On Monday, VICA President Stuart Waldman and other business leaders met with Governor Gavin Newsom to discuss plans for economic development in the state. VICA urged the Governor to reestablish certain aspects of Redevelopment Agencies (RDAs) to drive investment and generate jobs in local communities. VICA supports RDAs as a critical tool to address our state's lack of affordable housing. 

On May 2, Kevin Demoff, Executive Vice President of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer of the  Los Angeles Rams , will discuss last year's NFC Champions, the 

Los Angeles Rams. Demoff will take time to answer members' questions and give an overview of last season, next season, and the new stadium.

VICA-sponsored Assembly Bill 1560, by local Assemblymember Laura Friedman and principal co-author Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, was passed unanimously by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on Monday. AB 1560 would bring more homes along Metro's Orange Line by amending the definition of Major Transit Stop. The existing definition excludes parts of California served by Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), but not served by rail. This means that the Valley and other communities across the state cannot take advantage of CEQA exemptions and incentive programs offered to affordable housing projects built within a 1/2 mile of a Major Transit Stop. AB 1560 will allow the Valley to take advantage of housing development incentives where housing is ideal.

AB 1560 will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. 

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

7:30 - 9:30 a.m.

VICA Office

16600 Sherman Way, Suite 170,

Van Nuys

Council District 12 Special Election Forum

Join VICA for a special Newsmaker Connection as candidates for Council District 12 gather to discuss issues affecting businesses across the San Fernando Valley. This special Election Forum will provide members with the unique opportunity to meet, listen and speak with the CD 12 contenders.

Confirmed Speakers

(as of 4/26/19)

Scott Abrams	Jeff Daar	Frank Ferry	John Lee
Loraine Lundquist	Stella Maloyan	Josh Yeager

This event offers attendees the opportunity to ask questions and receive immediate responses from our candidates.

Breakfast is included. The event is free for VICA members. Non-members interested in attending, please contact  Helene  at the VICA Office.

Today is the last chance to register!

Last month, VICA joined other community stakeholders to provide insight and suggestions for the new Hollywood Burbank Airport terminal's design. On May 1, the airport will hold another design "charrette" to seek input from the community on the proposed terminal's design. VICA will attend the May 1 meeting and looks forward to being part of the design process for this  new terminal.  VICA strongly supported Measure B, which allowed the Hollywood Burbank Airport  to reconstruct its passenger terminal to meet modern FAA and seismic standards.

Steven Kats is the AVP, business development director for WSP USA in Los Angeles. Kats serves as a VICA Board Member and is co-chair of the Transportation Committee Kats keeps a finger on the pulse of the transportation market and is responsible for partnering with regional leaders, stakeholders, and clients to strategically advance infrastructure in Los Angeles.

Why is VICA valuable to you or your business?

I have been actively involved with VICA for 5 years now and it has been a true pleasure. Serving on the Board of Directors and as the Co-chair for the Transportation Committee has opened up my professional network exponentially. Also, it has allowed me to have a much better insight to the future opportunities within my industry.

Why should members consider becoming more involved with the Transportation Committee?

If you are in the Transportation industry, then you need to become involved with the Transportation Committee here at VICA. This has become one of the most beneficial parts of VICA in my opinion. It is always a small group setting and is attended by influential speakers and decision makers in our industry. I know that other affiliations have taken note and are trying to mimic this VICA committee but none are as advantageous as this one.

The Transportation Committee's next meeting is on May 14.

Click here to RSVP for the May 14 Transportation Committee meeting.

This week, VICA-supported Senate Bill 50 passed the Senate Governance and Finance Committee with negotiated amendments to assuage concerns about gentrification. SB 50 would allow housing to be built near high-quality transit and in job-rich areas. The bill's provisions ensure to preserve local planning approval processes, displacement policies and affordable housing requirements for new construction. As investments to improve transit systems are being made throughout the state, SB 50 will give cities the tools to maximize development near transit and create transit-oriented communities.