Although the majority of the population in Arcadia is Chinese, Asians represent only 27% of the 1.8 million residents of the San Gabriel Valley overall, with 45% Hispanic and only 22% Caucasian and 4% African-American, making the Valley one of the most ethically and culturally diverse regions in the country, reported Cynthia Kurtz at Thursday’s Arcadia Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Forum sponsored by Expedia. Cynthia, a former City Manager of Pasadena, is the President & CEO of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership.
Cynthia Kurtz
Government Affairs Forum sponsorCynthia also noted in her PowerPoint presentation that SGV lost about 52,000 jobs in the ten years from 2002-2012, bottoming out in 2010 and recovering slightly since then, but nearly enough yet to offset the losses, let alone the annual growth rate that needs to be in the range of 3.5% – 4% per year. Those gains have not been seen in California since 2008, she said.
But there are some bright spots: of the 70,000 businesses in San Gabriel Valley — which represent about 16% of the the jobs in all of Los Angeles County (605,000 jobs; 3.8 million people), 87,000 jobs are in the health services sector. Cynthia’s SGV Economic Partnership offered a free forum on Health Care Reform Implementation for Employers on June 28 at the City of Hope.
Another 80,000 jobs are in the professional/business services industry in San Gabriel Valley. And 6,000 jobs were added in the past year, half of which came in the leisure and hospitality sector, and 1,800 in retail trade.
“Growth will continue at a slow pace for about three to four more years,” she said — about 1.5% – 2% per year. And the good news in Arcadia, Asians tend to open a lot of businesses, she said.
In other reports from attendees at the monthly free meeting of local government officials:
- City Councilman Bob Harbicht reported that the City reached an agreement with Rusnak Mercedes to expand their auto dealership onto Santa Anita Avenue, pending final approval from the State Department of Finance. And the City has approved two new medical office buildings to be built, one across from the hospital on Huntington Drive near the existing medical building, which will include an additional foot bridge over the street, and another near Colorado Place. He also noted that the City Council approved a $10,000 annual fee increase to the Chamber, and $40,000 per year for three years to make interior improvements to the Chamber office building, which the City owns.
- Economic Development Manager Jerry Schwartz reported that the City will vote at the Council meeting June 18 on whether to approve ballots to be sent to property owners in the area surrounding First Avenue and Huntington Drive. The vote will determine if the owners want to create a self-taxing district to raise money to revitalize and market the area to drive more customers and businesses to the downtown area.
- Rodrigo Gonzalez of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority reported that the Authority has now received 100% approval to complete all phases of the 11.5 mile extension of the Gold Line through Arcadia to Azusa. He also noted that the outside lanes of Santa Anita Avenue that were recently closed for construction, will eventually be opened when the inside lanes need to be closed.
- Congresswoman Judy Chu representative Tommy Tseng reported that Chu will meet with Chamber executives June 24 to discuss the plans to create a National Recreation Area at local waterways. He also said the long-planned Small Business Development Center should be coming to the area in late 2013, probably in Pasadena. The Congresswoman is also creating a new DiversCities Award for business owners — more details to come.
- Assemblymember Ed Chau’s representative Olivia Lee sent word presented by Forum chairman Jack Orswell that Chau has been appointed Chair of the Housing and Community Development Committee in the State Assembly, and that several of his bills passed the Assembly Floor, including his water bill AB 1043 which deals with the groundwater cost recovery that impacts our district. Chau will be guest speaker at the Chamber Forum at 8 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, regarding AB 477.
- Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich representative Brian Mejia noted the many activities the Supervisor has hosted and attended in recent days, including his annual Memorial Day event in Arcadia Park, and the upcoming Family Music Festival at the Arboretum on June 23.
- Linda Sells of the Monrovia, Arcadia, Duarte Town Council, praised the Supervisor’s Memorial Day program, and she and John Nicoloro described a new residential project being built on Live Oak Avenue just east of the official city limits of Arcadia but still within the unincorporated part of Arcadia.
Schedule of upcoming guest speakers at the Forum:
- July 11 guest speaker (please note one-time change of date to second Thursday due to Independence Day on July 4): State Senator Ed Hernandez
- Aug. 1 guest speaker: Assemblymember Chau on Assembly Bill 477, an act to amend Section 15630.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to elder and dependent adult abuse.
Monthly forums, free and open to the public, are held at 8 a.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, 388 W. Huntington Drive.
Each month a discussion of pending legislation and other updates will be provided by representatives from City, County, and State government offices, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension and the Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte Town Council.
The public is invited on the first Thursday of each month to hear informative presentations at the monthly Government Affairs Forums led by Chairman Jack Orswell and co-chairs Pete Ulrich, former Arcadia City Councilman, and Mary Dougherty, former President of the Arcadia School District Board of Education.
RSVPs to the Chamber of Commerce office are appreciated – (626) 447-2159 or info@ArcadiaCaChamber.org.
