CITY OF MONTEREY 

• Pride 2025 parade and celebration was held on Saturday, June 28 and has become a large-scale event that the City of Monterey believes generates business, particularly from local residents
• City of Monterey will be celebrating the 4th of July with a parade and a festival
• The July 15 Monterey City Council meeting will include consideration of a revised street vendor ordinance, to resolve issues related to an increased number of vendors and their expansion of space into the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail
• The May 2025 hotel occupancy rate for the City of Monterey was 6% higher than 2024. For May 2025, the City of Monterey is expecting an increase in sales tax revenue over 2024.

COUNTY OF MONTEREY 

• The Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on June 17, 2025 to approve a Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget. See county budget information at Budget & Analysis
• On the state level, the California Competes Tax Credit remains in effect. The application period will be July 21- August 11

SEE MONTEREY 

• Occupancy Rate for the Week of June 15 - 21 for City of Monterey was 84.6% and for County of Monterey was 81.6%
• See Monterey's Car Week website: Car Week 2025
• See Monterey's How 2 Highway 1 website: How 2 Highway 1
• As reported by Caltrans, Highway 1 at Rocky Creek between Carmel Highlands and Big Sur fully reopened to two lanes on June 30, 2025 after extensive emergency repairs and the construction of a viaduct
• This followed a slip out on March 30, 2024
• Note that complete travel on Highway 1 between the Monterey Peninsula and San Luis Obispo County attractions such as Hearst Castle is still not possible because of continued Caltrans difficulties stabilizing the Regent's Slide, which is south of the Esalen Institute and north of Lucia Lodge
• All businesses in Big Sur are open and fully accessible traveling on Highway 1 from the Monterey Peninsula
• See Monterey's Annual Meeting is on Thursday, August 28. This meeting is open to the public. As usual, your Chamber will have representatives at the event. Register here

UTILITIES

• Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has announced a $50 million program to bring relief to low-income households for past-due power bills. The program is Match My Payment. PG&E also has a Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) program
• PG&E initiated Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events in Monterey County (South County) on June 19-21 because of high-risk conditions for wildfires. The Monterey Peninsula was not affected

CONSTRUCTION

• On June 28, 2025, Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) held a groundbreaking ceremony on an empty plot of former Fort Ord land in the City of Marina at what will be the location of the 5th Street Station of the SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project
• On June 27, 2025, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) awarded $90.6 million to fund the State Route 156 / Castroville Boulevard Interchange Project
• Graniterock is inviting residents to tour its A.R. Wilson Quarry in Aromas (Northern Monterey County/San Benito County) on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 1:00 pm. Seating is limited and reservations will be first-come, first-served. Please RSVP to kseverson@graniterock.com

FINANCE

• Indexes that banks use as the basis for setting rates for commercial loans have remained steady at about 4.5%. There has been a notable local uptick in applications for construction loans

HOUSING/REAL ESTATE

• On June 24, 2025, the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) board of trustees voted unanimously to approve the purchase of a 64-unit apartment building at 2300 Garden Road in the City of Monterey. This is the culmination of nine years of planning by the MPUSD board and administration to provide affordable housing for new teachers and classified staff
• The Monterey Museum of Art has sold a parcel in the City of Monterey at Perry Lane and Major Sherman Lane. The property will be converted back into its earlier use as a nursery (it was Cypress Garden Nursery until it closed in 2017)

CHAMBER BUSINESS

• Your Chamber's Annual Business Excellence Awards Dinner will be on Thursday, July 17, 2025 at the Embassy Suites - Monterey Bay in Seaside. Register here: Annual Business Excellence Awards

montereychamber.com

RIBBON CUTTING: Bethlehem Lutheran Church 100 Year Anniversary

Tuesday, July 10 | 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

800 Cass Street, Monterey

Join us in celebrating the 100 Year Anniversary of Bethlehem Lutheran Church! Enjoy refreshments from Craft Collective Catering and Puma Road.

Register Now >>

Annual Business Excellence Awards presented by West Coast Community Bank

Thursday, July 17 | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside, Seasife

Presented by West Coast Community Bank, this event increases public awareness of the vital role business plays on the Central Coast and gives recognition to those businesses that have achieved excellence in their fields. 300-plus Peninsula business and community leaders attend to show their support for the local businesses that make up the backbone of our community.

Get Tickets >>

The Votes Have Been Cast — Now It’s Time to Celebrate!

The results are in, and the 38th Annual Business Excellence Awards, presented by West Coast Community Bank, are just around the corner! Join us on Thursday, July 17 at Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside as we celebrate & support the local business community with food, drinks and fun, including our NEW "Design-A-Centerpiece Contest" and silent auction!

Showcase Your Business with our Design-A-Centerpiece Contest

This year we're reimagining our festive tradition with a Design-A-Centerpiece Contest. Instead of decorating an entire table, participating businesses are invited to design a branded or themed centerpiece and provide 10 guest gifts that reflects your business, values, and services. With over 300 business and community leaders attending, this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your brand’s creativity, generosity, and community spirit in front of an engaged audience.

Wishing our Members a safe and happy Fourth of July Weekend!

Looking for ways to celebrate locally? Here are a few ideas:

🇺🇸 Monterey Firefighters Charity Pancake Breakfast

7:30 AM - 10:30 AM | Fire Station #11 | $15 per Person

Reservations required. All proceeds benefit MY Museum

🇺🇸 Old Monterey Fourth of July Parade

10:00 AM | Alvarado Street & Calle Principal| FREE

Enjoy festive floats, patriotic displays, costumes and live music at Monterey’s Annual Fourth of July Parade

🇺🇸 Big 4th of July Celebration and Backyard Food Fest

10:45 AM - 4:30 PM | Colton Hall Lawn | FREE

Hosted by the City of Monterey. Music, food & fun for the whole family! Bring your own lunch or purchase from a variety of food vendors

🇺🇸 Pacific Grove 4th of July Celebration

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Jewell Park | FREE

Enjoy live music, kids activities, and BBQ

🇺🇸 Annual Carmel-by-the-Sea 4th of July Celebration

10:00 AM - 3:30 PM | Devendorf Park | FREE

Enjoy a free concert by the popular 28-member orchestra Monterey County Pops! in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea

🇺🇸 Seaside’s Red, White and Blues Festival

11:00 AM - 4:00 PM | City Hall Lawn | FREE

Enjoy live music, food, games, free hot dogs for kids and more

🇺🇸 Marina's Ultimate July 4th Block Party Bash

3:30 PM - 9:00 PM | Marina Airport | FREE

Enjoy live music, food tucks, kid's zone, family friendly games, and 21+ beer garden

REMINDER: Only "safe and sane" fireworks are allowed in the following cities of Monterey County: Marina, Seaside, Salinas, Soledad, Gonzales and King City. Fireworks of any kind, including “safe and sane” fireworks, are prohibited in the City of Monterey and carry a significant fine of $1,000

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