Assistance for Incidents and Concerns Regarding Unhoused People in Commercial Districts

Your Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce is aware of the recent incidents of vandalism, graffiti, public urination and defecation, and verbal harassment on Alvarado Street and neighboring streets in the City of Monterey. Victims of these incidents believe the people engaging in this anti-social behavior are unhoused and perhaps acting under the influence of mental illness or substance abuse. Business owners are rightfully concerned about the health and safety of their customers and employees. They are also worried that potential customers will choose to go elsewhere to avoid the obvious signs of disorder.

What should be done? These are quality-of-life challenges facing successful commercial districts throughout California. Both the City of Monterey and the Chamber of Commerce want to see these incidents curtailed while also ensuring that the government does not violate civil liberties guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution. We also do not want the region to "ship its problems on a one-way ticket to elsewhere," although we know that simplistic solution has popular support.

The City of Monterey has a Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team (MDOT) that works to assist business people and individual community members with these difficult issues. The team combines social work and law enforcement to find a solution that's balanced between being too permissive and being too oppressive. For information and tips on how to deal with such issues, go to City of Monterey - Homeless Response. In addition, plan to attend the Chamber’s Quarterly Business Insights Breakfast on Tuesday, April 11, where Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto and other government officials will talk about how they’re addressing quality-of-life issues of concern to businesses on the Monterey Peninsula (and Salinas Valley).

Praise Continues for Pure Water Monterey Project of Monterey One Water

The Assistant Secretary for Water and Science in the U.S. Department of the Interior visited the Monterey One Water Regional Treatment Plant yesterday (Monday, March 6) to praise the Pure Water Monterey/Groundwater Replenishment Project and the concept of wastewater recycling to supply water for agriculture, landscape irrigation, and potable purposes. Congressman Jimmy Panetta also attended the press conference and spoke.

Pure Water Monterey collects wastewater from numerous sources: municipal wastewater from the Monterey Peninsula and City of Salinas and Moss Landing/Castroville, agricultural and stormwater drainage (Reclamation Ditch and Blanco Drain) in and around Salinas, industrial (“ag-wash”) wastewater from Salinas, stormwater from South Salinas, and other sources (including - in the future - Lake El Estero in the City of Monterey). The wastewater is treated at the Monterey One Water facility north of the City of Marina and then conveyed to three places: the existing irrigation system of the Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project (CSIP, pronounced see-sip), the landscape irrigation of the Regional Urban Water Augmentation Program (RUWAP) of the Marina Coast Water District, and the Seaside Groundwater Basin Aquifer, where the water is injected, stored, and later extracted as potable water for Monterey Peninsula customers of California American Water Company (Cal-Am) in cooperation with the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. The original project is (mostly) operational and an expansion is expected to begin construction soon. Information about the Pure Water Monterey/Groundwater Replenishment Project can be found at www.purewatermonterey.org.

montereychamber.com

MIXER: MY Museum "Potter the Otter"

Saturday, March 9 | 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Del Monte Shopping Center | Monterey

$10 Members/$20 Non-Members/FREE for kids!

Pop-up traveling exhibit from San Jose Discovery Museum — "Potter the Otter". Wine and light refreshments will be served.

Grand Opening: McCune Audio•Video•Lighting

Thursday, March 30 | 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

21 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Suite D| Monterey

You are invited to celebrate the grand opening of our newest McCune facility! Monterey has been one of our flagship locations for over 30 years. From the Beatles last concert at Candlestick to the first TED Talks, we’ve been behind the scenes of some of the most memorable chapters in California’s history, and we're excited to start a new chapter in a new space.

114th Annual Awards Dinner

Saturday, March 18 | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Hyatt Regency Monterey| Monterey

The Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce (MPCC) will honor five distinguished citizens and one yet to be named business, at MPCC's 114th Annual Awards Dinner on Saturday, March 18, 2023. Presented by Monterey County Bank, this signature event is expected to draw several hundred guests. Chamber members, local business people and community leaders from throughout the region will gather to celebrate the outstanding contributions to the community by these exceptional individuals.