March 8, 2019

In This Issue
"On International Women's Day we celebrate the immeasurable contributions of women and girls around the world, whose vision, values and voices enrich our lives and empower our communities."

- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Media Mentions 
New Ordinance Could Provide Work Stability for L.A. Employees
KQED News
March 1

Debating L.A. City's Proposed Retail Worker Rules
KNX/CBS News Radio
March 1

Keeping City Hall Off the Menu
Business Life Magazine
March 4

Musella Group's New Business Venture to manage SCV Chamber
Santa Clarita Valley Signal
March 4

The True Problem
San Fernando Valley Business Journal
March 4

VICA Hears Update on Hangar Events at Van Nuys Airport
March 6


Members

VICA Thanks Our Renewing Members
____________________

PLATINUM MEMBERS

(2004)


(2012)
__________________

ColLAborate
(2018)

First 5 LA
(2014)

Marathon Petroleum Corporation
(2018)

ONEgeneration
(2011)

Really Great Employee Benefits
(2014)
__________________

VICA Welcomes Our New Member

Southern California Partnership for Jobs
 
Calendar

The Week Ahead

Access D.C.
Monday, Mar. 11 to Wednesday, Mar. 13
Washington D.C.
Registration is closed

Transportation Committee
Hosted by The Garland
Tuesday, Mar. 12
8:00 to 10:00 a.m.
The Garland
4222 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood
Click here to RSVP

Healthcare Committee
Hosted by Valley Presbyterian Hospital
Thursday, Mar. 14
12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Valley Presbyterian Hospital
15107 Vanowen St., Van Nuys
Click here to RSVP

Save the Date

Sacramento Advocacy Day
Tuesday, March 19
All Day
Sacramento, CA
Click here to RSVP

Government Affairs Committee
Wednesday, March 20
8:30 to 10:30 a.m. 
Penny Lane
15314 Rayen Street, North Hills
Click  here  to RSVP

Leaders Forum with LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl
Friday, March 22
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
NEW LOCATION
Hilton Universal City
555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City
Click here to RSVP



Hot Issues 

Housing
According to a report, Los Angeles is among the least affordable housing markets in the United States. A median-earning family in the area would need to spend 43.7 percent of their total income to afford a typical mortgage.

Public Pensions
This week, the California Supreme Court failed to weigh in on the constitutionality of the "California Rule" which makes it impossible to reduce benefits. With the rule in place, pension costs will continue to escalate.

Education
On Tuesday, VICA member Granada Hills Charter School was named a 2019 California Distinguished School in recognition of its high-quality academic intervention program and commitment to serving all its students.

DMV
California lawmakers are moving to address some of the biggest problems at the state Department of Motor Vehicles. A number of proposals aimed at reducing wait times and improving service have recently been introduced.

Wildfires
After successive years of devastating wildfires, CalFire announced that it would dramatically increase the removal of dead trees and other forest management efforts to reduce wildfire risk to more than 200 communities.

Development
State lawmakers are targeting cities' abilities to block new housing as they try to increase the state's housing supply. VICA supports Senate Bill 50 (Wiener), which would limit a city's ability to block housing development near public transit.



Oppose Lowering Voter Threshold for Bonds and Special Taxes
VICA opposes Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 (Aguiar-Curry), which would lower the threshold for voter approval for general obligation bonds and special taxes from a two-thirds supermajority to 55 percent for affordable housing and public infrastructure projects. 

The near equal success and failure rates for ballot measures demonstrate the fairness of the current system. The required supermajority vote ensures that only measures with detailed expenditure plans and strong support from community stakeholders are approved. The current system helps protect against unnecessary and poorly prepared tax increases and should not be changed. 

Click here to send a letter urging the Legislature to oppose ACA 1.


Tuesday, April 2, 2019
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Vitello's Restaurant
4349 Tujunga Ave., Studio City

Los Angeles Councilmember David E. Ryu



Join VICA for our upcoming After Dark, featuring Los Angeles City Councilmember David E. Ryu. Attendees enjoy hosted drinks and appetizers as they meet and interact with other prominent business leaders from the community. VICA After Darks are complimentary to VICA members. Sponsorships are available.

Co-Sponsored by CSUN and Sheppard Mullin

Click here to RSVP
Spotlight on VICA Leadership
Charles Crumpley is a VICA Executive Committee Member and Chair of VICA's Labor and Employment Committee.

Crumpley is publisher, editor and columnist for the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. Before that, he was the editor of the Los Angeles Business Journal for 10 years. He has been a reporter, senior financial writer, business section editor and columnist in his journalism career, which includes stints at three metro daily newspapers. He has won several national awards and fellowships, and he was a Fulbright scholar in Tokyo, where he also worked as an editor for a Japanese news magazine.

How is VICA valuable to you or your business?
VICA is extremely valuable to me. The staff does an exceptional job of keeping us up-to-date on statutes, ordinances, regulations, etc., that pertain to business in California. The organization also keeps me in touch with decision makers throughout the Valley area. And I love the fact that VICA projects the voice of business in Sacramento, City Hall and everywhere in between.

Why should members consider becoming more involved with the Labor and Employment Committee?
The number of new employment-related laws and regulations in California is stunning. Just in the last year, many employers found they needed to create a lactation room for employees, significantly boost their sexual harassment training and hire as employees those workers who had been independent contractors. Soon, they may need to give more time off - and fully paid time off - to new mothers. The Labor and Employment Committee keeps members up to date on new requirements, and it allows members to discuss the effect of proposed employment laws. What's more, members can vote on employment-law proposals, thereby sending the "voice of business" to political decision makers at state and local governments.

The Labor and Employment Committee's next meeting is on May 1.
Click here to RSVP to the next Labor and Employment Committee Meeting.
 
Learn more about VICA committees by clicking here.


Los Angeles County Supervisor 
Sheila Kuehl
3rd Supervisorial District

Friday, March 22, 2019
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 
NEW LOCATION
Hilton Universal City
555 Universal Hollywood Dr., 
Universal City

On March 22, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl will discuss the Woosley Fire and its aftermath. Supervisor Kuehl will take time to answer members' questions and give members an overview of what to expect in 2019.

Co-sponsored by HNTBMetro,  Mission Community Hospital and Southern California Partnership for Jobs

Sponsorships are still available - email [email protected] or call (818) 817 0545.

Oppose Plan to Make it Harder to Evict Problem Tenants
VICA opposes Senate Bill 18 (Skinner), which would expand state funding to provide rental assistance and legal aid for residential tenants by appropriating an unspecified amount from the general fund to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for statewide grants for rental assistance under the California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program.

Cities throughout California have already implemented protections from evictions and financial resources for tenants. Tenants already have access to free legal help from numerous tenant legal aid groups. Appropriating an unspecified amount of state funding to provide already available legal aid for tenants will be a significant misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Click here to send a letter to the Senate Housing Committee urging them to vote no on SB 18.
Business Advocacte Blog
You're doing one thing right now that is killing your relationship.

Nope, we're not love counselors. We're not here to tell you how to find your next date, plan the perfect date, or quit dating and start living. But, do we have your attention?
 
Dating is a lot like growing a business, it's not just you! In today's world of digital marketing, a flourishing business means you're paying attention to your audience engagement: how to get it, grow it, and maintain it. Clickbait, such as the post that brought you here, can be a clever marketing tool used to achieve this goal when formatted properly. (See where we're going now?) >>click here to read more.

VICA Members are welcome to submit entries for our Business Advocate Blog to [email protected]
Committee Report

Aviation Committee (03/06)
Hosted by Aeroplex Aerolease
  • The committee heard from Mark Adams, Government Affairs Director for Los Angeles World Airports, about LAWA's legislative priorities for 2019.
  • Pat Tomcheck, Senior Transportation Engineer at Los Angeles World Airports gave an update on LAX's vehicular traffic mitigation measures. 
  • Curt Castagna, President/CEO of Aeroplex Aerolease presented on the Van Nuys Solar Initiative.
  • Max Reyes from the Mayor's Office of Economic Development provided an update on permitting public events in hangars.
  • Finally, the committee heard an update on the Van Nuys Airport from Flora Margheritis.
Entertainment Committee (03/07)
Sponsored by Pacific Federal
  • Kevin James, President of the Board of Public Works Commissioners presented to the committee.
  • The committee then heard a presentation from Amanda Amaral from the City Bureau of Engineering on the proposed Los Angeles Zoo vision plan.
  • Finally, the committee heard a legislative update and discussed their priorities for 2019.


Join Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley's Chair Jessica Yasukochi (VICA) as her guest. To RSVP please contact [email protected]

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.