VICA was pleased to host a Leaders Forum with Metro's CEO Stephanie Wiggins this past Friday.

Wiggins joined VICA to discuss pertinent issues relating to transportation in the San Fernando Valley, including VICA's vital role in the passage of Measure M. Wiggins reiterated how VICA ensured Valley projects were included and how she always "listens to VICA."

She opened by taking a moment to thank and acknowledge essential workers, stating that "essential workers depend on transportation now more than ever," emphasizing the importance of Metro's role in the Valley. Her dedication to the Valley already is showing; since taking on her role as CEO in 2021, Metro has created eight new lines in the San Fernando Valley and enrolled more than 2,000 students in their new U-Pass program, a program that provides college students with discounted fares and unlimited rides on all Metro services within the county.

Wiggins stated that her overarching goal for the San Fernando Valley is establishing a transit network that "connects people to places they want and need," something that will be developed with input from the community and by organizations like VICA.

VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsors, Bechtel Corp., Comcast NBCUniversal, EKA and Flatiron Construction, and our Co-Sponsors, CSUN, HNTB, JLM Strategic Talent Partners, and Keolis. Thank you to our Centerpiece and Table Sponsors, Armbruster, Goldsmith & Delvac, Cerrell Associates, Flatiron/Herzog, Parsons, and UCLA Government & Community Relations.

The VICA Board has voted to oppose a 2022 LA City Ballot Measure, which would place a Parcel Tax Measure on the November 2022 Ballot to provide funding for parks and recreation infrastructure, generating approximately $227 million annually.

The measure would implement a tax of $0.08414 per square foot on improved parcels, reduced to $0.0222 upon completion of certain programs or in 30 years. The city makes over $15 billion from property taxes, among the highest of any American city. Los Angeles property owners and tenants are paying enough. The city should consider other means to support parks and recreation infrastructure projects before adding additional cost burdens to property owners and tenants.

All nominee forms must be submitted via email to Cathy@vica.com by Friday, September 2, 2022.

If you or someone you know is interested in participating on the VICA Board in 2023 or Chairing a committee, please don't hesitate to click on the nomination form below and submit via email at Jessica@vica.com no later than Friday, September 2, 2022.

VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsors, Amazon, Comcast NBCUniversal, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, SoCalGas, and Wells Fargo.

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For more information on elected officials joining us Click Here.

VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsors, Sunhill Properties/Hilton Universal City, Medtrans, and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.

Sponsored by Metropolitan Water District

The way Vin Scully called a baseball game, it felt like bumping into an old friend. There were stories to tell and memories to share, his soothing banter as familiar as green grass and warm breezes on a sunny afternoon. Generations of Southern California fans knew this, listening for hours on end, at home and in their cars, pressing transistor radios to their ears even as they sat watching at the ballpark. “Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you wherever you may be,” Scully would invariably begin. The renowned Dodgers broadcaster died Tuesday, the team announced. He was 94.

The pace of hiring unexpectedly surged last month, as the U.S. job market showed surprising strength in the face of high inflation and softening economic activity.

Employers added 528,000 jobs in July according to the Labor Department — a significant acceleration from the previous month. Job gains for May and June were also revised upwards by a total of 28,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, matching its lowest level in decades. The uptick in job growth surprised analysts who had expected a slowdown. The U.S. economy has now replaced all of the jobs that were lost in the early months of the pandemic.

Dry lightning and gusts from scattered thunderstorms could stoke more extreme behavior early this week on or near the McKinney Fire burning in Northern California, which exploded in size and intensity over the weekend, killing at least two people. The state’s largest wildfire of 2022 by far, the McKinney Fire surpassed 55,000 acres, or 86 square miles, as of a Monday morning update from Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service. The blaze, which ignited Friday afternoon at Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County, is 0% contained.

Californians used less water in June but are still falling short of the 15% mark set by Governor Gavin Newsom. According to numbers released Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board, Californians cut water usage by 7.5% in June compared to June 2020. However, between July 2021 and the end of June 2022, water usage dipped by just 2.7%. Given the relatively slight drop in water use and the increasingly dire picture of the Golden State's drought, Newsom convened a panel with local water leaders for the second time in as many months to point out the importance in continuing to use less water.

Los Angeles County voters will decide in November whether to give the Board of Supervisors the power to remove an elected sheriff from office. The proposal, which stems from supervisors’ long-running feud with Sheriff Alex Villanueva, would severely undercut the autonomy sheriffs in L.A. County have always been granted and hand an extraordinary level of authority to the already powerful supervisors. The five-person board, which is also elected, voted 4 to 1 on Tuesday to place a measure on the ballot that, if approved by a majority voters, would amend the county charter to allow a sitting sheriff to be jettisoned.

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to prohibit homeless people from setting up tents within 500 feet of schools and day-care centers, during a raucous meeting where protesters shouted down council members and, at one point, brought the meeting to a halt. The new restrictions, approved on an 11-3 vote, dramatically expand the number of locations where sleeping and camping are off-limits. And they come amid a furious debate over how the city should respond to encampments that have taken hold in many parts of the city.

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 cathy@vica.com or call (818) 817-0545.