September 30, 2022

• VICA After Dark with LAWA CEO 
• VICA Victory! Governor Enacts New Housing Legislation
• VICA Board Opposes Proposition 30
• VICA Advocates for Ending City-Wide Eviction Moratorium
• VICA PAC 2022 Endorsements
• California Paid Family Leave Grant
• Let Us Known Your Legislative Agenda

• Quick Jump - Register to Attend!
• Business Forecast Conference 2022
• VICA After Dark: Supervisor Kathryn Barger

"Today we are taking a monumental step in our efforts to turn our housing crisis in a different direction." 

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks

Statement on Signing AB 2011 That Will Generate Jobs and New Housing

VICA After Dark with LAWA CEO Justin Erbacci

VICA was pleased to host a VICA After Dark with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) CEO Justin Erbacci. 

Erbacci joined VICA to speak on the status of LAWA's two airports - LAX and Van Nuys Airport - as well as share updates on the ongoing projects at these airports that are designed to benefit the greater community. 

He began by covering some of the important contributions LAX makes to the surrounding community, including the generation of over $2 billion in revenue, housing over 700 aircrafts, and providing more than 2,000 jobs at the facility alone. These statistics show the importance of LAWA airports not just to the community, but also to the local economy. 

Erbacci then transitioned to speak to the many achievements that LAWA has made over the past few years. He stated that at LAWA, "we pride ourselves on being leaders in aviation...we want to be leaders, not followers." This leadership has helped LAWA achieve the Environmental Achievement Award, as well as the status of level three sustainability for the fifth year in a row, an honor only 16 other airports have achieved as well. 

Outside of their sustainability work, Erbacci emphasized LAWA's commitment to inclusivity and community. He noted that "we run an airport, and when you run an airport it's going to make noise." This statement, although met met with laughs, was used by Erbacci to emphasize the reasons community engagement is especially important to him. He ended by addressing VICA and our members and stated that "the community is very vocal, and with your help we listen to them."

VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsors Van Nuys Airport, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Airports, Clay Lacy Aviation, and Bechtel Infrastructure and Power Corporation, our Co-Sponsors HNTB and Southwest Airlines, and our Leadership Sponsor Jet Aviation - Van Nuys.

Ted Mekuria (HNTB), John Engstrom (Bechtel Corp), Justin Erbacci, Flora Margheritis (Van Nuys Airport), Bradford Wright (Clay Lacy Aviation), and Ruben Zaragoza (Southwest Airlines)

VICA Victory! Governor Newsom Signs VICA-Supported Housing Legislation Into Law

This Thursday, Governor Newsom signed into law two VICA-supported bills, Assembly Bill 2011 (Wicks) and Senate Bill 6 (Caballero), which together will help create much-needed new housing units, generate thousands of jobs, and increase the use of public transit. 

The housing units generated through the enactment of these two bills will benefit low and middle income Californians by allowing new housing to be built in underutilized commercial sites that were previously zoned for retail, office, and parking uses. In addition, new housing projects will also be built near existing transit hubs and near corridors where new transit is planned to be built. 

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, author or AB 2011, stated that with the enactment of these two bills, "no longer will lack of land be an issue...and no longer will red tape and bureaucracy prohibit us from building housing in the right locations to address our climate crisis." VICA worked hard to advocate for the passage of AB 2011 and SB 6 throughout this years legislative session and is pleased that the Governor made the right decision by signing them into law. 

VICA Opposes Prop 30 and Says No to Single Corporation Carve Outs

The VICA board has chosen to oppose Proposition 30, a 2022 state-wide ballot measure that would impose a new state income tax of 1.275% on income over $2 million that would be used to fund programs, including increased infrastructure investments in vehicle charging stations. 

Though marketed as a clean air initiative, Prop 30 has been almost entirely funded by Lyft, a single corporation that is spending millions of dollars on the proposition's campaign. This past year, the California Air Resources Board passed a rule requiring all ride share companies to use zero-emission vehicles to drive 90% of their miles by 2030. Prop 30 is an attempt made by one of those companies - Lyft - to get taxpayers to foot the bill for this transition to electric vehicles. 

California has already allocated over $50 billion to tackle the climate crisis, the largest investment of its kind in California history. This budget includes $10 billion to meet the state's zero-emission vehicle goals and $810 million to strengthen the state's fire response. Despite these record investments, Prop 30 would levy an income tax increase to fund the exact same types of programs.  

The VICA board believes that this proposition, which is opposed by both Governor Newsom (California's leading voice on the state's climate crisis) and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, is not in the best interest of Californians.

VICA Continues to Advocate for Lifting the City-Wide Eviction Moratorium

VICA voiced support at Wednesday's LA City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Covid-19 Recovery and Neighborhood Investment to phase out the city's eviction moratorium and rent freeze.

The tenant protections that remain in place today - remnants of policies put in place at the onset of the pandemic - are now being abused. Tenants are still able to refuse to pay rent, leaving landlords with no ability to collect the income that they have now been missing out on for years. 

The committee made the decision on Wednesday to advance the measure and repeal the protections against eviction at the end of January of next year. Under the proposed plan, starting February 1, 2023, Los Angeles landlords will once again be able to evict tenants for unpaid rent despite any lasting affects from COVID-19.

This plan still needs to be voted on by the full City Council at an upcoming meeting. VICA will continue to monitor the situation and advocate for an earlier end to the city-wide eviction moratorium and rent freeze.

VICA PAC 2022 Voter Guide

Candidate Endorsements

Ballot Measures

For the full 2022 Voter Guide, click the button below!

California Paid Family Leave Grant

VICA is pleased to promote its continued partnership with the California Paid Family Leave (PFL) Grant. The program awards grants to assist California's small businesses impacted by the Paid Family Leave (PFL) Program.

California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program, which the Employment Development Department (EDD) administers, provides eligible employees with up to 8 weeks of wage replacement benefits when an employee is off work for certain qualifying reasons.

Businesses with employees using PFL may have increased costs such as cross-training existing staff and hiring and training new and/or temporary employees to cover for employees on leave. This may be particularly true for small employers. The California Employment Training Panel and California Labor and Workforce Development Agency funded a grant program for small employers to assist with these issues.

The PFL Grant Program allows eligible small businesses in California with 1-100 employees with at least one (1) employee utilizing California's Paid Family Leave program to apply for grants up to $2,000 per employee to offset the increased costs associated with the employee out on leave.

For more information, eligibility details, and to apply, visit CaliforniaPFL.com

What are Your Legislative Priorities? Tell VICA!

As legislative sessions draw to a close, it's always important to ask what the next legislative session's agenda might look like and how that affects your business and the greater San Fernando Valley- Los Angeles business community.

VICA committees will begin discussing legislative priorities for 2023 this month, and we want to know what you think will be important for 2023. Click the Notify Now button below to communicate your ideas to our Legislative Affairs Manager, Victor Reyes, or email at victor@vica.com

VICA Vacancy

Members

VICA Thanks Our New and Renewing Members!

Platinum Member:

• FivePoint (2010)

Bronze Member:

• Harvard-Westlake School (2013)

Renewing Members:

• City of Hope (2009)
• Gaines & Stacey, LLP (1997)
• Strategic Government Affairs (2019)

New Member:

• Triple Five Group 

Business Forecast Conference: Attack of the Inflation Monster

Friday, October 21 | 7:00 AM

Hilton Universal City



Our Annual Business Forecast Conference continues to attract nationally recognized experts on our region's dynamic economy. This forecast will help our business leaders plan for the challenges facing us in 2023.

VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsors, SoCalGas and Wells Fargo.



VICA After Dark: Supervisor Kathryn Barger

Thursday, October 27 | 5:30 PM

Anheuser-Busch



Supervisor Kathryn Barger serves the residents of the 5th District — Los Angeles County’s largest — spanning over 2,785 square miles, which includes 20 cities and 83 unincorporated communities in the Antelope, San Gabriel, San Fernando, Crescenta, and Santa Clarita Valleys.

VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsors Anheuser-Busch, Amazon, Comcast NBCUniversal, SoCalGas, Southland Regional Association of Realtors, and Wells Fargo.

The Week Ahead

Not-for-Profit Committee Meeting

Thursday, October 6

8:30 - 10:00 AM

VICA Office

Sponsored by Pacific Federal

RSVP

Save the Date

Land Use Committee Meeting

Tuesday, October 11

8:30 - 10:30 AM

Hosted by The Garland

RSVP

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Meeting

Thursday, October 13

Noon - 1:30 PM 

VICA Office

Sponsored by LAAHU & Saybook University

RSVP

Aviation Committee Meeting

Tuesday, October 18

Noon - 1:30 PM

Hosted by Aerolease Group 

RSVP

Government Affairs Committee Meeting

Wednesday, October 19

Noon - 2:00 PM

VICA Office

Sponsored by Dolphin Group

RSVP

Hot News

Angelenos Support the LAPD

The public’s confidence in the Los Angeles Police Department has improved slightly over the last two years, although more than half of the city’s residents believe policing remains tainted by racial bias among officers, according to a survey from Loyola Marymount University.

The survey, which was a follow-up to a similar one conducted by the university in 2020, underscored how, despite the national reckoning over policing spurred by the murder that year of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, L.A. residents remain generally supportive of the LAPD, while also making clear they do not see them as a panacea to the city’s problems.

Newsom Signs Animal Welfare Bill

California will ban the testing of pesticides, chemical substances and other products on cats and dogs, under a bill signed into law Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. “For many families, including my own, pets are beloved companions that enrich our lives every day,” Newsom said in a statement on the signing of Senate Bill 879. “I’m proud to sign this legislation to advance our state’s leadership on animal welfare by ending cruel and unnecessary testing on dogs and cats, among other measures to protect the health and safety of pets in California.” The law, which exempts medical and federally required testing from the ban, goes into effect Jan. 1.

UCLA Expands Campus

In a milestone move to expand enrollment at the nation’s most popular university by creating a satellite campus, UCLA announced Tuesday that it is buying two large properties owned by Marymount California University, a small Catholic institution in Rancho Palos Verdes that closed its doors last month. UCLA’s $80-million purchase of Marymount’s 24.5-acre campus and an 11-acre residential site in San Pedro marks the university’s most significant expansion to help meet the burgeoning demand for seats.

Homeless Count Results Questioned

When the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority this month published a spreadsheet breaking down its homeless count by every census tract in the county, those with knowledge of Venice were incredulous. LAHSA said there were no unsheltered people — no tents, no inhabited cars or RVs and no people living outdoors — in the northwest quarter of Venice, which is notorious as ground zero for homelessness. Whether the result of human error or a systemic flaw, the botched Venice count has heightened criticism of the annual point-in-time count as inaccurate. In City Hall this week, Council President Nury Martinez introduced two motions asking for an audit of this year’s count.

Larry Laboe

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) Co-Founder and Executive Director

Larry Laboe is Co-Founder and Executive Director of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA), an organization committed to highlighting and connecting emerging filmmakers and storytellers worldwide. Larry is a member of the Producers Guild of America and has been a Faculty Member at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) and L Art University in Shanghai and Beijing. He is a Board Member of the BRIC Foundation and Film Festival Alliance (FFA), a Committee Member of SAGindie and the Co-Chair of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Entertainment, Arts and Media Committee. Larry has produced scripted and unscripted series and commercials, directed by talent such as Joseph Gordon Levitt, for some of the world’s leading brands, networks and studios, including Disney, NBC, VEVO, Dailymotion, MTV, DEFY Media, Comedy Central, Verizon go90, Amazon, Complex Media, Mountain Dew, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Verizon and Smuckers. Several of these productions have been official selections at top festivals including South by Southwest (SXSW) and have won major awards including a BANFF World Media Festival Rockie Award.

When asked some additional questions, the below was shared:

Tell us a bit about your background and a fun fact people would love to learn.

I love to travel, and have visited Cuba, Colombia, Vietnam, China, Italy, Greece, UK, Dominican Republic, France, Brazil and more!

What has been your organization’s largest accomplishment or efforts made over the past year?

NFMLA received a multi-year California State budget allocation for our non-profit programming, led by California State Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Robert Hertzberg.

How has VICA supported your business strategy or expanded your footprint with the business community?

VICA has helped us make meaningful connections for our organization with community members, businesses, and elected officials.