6/16/2026 - 10:00 AM

MISSION: We seek to provide timely, informative updates on regional topics relevant to our members.

Recap:

CITY OF MONTEREY

• Today (June 16, 2026) the Monterey City Council will vote on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 Operating Budget and Community Improvement Program Budget. It's Items 15 and 16 on the Monterey City Council June 16, 2026 Meeting Agenda. This budget decision occurs two weeks after voter rejection of the city's proposed Measure D sales tax increase.
• The city will proceed with various strategies (a "Roadmap to Resilience") to cut expenditures (such as not providing funding for unfilled existing staff positions).
• Tax increases for additional revenue will need to be considered for voter consideration in the November election.
• In August, the city council plans to revisit ideas from 2025 to raise additional funds without tax increases, for example, by selling or leasing city-owned property.
• Note: Your Chamber continues to promote the idea of increased revenue generation for the city through development and implementation of formal economic development strategies.
• Meanwhile, the Monterey City Council needs to prepare for the March 31, 2027 expiration of the Measure P and S sales tax. There will be a measure on the November ballot to extend the tax.
• The sales tax is meant to "address significant deferred maintenance by fixing streets, sidewalks, and potholes; improve related access and safety for senior citizens, disabled residents, and others; and repair its 100-year-old storm drain system to protect our beaches/Monterey Bay."
• This sales tax was first approved by 74% of City of Monterey voters in 2014 as Measure P and then renewed by 82% of City of Monterey voters in 2018 as Measure S.
• For more information, see these City of Monterey websites: Measures P & S and Measure P & S Oversight.

COUNTY OF MONTEREY

• Today (June 16, 2026) the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will approve the county's Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 Budget. See the meeting agenda item at County of Monterey FY 2026-27 Budget Adoption.

AGRICULTURE and TRANSPORTATION

• On June 10, 2026, the County of Monterey began a 60-day formal public comment period for a Draft Community Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CCAAP). If fully implemented, this plan will require residents and businesses to change behaviors to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions for agriculture and personal transportation.
• The county has not prepared an Economic Impact Report to determine how much people will have to pay to make these changes or how many jobs may be lost in the process.
• The county has prepared an estimate for itself: full implementation of the near-term actions (2026-2030) will require an average of 12.5 new full-time employees and an additional $16.7 million per year.
• To comment on the plan, go to Monterey County Community Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CCAAP) Online Engagement Platform.
• The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) continues to evaluate various expensive proposed projects that may help to achieve groundwater sustainability criteria that are mandated in the state's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) of 2014.
• To see the latest analysis of the proposed projects, go to the June 15, 2026 Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency board meeting agenda.

HEALTHCARE

• On June 8, Montage Health announced that it is renaming its Comprehensive Cancer Center as the "Bodine Comprehensive Cancer Center." It's named after Murray Bodine, who helped raise $14 million through the Montage Health Foundation.
• While construction of the new Bodine Comprehensive Cancer Center Outpatient Infusion Center Expansion Project was completed six months ago, only today are inspectors of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) scheduled to examine the facility for state approval. Your Chamber notes that these seemingly minor bureaucratic issues contribute to higher health care costs.
• To see the new initial programs of the center, go to Honoring Murray Bodine’s Legacy and Igniting a New Era of Cancer Care in Monterey County.
• Monterey County has launched the Esperanza Care 2026 Program, a new initiative designed to provide limited health care services to eligible county residents who are uninsured and do not qualify for full-scope Medi-Cal.

UTILITIES

• Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) will shortly be announcing the beginning of its multi-year Salinas Valley Reinforcement Project between Salinas and Chualar. This will include construction of a new 115 kV substation near Chaular and conversion of the existing Salinas-Spence 60 kV transmission network to 115 kV. Recently, PG&E upgraded the Spence Substation at the intersection of Highway 101 and Spence Road.
• This is part of an ongoing program to upgrade power infrastructure and increase capacity in the Monterey Bay area. The upgrades to the Del Monte Substation, Monterey Substation, Navy School Substation, and Fort Ord Substation are part of this program.
• The old California Mission style substation building adjacent to Highway 101 does not contain an operational substation, nor is the building officially deemed as historic.

AIRPORT

• Tonight (June 16, 2026), Monterey Regional Airport again hosts the Annual California Rodeo Mixer, sponsored by the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley Chambers of Commerce. To register, go to California Rodeo Salinas & Monterey Regional Airport Chamber Mixer.
• There's a new temporary entrance and exit to the long-term parking lot at Monterey Regional Airport. This change is to accommodate construction of the new terminal.
• Flights between Burbank to Monterey via JSX (a small regional air carrier for premium public charter flights) are now available for the summer. The flights use the Monterey Jet Center (200 Sky Park Drive). Go to JSX Monterey to Burbank for information.

REAL ESTATE

• Recent real estate transactions indicate that smaller homes in the Old Town neighborhood of the City of Monterey have been selling for more than $1 million to buyers who maintain permanent addresses in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is an ongoing trend in this area of the city.
• Your Chamber is aware of this trend and advocates for construction of housing in the region that is affordable for ordinary households.

RETAIL

• Del Monte Center has started its summer concert series. For more information and a schedule of performers, go to Del Monte Center Favorite Fridays Summer Concerts.

CHAMBER BUSINESS

• Chamber members are urged to vote for the Business Excellence Awards. Go to this website to vote: Business Excellence Awards Voting.
• A reminder to register for the Annual California Rodeo Mixer, sponsored by the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley Chambers of Commerce, as mentioned above. To register, go to California Rodeo Salinas & Monterey Regional Airport Chamber Mixer.

Next teleconference will be held Tuesday, 6/30/2026 at 10:00 AM.

If you are interested in participating on the teleconference or being added to the list, please contact monica@montereychamber.com. Your feedback is welcome.

Chamber Members Learn about Local Government Special Districts at Quarterly Business Insights Breakfast

While Californians generally know about city councils and county boards of supervisors, much public business is conducted by more obscure "special districts" authorized by state law for specific purposes. There are 44 special districts in Monterey County, including community service districts, fire protection districts, water districts, wastewater districts, solid waste districts, parks and recreation districts, cemetery districts, a harbor district, a healthcare district, an airport district, and a mosquito abatement district.

Established by local voters, special districts are governed by elected or appointed boards that hold open meetings to conduct public business. Special districts must comply with state standards for public transparency, and LAFCO (the Local Agency Formation Council of Monterey County) reviews each of them every five years. Special districts maintain websites and participate in local community events throughout the year to inform the public about their operations and services.

One of those informational community events was the Chamber's Quarterly Business Insights Breakfast on June 11. Moderated by Richelle Noroyan of the California Special Districts Association (CSDA), the panel featured representatives from Castroville Community Services District, ReGen Monterey (the former Monterey Regional Waste Management District), Monterey Peninsula Airport District, and Monterey County Mosquito Abatement District. Panelists talked about their services and special district strengths (specialization that leads to efficiency and effectiveness) as well as weaknesses (insufficient funding for high-cost construction and operations, workforce recruitment for specialized positions, and lack of public interest and involvement). "The best oversight is the citizens" said one panelist. Contact Monica Lal at monica@montereychamber.com or at 831.648.5350 for more information about special districts in Monterey County.

Congratulations to our 2026 Business Excellence Awards Finalists!

Accommodations & Visitor Services (Limited Services)

• Carmel Mission Inn
• Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
• Bernardus Lodge & Spa

Accommodations & Visitor Services (Full Service)

• Hampton Inn & Suites
• Butterfly Grove Inn
• Inns of Monterey

Advertising, Marketing & Media Services

• KSBW
• PlayBig Digital, LLC
• Monterey Signs
• Armanasco Public Relations
• KRML 94.7 FM Radio

Art, Attractions, Entertainment, Event Services & Recreation

• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• ETHOS Event Collective
• Arts Council for Monterey County

Construction & Building Services

• Otto Construction
• Avila Construction Company
• P.M. Landscaping LLC

Education & Training

• Monterey Peninsula Unified School District
• Cal State Monterey Bay
• Chartwell School

Financial & Insurance Services

• West Coast Community Bank
• Monterey Credit Union
• Hastie Financial Group

Food & Beverage

• Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill
• Shearwater Tavern
• BIRITE MARKET LLC
• The Sardine Factory

Government, Public Utilities & Transportation

• Monterey Regional Airport
• Monterey Touring Vehicles; Classic Car Experiences
• Monterey Fire Department
• ReGen Monterey

Real Estate & Property Management

• Monterey Bay Property Management
• Cannery Row Company
• Sanctuary Vacation Rentals, Inc.

Retail, Wholesale, Distributors & Manufacturers

• Costco Wholesale
• Del Monte Shopping Center
• Ami Carmel
• The Barnyard Shopping Village

Healthcare, Wellness & Senior Services

• The Equine Healing Collaborative
• Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula, Inc.
• Montage Health
• Grace Skin - Aesthetics and Skin Health

Professional Services

• Benitez Security Services, Inc.
• Noland, Hamerly, Etienne & Hoss
• Fenton & Keller, A Professional Corporation
• Alvarez Technology Group, Inc.

Nonprofits, Clubs & Organizations

• Community Human Services
• BRIDGE Community Services of CA
• SPCA Monterey County

Services to Businesses

• DeVeera Technology
• Rayne Technology Solutions
• Slingshot Connections

Services to Residents

• Disaster Kleenup Specialists
• Waste Management (WM)
• Cardinale Moving & Storage

New Business of the Year

• Courtyard & Residence Inn by Marriott Sand City
• Craft Collective
• Rice & Roots

The celebration is just getting started! Join us at the 2026 Business Excellence Awards as we honor these incredible finalists and announce this year's winners. Reserve your tickets today!

You may have heard a lot about changes to parking at the iconic Bixby Bridge in Monterey County. While a parking moratorium is not yet in effect, please be safe while enjoying this landmark.

Thank You to our MPCC Leadership Circle!

Visionary Members

Cornerstone Members

Foundational Members