Daily Business Report-Feb. 22, 2017

The popular event exposes and engages children of all ages and their families in the STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Science in Spotlight at Super Stem Saturday

March 11 At Cal State San Marcos

There is something for everyone at the annual Super STEM Saturday event on March 11 at Cal State San Marcos.

Held in partnership by The Classical Academies and CSUSM, Super STEM Saturday draws more than 8,000 science enthusiasts each year. The popular event exposes and engages children of all ages and their families in the STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Super STEM Saturday closes the Biocom Institute Festival of Science and Engineering, the largest celebration of innovation and science education in Southern California.

There will be more than 100 activities to choose from, including hands-on experiments, demonstrations, scientist chats and contests.

Super STEM Saturday is free and open to the public from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. It will be held rain or shine. Complimentary parking is available in Lots E, F and H. Food will be available for purchase at the event or guests are welcome to bring lunch or snacks with them.

In conjunction with Super STEM Saturday, CSUSM’s College of Science and Mathematics is hosting a variety of related free events throughout the week. Additionally, Associated Students Inc. will be hosting “Geek Week” activities on campus. “Geek Week” activities are open only to the campus community.

For a closer look at events throughout the week, click here.

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Airport Plaza Office Building Sells for $5.87 Million

Cushman & Wakefield announced today that Airport Plaza, a 49,517-square-foot multi-tenant office building in Kearny Mesa, has sold for $5.87 million. Crown Investment Co. Inc. acquired the three-story building located at 8555 Aero Drive from Hudson Advisors.

The building was approximately 80 percent leased at the time of sale, with only a handful of small vacant suites — one of which the seller recently pre-built out on a speculative basis. The building also recently completed renovations to the restrooms and common areas.

Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller in the transaction and Colliers International represented the buyer.

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New Bill Would Expand Community

College Baccalaureate Pilot Program

A new bill introduced in the California State Senate would accelerate a pilot program that allows a limited number of California community colleges to offer four-year degrees.

Senate Bill 769 would expand California’s community college baccalaureate pilot program from 15 to 30 programs and remove the current sunset, scheduled for 2023.  State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), introduced the bill on Friday to address the state’s workforce needs.

California urgently needs more graduates with four-year degrees to the meet the state’s workforce demands,” said Senator Hill. “This bill increases the opportunities for more students to earn the four-year degrees that lead to the jobs that fuel California’s economy.”

Senate Bill 850, authored by Senator Marty Block and signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2014, established California’s baccalaureate pilot program.  When Block chose not to run for re-election in 2016, Sen. Hill stepped forward in support of extending and expanding the pilot program.

One of the key provisions of Sen. Hill’s bill is the removal of the sunset provision.  This would allow more time for the various pilot programs to fully develop.

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SDG&E Offers EV Drivers

Credit on Residential Bills

Those who drive an all-electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid EV can now enroll to receive a credit of at least $50 on their SDG&E residential bill. The Electric Vehicle Climate Credit is part of a statewide greenhouse gas reduction program administered by the California Air Resources Board.

EV drivers can sign up at www.sdge.com/evcc. They will need their SDG&E account number and DMV registration card to sign up. A bill credit will be applied this summer. The amount of the credit will be based on the number of people who have applied. Program enrollments will be accepted annually February through May.

Each year the Electric Vehicle Climate Credit will apply to current EV drivers. This means that if an EV changes ownership or leasing status, the new owner will be able sign up for the bill credit. “In San Diego, transportation produces more than half of all harmful air emissions. With more than 40 percent of SDG&E’s energy generated from renewable resources, each mile driven using electricity from the local power grid reduces the region’s carbon footprint,” said Michael Schneider, SDG&E Vice President of Operations Support and Chief Environmental Officer.

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Fitch Ratings Gives Highest

Rating to County Investment Pool

Fitch Ratings has given its highest rating to the San Diego County investment pool, San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister announced Tuesday. It marks the 17th consecutive year the investment pool has received a “AAA” rating.

Fitch Ratings indicated the pool, which reached a record $10.1 billion in public funds last April, has the highest underlying credit quality (or lowest vulnerability to default) and a very low sensitivity to market risk.

Currently, more than 200 public agencies in the San Diego region invest in the pool, including all 42 public school districts, five community college districts, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority, SANDAG, MTS, and other public agencies such as cities, fire, and water districts.

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Personnel Announcements

Eric Banks Reappointed to California

Public Employment Relations Board

Eric Banks, 46, of San Diego, has been reappointed to the California Public Employment Relations Board by Gov. Jerry Brown. Banks has served on the board since 2013.

Banks was a partner at TenPageMemo LLC in 2013 and held several positions at the Service Employees International Union, Local 221 from 2001 to 2013, including adviser, president and director of government and community relations. Banks was policy associate for state government affairs at the New York AIDS Coalition from 2000 to 2001. He held several positions at the Southern Tier AIDS Program from 1993 to 2000, including director of client services, assistant director of client services and case manager.

The position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $142,095. Banks is a Democrat.