Daily Business Report: Friday, April 21, 2023

SD Metro Magazine April 21, 2023April 21, 2023 0 Comments

Lawmakers attempt crackdown on hidden fees

A bevy of new legislation takes aim at hidden fees across several industries.

A growing body of research mostly shows that people

spend more when fees are revealed later.

By Grace Gedye | CalMatters

If you want to visit the Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca, there’s the price you’ll see when you first search for a room — and then there are add-ons and fees you’ll discover as you click through the booking process.

When Leslie Harvey took her kids to the hotel and water park last November, she paid a “resort fee” of $39.99 per day on top of the rate for the room. That fee doesn’t cover water park passes, which are included in the cost of the room, according to the Great Wolf Lodge’s website; it covers “amenities” including life jackets, towels, Wi-Fi, and the coffee makers and mini fridges in rooms.

The fee “provides for amenities and services that enhance the guest experience, and are very much in line with guests’ expectations when visiting a family resort destination,” wrote Jason Lasecki, vice president of corporate communications for Great Wolf Resorts. “Great Wolf Lodge fully discloses room rates and any fees to our guests throughout the booking process… and in the final estimate before customers complete their reservations,” and it requires third parties to inform customers about mandatory fees. When CalMatters went through the booking process for the Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca, the resort fee only became apparent after selecting dates, choosing a room, making a decision about late check out, and clicking through options to add activities and dining credits.

Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters; iStock

New record: San Diego County collects more

than $1 billion in property taxes in single day

San Diego County collected more than $1 billion in property taxes in a single day in April — a new record. The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office collected slightly more than $1.3 billion on April 7, the Friday before taxes were due on April 10. The previous record was $987 million on the same date last year.

Property tax collection was expected to increase as residential property values sharply increased during the pandemic. The agency has collected $7.8 billion so far — higher than the $7.28 billion at the same time last year.

Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister said the money goes to funding public schools, first responders, road repair and other essential services.

$1.2 million grant will give county

2 Mobile Probation Service Centers

The state awarded San Diego County Probation a $1.2 million grant to establish two Mobile Probation Service Centers that will help its clients and the community access services conveniently. The Board of State Community Corrections grant will allow Probation to purchase two vehicles approximately 22-foot-long, similar to a command center vehicle, that will help its clients in overcoming barriers, including lack of transportation and homelessness that affect their access to supervision and services.

The Board of Supervisors will decide at its June 13 meeting whether to accept the grant, and the vehicle order process will begin after that vote. Once the Mobile Probation Centers are built, outfitted and ready to head out, they will be marked in a subtle manner to protect the confidentiality of Probation’s clients. The two vehicles can go anywhere but will likely be sent to rural areas and in communities that may have higher concentrations of Probation clients.

Robb Field Recreation Alliance

advocates for upgrading the park

By Dave Schwab | sdnews.com

The City of San Diego is updating planning for Robb Athletic Field and the park’s largest users – Peninsula Tennis Club, Peninsula Youth Softball Association, and Albion Soccer Club – have joined to encourage pursuing a broad vision addressing the park’s short- and long-term needs.

As the city begins the months-long process to update the General Development Plan for Robb Athletic Field in Ocean Beach, its three main user groups have formed the Robb Field Recreation Alliance. The alliance’s main priorities for the park and the updated General Development Plan include:

• Improved, energy-efficient, and community-friendly lighting;

• Safer playing surfaces;

• Adequate and hospitable restrooms;

• Accessible and paved parking.

International Association of Business Communicators

The San Diego chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has named Emilie Vicchio its 2023 Communicator of the Year (COTY) and Lauren Karwel its Junior COTY. The COTY awards recognize greater San Diego area-based leaders who demonstrate strategic excellence in communication.

Vicchio is the director of marketing, brand and communication for Client Solution Architects, a global federal contractor serving the Navy, Army and Department of Defense. She leads all marketing, brand and communication efforts, guiding her organization’s internal, corporate and executive messaging during M&As, organizational restructurings, rebrands, and day-to-day operations.

Karwel is a senior employee communications specialist at Qualcomm, where she supports the human resources organization. She partners with HR leadership and cross functional teams to communicate within the HR organization and across the 45,000-employee base regarding HR policies, programs, and processes. She’s an expert in stakeholder management, aligning consistent messaging across related projects.

Physics professor Justin Perron is the principal investigator on a new grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. (Photo by Alicia Lores)

Professor helps win Energy Department

grant to expand science education

By Brian Hiro | Cal State San Marcos

Cal State San Marcos physics professor Justin Perron led a California State University-wide effort that has resulted in a grant of more than $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy that will help develop a workforce capable of thriving in a quantum landscape.

Perron is the principal investigator for a three-year, $2,534,399 grant titled “QIST in the CSU: Expanding Access to Quantum Information Science and Technology.” The award is through the Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) program in the Department of Energy.

The emerging field of QIST aims to harness the power of quantum mechanics and usher in a radical new era of technology.

Perron worked on the grant proposal with fellow CSUSM physics professor Ed Price as well as representatives from the CSU Office of the Chancellor, Chico State and multiple external entities. The grant started this February and will continue through February 2026.

as Inc 200 Female Founder in 2023

SAN DIEGO — Radicle Science Co-founder and Executive Chairwoman Pelin Thorogood has been recognized as an Inc 200 Female Founder in 2023 for her trailblazing work in democratizing access to clinical trials for non-pharmaceuticals for the first time in history. Co-founded by Pelin Thorogood and Jeff Chen, Radicle Science is an AI-driven healthtech B-corp reimagining clinical research to create a movement towards proven personalized medicines, affordable and accessible by all, without gatekeepers.

City of San Diego develops new Hazard

Dashboard to track environmental threats

SAN DIEGO — To help San Diegans understand and better prepare for environmental threats like wildfires and flooding, the City of San Diego has developed the San Diego Hazard Dashboard. This new tool is accessible online and designed to give city staff a common operating picture about current weather conditions, potential environmental threats and emerging information about regional incidents. By linking the Hazard Dashboard to the City of San Diego website, this information can be provided in a timely manner from a central location and is accessible to anyone. The Hazard Dashboard was developed by the city’s Office of Emergency Services (OES), in coordination with the Department of Information Technology.

Sunrun partners with BRIDGE Housing to

provide solar installation at apartments

CARLSBAD — In recognition of Earth Day, BRIDGE Housing, in partnership with Sunrun, a leading residential solar and battery storage, will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony today at 11 a.m. to celebrate the solar installation at Villa Loma Apartments, an affordable housing community in Carlsbad. The new 780 kilowatt solar system, installed on the rooftops of the apartment complex, serves 344 low-income families. The installation will help residents save an average of more than $60 per month on their electricity bills, which provides more cash for basic necessities such as groceries and back-to-school items for families.

Earth Day Fair scheduled at County Operations Center

SAN DIEGO — The county will celebrate Earth Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today with an in-person fair at the County Operations Center (COC) at 5500 Overland Drive. This event is open to the public. Attendees can learn about the County’s Apiary Program with displays of beekeeping safety equipment and a live insect display with hissing cockroaches to hold.

Booth will feature information about recycling, stormwater protection, food waste prevention and ways people can help protect and improve water quality with everyday actions.

Heron Therapeutics announces leadership changes

SAN DIEGO — Heron Therapeutics Inc. announced changes to its commercial leadership team, including the appointment of Jason Grillot as vice president, sales and marketing, acute care, effective April 24. Mr. Grillot brings more than two decades of hospital experience, most recently serving as a senior sales executive at CHIESI USA. John Poyhonen, Heron’s president and chief commercial officer, and Michael Mathews, senior vice president commercial, acute care, will cease to serve in their positions as of April 30. 2023. Craig Collard, Heron’s CEO, will oversee Heron’s commercial organization.

Ethos Asset Management Inc. USA signs

financing partnerhip with CTR Foundation

SAN DIEGO — Ethos Asset Management Inc. USA announced a new long-term financing partnership with CTR Foundation to deliver The New Hope Project of the Yawanawa indigenous people, from the Amazon Brazil. Ethos has committed to providing significant capital infusion that will continue for several years.

ENA opens registration for

Emergency Nursing 2023

SAN DIEGO — The road to Emergency Nursing 2023 in San Diego began Wednesday when the Emergency Nurses Association opened registration for the largest conference dedicated to emergency nursing. Thousands of emergency nurses from around the world will descend on the San Diego Convention Center Sept. 21-23 to Level Up their careers with more than 100 educational sessions to support clinical skill development, unique learning and industry partners in the extensive Experience Hall and seemingly non-stop engagement opportunities for ED nurses to connect and have fun with their peers.

Moores Cancer Center announces

April 27 Oncology Symposium

LA JOLLA — Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health and the Office of Industry Relations announced that the 19thannual Industry/cademia Next Generation Precision Oncology Symposium will be held Thursday, April 27, at The Alexandria at Torrey Pines Conference Center. The Symposium serves as a forum for sharing scientific and medical advances in cancer research spanning multiple classes of therapies, with sessions focused on hematologic and solid tumors, immune oncology, cellular therapies and genomics.

Guild Mortgage adds new district with

eight branch offices and 40 new employees

SAN DIEGO — Guild Mortgage has added a new district made up of 40 new Guild employees and eight branch offices in California to serve homebuyers throughout the region. John Lowe has been named district manager of the new district. Lowe moves to Guild with 40 team members, including: area managers Chris Owen and Joanne Hender; branch managers Doug Grenz, Don Petty, Gwen Chyz, Jeremy Kurtz, Marco Guerra and Steve Weninger; sales manager Debra Morsan; six transaction coordinators and four processors.