Politics harmed City Hall and Chamber relationship
CITY HALL A long membership lapse between City Hall and the Chamber of Commerce could soon come to an end.
As the relationship between City Hall and the chamber — once marred by political hostility — continues to improve, Mayor Herb Katz said he plans to ask the City Council to apply for membership in the business advocacy organization, rejoining after seceding more than two years ago.
“Some councilmembers were concerned the chamber was getting involved in politics and once you’re involved in politics, you have political problems,” Katz said in reference to the formation and subsequent disbanding of the chamber’s political action committee. “The determination was not to stay a member of the chamber … that seems to have dissipated.”
The PAC formed in 2003 and began endorsing candidates in the 2004 election, focusing on issues such as affordable housing, living wage, development and parking policies. Among the beneficiaries of the endorsements were Katz and Councilmember Bobby Shriver. The committee was dissolved in the summer of 2006, shortly before the mid-term elections. The chamber instead decided to focus on improving relations with City Hall, hiring a governmental liaison, a position currently filled by Samantha O’Neil.
“There’s definitely been some conflict in the past,” Laurel Rosen, the chamber’s president, said. “There was more polarization between the chamber and the city at one point.
“We dissolved the PAC and went ahead and decided not to endorse candidates,” she added. “That was not beneficial to our relationship and we recognize that.”
Katz is scheduled to formally request a membership at tonight’s council meeting.
Rosen said City Hall’s involvement will not be a conflict of interest, stressing that the chamber will continue to advocate for the business community regardless of council’s position on issues.
“The role of the chamber is to reflect the concerns of the business members and their issues,” Rosen said. “We may not always be sitting on the same side of the table as (the council).”
Both entities have worked in concert on various issues since the disbandment of the PAC, including the anti-panhandling campaign, the non-smoking campaign and the Land Use and Circulation Element, the general plan update.
While the chamber has kept its hands off of endorsements, it has kept up some involvement in politics, launching a new advocacy site in April called “Santa Monica Votes,” providing a forum for its members to express their opinions on issues being deliberated by the council. The chamber board also voted to oppose the Residents’ Initiative to Fight Traffic, which seeks to place caps on commercial development.
“When you have a strong relationship between the city and chamber, it speaks volumes,” Rosen said.
Paul Hortobagyi, the new board chairman, said the chamber has one of the best bonds with City Hall at the present moment, crediting it to City Manager Lamont Ewell, who came to Santa Monica in 2006.
Ewell said among his objectives as city manager was to strengthen the relationships with the neighborhoods and the chamber, the former achieved through the community budget forums.
“Having a good relationship with the chamber was equally important,” Ewell said. “I like to believe we advanced that effort where we’re working more closely on potential policies that come out such as the ban on plastic bags and the non-smoking policies of the city.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 24, 2008. Read the original PDF.