ARTICLE
We are in mid-year and the weather is finally turning to summer time. As usual, our advocacy for promoting economic vitality for the Santa Cruz County business community does not stop in the summer months. However, it takes on a different pace because our local government (cities and county) have taken a summer break. Our state legislature is also on hiatus for a couple of weeks but they will be returning to the State Capitol just in time for the August heat to hit Sacramento. The Legislature is to reconvene on August 14. August is the time of year when our state legislature works at a rapid pace to beat legislative deadlines. Sept 1 is the last day for fiscal committees to meet and report on bills (most spending bills are tied to the recently passed State Budget, commonly known as Trailer bills. Sept. 8 is the last day to amend legislation on the Floor of either legislative body and Sept. 14 is the last day before an interim recess — the end of the first session of the two-year legislative calendar. October 14 is the last day for the Governor to sign or veto legislation. Meanwhile, there is brewing conversation (offline discussions) between legislators and different constituencies who either support or oppose specific legislation that may move forward this session. The Santa Cruz County Chamber is very selective in what legislation we look to support or oppose that could potentially have an impact on our local business community. We focus on those issues that directly or indirectly impact chamber members — affordable housing, education, transportation improvements, accessible and clean water sources, and of course taxes and fees that can be overbearing on the business community. The Chamber has a 'watch' list on a few state legislative bills. One, in particular, is the Assembly Constitution Amendment (ACA 6) that passed the Assembly last month and is being reviewed in the Senate Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Elections. If the legislation is approved by the Senate and signed by the Governor, ACA 6 would appear in the next election cycle in November 2024. ACA 6 singles out the University of California (UC) to be treated differently than all other public and private sector universities by applying public sector employment laws not just for its rank-and-file workers but also for its student employees, researchers, and faculty. Even private universities like USC and Stanford are afforded separate treatment as educational institutions to pursue their unique academic missions. Under ACA 6, UC would be the only educational entity singled out in this way. Our concern is with new provisions relating to contracting out services. UC is an anchor institution committed to creating new contracting opportunities for small, disadvantaged, women-owned, and minority businesses. These efforts fall within the University of California policy that requires contracts to be used only sparingly and as an option of last resort to address temporary or exigent circumstances, but not to displace University employees. Further, UC has engaged in good faith negotiations all year on legislation to codify additional limitations on contracting out. ACA 6 upends all that work and would make it nearly impossible for our members to do any business with the University. The Chamber Board of Directors will consider taking a position on this legislation before the State Legislature reconvenes in August. Another bill in the state legislature that the Chamber is carefully watching has to do with affordable housing. Senator Scott Wiener's (D-San Francisco) SB 423 extends and expands the provisions of SB 35 to 2036. SB 35 passed in 2017, has produced thousands of new subsidized affordable homes across California. SB 35 created a streamlined approval process for infill projects with two or more residential units in localities that have failed to produce sufficient housing to meet their Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) numbers. The streamlined approval process requires some level of affordable housing to be included in the housing development. To receive the streamlined process for housing developments, the developer must demonstrate that the development meets several requirements. Localities must provide written documentation to the developer if there is a failure to meet the specifications for streamlined approval, within specified periods. If the locality does not meet those deadlines, the development shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements for streamlined approval." It was approved by the State Legislature in September 2017 and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. We made a note about SB 423 in last week's eNews: https://web.santacruzchamber.org/news/newsarticledisplay.aspx?ArticleID=2015. The Chamber will keep a careful watch on this bill as it moves through the legislative process. Finally, on the home front in Santa Cruz County and specifically in Santa Cruz, there are internal discussions about a potential affordable housing ballot measure to establish a local funding source that is planned for the November 2024 ballot. What shape and form that ballot language measure takes is uncertain at this time. You may recall the action by the Santa Cruz City Council early this spring in discussing this issue in three public meetings and handing the draft language to the community. Here is a background from a Lookout Santa Cruz article: https://lookout.co/santacruz/civic-life/story/2023-06-20/santa-cruz-affordable-housing-ballot-measure-needs-a-political-leader-who-will-emerge. And just last week, after a five-year plus planning and community engagement process, a mixed-use housing project at 190 West Cliff Drive received approval from the California Coastal Commission: https://lookout.co/santacruz/civic-life/development/story/2023-07-13/west-cliff-condo-project-can-move-forward-after-coastal-commission-denies-appeal. But the biggest news story is about Sea Otter 841. This otter is capturing local, national, and international news as the top story — where the mischievous otter steals surfboards on Steamer Lane. Lori Pemberton sent a video to KSBW where she taped the action: "We were at Steamer Lane today and witnessed a Sea Otter steal a surfboard and fins from a surfer who left his board floating in the water unattended for too long. When the surfer and swimmers tried to retrieve their stuff the Sea Otter grabbed the surfboard and started swimming away. Even after the surfer grabbed the board back, the Sea Otter kept attempting to get on the board and reclaim it. He wasn't giving up without a fight. It was so funny to watch. Never seen something like that before!" https://www.ksbw.com/article/otter-steals-surfboard-swims-away-from-owner/44547533 A recent Facebook post described Sea Otter 841 as playful but somewhat vicious attacks on surf boarders, "only in Santa Cruz does something like this happen." Enjoy the summer.
We are in mid-year and the weather is finally turning to summer time. As usual, our advocacy for promoting economic vitality for the Santa Cruz County business community does not stop in the summer months. However, it takes on a different pace because our local government (cities and county) have taken a summer break. Our state legislature is also on hiatus for a couple of weeks but they will be returning to the State Capitol just in time for the August heat to hit Sacramento.
The Legislature is to reconvene on August 14. August is the time of year when our state legislature works at a rapid pace to beat legislative deadlines. Sept 1 is the last day for fiscal committees to meet and report on bills (most spending bills are tied to the recently passed State Budget, commonly known as Trailer bills. Sept. 8 is the last day to amend legislation on the Floor of either legislative body and Sept. 14 is the last day before an interim recess — the end of the first session of the two-year legislative calendar. October 14 is the last day for the Governor to sign or veto legislation.
Meanwhile, there is brewing conversation (offline discussions) between legislators and different constituencies who either support or oppose specific legislation that may move forward this session. The Santa Cruz County Chamber is very selective in what legislation we look to support or oppose that could potentially have an impact on our local business community. We focus on those issues that directly or indirectly impact chamber members — affordable housing, education, transportation improvements, accessible and clean water sources, and of course taxes and fees that can be overbearing on the business community.
The Chamber has a 'watch' list on a few state legislative bills. One, in particular, is the Assembly Constitution Amendment (ACA 6) that passed the Assembly last month and is being reviewed in the Senate Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Elections. If the legislation is approved by the Senate and signed by the Governor, ACA 6 would appear in the next election cycle in November 2024. ACA 6 singles out the University of California (UC) to be treated differently than all other public and private sector universities by applying public sector employment laws not just for its rank-and-file workers but also for its student employees, researchers, and faculty. Even private universities like USC and Stanford are afforded separate treatment as educational institutions to pursue their unique academic missions. Under ACA 6, UC would be the only educational entity singled out in this way.
Our concern is with new provisions relating to contracting out services. UC is an anchor institution committed to creating new contracting opportunities for small, disadvantaged, women-owned, and minority businesses. These efforts fall within the University of California policy that requires contracts to be used only sparingly and as an option of last resort to address temporary or exigent circumstances, but not to displace University employees. Further, UC has engaged in good faith negotiations all year on legislation to codify additional limitations on contracting out. ACA 6 upends all that work and would make it nearly impossible for our members to do any business with the University. The Chamber Board of Directors will consider taking a position on this legislation before the State Legislature reconvenes in August.
Another bill in the state legislature that the Chamber is carefully watching has to do with affordable housing. Senator Scott Wiener's (D-San Francisco) SB 423 extends and expands the provisions of SB 35 to 2036. SB 35 passed in 2017, has produced thousands of new subsidized affordable homes across California. SB 35 created a streamlined approval process for infill projects with two or more residential units in localities that have failed to produce sufficient housing to meet their Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) numbers. The streamlined approval process requires some level of affordable housing to be included in the housing development. To receive the streamlined process for housing developments, the developer must demonstrate that the development meets several requirements. Localities must provide written documentation to the developer if there is a failure to meet the specifications for streamlined approval, within specified periods. If the locality does not meet those deadlines, the development shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements for streamlined approval." It was approved by the State Legislature in September 2017 and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. We made a note about SB 423 in last week's eNews: https://web.santacruzchamber.org/news/newsarticledisplay.aspx?ArticleID=2015.
The Chamber will keep a careful watch on this bill as it moves through the legislative process. Finally, on the home front in Santa Cruz County and specifically in Santa Cruz, there are internal discussions about a potential affordable housing ballot measure to establish a local funding source that is planned for the November 2024 ballot. What shape and form that ballot language measure takes is uncertain at this time. You may recall the action by the Santa Cruz City Council early this spring in discussing this issue in three public meetings and handing the draft language to the community. Here is a background from a Lookout Santa Cruz article: https://lookout.co/santacruz/civic-life/story/2023-06-20/santa-cruz-affordable-housing-ballot-measure-needs-a-political-leader-who-will-emerge.
And just last week, after a five-year plus planning and community engagement process, a mixed-use housing project at 190 West Cliff Drive received approval from the California Coastal Commission: https://lookout.co/santacruz/civic-life/development/story/2023-07-13/west-cliff-condo-project-can-move-forward-after-coastal-commission-denies-appeal.
But the biggest news story is about Sea Otter 841. This otter is capturing local, national, and international news as the top story — where the mischievous otter steals surfboards on Steamer Lane. Lori Pemberton sent a video to KSBW where she taped the action: "We were at Steamer Lane today and witnessed a Sea Otter steal a surfboard and fins from a surfer who left his board floating in the water unattended for too long. When the surfer and swimmers tried to retrieve their stuff the Sea Otter grabbed the surfboard and started swimming away. Even after the surfer grabbed the board back, the Sea Otter kept attempting to get on the board and reclaim it. He wasn't giving up without a fight. It was so funny to watch. Never seen something like that before!" https://www.ksbw.com/article/otter-steals-surfboard-swims-away-from-owner/44547533
A recent Facebook post described Sea Otter 841 as playful but somewhat vicious attacks on surf boarders, "only in Santa Cruz does something like this happen." Enjoy the summer.