October 20, 2022

San Diegans have lots to celebrate today: The San Diego Padres beat rival team Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 last night and today is the US Navy’s 247th birthday!

Business Updates:

The San Diego Business Journal in association with the San Diego County Imperial Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has released their 2022 Top 50 Latino Leaders of Influence list. You’ll see a lot of familiar Chamber member faces (and a special shout out to our own Kenia who was an honoree) – Congratulations everyone!

If you haven’t heard of Girlie Garage yet (a 2022 SBA Award Winner!), check out this great piece on how they’ve grown into a business that empowers and educates women on all things car-related.

Legislative Updates

Federal: 

Inflation numbers came out today, and matched the weather: gloomy.  Inflation numbers for September came in at 8.2 percent, making people more and more certain that the Fed will continue to raise and hold interest rates high. Cool.

The other side of inflation: Social Security recipients will get an 8.7% COLA increase, which is the largest in 40 years.

A preview of the federal student loan debt relief application was released earlier this week. Good news: it’s short and sweet and you won’t even have to log-in or upload documents to apply. The application is expected to launch by the end of this month and will be open through December 31, 2023.

Children as young as 5 are now eligible to receive the updated COVID -19 boosters. Just in time for the holidays!

Remember the railroad worker deal that was struck a few weeks ago? It’s back off, and puts a rail strike back in the realm of possibility, at a key time for holiday shopping and goods movement. Ho ho ho, and all that jazz.

International:

The Chamber was proud to participate in the third U.S.-Mexico Mayors’ Community Summit put on by Sister Cities International to celebrate cross-border culture and collaboration. Our very own Mr. San Diego, Jerry Sanders, shared insight on USMCA opportunities for our binational region, while Chamber Executive Director of International Business Affairs Kenia Zamarripa joined binational leaders across the U.S.-Mexico border to discuss how we can leverage bilateral collaboration and design to boost and strengthen global resiliency.

Can’t make this stuff up. New Zealand is pushing an initiative for farmers to pay taxes for their cows’ farts and burps. The goal is to help cut carbon emissions. Believe it or not, farming accounts for nearly half of the country’s total emissions, including cow belching.

Secretary Blinken co-led the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue in D.C. along with other senior U.S. government officials to welcome their Mexican counterparts to discuss implementation of the U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities. Through this dialogue, both governments discuss cooperation to improve public health and safety, and prevent organized crime.

Following the resignation of Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier, President Obrador announced the appointment of Raquel Buenrostro, former head of the Tax Administration Service. In her resignation, Clouthier stated that her ability to contribute to the Administration “was exhausted”.

UCSD is contributing to build what will become the largest migrant shelter ever constructed in Northern Baja California. This will be possible through collaboration with the Embajadores de Jesús shelter where they’ll offer housing and programs to address this urgent need and promote climate justice by including green areas and initiatives to mitigate pollution.

T-10 days for our annual delegation to Mexico City! We’re excited to go back and meet with key federal officials to advance policies and projects that will help our region and businesses thrive. Our agenda includes meetings with water officials to discuss efforts to mitigate transboundary pollution, as well as transportation agencies to advance the Otay Mesa East land port of entry that will help alleviate congestion at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa.

State:

California is investing $1.2 billion in a one-time funding effort for ports and freight infrastructure. Final guidelines and a call for projects here.

Something in the water… $1.2 billion (a different pile of money) was awarded to the IBank to help small business access financing via the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program and the Expanding Capital Access program. If you’re a lender who wants to participate in the loan guarantee program, IBank is looking!

This is wild: drivers in California will now be able to legally display digital license plates. Governor Newsom signed AB 984 into law on October 5th.

Gas prices are high, which you know, because you have eyeballs. In response, the state is kicking off a special session to consider a “windfall profits tax” which is sure to bring plenty of heat from industry who point out the regulatory burden in the state.

Earlier today, Infrastructure Advisor Antonio Villaraigosa, Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin, and regional leaders broke ground in San Diego for the state’s $3.8 billion, 10,000 mile middle-mile fiber optic network. With this vision, the state promises to deliver affordable, high-speed internet for all.

Local:

Very cool, and very true! Barrio Logan was featured in a CNN article as one of the top ten coolest neighborhoods in the WORLD for 2022. Heyo! Selected by Time Out, the number one getter was Colonia Americana in Guadalajara.

The Regional Task Force on Homelessness has released a new homelessness plan for San Diego County. 9,000 housing units along with at least 850 new shelter beds are part of the five-year strategy.

On Tuesday, the San Diego City Council adopted the grant-funded Cannabis Equity Assessment; the Cannabis Business Division (CBD) analyzed arrest records and accessibility to permitting. This is a first step in creating a Cannabis Equity Program in San Diego and will be used to apply for further grant funding.

Hey, we know him! Chamber-spouse (and member) gets major UT coverage for his leadership of AfghanEvac.

The seasonal flu is back and spreading rapidly among high-school students. The first respiratory illness outbreak occurred at Patrick Henry High School this week. Flu shots are available at no-cost at CVS Health, Sharp, and Kaiser Permanente (all of which are Chamber members)!

Recent U.S. Census data has shown that the annual household median income grew in San Diego from 2019 to 2021, making it at $91,003. While this gain makes San Diego one of the highest in the most-populated metros, San Diego cost-of-living and home prices significantly outpaced income growth.

Here’s what happened at the County Board of Supervisors this week:

• The County Board of Supervisors approved the Behavioral Health Impact Fund, a new iteration of a fund created in 2019 for mental health and drug treatment providers.
• Yesterday, the County Board of Supervisors held a special conference surrounding childcare issues and the challenges and opportunities that San Diego faces. We were glad to have Chamber staff present for the first panel to speak to the employer dynamic.  At the City level, Measure H, which would allow child-care facilities at city recreation centers, is another potential solution that is officially on the ballot. The Chamber is proud to support Measure H.
• Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer announced her retirement, having served in the top County executive position since 2012. The process to search for a new CAO will likely go into 2023.

The City of Chula Vista is hiring for a number of positions, including Assistant Director for Development Services. Laura Black, previously Interim Director, is now officially the head of Chula Vista’s Development Services Department. Congratulations!

City of San Diego Development Services Update:

• Earlier this week, DSD launched four new types of permits online: zone history letter, street tree, individual historical resource nomination, and transportation permit. Learn more about the upgrades and how they can benefit you here.
• Interested in the Individual Historic Resource Nomination and Zone history letter permitting? Check out DSD’s recorded informational webinars here.

The grand opening of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center took place on October 7th where you can now enjoy art exhibits and community archives, participate in workshops, and watch cultural performances to witness the storytelling of this community’s vibrant roots.

Upcoming Hearings

• The SANDAG Board of Directors will hold a special joint meeting with their Policy Advisory Committees and Independent Taxpayer Oversight Committee on October 14.
• The San Diego City Council will meet on October 17 and October 18.
• The County of San Diego’s Planning Commission will meet on October 21.

Capital Opportunities & Resources

• The California Rebuilding Fund is offering small businesses with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees loans up to $100,000. Learn more and apply here. The Small Business Majority will be hosting a webinar October 25 for interested applicants. Applications close on November 7.
• Chula Vista and the San Diego Foundation are offering Covid-19 relief money to small businesses and nonprofits. The city has $3.6 million dollars in its fund to spend. Organizations that operate in Chula Vista are eligible to apply until October 27. Applications won’t be reviewed until the deadline closes. For more information click here.
• San Diego County’s Small Business Stimulus Grant funds are still available for local small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the pandemic. County Districts 1, 2, and 3 are still accepting applications. Learn more here.
• Small business owners may currently receive $2,000 per employee that participates in the paid family leave program. Small business owners can apply here.
• Businesses can reach out to their nearest Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which has developed the Small Business Survival Resources Guide. SBDC can help with applying for COVID-19 relief, guiding you through available resources, and assisting with cash flow concerns, supply-chain interruptions, workforce capacity, insurance coverage, and more–all at no cost!

Future Chamber Meetings (Virtual) & Committee Actions

Transportation & Land Development Committee:

Our next meeting will be on October 18, 8:00am via zoom.

Economic Development Strategy Working Group: 

Our next working group meeting will be on October 25, 9:00-10:00am via zoom.

Sustainability & Industry Committee:

Our next meeting will be on November 3, 8:00am via zoom.

Public Policy Committee:

Our next meeting will be on Election Day, November 8, 8:00am via zoom.

Health Committee:

Our next meeting will be on November 9, 8:00am via zoom.

Cannabis Forum:

Our next forum will be on November 16, 8:00am via zoom.

International Business Affairs Forum:

Our next forum will be on November 17, 10:00am via zoom.