News & Events from the Lafayette Chamber |
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Jay Lifson, Executive Director
251 Lafayette Circle, Ste 150, Lafayette, CA
Office Hours
Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-1pm
CLOSED for week of July 4-8
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California’s Mandatory Retirement Savings Program Deadlines Reminder
CalSavers Retirement Savings Program (CalSavers) is a state-run retirement savings program for private-sector employees whose employers do not offer a retirement program. The program was slowly introduced to employers over the last two years, providing a deadline based on employer size. We are now at the final deadline for employers with at least five employees that don’t already offer a qualified workplace retirement savings plan. Employers will be required by California law to offer and facilitate employee access to CalSavers, by June 30, 2022.
CalSavers will auto-enroll employees in a standard savings and investment election after an employer provides them with their payroll list. Employees can customize their savings amount and their investment preferences. Employees may also choose to opt-out of the program. CalSavers is administered by a private-sector financial services firm and overseen by a public board chaired by the State Treasurer.
Exempt Employers
- If you have less than five employees as determined by an average of the previous year’s report of W2 employees provided by the EDD.
- If you already offer a qualified retirement savings plan, your employees cannot participate and you are not required to register.
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Independent Contractors or employees who work for a company with less than 5 employees may opt to enroll on their own accord by visiting calsavers.com to enroll independently.
Eligible Employers
- Registering for CalSavers
- Creating a payroll list to add employees to CalSavers (you will have 30 days to complete registration)
- Calculating the appropriate deduction for each employee (shown on the employer’s account page)
- Submitting employee contributions to the CalSavers program, and
- Keeping the payroll list up-to-date.
Limited Employer Role
CalSavers does not have any employer fees. It also does not require any employer contributions; employers only send in the employee contribution. Employers are not fiduciaries of the program.
Employers are to remain neutral about the program and should not encourage or discourage participation or provide any investment advice. Employers are not involved in managing investment options or processing distributions. CalSavers provides information on the program to the employee and will answer questions that employees have.
Employee Decision Period
1. Do Nothing.
If an eligible employee takes no action within 30 days, they will be automatically enrolled with the standard savings and investment elections:
- 5% of the employee’s gross income earned with the facilitating employer.
- Effective April 2021, instead of the first $1,000 of contributions being invested into the CalSavers Money Market Fund, initial contributions will be invested in the CalSavers Money Market Fund for 30 days, after which all subsequent contributions, along with any earnings in the Money Market Fund, will be re-allocated to a CalSavers Target Retirement Fund based on saver age and the year closest to when a person that age is expected to retire.
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Detailed information about the contribution amounts, automatic increases and investment options can be found in the CalSavers Program Disclosure Booklet.
2. Customize the Account. The employee can choose to customize the account, for instance by changing the contribution rate and investment choices.
3. Opt Out. An employee can opt out of participating in CalSavers at any time online, by phone, or mailing in a form. An employee can rejoin the program and begin contributing at any time through the same methods.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
An eligible employer that, without good cause, fails to allow its eligible employees to participate in CalSavers, will be required to pay a fine of up to $250 per eligible employee. Further non-compliance will result in an additional penalty of $500 per eligible employee.
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Attention Business Owners/Mangers: New Mandatory Alcohol Server Training
The deadline for alcohol servers and their managers at over 56,000 businesses to meet mandatory training under a new law is rapidly approaching. The new law goes into effect on July 1, 2022, and by August 31, 2022, every alcohol server and their managers must be trained under Assembly Bill 1221 and Assembly Bill 82. AB 1221 defines an alcohol server as anyone that is employed at an ABC on-premises licensed establishment who is responsible for checking identifications, taking customer orders, and pouring or delivering alcoholic beverages.
Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training and Certification is a Three-Step process:
- Register with ABC as a Server on the RBS Portal
- Take RBS training from an approved RBS Training Provider
- Return to the RBS Portal to take ABC’s alcohol server certification exam
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Calling All Restaurants and Catering Companies!
Local restaurants and catering companies are invited to donate their surplus food to White Pony Express. WPE will distribute it upon receipt – free of charge – to dozens of nonprofit partners and school pantries that serve our hungry neighbors.
When you donate food to WPE, you help end food insecurity in our county and reduce the production of methane gas caused by rotting food in landfills.
Click here for more information.
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We welcome a NEW Lafayette Chamber Member!
The following business recently joined the Lafayette Chamber! We encourage you to visit their website to learn more.
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Lafayette, CA 94549
Peter Wells and Anthony Keeler, 925-605-6663
Home Team Hauling is a locally owned, licensed, insured and professional corporation that provides impeccable customer service to residential and commercial businesses in Lamorinda, Contra Costa County and all surrounding areas. We specialize in the removal of diverse trash such as green waste/yard debris, construction debris and home junk. We work closely with the Real Estate industry to help sellers and buyers remove accumulated waste that can so often reduce the value of property or diminish the enjoyment of a home. We guarantee prompt arrival, leave work site properties clean and tidy and we guarantee that debris and junk will be delivered to a legal and regulated facility.
Category: Hauling / Junk Removal
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Lafayette Chamber RENEWING Members
A huge thank you to the following members for renewing their membership for 2022 between June 13-20.
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Rock the Plaza with Lamorinda Idol
Now in its 17th year, Lamorinda Idol, a program of the Lamorinda Arts Council, is an annual singing competition open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade who attend school or reside in Contra Costa County. Singers may enter as soloists or in groups.
Performing at the Lafayette Plaza on June 24, 6pm-8:30pm will be some of the finalists selected from approximately 150 who auditioned. The program of summer concerts and workshops culminates in the Finals at the Orinda Theatre on August 14, where singers receive immediate feedback from a panel of distinguished judges, and where the winners in each category receive cash prizes. Learn more here.
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Lafayette Res Run for Education Early Bird Registration
Open Only through June 30!
All races, $25 registration fee. This is the best deal you will get! Prices increase July 1.
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Chamber Connectors
Join us for a unique take on networking. This group discusses current challenges members are having with their business, big or small. Share your ideas and fresh perspectives with other members. Participation is encouraged and appreciated.
Feel free to invite a guest!
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"Coffee" with the City of Lafayette Mayor Teresa Gerringer
The Lafayette Chamber will host, via Zoom, "Coffee" with the City of Lafayette Mayor Teresa Gerringer on Friday, July 29, 2022 at 8am.
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Interested in participating as a retailer? Contact Holly. |
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Thank you SWELL Lunch Hosts!
The SWELL Center is open in the Library Cafe for teens aged 12-18 Monday to Friday, 11-2pm through the summer. SWELL will offer a variety of active and self-guided activities such as board games, cards, journaling, and crafts, as well as community engagement opportunities and access to support groups. Thank you to the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation and the City of Lafayette or organizing the program.
Thank you to our June lunch hosts!
June 13-17:
June 20-24:
Interested in being a lunch host in July? Reach out to Sara.
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Announcing our Local Artists!
The Lafayette Art, Wine and Music Festival is the biggest downtown party in the county. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the celebration and festivities. 85,000 people strolled our boulevard and side streets back in 2019 visiting our commercial vendors, brick and mortar store retail fronts, dining in our local restaurants, browsing the art and handmade craft booths, tasting from a variety of food vendors and food trucks as well as sipping quality wines and microbrews, pausing to enjoy continuous music from our four stages.
We proudly have 160 local businesses and organizations participating at all different levels plus another 200 art and craft vendors. Don’t miss the opportunity to engage. And we always welcome volunteers to join the festival committee. Cheers to the best 2022 event season ahead! If interested in sponsorship, a beer booth or vendor booth please contact Sara@lafayettechamber.org.
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Our Local Artist Alley is now SOLD OUT! Visit our artists in La Fiesta Square between Tutu's and Roam Artisan Burgers on Sept. 17 & 18!
Keep Turning Wood
Resin Retreat
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LCF Announces 2022 Excellence Grants Recipients
Since 1999, LCF has given more than $1 million dollars in grants to local nonprofits all thanks to our donors, business sponsors and business partners. Your support empowers these organizations to continue serving those with the greatest need. LCF is proud to fund the following organizations this year:
Human Services
Early Alert Canines
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Lions Center for the Visually Impaired
Meals on Wheels Diablo Region
Winter Nights Family Shelter
Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center
Arts & Culture
Pacific Chamber Orchestra
Youth Development & Education
Camp Kesem Berkeley
Diablo Day Camp
Friends of 224
Seniors
Lamorinda Adult Respite Center (LARC)
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Support Local Youth ... buy an ad in the 10th Annual Lafayette Swim conference program!!!
The 10th Annual Lafayette Swim conference is back on for Summer 2022! Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24 at Acalanes High School in Lafayette.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT **** There will be an estimated 800+ swimmers attending LSC this year and we really need our amazing communities backing in terms of our printed programs/advertising space that hundreds of families will be relying on and referring to for the 48 hours of non-stop conference action!
GREAT MARKETING and AD SPACE for your wonderful local business …. Thousands of families buy these programs!
PLEASE refer to the attached flyer for prices and all ad space details! Thanks so much in advance for the consideration and support, we are all parent run and supported volunteering our time to keep youth sports alive.
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City of Lafayette Weekly Roundup, June 17, 2022
➡ Expect Road Closures During Slurry Seal Work Over the Next Two Weeks
➡ Shop Local Lafayette eCard Program – Use Your Bonus Cards First!
➡ SWELL Offers Fun and Resources for Teens
➡ Drawing for Below Market Rate Homes for Sale at 210 Lafayette Circle
➡ Preparing for an Evacuation – Sign up for Life-Saving Alerts through the Community Warning System
➡ Long COVID: Symptoms & Tips for Recovery
➡ Attention Business Owners/Mangers: New Mandatory Alcohol Server Training
➡ May Lafayette Police Department Statistics
➡ Free Summer Concert in Lafayette Plaza Park
➡ Lafayette Res Run for Education
➡ Truly More Than Just a Library
➡ Community Events and Meetings
➡ Public Meetings
➡ Community Briefs
➡ Cultural Observations and Celebrations
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Contra Costa Board of Supervisors, Candace Andersen, District 2, Weekly Update - June 17, 2022
➡ Juneteenth Event
➡ Long COVID: Symptoms & Tips for Recovery
➡ Contra Costa Animal Services Offering FREE Adoptions During The Month Of June
Unofficial Election Results
➡ $3M Grant Will Fund New Fire Break In Lafayette, Walnut Creek and Rossmoor
➡ Calling All Restaurants and Catering Companies! Donate Surplus Food to White Pony Express
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Shop Local Lafayette eCard Program – Use Your Bonus Cards First!
If you have already purchased a Shop Local Lafayette eCard, remember that the Bonus eCard must be used within 90 days of purchase. (This is different than the eCard, which has a one year expiration date, after which, the eCard’s value will begin to decrease by $3 each month.)
You can check the balance on your Yiftee e-cards on their website. Then, use your eCards at the following businesses:
You can still buy a Shop Local Lafayette eCard, and receive double the value to spend at participating businesses in Lafayette! Limit two bonus cards per purchaser. For full details, including the link to purchase eCards, visit www.lovelafayette.com/eCard.
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Member News & Announcements |
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Moraga Chapter Grateful Gatherings - Donation Requests
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Summer Bike Challenge
Looking for FREE summertime fun? Explore your hometown on two wheels with 511 Contra Costa’s Summer Bike Challenge. Simply bike to each destination on your city’s gameboard, and cross off the squares as you go. Pick up free prizes on select dates, take weekly Bonus Challenges, and enter the iPad Grand Prize drawing just by signing up. All ages are welcome to play! Ready to roll? Visit 511cc.org/sbc to get started.
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Summer Solstice Celebration
Drop in and celebrate the start of summer on the longest day of the year; classic taco food truck, wine margaritas, summer songs with Dougie Free, meet your local farmer and fisheries, and help create a flower mandala. For Kids it’s sunshine balloon hats, tattoos and a sunburst craft project. The event closes with a summer solstice reflection and a chance to journey through the labyrinth. Donations and drink vouchers at the door or visit CreeksideCommons.org to pre-purchase. Tuesday, June 21st, 5:30 - 8:00pm, 1035 Carol Lane, Entry A
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Sustainability Award Nominations Now Open!
Do you know an individual, nonprofit, government program, school, or business that deserves to be recognized for their good work? The Leadership in Sustainability & Green Building Award nominations are open now and will close on July 1st. Nominating is fast and easy, but don’t miss the deadline!
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Volunteers Needed for Orinda July 4 Parade
If you plan to be in town, please consider volunteering for brief timeframes (it’s always fun!). Biggest need right now is for ADULTS on the Parade Staging and Route Monitor crews.
Parade staging:
6 adults needed to help “set the stage” (mark the East BART parking lot with parade entrant numbers in the correct order) the night before the parade, and 6 adults to “line ‘em up and move ‘em out” (again at the East BART parking lot staging area) on the start time of the parade. Reporting to Andy Radlow, chair of Staging/ Operations.
NEED 6 adults for each of 2 shifts. If volunteers could swing both shifts, that is extra ideal (but not necessary)!
July 3, 6PM-8:30PM
July 4, 9AM-10:30AM
Route Monitoring:
NEED 20 adults to assemble (singly or in pairs) at various “bunch points,” eg corners and show stops, along the parade route to ensure that the parade participants run smoothly and without gaps. There will also be an element of crowd control— just so kids don’t run into the oncoming parade(!) and in case the candy-throwing gets out of control. :-) These folks will have walkie-talkies and will be in contact with Andy Radlow and Anil Comelo (chairs of Operations and Safety).
When: July 4, 9AM-11:30AM (or when parade finishes)
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Summer Youth Pass
The Summer Youth Pass is a three-month bus pass that gives kids a great way to get around town, all summer long. For just $30, passholders ages 6-18 can take unlimited bus rides on County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, and WestCAT from June through August. On sale now at 511cc.org/youthpass
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Click links below for more details:
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From the Lafayette Library and Learning Center |
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Water in Your Garden - Taking Control, A UC Master Gardener Webinar
California is all abuzz with talk of drought right now. Join irrigation and water-efficiency expert Lori Palmquist as she gives you a veritable buffet of strategies for lowering your water use in the landscape. She’ll provide a no-nonsense approach to using water wisely and responsibly. You’ll come away with new tools for drought-proofing your landscape.
Sweet Thursday presents Lee Kravetz: The Last Confessions of Sylvia P.
Thursday, June 30, 2022, 7:00 PM | Don Tatzin Community Hall
A seductive literary mystery and multigenerational story inspired by true events, The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. imaginatively brings into focus the period of promise and tragedy that marked the writing of Sylvia Plath's modern classic The Bell Jar. Lee Kravetz uses a prismatic narrative formed from three distinct fictional perspectives to bring Plath to life--that of her psychiatrist, a rival poet, and years later, a curator of antiquities.
This is an in-person live event. We will notify you if it becomes an online Zoom program due to the changing COVID circumstances.
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American Red Cross Blood Drive
Tuesday, June 28, 2021
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Don Tatzin Community Hall
The Lafayette Library Foundation is a Premier Partner of the Red Cross, which has received hundreds of live-saving donations at the Library thanks to donors like you! Donating is a safe process and eligible individuals are strongly urged to give blood or platelets.
The American Red Cross will test all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies as an additional health service to our donors.
To schedule an appointment go to: redcrossblood.org/give or call 1-800-733-2767 and use Sponsor Code: lafayettelibrary.
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Do you have an event or announcement to share with our membership and/or the community? You can add your event to our online calendar, no login required (we simply need to approve it before it will display.) Add your event HERE. Questions? Contact holly@lafayettechamber.org.
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Show Your Membership!
Would you like to include a Lafayette Chamber membership emblem on your website or other marketing materials?
The Lafayette Chamber would be happy to provide you with the appropriate logos. Simply email your request to holly@lafayettechamber.org.
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Sign up for Text Notifications!
Please note: to signup via text you will be asked for your birthdate. This information is not stored, it is only used for verify you are over 21 years of age.
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