GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND TASKS FOR 2010
ADOPTED BY GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS NOVEMBER 5, 2009
RATIFIED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOVEMBER 10, 2009
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The Government Affairs Committee promotes and protects the interests of
the hospitality industry and the general business community through
strong relations with local governments, local officials and key staff;
it accomplishes its goals through active collaboration and constructive
engagement with other organizations with similar goals. Government
Affairs and MCHA will increase communication throughout the year with
its members about Government Affairs activities and accomplishments,
including Monterey County Business Political Action Committee activities
and accomplishments. MCHA and Government Affairs perform critical tasks
promoting, protecting and enhancing the hospitality industry’s business
climate and the industry’s public image and the general business
climate in Monterey County. Major goals for the year include:
1) Work for
substantive water supply augmentation and reasonable water policies
Government Affairs and
MCHA will: A) aid in every way possible any reasonable efforts to
realize a regional water supply project that reliably will deliver
enough water to the Peninsula to i) offset over-pumping of the Carmel
River and the Watermaster-mandated pumping reductions in the Seaside
Basin and ii) provide for the general plan needs of Peninsula cities,
the Monterey Peninsula Airport District and Peninsula unincorporated
areas; and B) work for responsible water use policies fair to businesses
and residents.
2)
Development of critical transportation infrastructure
Government Affairs will
continue active collaboration with community partners, the
Transportation Agency for Monterey County, Monterey-Salinas Transit and
the Monterey Peninsula Airport District to achieve necessary local and
regional transportation projects and priorities. MCHA’s highest
priority is to achieve the widening of Highway 156, the primary drive
access to the Peninsula.
3)
Political Action
MCHA and Government
Affairs will continue active collaboration with, and participation in,
the Monterey County Business Political Action Committee and continue to
work for stronger and better relations with government officials. The
efforts of the MCBPAC to affect beneficial business-friendly changes in
local elections have been successful, but more participation and
increased financial support is necessary to achieve even more
improvement in the Monterey County business climate. MCBPAC identifies
and promotes qualified candidates for election to local offices and
raises the funds necessary for successful campaigns. Increased MCHA
member participation in, and financial support for, the MCBPAC will
ensure the successes continue and increase.
4) Active
participation in general plan update and General Plan implementation
In order to
protect and promote the interests of the hospitality industry, general
business interests, and community residents, Government Affairs will
continue active and beneficial participation in updates to the Monterey
County General Plan and related implementation measures when a revised
General Plan is adopted. Government Affairs will actively oppose
attempts to incorporate or adopt business-unfriendly changes to the
General Plan or its implementation measures.
5)
Work for success of tourism marketing and promotion funding
MCHA
and Government Affairs worked diligently with the Monterey County
Convention and Visitors Bureau to continue the success of the countywide
Tourism Improvement District and work to maintain secure sustainable,
increased funding for tourism marketing and promotion. Government
Affairs and MCHA will continue collaboration with other community
partners to assure the ongoing success and improvement of that effort
and continue working for increased California funding for tourism
marketing and promotion.
6)
Special event coordination and promotion, economic development
Government
Affairs will continue MCHA involvement, participation in, and monitoring
of the county special events policies to assure special event planning
and coordination remains primarily voluntary and in the private sector.
Government Affairs will also coordinate industry promotion for, and
support of, additional added-value events and industry-enhancement
opportunities such as development of “wine corridors” and cruise ship
tourism. Government Affairs and MCHA will actively promote economic
development programs and policies consistent with its adopted Economic
Development Policy.
Government Affairs will
continue to meet on the first Thursday of each month at 8:30 am (except
when rescheduled to avoid event or holiday conflicts). Periodically
guest speakers will be invited to better inform the committee on issues
of concern.
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