Consider Your Chamber As a Resource for Economic Development Trends and Strategies

Businesses, organizations, governments, and the news media routinely ask your Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce for insight on regional economic development trends and strategies. To serve our members and the public, the Chamber identifies, collects, and maintains documents and information that show Monterey County economic trends and strategies.

To help our awareness of specific components of the regional economy, your Chamber maintains positive relationships with other organizations. For example, on June 13 your Chamber President & CEO Monica Lal attended and provided Chamber perspectives in the “Strategic Roadmap Stakeholder Input Forum” for See Monterey (the former Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau). Monica is also a member of the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and receives regular briefings in Sacramento about the economic status and direction of California.

Meanwhile, your Chamber’s Government Affairs Liaison Kevin Dayton monitors Monterey County local governments and tracks their economic development strategies and reports. For example, on June 11 the Monterey County Board of Supervisors received an annual presentation and report on the progress of the county’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). As stated in the staff report to the Board of Supervisors from Monterey County Economic Development Manager Richard Vaughn, “the Year 2 update presents new data analysis to provide a snapshot of the current economic landscape across the County and to inform near-term economic development planning.” The latest annual report confirmed an ongoing sluggish recovery for the county’s hospitality and tourism industry.

Finally, your Membership Development Manager Kasey Ashurst continually receives insight from Chamber members and prospects about the issues and challenges facing individual companies in the region. Accumulated tips about what’s actually happening at the ground level can provide a perspective on business that economic data sets may not reveal. For example, the Chamber knows that demand for affordable, quality child care in Monterey County continues to exceed supply, and this situation continues to discourage parents from entering the workforce while reducing the pool of potential employees for businesses. Knowing the Chamber’s interest and leadership in child care policies, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors in 2023 appointed your Chamber President & CEO Monica Lal to the First 5 Monterey County Commission.

The Chamber’s Economic Vitality Committee is the committee assigned with the responsibility of creating, maintaining, and distributing information about economic development trends and strategies. If you are interested in this committee or this topic in general, please contact Monica Lal at 831-648-5350 or at monica@montereychamber.com.

Agreement Reached to Reform Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) to Create a Better, Fairer System for Workers and Employers

Today, the Fix PAGA coalition, representing non-profits, social justice advocates, family farmers, health care providers and businesses, announced their support for legislation to reform California’s broken Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). The agreement was announced by Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas after months of discussions between labor advocates and the coalition.

If passed by the legislature, the legislation would reform PAGA to ensure workers retain a strong tool to resolve labor claims and receive fair compensation, while limiting the shakedown lawsuits that hurt employers and employees.

A recent report found that since 2013 there have been nearly $10 billion in PAGA court case awards, but due to significant attorney fees, workers receive only a small portion of these awards. PAGA hurts virtually every industry and employer in California, including non-profits, local governments, family-run businesses and others.

The legislature will consider the PAGA reform legislation as early as this week. The deadline for measures to be withdrawn from the November 2024 ballot is June 27, 2024. If the PAGA compromise measure is passed and signed by the Governor prior to June 27, the Fix PAGA coalition will remove it’s November 2024 PAGA reform measure from the ballot.

montereychamber.com

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: "Anatomy of a Hack" with DeVeera Technology

Wednesday, June 19 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Zoom or In-Person at MPCC Offices

Free

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RIBBON CUTTING: Everyone's Harvest Seaside Farmers Market 1-Year Anniversary

Thursday, June 20 | 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Laguna Grande Regional Park, Seaside

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MIXER: Annual California Rodeo Mixer at Monterey Regional Airport

Thursday, June 27 | 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Observation Deck, Monterey Regional Airport, Monterey

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Annual Business Excellence Awards presented by 1st Capital Bank

Thursday, July 18 | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Monterey Conference Center, Monterey

Presented by 1st Capital Bank, this event increases public awareness of the vital role business plays on the Central Coast and gives recognition to those businesses that have achieved excellence in their fields. 300-plus Peninsula business and community leaders attend to show their support for the local businesses that make up the backbone of our community.

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The County of Monterey Public Defender’s Office is pleased to announce the annual “Clean Slate Day” on Friday, June 28, 2024 at three different locations. The event aims to assist individuals clean past records of felony and misdemeanor arrests and convictions in the hopes of helping overcome barriers to employment, housing, education and public benefits. This event is limited to Monterey County criminal matters.

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