August 2018 | Volume X | Economic Development | Legislative Advocacy
Protect Your Business: Simi Valley Police Department To Discuss Business Safety at August Connections Luncheon

For some businesses in Simi Valley, the issues of homelessness and break-ins have become burdensome on business owners. In an effort to combat this issue and educate business owners, Deputy Chief Joseph May and Sergeant Steve Shorts will give a presentation at the Chamber's August Connections Luncheon.
At this event, they will be discussing the growing homeless population and the element that is impacting businesses with the criminal transients. Deputy Chief May and Sergeant Shorts will discuss what the police department is able to do to help mitigate some of these challenges.

They will also educate on what property owners need in order to give the police authorization to act if there is a problem, such as the letter of agency . This letter would give the police department and officers the ability to act as the "agent" for the property owner in the event of trespassing. This letter needs to be updated each six months with the police department.

This luncheon will take place on Tuesday, August 21st at 11:30 AM. If you wish to attend, please click here to sign up .
California Competes Tax Credit Available -- Apply By August 20!
The California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) is a state income tax credit for businesses that are expanding in or relocating to California or that are in risk of leaving the state. The CCTC was created by California to boost business and can be used to offset California income and franchise tax liabilities.

The deadline to apply for this program is August 20, 2018! The GO-Biz office is presenting 45 minute webinars with more information on the program, including program goals, step-by-step instructions for application, and a question and answer session. Webinars are scheduled for August 8th at 2 PM and August 13th at 9 AM.

For more information on the program, or to submit an application by August 20, 2018, visit www.calcompetes.ca.gov .
How Does Internet Service Impact Your
Business in Simi Valley?

The Simi Valley Chamber's Economic Development Committee is committed to addressing all issues impacting our local business community. 

Many businesses have expressed concern regarding the reliability of their internet service. We are concerned that this may be negatively impacting the productivity of our local businesses, here in Simi Valley.
The Economic Development Committee has been discussing this issue of internet service reliability and has formed a subcommittee to further dive into the issue, address the concerns, and find a solution that benefits businesses.

If you have any experiences with internet service, we would appreciate your feedback through this short survey. Your responses will be anonymous and confidential; only summarized survey results will be shared with our Committee and City Council to assist in addressing this matter.

Please click here to take this short survey. We look forward to your feedback as we start to address these concerns.

If you are interested in participating in this discussion, feel free to attend the monthly Economic Development Committee meeting, which meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month at 8:30 AM in the Chamber.
Simi Valley City Council To Post
Meeting Agendas Early
The Economic Development Committee has been discussing the challenges faced with the Simi Valley City Council Agenda Posting Date. By law, the city council agenda must be posted 72 hours prior to the public meeting. However, the City Council meeting falls on a Monday, therefore the agenda would typically be posted the Thursday night or Friday morning prior to the meeting.
There was some concern and frustration among business owners who wanted to discuss a topic on the agenda; there was virtually no time to research a topic or schedule meetings with City staff.

Starting on July 31st, the City of Simi Valley will post the City Council agenda on the Wednesday prior to the City Council meeting, giving concerned citizens five days to review and research topics on the agenda. This outcome is a positive change that will benefit many business owners and community members. This change, first discussed at an EDC meeting in early 2018, is a huge success for the business community at large and the committee is very pleased with the action taken by the City in this matter.
H.R. 2333, The Small Business Investment Opportunity, signed into law
Congressman Steve Knight’s ‘H.R. 2333, The Small Business Investment Opportunity Act,’ was signed into law . This law makes improvements to the Small Business Investment Company Program run by the Small Business Association (SBA) that allows privately owned and managed investment funds to invest in small businesses. This law raises the limit to allow small businesses access to additional resources to expand operations and invest in their workforce.”
New Proposition 65 Regulations Take Effect August 31st
The new Proposition 65 regulations significantly overhaul longstanding warning regulations and depart from the rules that business have relied upon for decades. Accordingly, it is imperative that businesses operating or selling into California reassess and potentially overhaul their long-established Prop 65 compliance programs before the effective date. Failure to comply could subject businesses to potential liability, including penalties of up to $2,500 per day, per violation.”
The new regulations continue to provide "safe harbor" warning content and methods for consumer product exposures; the new regulations also significantly revise the required content and specify separate safe harbor warnings based on the types of listed chemicals, the number of listed chemicals, and the method of transmission. The new regulations also clarify the responsibility between manufacturers, retainers and others in the supply chain to provide warnings.

For more information about these changes, click here .
Do You Work For A Manufacturing Businesses? We're Seeking Your Input
The Economic Development Committee (EDC) is working to develop a Manufacturing Roundtable to encourage business success, development, and training. The Manufacturing Roundtable would meet quarterly, feature a speaker on a relevant topic, and would focus on issues that impact manufacturing businesses specifically.

If you are part of a manufacturing business, please fill out this short survey to provide us with feedback on the needs of this business sector.
Simi Valley Chamber Legislative Advocacy Forum
 
The Simi Valley Chamber Legislative Advocacy Forum (LAF) meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month to discuss current legislation and its impact on businesses. Staff from the state legislature, U.S. Congress, County of Ventura, and the City of Simi Valley attend these meetings.
 
Join us for the next meeting on Wednesday, August 22nd at 8:00 AM in the Chamber.


Simi Valley Chamber Economic Development Committee

The Simi Valley Chamber Economic Development Committee (EDC) focuses on business attraction, business retention, business struggles, and other issues within the City of Simi Valley. Working together with community leaders and City officials, the EDC addresses issues such as internet connectivity, homelessness, business developments, shop local initiatives, and more to strengthen the business environment within Simi Valley.
 
Join us for the next meeting on Tuesday, September 11th at 8:30 am.
Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce | 805-526-3900 | [email protected] | simichamber.org