November 3, 2022

And just like that…San Diego is a Sports City. Congratulations to the San Diego Wave FC who clinched the first-ever club win in the playoffs and are semi-final bound. And we’ll be cheering the San Diego Padres on as they head into NLCS game 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow!

Business Updates:

Get in there, small biz! The San Diego Regional Airport Authority is hosting a “meet the primes” event on November 1st and 8th.

Congratulations to UCSD! The school is set to open their new $68M outdoor amphitheater today!

Chamber Member AARP is partnering with the County of San Diego to create a better framework for aging support through their Age Friendly Communities initiative.

San Diego is powered by water! NPR was in San Diego to learn more about the innovative clean energy project that the City of San Diego and the San Diego County Water Authority are planning to help meet the region’s and the state’s clean energy needs. Water batteries and solar storage  may power our future.

Want to live well while you work? (Get it? Like whistle? C’mon that was funny!!) The County has a workplace accelerator program (flyer attached) you should check out.

Legislative Updates

Federal: 

The Consumer Financial Protections Bureau, created in 2010, got dealt quite a blow when Appeals Court deemed its funding source (Federal Reserve) unconstitutional. The court said since it wasn’t legislated by Congress, it’s a no from them, dawg.

What’s that now? Americans can now purchase hearing aids over the counter, without a prescription or medical exam. Walgreens has already started selling them, CVS and Best Buy will have them in stock within the upcoming month.

The form to apply for Biden’s one-time student loan debt forgiveness is officially online. Borrowers are encouraged to file their forms by Nov. 15 if they want their payments to shrink before the pandemic freeze on payments ends in January. The application can be accessed here.

Inflation goes to the IRS: the taxing agency raised 2023 rates and thresholds to reflect stubbornly high inflation rates. Federal thresholds will rise 7%. Of note, not all rates are adjustable… things like SALT ($10k) will hold steady.

Speaking of the IRS, the current commissioner’s term will expire next week and we’re all waiting for someone to announce the replacement. Because that job seems fun.Conversations around the future of telehealth aren’t over yet. Senator Brian Schatz’s CONNECT for Health Act hopes to extend COVID-19 telehealth rules and has the backing of over 60 senators. Earlier this year, a similar bill from Rep. Liz Cheney passed in July.

International:

Some of us have started packing for Mexico City and oh-so-excited to go back after 3 years! Be sure to follow us on twitter to check-out what we’re up to if you didn’t get a chance to join us this time.

Yikes! Liz Truss has resigned as Britain’s Prime Minister after what UK media calls six weeks of increasingly terrible decisions. That has to be some sort of record, but not one you’d like to go down in history for. The PM lost support of several key ministers and lawmakers following finance policies that were supposed to lower taxes but ended up increasing economic uncertainty across the UK. Their currency got to their lowest point ever, a great shopping opportunity for those of you traveling abroad btw!

As the number of Venezuelan migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border has risen, the Biden administration has turned to Title 42 to combat the issue. This measure grants the U.S. government the ability to ‘prohibit the entrance of individuals to mitigate the spread of a contagious disease’ and authorizes border officials to promptly turn around and deport migrants. It was initially enacted for 30 days in March of 2020 but extended indefinitely later on. Biden advanced efforts to suspend Title 42 back in May amid declining COVID cases, and is still pushing to do so despite its application to Venezuelan citizens.

NATO warned Russia that using nuclear weapons in Ukraine would “cross the line” as Putin prepares for nuclear exercises in the coming days. You bet the whole world is keeping an eye on Russia. NATO’s statements don’t include a clear action plan if Russia launches a nuclear attack, but assured “it would have consequences”. WW3 is not how we want to end this year.

Got any teens at home? They’re probably mourning that Korean boy band BTS is taking a break till 2025. These K-pop artists are due to fulfill mandatory army service, no exceptions for injecting billions of dollars into South Korea’s economy.

We all knew it, but now it’s official. Guinness World Records gave ‘Monday’ the record of the worst day of the week. Does this mean we can take next Monday off? 🙂

State:

Governor Newsom announced an end to the COVID state of emergency… in February. We’re not entirely sure what to make of that, but you better believe our fingers and toesies are crossed that nothing goes sideways before then.

But wait! CDPH is still working COVID. There are new regs, and while we try to keep this newsletter fun, the new regs involve math (womp womp). TL;DR: If your workspace is 400k cubic feet or more, your close contact definition is now exposed to a positive case within 6 feet for 15 minutes. If you’re under that 400k, your close contact definition is just anyone in the “same airspace.” Floor to ceiling walls count as separate workspaces. Also of note: Cal-OSHA is finalizing its two-year standard for COVID. Stay tuned.

California is known for its aggressive approach to workplace regulation. But what happens if laws don’t equal action? That, we all know, is a source of real frustration for both workers that have been wronged but also employers looking for clarification or closure on disputes. CalMatters reports a very bleak take on the lack of capacity by the state’s Labor Commission due to vacancies, pace of work, and lack of urgency.

A new program called “Más Fresco,” at Northgate Markets in Southern California, allows families and individuals to earn up to $100 a month to spend on fruits and vegetables. To be eligible for this program one must be a CalFresh recipient.

Some warning signs: California is in the first few months of its fiscal year and the revenues are billions of dollars behind, primarily due to lackluster income tax payments to the state. Remember, California’s budget lives and dies by personal income tax. For 2021-22 it made up 58% of the General Fund.

Local:

Remember how we mentioned the unknown respiratory illness breakout? Most of these cases have tested positive for Influenza A. Seriously, consider getting a flu shot. They’re available at no-cost at CVS Health, Sharp, and Kaiser Permanente (all of which are Chamber members)!

The goose who stole the spotlight during Game 2 of the Padres and Dodgers at the Dodgers Stadium, has gotten its own mural in Chula Vista. Muralist and Padres fan, Paul Jimenez, put up the creation in a mere three hours. To check it out, the mural is located on the side of Vogue Theatre in downtown Chula Vista.

LA remains messy, and while we could probably write quite a newsletter on that… we’re flagging this question about whether or not LA City Council should be expanded because if that discussion gets serious up to the north, it’s likely we’ll see a similar question here.

Early voting has begun at the San Diego County Registrar’s Office, more select locations will be open for early voting starting Oct. 29. Voter registration deadline is on Oct. 24 for the upcoming midterm elections, with the exception of conditional ballots which are available up until election day.

San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera will lead a council discussion surrounding housing solutions and tenant protections on October 31. Items on the agenda include request for support for a Housing is a Human Right resolution and an informational workshop to discuss ways to potentially strengthen the City’s tenant protections ordinance.

Earlier this week, San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo introduced his parental benefits package proposal for City employees. This proposal triples parental leave benefits and revamps the pregnancy disability format.

CAPS LOCK: The City of San Diego wants YOUR FEEDBACK! A new proposal will expand the outreach process on neighborhood development projects.

Next week, the County Board of Supervisors will consider an Opioid Settlement Framework being introduced by Chair Nathan Fletcher and Supervisor Joel Anderson. With the County anticipating $100 million in settlements from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, the strategy includes expanding medically-assisted treatment for addiction, wellness advocates in hospitals, housing and wrap-around services, and more.

Womp, womp. Metrolink and Amtrak between San Diego and Orange County may remain shut down through the end of 2022 for cliff stabilization. Good news though, this does not affect NTCD’s schedule. Plan holiday travel accordingly.

Several cities in California need to get their sh!# together or the state may step in to get more affordable housing built without local jurisdiction approval. Seriously, ‘builder’s remedy’ is potentially making its way into the City of Del Mar.

Upcoming Hearings

• The County of San Diego’s Planning Commission will meet on October 21.
• The County Board of Supervisors will meet on October 25 and October 26.
• The San Diego City Council will be in legislative recess next week and will next meet on October 31.

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:

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.

Transportation & Land Development Committee:

Our next meeting will be on November 15, 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.