Priority Issues (in alphabetical order):

American Disabilities Act (ADA)

General Policy:  The American with Disabilities Act of 1992 changed the lives of millions of Americans and helped ensure that citizens with disabilities are provided with accommodations. The Chamber supports the reasonable application of and compliance with the policies of state and federal ADA law.

The Chamber Supports:

• Legislation and policies that help businesses comply with ADA requirements.
• Legislation that reduces frivolous ADA lawsuits against businesses and local government.
• Efforts to ensure that reforms passed in recent years to curb the problem of small businesses being victimized by unscrupulous ADA shakedown lawsuits are maintained.

The Chamber Opposes:

• Legislation that mandates expert reviews (such as mandatory Certified Access Specialists (CASP) inspections) or disclosures on businesses and property owners.
• Lawsuits that seek to impose state or federal ADA in contexts outside of their original intent, such as on users of websites of online-only businesses.

City & County Budgets

General Policy:  The Chamber supports the responsible and transparent formulation of city and county budgets, which detail and execute the best use of the public’s funds.

The Chamber Supports:

• City and county leaders adopt budgets that require them to manage judiciously and establish a “rainy day” fund.
• Encourage city and county leaders to plan budgets and spending forecasts.
• Review and evaluate all proposed city and county tax increases to ensure they do not unduly target or burden business.
• Evaluate all fees and support only those new fee increases that are consistent with providing necessary services in an efficient manner, without unduly harming the business climate.

Economic Development and Business Prosperity

General Policy:  The Chamber is committed to encouraging and participating with government and other industries in creating and attracting jobs to American Canyon and ensuring greater prosperity for new and existing businesses.

The Chamber Supports:

• Private enterprise and development projects that enhance economic vitality and business prosperity.
• Programs that provide tax credits or assistance to businesses.
• Legislation that reduces the excessive regulations, fees and unfunded mandates placed on businesses that interfere with economic vitality, competitiveness or job creation.
• Policies that allow for improved contracting opportunities for small businesses.

Education

General Policy:  The Chamber is committed to working with educational partners at the k-12 and Community College to help create a job-ready workforce in American Canyon.

The Chamber Supports:

• An educational system that prepares students for jobs and careers starting in middle school.
• Programs that provide student internships.
• Promotional programs that provide incentives for local companies to hire students.
• Workforce Readiness Programs
• Promotion of vocational and career technical training programs at the high school and post-secondary

Energy

General Policy:  The Chamber supports efforts and opportunities to educate the American Canyon business community of the importance of our county and region’s energy resources, and their importance to California’s economy.

The Chamber supports:

• Public and employee safety
• Environmental compliance and leadership.
• Policies that are dedicated to load reduction.
• Exploration of alternative energy and the use of renewable energy.
• Cost-effective energy efficiency programs and strategies.

Health Care

General Policy:  The Chamber believes in a few market in Health Care, without a mandate that it be provided by employers.

The Chamber Supports:

• Measures that streamline government regulations to increase efficiencies and reduce overall administrative burdens on those employers who provide health benefits to their employees.
• Voluntary measures that promote wellness and disease management education programs.

The Chamber Opposes:

• Employer mandated health coverage.
• Legislation that penalizes businesses that do not provide health benefits to their employees.

Immigration

General Policy:  The Chamber believes in the importance of a clear and functioning immigration system that promotes respect and compliance with federal law, with programs that provide a source of employment needed by businesses.

The Chamber Supports:

• Immigration policies, that provides a pathway to legal status for law- abiding, responsible and contributing undocumented individuals, and individuals under special status.
• An earned pathway to citizenship for immigrants who currently have legal status.

The Chamber Opposes:

• Immigration policies that will negatively impact the local economy.

Land Use and Development

General Policy:  The Chamber believes in the importance of strategically planning and developing residential and commercial properties that will help economic development to the City of American Canyon.

The Chamber Supports:

• Market driven development, both commercial and residential, to build a more prosperous City.
• Policies that streamline the development process.
• Cost-effective building standards that minimize air pollution, energy use and water consumption.
• Policies that promote future land development that will attract and retain businesses.
• Land use, planning, housing and zoning issues that encourage and promote business development.
• Reducing developer fees whenever possible.
• The monitoring of any amendments to the general plan and provide recommendations as needed.

Revenue Bonds

General Policy:  In California, a state where revenue bonds often find themselves on local and state-wide ballots every election, it is a Chamber priority to ensure that public funds are being expensed in a responsible and prudent matter. Furthermore, it is critical that bonds hold true to the promise and intent under which they were passed.

The Chamber Supports bond measures:

• That are investments in the future and encourage economic prosperity.
  • That are well-defined and contain built-in cost controls.
  • That encourage public agencies to have a plan in place to insure accountability and efficient use of

Tourism

General Policy:  Tourism, especially in the Napa Valley, is a tremendous source of economic prosperity for both local government and local businesses.  The Chamber believes in the growth and expansion of tourism in American Canyon.

The Chamber Supports:

• Maintaining a strong relationship with Visit Napa Valley and all Chambers & Welcome Centers in Napa and other surrounding areas.
• Efforts to expand tourism in American Canyon.

Transportation

General Policy:  With the growth of American Canyon, the Chamber believes in the importance of visionary region-wide planning to ensure that transportation systems will adequately meet the needs of current and future businesses and residents.

The Chamber Supports:

• Policies and legislation that repair the local, regional, and state transportation system in a timely and fiscally responsible manner.
• Efforts to improve the current transportation infrastructure to accommodate current and future economic and population growth.
• Providing input on the prioritization of transportation funds to maximize the leveraging of funds where applicable.

Water and Wastewater

General Policy:  The Chamber recognizes the importance of comprehensive policy that will deliver clean and sufficient supplies of water to the American Canyon area and is committed to working with lawmakers to achieve these results.

The Chamber Supports:

• Policies that ensure an adequate supply of water and wastewater treatment capacity for current and future growth.
• Development and use of recycled water so our limited water resources are efficiently used.
• Reasonable water and wastewater rates that ensure a long-term supply of water and wastewater treatment capacity, along with the maintenance of all related infrastructure, without unduly burdening local businesses.
• Ensuring there is sufficient wastewater treatment capacity to handle our current and future industrial needs.