Turbulence. Disruption. Tragic levels of revenue loss.

These were the words used to track the years 2020 and 2021, and quite a bit of 2022.
But according to the Marin Economic Forum and specifically the 2022 annual report of the Marin County Visitors Bureau, which promotes tourism in Marin, numbers are looking up, up and away.

According to the data, hotel occupancy increased from 2021 to 2022, averaging 72% occupancy and generating Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) of more than $1.5 million in 2022, up significantly from the almost $1.1 million collected in 2021. More people are staying in Marin, which is a more important metric than people visiting Marin from a revenue perspective, given the average spend of an overnight guest is $147/person compared to just $59/person for day trippers (MEF 2019).

Why the tourism sector is so important for Marin’s future
A recent report commissioned by “Visit California,” the state’s tourism agency, suggests tourism in California is almost to peak levels in 2019 and well on its way to a full recovery. As a $135 billion industry, that is good news for the state and the many businesses and employees that associate with the sector. But what about Marin? How are we doing and what is our outlook?

Marin’s overall tourism performance is impressive, with total travel spending in Marin reported at $852.2 million, surpassing the $832 million reported in 2019, which itself was a seven-year high. These revenues generated over $73 million in state and local taxes, while providing employment to an estimated 5,600 people. According to MEF’s own figures, the number of workers in Marin County that serve the tourism market could be as high as 30,000 - a huge portion of our approximately 120,000 jobs in the county, when occupations at hotels, restaurant, retail and other entertainment is considered.
So, strictly from a numbers perspective, the importance of the tourism sector cannot be understated. Ask local elected leaders of our many cities and towns and they will collectively agree on the important economic opportunities visitors bring their downtowns. But there are reasons beyond local spending why tourism is important in Marin:

1. As an industry, tourism leverages the existing natural beauty resources of the county, and doesn’t require a large footprint of buildings, relative to some other big industries. Marin County has made a tremendous effort over decades to protect open space and coastal areas not only for preservation but so residents (and visitors) can enjoy these spaces with a light footprint. The win-win effect is that we safeguard our environment while creating economic opportunities that are a direct result of the conservation effort.
2. There are low barriers to entry for tourism-related local businesses. While Marin’s economy includes sophisticated sectors like biotech, IT and healthcare, which can require huge amounts of upfront capital to launch, most of the small businesses operating in the tourism sector rely on simple business models and minor capital requirements. From kayak rentals to event planners to charter fishing, tourism entrepreneurs have proven models and more immediate business ownership opportunities.
3. Tourism will always be an important sector in Marin. The Marin economy is diverse, however, over time some industries have come and gone, while new ones (like biotech) were not even considered in Marin just 20 years ago. With protected natural assets, a dynamic regional economy, and always high interest in neighboring wine country or the many sporting and corporate events that draw visitors to the Bay Area, there will always be interest to visit and play in Marin.
4. Tourism leads to growth in additional sectors. Visitors to Marin do not just come for the views. In West Marin, farms and ranches have been hosting tourists for meals and direct to consumer sales, bringing more economic activity to that sector. Most jurisdictions in Marin host some kind of event, be it the Fairfax Festival, the County Fair or otherwise, that rely on local labor, talent and businesses. The direct and indirect spending effects from tourism are among the most important of any sector in Marin.

The most recent data regarding our tourism sector confirms it is on a steady return, on pace to surpass our previous high levels pre-pandemic. The data underlies a sentiment most of us residents already had, that our natural assets, if well managed, can provide economic and social benefits today and for years to come.

The Mill Valley Chamber's collective hearts are as heavy as they can be this week with the tragic loss of James "Tony" Coyle, a longtime Chamber member and Ambassador whose words brought laughter and whose deeds directly impacted the lives of those around him for the better.

Tony has left us at 83 years old.

We'll leave it to some of his Chamber colleagues to express their thoughts and condolences.

But few are more equipped to share their love and loss of Tony than our Lead Ambassador, Phil Garrett. "He was one of the kindest, gentlest, funny and honest people I ever met, all wrapped up in that beautiful accent. He and I walked most days during the worst of Covid and saved each other’s sanity. Hard to realize an Englishman could love an Irishman! He sure will be missed.  He was a treasure of old stories and tales, songs and poetry. The best of friends."

Garrett further formalized his esteem for Tony in the 2020 Enjoy Mill Valley Guide, for which Tony was selected in "Capsules of Joy" as one of the community members who infuse our community with joy, simply by being themselves. Here's what Phil wrote at that time:

"His beautiful big eyes always had a twinkle," says Paula Reynolds, the Chamber's director of operations. We were all blessed to have him in our lives." 

"He will be remembered in our hearts and laughs," says Compass real estate agent Michelle Fallone Nelson.

We'll be having a more formal tribute to Tony at our April 18th EMV After Hours event at WrapManager/Assembly at ​319 Miller Ave., 5:30-7pm.

There's been a ton of discussion in Mill Valley and across the country in recent years about how hard it has been for businesses to bring back their employees and hire new ones.

Despite an unemployment rate of just above 2% here in Mill Valley, the job boards for the 94941 are loaded with postings, primarily for service industry jobs, spanning grocery store, cafe and retail clerks to salon, pet care and real estate office receptionists. As with most issues, the real reasons employers are struggling to fill openings are complex.

​The Youth Job Fair is here to directly address this gap head-on, with a specific wrinkle for employers: the ability to submit your specific job openings whether or not you intend to be an exhibitor at the event itself. This allows job seekers to get a sense of the available opportunities before they arrive on site.
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Job Seekers: Register to attend in advance here.
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GO HERE FOR THE EXHIBITOR APPLICATION.
Employers should submit their completed forms by March 10th if possible.

Sign up here to volunteer with the event in preparation or day of.

​Have questions? EMAIL CO-ORGANIZER DANA TUTTLE HERE.

HERE'S THE EXHIBITOR APPLICATION.

Let’s face it: The Blithedale Project, a complete makeover of one of Mill Valley’s two main arterials, is necessary work. But it’s also already been a long slog, and our merchants, restaurants, galleries and nonprofit organizations in the downtown area are still feeling the adverse impact.
We are grateful to city officials for agreeing to do everything possible to avoid construction impacts on the business community in the fourth quarter of 2023, and to avoid all but emergency work during the Thanksgiving and Holiday weeks. The city's assurance of relief for Q4 is welcome news.  

We’re also grateful for the City’s stated strategies to address the impacts of major construction planned for downtown throughout the summer  construction, including:

• Waiving downtown parking meter fees & modifying time limits to help better manage parking.
• Deploying additional signs to inform how to access places during a particular week.
• Opening “Employee Only” parking spots at City Hall to the public.
• Requiring City Hall employees to park outside of the immediate downtown area.
• Limiting contractors to no more than 20 “No Parking” spots within the construction limits.
• Designating construction staging areas away from downtown.
• Reclassifying some downtown “Employee Only” parking to be available for public parking.
• Daily cleaning and sweeping of the project sites.
• Having representatives from the Police and Fire Departments review traffic control plans, construction schedules and attend weekly construction meetings.
• Providing the community and Council with regular project construction progress updates.
• Providing business owners with Construction Tool Kit for Businesses.

We believe that executing the Downtown Project in the midst of the remaining PG&E work on Blithedale and the subsequent paving requires a heightened level of communication, similar to that of the Miller Streetscape Project.  
That project had a dedicated person whose role was to engage with the affected businesses: informing them about upcoming impacts; limitations on access to storefronts; and suggested messages to customers.

Businesses: If you have creative ideas to add to the list above, reach out to us and share here!

Birthed from the Marin Energy Authority’s hard-fought launch of Marin Clean Energy in May 2010, MCE is a not-for-profit public agency that has set the standard for clean energy in our communities. 
MCE offers more renewable power at stable rates, significantly reducing energy-related greenhouse emissions and reinvesting millions of dollars in local energy programs.
But while you might glance regularly at your energy bills, you're likely unaware of the broad range of MCE's platform. In advance of MCE hosting our Feb. 15th After Hours at the Mill Valley Community Center, we're spotlighting a trio of MCE's components that will open your eyes to the possibilities. Click on the links below for an array of critical important information for you, your home and business.
​MCE’s Pathway to a Clean Energy Future – Dig Into the Agency's Priorities

• MCE is meeting state renewable energy and climate goals light-years ahead of schedule, ensuring grid reliability and resiliency, boosting the green economy, and offering programs that benefit underserved communities. MCE’s Light Green energy service is expected to be 95% greenhouse gas free by 2023 and 85% renewable by 2029.

MCE Marketplace Programs – How MCE Help Prevent Summer Blackouts

• MCE’s suite of Marketplace programs accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient equipment with a focus on peak period demand reduction and energy savings. Programs like Smart meter data measures the amount of energy that is being saved. MCE's new meter-based methodology is more accurate and provides critical insight about when energy savings are occurring. An incentive structure pays premium rates during the summer peak hours, which can exceed 10 times the value of off-peak rates. And Incentives are directed to the installation contractor or equipment provider, referred to as aggregators. Virtually any equipment that produces measurable savings can be included in the program.

“Supplier Diversity” – Small Businesses Can Amplify Their Opportunities

• If you are a small or diverse business owner in California, MCE can help you certify in the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Supplier Diversity program and amplify your business opportunities throughout the state. Stay tuned for details.

MORE INFO ON MCE'S ARRAY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.

On the heels of the latest discussion on the proposed countywide Reusable Foodware Ordinance, in which business owners noted the gaps between the ordinances requirements and the lack of product availability with which to comply, County of Marin consultants Jinesse Reynolds and Susan Hopp reached back out to provide some additional context:

1. Compost concern – Mill Valley Refuse. You are required to make sure your compost is not contaminated. If your customers are the problem, you can ask them to put all of the waste in your bus tray and then the person who does the dishes can sort it out correctly in the back.

​2. To-Go Ramekins - That is not on the Exemption list but we can see about getting it added since there is not a replacement that works.

3. Wood-based utensils are required, please check out other ideas if bamboo is not working for you. Here is the link to the Marin County Purchasing Guide. It contains some compost compliant disposable suggestions that may help. It also contains a list of the exempt items. 

4. The County is working on providing signs to help the customer & the employees with the ordinance requirements (8.5" x 5.5" 2 sided postcards, can be displayed at ordering and accessory areas, employees can refer to the backside for info on the ordinances).

5. Please understand this ordinance was adopted because Marin County residents rallied and made it happen. The largest percentage of the population in Marin County are concerned residents that understand using single-use disposable foodware pollutes and is harmful to our bodies and the environment and replacing single-use with reusables is the best way to make the biggest difference. The County has and will continue to work with community stakeholders and businesses to make this work the best it can for all. San Anselmo and Fairfax have been working with their businesses since they implemented it in 2019. Here is a study that was done by ReThink disposables. Comforts is a deli/restaurant in San Anselmo. They have dine-in & take -out.
Questions/Concerns? Email Susan Hopp here. 

If the past few days haven't provided us with enough reminders that we must focus on keeping each other safe, the City of Mill Valley has created a four-page guide for new and seasoned employees in businesses and organizations throughout Mill Valley.

The preparedness guide shines a spotlight on the possible disasters that might confront employees during their workday and teaches those who work in Mill Valley how to prepare for and to stay safe during a variety of emergencies.

Business owners and nonprofit leaders: This is an incredibly valuable document to share with your employees! YOU CAN VIEW AND PRINT THE GUIDE HERE or click on the individual panels below to get full-page views of each slide below.  

Additional emergency preparedness guidance and training opportunities for Mill Valley's businesses and organizations will be available throughout the coming year.

If you are interested in receiving more info about emergency preparedness and businesses/organizations, reach out to Michelle Terrell, Community Engagement Coordinator, at mterrell@cityofmillvalley.org.

By Jim Welte

For those that weren't able to attend our annual Holiday Party at the Outdoor Art Club earlier this month, here's a brief look at how we see ourselves as an organization as we head into 2023. At the 30,000 feet level, we’re about the betterment of our business and nonprofit community and thus, our entire 94941 community as a whole.

We create. That comes in the form of events like these – some a heckuva lot larger than this with the Music Festival, some much smaller. We also create content – thousands of words per week, in fact, all to keep you informed about what’s happening in town and how you can be part of it.

We champion. Whether it’s the future use of outdoor space in our amazing town or our desire to see more affordable housing created here so that our workforce, the backbone of our community, are able to live more closely to where they work, we don’t hesitate to weigh in when vitality and equity are at stake.

We coach. When I’m not coaching my 7th grade girls basketball team at MVMS, I’m meeting with one of you to talk through an idea, identify a way forward and inform and educate our members about how best to navigate, whether it’s with the city, the county or whomever we need to engage.
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Lastly, and perhaps most importantly going forward, we connect. Many of the people in this room know one another (this certainly include the hundreds of members unable to be with us tonight). We’re happy to have made many of those connections, and it is incumbent upon as a Chamber to make sure that we continue to make them. Our job is to create innovative opportunities by connecting people. We encourage you to lean on us for the connections you seek.

We’re going to explore ways to expand connectivity among our members in the coming months.

Lastly, I’ll be adding some office hours on Mondays going forward, so if you find yourself in need of a sounding board, a consultation or just want to catch up for a bit, look for the opportunity to sign up in the New Year. We're back at it again at the incredibly beautiful property at Fernwood in Tam Junction on Tuesday, January 10, 5:30-7pm. See you then unless we bump into each other in the meantime!

As always, reach out at info@millvalley.org anytime. Here's to a safer, healthier, more prosperous and increasingly more equitable 2023!​

Business owners: The deadline is swiftly approaching for employers with over 50 employees to either have a retirement plan in motion or register with @CalSavers, California’s retirement savings program designed for the millions who don’t have a way to save for retirement at their job.
​CalSavers was created by legislation passed in 2016 requiring employers who do not sponsor a retirement plan and have 5 or more employees to participate in CalSavers – an automatic enrollment individual retirement account (IRA) with no employer fees or fiduciary liability.

The next deadlines is June 30, 2022 for eligible employers with at least five employees. Employers don’t need to wait: they can register for CalSavers at any time.

MORE INFO.

If you've missed out on prior California state relief grants for restaurants, you have an another opportunity, though it comes with a tight deadline.
The Restaurants Care Resilience Fund is back for another round of grants to support California’s independent restaurants. Grants are $3,000 and can be used for kitchen equipment upgrades or retention bonuses.
Winning restaurants are welcomed into a cohort and receive one-year of support services and resources to promote their long-term success. All California-based restaurants with fewer than three units and under $3 million in revenue are invited to apply. Deadline is April 30!
Here is a new funding option for restaurants.

Go here for all info and to apply.

Who is eligible to receive a grant?

• Independent restaurants (not part of a large chain or franchise) 
• 1-3 units
• Under $3 million in annual revenue (combined revenue for all units/concepts) 
• Have been open for at least one full year 
• Customer of SoCalGas, PG&E, or SDG&E
• Located in CA owned by a CA resident
• Note: Members of the STATE boards of the California Restaurant Association and California Restaurant Foundation are not eligible. 
• All restaurants that meet the above criteria are eligible and encouraged to apply, additional consideration is given to restaurants owned by women and people of color. 

Quick facts:

• Application is open from April 15th-30th
• Must be based in California
• Fewer than 3 units/concepts
• Under $3M in annual revenue
• Funding for ALL counties across California
• Funding can be used toward kitchen equipment or retention bonuses
• Winners will be announced in early June

MORE INFO & APPLY.