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Thursday, May 6, 2021 | View as Webpage
STOP THE HIDDEN TAX: AQMD WAREHOUSE RULE, OC "YELLOW" TIER SOON, COMMUNITY ALLIANCES FORUM, GREAT PARK VACCINATION CLINIC AND MORE!
HOT OFF THE PRESS
TOMORROW! HELP OPPOSE ANOTHER NEW HIDDEN TAX: AQMD CONSIDERS DETRIMENTAL WAREHOUSE RULE:*
  • Business, industry and taxpayers statewide are OPPOSED to South Coast AQMD's proposed Warehouse Indirect Source Rule, up for consideration by AQMD's Governing Board on May 7. At a time when goods movement and supply chain delays are hurting us, this hidden tax will cost jobs hundreds of thousands of jobs and fall short on its air quality improvements. Read OCBC’s letter of opposition here. You can help—click here to send a letter of opposition to AQMD! H/T to BIZFED LA for grassroots advocacy.

OC MOVES CLOSER TO YELLOW TIER—NEW STATE GUIDANCE EXPECTED:* 
  • OC’s metrics continue to improve and near yellow tier qualifications. Both the percentage of COVID-19 tests that come back positive and the positivity rate in neighborhoods with less access to health care have hit yellow tier qualifications to open most indoor businesses. Daily case rates continue to decline at 2.4 cases per 100,000 residents but must hit 2 cases in order for another tier transition. Vaccinations are encouraged to stop COVID-19 transmission and speed up transition to less restrictive yellow tier. Read more. As Governor Newsom’s plan is to open California up June 15, 2021, we are expecting NEW guidance beyond the old colored tier format. Stay tuned. 

OCBC CONCLUDES WASHINGTON, D.C. ADVOCACY TRIP:*
  • OCBC concluded the “One Voice, Two Capitols” Advocacy Summit with meetings featuring Representative Ken Calvert and David Grannis, Chief of Staff for Senator Dianne Feinstein. Congressman Calvert provided the Republican perspective on the infrastructure bill while Mr. Grannis discussed California’s pressing wildfire and water issues. Altogether, attendees had the opportunity to meet with 8 congressional and federal leaders! Next year, OCBC hopes you will join us for in-person advocacy trips to Sacramento and Washington.

U.S. BANK’S ACCESS COMMITMENT:*  
  • U.S. Bank aims to address the racial and wealth gap with Access Commitment. The program will support businesses owned by people of color, assist individuals and communities of color to advance economically and enhance career opportunities for employees and prospective employees. 

CALOPTIMA’S COMMUNITY ALLIANCES FORUM:*  
  • Join CalOptima on May 11 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for the Community Alliances Forum. Learn about COVID-19 updates, vaccines and how the county has partnered with community organizations to support health equity through “Project Independence”. Register here.  

OC GREAT PARK VACCINATION CLINIC:*  
  • OC Great Park’s COVID-19 drive-thru vaccination clinic is open Monday – Friday. Vaccines are free and by appointment only. Schedule an appointment today. For more information, available in different languages, click here.

CHRYSALIS NIGHT IN:*  
  • Chrysalis aims to change lives through jobs. Join Chrysalis on May 13 at 7:00 p.m. for a private online event that features musical performances, celebrity appearances, comedy and exclusive auction items. Proceeds will support Chrysalis’ employment-focused services and programs. Click here to secure a ticket.  
ADVOCACY UPDATE
NEW CA HOUSING PLAN COMING. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS HERE:*
  • Join CA Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) on May 27 at 9 a.m. for a virtual listening session on efforts to update the CA Statewide Housing Plan. Participants are welcomed to share their thoughts and ideas on CA’s housing challenges and opportunities in a closing breakout session. Register now!

BUSINESS RESOURCES
VIRTUAL OC WORLD TRADE WEEK FORUM:*
  • District Export Council of Southern California will host the OC World Trade Week Forum with a fantastic program of speakers and sessions designed to help SoCal firms get the insights and tools needed to move their business forward. For more information on the different sessions over May 18-20, click here.    

GOVERNOR APPROVES $6.2B TAX CUT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES:
  • On April 29, Gov. Newsom signed a bill that offers small businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic a $6.2 billion tax cut over the next six years. Under this new law, businesses' forgiven federal PPP loans will not be counted as taxable income and costs for expenses paid for by PPP loans can now be deducted.

SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR U.S CHAMBER GLOBAL FORUM:
  • The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Forum on Economic Recovery on May 18-19 will feature Republic of Colombia President H.E. Iván Duque and executives from Google, UPS, Softtek, among others. The virtual event will focus on economic recovery and ways to create healthier communities, support entrepreneurship and expand access to innovative technologies. Register today!

ACTIVITY AND BUSINESS TIER UPDATES:
  • California Department of Public Health made updates to the Activity & Business Tiers Chart. Modifications impact gatherings, private events, indoor performances and more. Check here to see if your industry has been impacted.   

ADDITIONAL COVID-19 RELIEF FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES: 
  • On April 21, President Biden announced a new paid leave tax credit that will offset the cost for employers with less than 500 employees to provide full pay when their employees get a COVID-19 vaccination or recover from that vaccination. For more information, click here.  

RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION FUND:
  • The U.S. Restaurant Revitalization Fund aims to provide restaurants with funds equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss. Recipients are not required to repay anything as long as funds are used no later than March 11, 2023. The U.S. Small Business Administration will administer funds to small restaurants that the pandemic has hit the hardest. For more information or details on eligibility requirements, click here. To register for an upcoming webinar by the OC/IE SBDC, click here.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
VOICE FOR GIRLS 2021:
  • Join Girl Scouts of OC, community and business leaders for a virtual forum on May 7 at 9 a.m. to support OC girls and encourage their leadership potential. There will be a live keynote and panel discussion. Register today!

OC COMMUNITY COLLEGES WORKFORCE NEEDS ASSESSMENT: 
  • OC Community Colleges invites people in the Retail/Hospitality and Tourism industry to take a brief 5-question Workforce Needs Assessment. Feedback will help OC colleges gauge how to better serve local industries/employees/future workforce with conventional career education programs or more nimble short-term training options.

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
SANTA ANA WINS SCAG AWARD: 
  • Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2021 Sustainability Awards recognizes excellence in land use and transportation to improve mobility, livability, prosperity and sustainability. Congratulations to the City of Santa Ana for its Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability Award for the Santa Ana Arts Collective (SAAC) Affordable Housing and Adaptive Reuse Community!

MEMORIALCARE ORANGE COAST AND SADDLEBACK MEDICAL CENTERS EARN HIGH HONORS: 
  • MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center and MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center have earned top national honors for hospital safety, receiving an “A” Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group, an independent national organization committed to health care quality and safety. This honor recognizes MemorialCare’s success in prevention of medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other safe patient care measurements. 
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
OCBC EVENTS
Economic Development Forum Series: Part 1 - Safe Travels 
May 20 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Join OCBC’s Economic Development Forum Series, Part 1, Safe Travels to hear from industry experts on the return of tourism, travel, leisure and transportation industries in OC. Thank you sponsors: Amazon, Cal State Fullerton, and John Wayne Airport.
Register here. For more information contact Lauren Martin, OCBC Events Manager. 

Chairman’s Leadership Breakfast Series featuring Lewis Cornell
May 26 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Grab your coffee and bagel and join OCBC virtually for the first Chairman’s Leadership Breakfast of 2021 featuring Lewis (Lou) Cornell, President and Chief Executive Officer, WSP USA, once of the largest engineering and professional services firms in the U.S.
Register here. For more information contact Lauren Martin, OCBC Events Manager.
 
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
May 7 | 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Join OCBC for an update from Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.
Register with Connor Medina, OCBC Government Affairs Manager.
 
May 11 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Join OCBC for a federal transportation and infrastructure update from Charles Small, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation.
Register with Connor Medina, OCBC Government Affairs Manager.

May 12 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Join OCBC in the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion. DE&I officers or other executives focused in this space are welcome to participate.
Register with Jesse Ben-Ron, OCBC V.P. of Workforce and Economic Development.
NOT AN OCBC MEMBER? JOIN TODAY!
Join OCBC and connect with the most influential companies and top executives actively engaged in creating a pro-business environment and prosperous economy. Hundreds of Orange County's leading businesses, cities and non-profit organizations represent an elite group from every industry cluster. But we need YOUR VOICE! For more info, contact Natalie Rubalcava, OCBC Chief Operating Officer.