, events and news in VICA Weekly. Member messages are available for $50 per week or $175 for four weeks. Messages are text-based and may not contain more than 70 words. A logo may be added for an additional $5 per week. For more information or to schedule your member message, contact [email protected] or

call (818) 817-0545.

ABOUT VICA

Presenting the business perspective on behalf of employers in the San Fernando Valley cities of Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, San Fernando and Santa Clarita.