News Blog

Partnership goes to Sacramento with the REAL Coalition, advocates with lawmakers

IRWINDALE, CA - The Partnership visited Sacramento this week and joined the REAL Coalition in meetings with key lawmakers working on housing, transportation and economic development legislation. The REAL Coalition is a group of the 25 largest regional business groups in the state, including the Los Angeles Area Chamber, Orange County Business Council, Greater San Diego Chamber, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and many others. 

"We had a great opportunity to meet with key lawmakers this week," said Partnership President & CEO Bill Manis. "We gave critical feedback to our legislators on housing, transportation and the major issues facing the San Gabriel Valley."

The Coalition met with Senator Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco), chair of the Senate Housing Committee, to discuss his bill, SB 50, which up-zones areas around transit hubs and stations, encouraging greater density in new housing development. Next was Senator Jim Beall (D-San Jose), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, who discussed his economic development bill, SB 5, which hopes to bring back tax increment financing to help build more affordable housing in the state. The final meeting was with Larry Mendonca, the director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development and new chair of the State High Speed Rail Authority. He emphasized that the Newsom Administration is approaching economic development with a focus on equity across the state, helping those areas that need jobs and new growth the most. California has the 5th-largest economy in the world, he said. Clearly, something is working in the state's business community but major challenges remain - and the Governor and his staff want to address the things that are holding back greater growth in California.

Following the REAL Coalition meetings, Partnership staff met with Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge), who represents the foothill cities of the San Gabriel Valley in the Senate as well as chairing the Appropriations Committee. He discussed the various redevelopment proposals introduced in the legislature and expressed dissatisfaction with some of their provisions. The Partnership also met with the staff of Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) and Asm. Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park).

Partnership Support's LA County Metro's INFRA Grant Application to Fix the 57/60 Confluence

IRWINDALE, CA - This week, the Partnership sent a letter of support on behalf of LA County Metro's federal INFRA grant application to fix the terrible 57/60 confluence - the 5th-worst truck bottleneck in the entire nation and the worst in California.

"The 57/60 confluence is a traffic nightmare," said Bill Manis, Partnership President and CEO. "Cars and trucks pile up at this junction, causing massive delays, releasing more carbon monoxide from idling cars and leading some drivers to get off the freeway and clog up the streets in Diamond Bar, Walnut, Pomona, and Rowland Heights. The residents of the San Gabriel Valley need this bottleneck fixed and fixed now."

The Partnership has worked with the Cities of Industry and Diamond Bar for many years to lobby the U.S. Department of Transportation for funding to fix the freeway project. Progress has been made, notably with the recent opening of the new Lemon Avenue off-ramp off the SR60, but the bulk of the freeway realignment remains incomplete. Additional federal funding would be a major boost to the project, which has local funds through Measure M to be completed.

Those who are interested in sending in an additional support letter may contact Lillian De Loza-Gutierrez from Metro at DeLozaGutierrezL@metro.net.                 

Partnership supports Industry, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills purchase of Tres Hermanos Ranch property

IRWINDALE, CA - This week the Cities of Industry, Diamond Bar and Chino Hills announced an agreement to jointly purchase and manage the Tres Hermanos Ranch property in the far eastern corner of the San Gabriel Valley. The Partnership strongly supports this agreement, as it will lead to better community management of the property and will avoid expensive, antagonistic legal action between the cities. The Partnership sent support letters for the ranch purchase and management authority to City of Industry and the City of Diamond Bar, which are both key Partnership members.

"There's a long history of the Tres Hermanos property being a divisive issue between Diamond Bar and Chino Hills and the City of Industry," said Bill Manis, Partnership President and CEO. "This agreement to jointly purchase and manage the property will allow the cities to avoid the courts while enabling the public to provide input on future uses of the land. It's a huge win for the San Gabriel Valley."

The Tres Hermanos Ranch is comprised of 2,500 acres of rolling hills stretching across the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. It was purchased by City of Industry in 1978 from the heirs of the ranch founders and owned by Industry's Redevelopment Agency. However, ownership has become a thorny issue since the dissolution of redevelopment in 2012. The agreement announced today had Diamond Bar and Chino Hills paying $4 million each while City of Industry would pay $37.5 million for the land. The newly announced Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority will have a seven-member board, with two seats to Diamond Bar and Chino Hills each and the remaining three for Industry. The cities will work together to manage the land as open space and will oversee on public uses in the future.

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City of La Verne's development proposal backed by Economic Partnership

IRWINDALE - The City of La Verne is leading the way with a proposal to create an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) near the LA County Fairplex to bring new business and housing development around a future Foothill Gold Line station. The Partnership this week publicly supported this proposal with a letter to the County Board of Supervisors.

"The La Verne proposal is a unique financing mechanism that will allow the city to reinvest property tax increment funds," said Partnership President and CEO Bill Manis. "The development along Arrow Highway is full of new retail and housing projects that will become a new economic engine for La Verne in the years ahead."

The Partnership strongly urges the County Board of Supervisors to agree to participate in La Verne's EIFD. The proposal, if approved, will become a major new center of investment in the San Gabriel Valley, bringing new homes and jobs to La Verne and its neighboring communities - Pomona, San Dimas and Claremont.

Click here to learn more about the investment opportunities of the La Verne EIFD.

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Partnership joins fellow California business organizations in advocating for more housing, improved education in 2019

Irwindale, CA - The San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership joined business organizations throughout the state in prioritizing housing, education, transportation and water as key objectives in the coming year, both locally and at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

"Housing is by far the single most important economic issue in California at the moment," said Bill Manis, Partnership President and CEO. "Governor Newsom has announced some bold housing and homelessness initiatives in his 2019 budget and there appears to be support for them in the State Legislature. We will work diligently this year to improve the housing supply and support new construction here in the San Gabriel Valley."

With a new governor, several new statewide officers, and a revamped super-majority in both chambers of the State Legislature, the table is set for several major new policy initiatives at the state level. Governor Newsom has announced his intention to prioritize debt reduction by paying down outstanding obligations while also contributing substantial funding to the state retirement systems of CalPERS and CalSTRS, easing the financial burdens on cities and school districts. Major new funding has also been announced to jump start housing in the state, especially affordable housing for low-income families as well as workforce housing for middle income earners.

Education will continue to be a major issue throughout the state in the wake of the LA Unified School District teachers strike, which led many advocates to call for a moratorium on the approval of new charter schools, which some say is diverting vital funding for public schools. Governor Newsom also intends to launch a major reform of the state student financial aid system - an endeavor with many stakeholders that could take at least a year to complete, if not more.

Transportation funding at the state and local level is much improved due to the voters' rejection of a 2018 ballot measure to repeal the gas tax increases passed by the State Legislature in 2017. That funding should provide some $600 million a year to the state for highway maintenance and repairs as well as funding to local governments to do their own important maintenance on streets and roads. Water remains a critical issue moving forward for the state as many agree that the current system of moving large quantities of water through the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta is simply not sustainable given the precarious state of conveyance infrastructure in that part of the state.

The Partnership discussed these items with our partners in the REAL Coalition in early January, which includes the LA Area Chamber, Orange County Business Council, San Francisco Chamber, Oakland Chamber, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, San Diego Chamber, Sacramento Chamber, Fresno Chamber, and many others. We plan to continue to work with our strategic allies on major legislation and regulatory initiatives in the coming year.

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Partnership backs Gold Line extension to Pomona

Irwindale, CA - The San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership was pleased to support the build out of the Gold Line to Pomona as part of the first phase of construction of the new extension from Azusa to Montclair.

"The Foothill Gold Line is the most important transportation project in the San Gabriel Valley," said Partnership President and CEO Bill Manis. "Getting the line out to Pomona in the first phase of construction is critical because of the immense development opportunities and incentives that line provides to the east side of the region. It's a game-changer."

Funding to complete the full extension of the Gold Line became a major issue when the Construction Authority received bids back last fall that put construction estimates hundreds of millions of dollars higher than anticipated. The cost increases are due to extremely high demand in the broader economy for steel, material, and labor plus uncertainty due to the new tariffs on foreign goods that went into effect January 1st.

The Partnership joined several of our members, including representatives from the City of Pomona, the LA County Fairplex, Cal Poly Pomona, Citrus Valley Association of Realtors, and many more, to speak at the Metro Board hearing on January 24th in favor of finding additional funding to get the Gold Line to Pomona. The Metro Board voted in favor of that funding and of including the Pomona section in the first phase of construction.

"The additional funding is a vital step forward for finishing the Gold Line," said Bill Manis. "We will continue to advocate for the full completion of this light rail extension out to Montclair and will work with our partners in the region to see the project through to the end."

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Partnership urges AQMD Board to work with South Bay refineries, avoid MHF ban

Irwindale, CA - The San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership has asked the Board of the South Coast Air Quality District to continue to work with refineries in the South Bay on refined safety features and avoid a ban of modified hydrofluoric acid (MHF), a key chemical used in the alkylation process.

"The South Bay refineries in question under Rule 1410 are major players in the state's economy," said Partnership President and CEO Bill Manis. "Moving forward with a Memorandum of Understanding with the refineries will implement substantial safety enhancements while allowing these critical economic engines to continue to support our critical freight industry."

According to the California Energy Commission, a ban of MHF would cause two Southern California refineries to cease operations. If this were to happen, the state would lose thousands of good-paying jobs and California residents, businesses, and governments would see significantly higher gasoline prices. Readily available, affordable fuel is vital for the state's broader economy.

Adding new safety measures to the refineries will address public concerns over the use of MHF while keeping these facilities open and thriving. The Partnership hopes the AQMD Board will support an Memorandum of Understanding rather than backing a ban on MHF.

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Partnership hosts special tax incentives workshop for SGV businesses

South El Monte - The Partnership hosted a special workshop on the California Competes Tax Credits today, a unique state incentive program designed to give companies adding employees or expanding their operations a major tax break. The workshop was sponsored by Bank of America and co-hosted by the Office of Asm. Blanca Rubio and the El Monte / South El Monte Chamber of Commerce. Over 50 SGV companies attended the presentation by Annette Fago, West Region Credits and Incentives Leader for RSM, a noted expert in the process of applying for state business incentives. 

The workshop was generously hosted by the City of South El Monte, the home of several important manufacturing companies in the region.

"These tax credits are an incredible opportunity for local SGV companies who are planning to hire or expand in the coming year," said Partnership President and CEO Bill Manis. "It's certainly worth the effort to apply for these incentives given the huge tax break your company could receive."

Ms. Fago noted in her presentation that all states compete for companies that can make a significant contribution to their local economies and add additional high-wage jobs. This is especially true in California, where a high cost of living, high taxes, and difficult regulation make for a challenging business climate for companies looking to grow and expand. Competitor states like Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Texas will frequently court Golden State companies and offer lucrative incentive packages to lure these companies into relocating.

The California Competes Tax Credits, for companies who are awarded these credits, are added to the state income tax bill each year for up to six years. Winners of the credits get a major tax break but are required to meet very specific hiring and investment goals. $180 million in tax incentives are available each fiscal year through 2023.

The current application period began January 2nd and runs through January 21st at midnight.

Click here to download the full RSM presentation in PowerPoint.

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New Partnership CEO interviewed by ABC 7 Eyewitness News on potential bankruptcy and closing of Sears

IRWINDALE, CA - New Partnership CEO Bill Manis was interviewed by ABC 7 Eyewitness News this week on the potential closing of iconic department store Sears. An 11th hour deal was negotiated late Tuesday night to keep Sears open.

ABC 7 News wanted the perspective of the Partnership of how a potential closing of Sears would affect the local economy of the San Gabriel Valley.

"Every city with a Sears has worried these past few years about whether the company could keep its doors open," Manis said. "Sears is usually one of the anchors of a local shopping plaza. A Sears store closing means many smaller businesses in the area lose those Sears customers and businesses in the city suffer for lack of traffic."

Sears is famous for its legendary catalogs which were a shopping essential for millions of Americans in the 20th century whose access to quality goods required them to order it through the catalog. The department store more recently has struggled to find its footing with sharp competition from retail giants Walmart and Target as well as online competitors like Amazon.

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We have had three cohorts of bioscience entrepreneurs boot camp since summer of 2017 and they have been hugely successful. (http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/ppa/publicat/supervisor-solis-commends-la-biostart-graduates-cal-state-la-event).

Some activities of the boot camp can be found on our website (http://www.calstatela.edu/LABioStart/news).

We are accepting applications for Winter 2019 boot camp, which will run from Jan 15 through Feb 13, 2019. The deadline for application is December 28, 2018. Please check out the website (http://www.calstatela.edu/LABioStart/bootcamp).

The main elements of the boot camp include:

o Five weeks, intimate, intensive training/mentoring program (12 teams/cohort; a team may include up to four partners);

o No cost to attend with complimentary food and parking for all participants;

o We encourage all applicants: early-stage entrepreneurs, emerging entrepreneurs (scientists, physician-scientists, faculty, engineers, postdoc fellows, undergraduate and graduate students);

o Applications accepted from individuals or teams of partners;

o 4th cohort of Boot Camp: Jan 15 – Feb 13, 2019;

o Six full-day modules; the rest are mostly half-day sessions on some weekdays and Saturdays;

o An exceptional line-up of bioscience CEO, executives and experts who have confirmed to work with boot camp participants;