The Leading Voice of Business
Tuesday, September 14, 2021 | View as Webpage
GO VOTE TODAY, INCLUDE BUSINESSES IN VACCINE MANDATE DISCUSSIONS, OC COMMUNITY INDICATORS, KEY LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES AND MORE!
HOT OFF THE PRESS
TODAY! LAST DAY TO VOTE:

BIDEN MANDATES VACCINES FOR EMPLOYEES:
  • On Sept. 9, President Biden announced that employers with more than 100 workers must require the COVID-19 vaccine or implement weekly testing for unvaccinated workers. The rule will also require a paid time off element for workers to get vaccinated or recover from vaccine-related side effects. As of now, it is unclear when OSHA will complete an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) and require businesses to implement the mandate. Read the full plan.

LISTEN TO BUSINESSES AND AVOID FAILED VACCINE RULES:
  • Although last-minute attempts by state legislators failed to introduce employer vaccine mandates and extend paid sick leave, businesses now await potential executive action from Gov. Newsom and how CA will implement federal vaccine requirements. This op-ed calls out important considerations for policy makers when imposing mandates in a way that addresses health and safety and does not subject business to unfair legal threats or exacerbate the worker shortage.

THIS WEEK! 2021-22 ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY INDICATORS REPORT ROLLOUT:
  • Don't miss OCBC's virtual release of the 2021-22 OC Community Indicators, which tracks the region’s health and prosperity and shows where the county is performing well and making progress. Join us on Sept. 16 to hear from Dr. Wallace Walrod, OCBC's Chief Economic Advisor, on how the COVID-19 pandemic's "lost year" will impact OC's economy, which pandemic-driven shifts in consumer behavior will last beyond 2021, how the rise of remote work affects OC’s housing and labor markets and much more! A special thank you to report and event partners, CalOptima, First 5 Orange County, Orange County Community Foundation and Orange County United Way. Thanks to our partner and sponsor support, attendance is complimentary. Registration is required. Register today!

REGIONAL BROADBAND WORKSHOP: CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE:
  • Join OCBC and members of the Los Angeles / Orange County Regional Broadband Consortia for a virtual workshop on Oct. 8 highlighting examples of successful public-private partnerships and regional leadership that bring high quality internet service to residents, students, and businesses across SoCal. Register here.
ADVOCACY
LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS WITH KEY VICTORIES FOR OCBC AND BIZ COMMUNITY:
  • On Friday, the Legislature made final decisions on key bills. Numerous bills supported by OCBC, including telecommunications priorities AB 537 and SB 556 and housing bills SB 9 and SB 10, await the Governor’s signature. Several opposed bills did not make it past the Legislature, thanks to OCBC and business advocacy statewide, such as AB 1395, an ambitious emissions reduction bill with undefined policies, and AB 1041, which would have broadly extended family leave and exposed employers to litigation. Some opposed bills were sent to the Governor, including AB 701, which targets warehouse employers with onerous regulations. See OCBC’s tracked bills here.
COVID-19 FACTS
OCHCA'S LATEST UPDATES:
The County is waiting for authorization by the FDA and recommendation by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) before offering booster shots. Currently, only additional doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being offered to individuals ages 12+ with moderate to severe immune compromise conditions.

What's the difference between an additional dose versus a booster dose?
  • An additional dose is intended to improve immunocompromised people’s response to their initial vaccine series. Whereas a booster dose refers to another dose of vaccine given to someone who built enough protection after vaccination, but that protection has decreased over time (known as waning immunity).

COVID-19 VARIANT UPDATES:
  • On Aug. 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it is monitoring a new coronavirus variant called “Mu.” There have been only 14 reported cases in OC, and the CDC has reported that the Mu Variant is currently not an immediate threat in the U.S. Variant cases in OC can be tracked on the COVID-19 Dashboard. Learn more.
TURNING RED TAPE INTO RED CARPET NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT
CITY OF SANTA ANA’S CARES FOR LANDLORDS PROGRAM:
  • City of Santa Ana's CARES for Landlords Program is nominated for the Public-Private Partnership Award! The program utilized CARES Act funding and collaborated with property owners/managers to support both tenants and landlords during the pandemic. When the program ended, 45 landlords participated and 323 families were assisted with more than $1.1M in paid rent and an additional $285K forgiven by participating landlords, serving as an example of how public-private partnerships can support the community during difficult times.

CITY OF PLACENTIA’S TOD PACKING HOUSE DISTRICT:
  • City of Placentia’s Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Packing House District is nominated for the Building & Land Reuse and Community Revitalization Award! The TOD District will transform a blighted area into an opportunity for housing, retail and mixed-use development centered around the new Metrolink station while preserving the area’s historic properties. The TOD District has already entitled a 215-unit apartment development and will feature a 418-unit mixed use development, with 189 affordable units also in planning. These investments are estimated to generate $244 million in new construction and $446 million in new economic output, among other benefits.
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
LA CHARGERS SHARE FLAG FOOTBALL FUN WITH GIRL SCOUTS:
  • Last month, the Chargers helped advance football for girls as the team hosted an all-inclusive flag football camp for Southern California Girl Scouts chapters. Approximately 150 girls took to the fields where they learned flag football rules, skills, technique, and fundamentals. Chargers general manager Tom Telesco was on hand and gave an inspiring speech on the opportunities football has for young women both on and off the field. Inclusivity is important and so far in 2021, there are more opportunities for women in the NFL than ever before. Learn more or find a league for your child or Girl Scout.

OC'S TOLL ROADS ATTAIN 2M OPEN ACCOUNTS
  • Congrats to the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) responsible for more than 420 lane miles of Toll Roads for reaching a major milestone of two million open FasTrak® accounts. TCA has remained an innovator in the industry as recently seen through its leadership role in adopting new technology statewide that supported TCA as the first CA agency to introduce sticker transponders, which increased customer appeal while reducing costs and allowing TCA’s elimination of account fees. Keep up the great work!
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
EVENTS
2021 Workforce Development Conference
October 7 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Join OCBC virtually for the 2021 Workforce Development Conference to hear how Orange County leaders are strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, how childcare impacts employees, some of the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and much more!
Thank you, Title Sponsor, Union Bank; Gold Sponsors, Amazon and California State University, Fullerton; Goodwill of Orange County, and LAOCRC; and Silver Sponsor, Wells Fargo. Register today!

CSUF/OCBC 27th Annual Economic Forecast Conference
October 20 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Join OCBC and California State University, Fullerton virtually for the 27th Annual Economic Forecast Conference: A Brave New World – Resiliency, Recovery and Reflation on October 20! You won’t want to miss critical economic insight presented by Dr. Anil Puri and Dr. Mira Farka, CSUF. Thank you Title Sponsor, U.S. Bank, Presenting Sponsor, Experian, Platinum Sponsor, Commercial Bank of California, Gold Sponsors, Infinity Bank and Wells Fargo, and Corporate Sponsor, Coast Community College District. Thanks to our incredible sponsors, this event is complimentary to attend. Register today!

For more information about OCBC Events contact Lauren Martin, OCBC Events Manager.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS*
September 14 | 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Join OCBC virtually for a meeting with Jim Herberg, General Manager of Orange County Sanitation District, for a briefing on OC San’s capital improvement program and other updates.
OCBC members, contact Connor Medina, OCBC Government Affairs Manager, to register.

September 15 | 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Join OCBC virtually for the opportunity to hear Jim Mayfield, Director, U.S. Export Assistance Center-Orange County, discuss the impacts of the pandemic on trade in the Orange County and Southern California region and Treyland Bradley, Senior Business Development Specialist – Los Angeles Region, Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development discuss California's pandemic business recovery programs.
OCBC members, register here.

*OCBC Committee meetings are an exclusive benefit offered to OCBC members.
NOT AN OCBC MEMBER? JOIN TODAY!
Join OCBC and connect with the most influential companies and top executives actively engaged in creating a pro-business environment and prosperous economy. Hundreds of Orange County's leading businesses, cities and non-profit organizations represent an elite group from every industry cluster. But we need YOUR VOICE! For more info, contact Natalie Rubalcava, OCBC Chief Operating Officer.