News/Blog

December 16, 2022

Seismic retrogrades to Anderson Dam are well underway

By Brittney Sherman

Progress is now visible at Anderson Dam, where crews have been digging a 24-foot high and 1,700-foot-long tunnel as part of an earthquake safety project estimated to cost $1.2 billion.

Federal dam safety regulators ordered Santa Clara County’s largest reservoir drained in 2020 for the purpose of reducing the risk of failure due to a major earthquake. The tunnel is projected to be completed in 2024 and will be followed by the construction of a new dam and spillway with the capacity to withstand a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

When Anderson Dam’s reservoir is full, it holds approximately 89,278 acre feet of water — more than the combined water storage of all other nine reservoirs in the district. For the past two years, the reservoir has been drained to 3% during a time when water is an expensive and scarce commodity. The retrofit project is estimated to be fully completed by 2032.

Read the Mercury Times article HERE.

December 15, 2022

2022 Economic Development Year in Review

By Brittney Sherman

Happy Holidays Morgan Hill Business Community! In lieu of a December eNewsletter, we have decided to produce a Year in Review. In this message you will find an overview of key Economic Development efforts, actions, and projects spanning the 2022 year. Thank you for your commitment to "Choose Morgan Hill!" We look forward to working with you and supporting your business in 2023.

Read the Year in Review HERE!

Matt Mahood and Brittney Sherman

Economic Development Team

City of Morgan Hill

December 12, 2022

Microenterprise home kitchens foster food entrepreneurship

By Brittney Sherman

Residents of private homes will soon be able to operate mini restaurants from their own kitchens through Santa Clara County’s Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO). This (3) year pilot program, expected to launch in Spring 2023, will allow residents to prepare, cook, and sell food from a private home kitchen, without many of the challenges and cost associated with cottage food and catering licenses.

MEHKOs are only allowed to produce a maximum of (30) meals per day and (60) meals per week, employ one full-time employee besides the owner, and can earn no more than $54,310 in annual gross sales. Meals can be either donated or sold, and are approved for pick-up, delivery, and on-site consumption. MEHKOs are subject to one scheduled annual inspection and cannot operate concurrently as a caterer, cottage food operator, or wholesaler. The County hopes that the MEKHO program will open new pathways to food entrepreneurship, especially for underserved populations.

The creation of the MEHKO pilot program is in accordance with the passage of Assembly Bill 626 in 2018, authorizing California counties the option to allow MEHKOs in their jurisdiction. Learn more about the MEKHO Pilot Program HERE.

Have questions? Contact City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Director Matt Mahood at Matt.Mahood@morganhill.ca.gov

December 09, 2022

San Francisco's slow burn to full hotel recovery

By Brittney Sherman

In 2019, San Francisco was ranked one of the top two hotel markets nationwide, falling just behind New York City. However, when the pandemic hit it knocked San Francisco to rock bottom. Group travel and international travel, especially from China, generated over 60% of San Francisco hotel stays, two travel sections that were decimated in 2020.

There are approximately 230 hotels and upwards of 34,000 hotel rooms in San Francisco. In 2019, the average hotel occupancy was (82.9) percent and the average daily rate (ADR) for a room was $275.79, the highest ADR ever recorded in the City’s history. Of the recorded 26.2 million visitors to the City in 2019, roughly (40) precent stayed at least one night. Overnight visitors were responsible for producing (87) percent of the total direct visitor spending for the year and hotel transient occupancy tax (TOT) represented (50) percent of the City’s General Fund.

As people adjust to the new normal, San Francisco hotels continue to experience a slow burn of recovery, projecting to end the 2022 year with a (64) percent occupancy rate. Although industry leaders do not expect full hotel recovery of pre-pandemic occupancy and ADR until early 2025, Visit San Franciso will launch a campaign in 2023 to change the narrative on how people view the City to foster a quicker return of international and group travel to San Francisco.

December 09, 2022

Round two of the CalCompetes tax credit opens January 3

By Brittney Sherman

$120 million in available tax credits will be awarded during the next round of the CalCompetes Program, scheduled to launch on January 3. The California Competes Tax Credit is an income tax credit available to businesses that want to come to California, or stay and grow in California, and create quality, full-time jobs. To date, 1,172 businesses have been awarded tax credits through the program, resulting in a proposed creation of 153,000 full-time jobs. Learn more about the program and application process by attending the Go-Biz informational webinar HERE.

Have questions? Contact City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Director Matt Mahood at Matt.Mahood@morganhill.ca.gov

December 07, 2022

Empowering first-time homebuyers

By Brittney Sherman

Empower is a loan program to help first-time homebuyers with up to 17% of the purchase price of a single-family home, condo, or townhome in Santa Clara County. This 1-hour Informational Webinar, hosted by the City of Morgan Hill, the City of Gilroy, and the Housing Trust's Homebuyer team, will help you learn how the County of Santa Clara's down payment assistance program Empower can help you buy your first home.

The Empower program offers a maximum loan amount of $187,000 on a home that is up to $1,100,000. Requiring only a 3% down payment from the buyer, a 20% down payment on a home is possible. As a 30-year deferred loan, no monthly loan payments are required.

Register HERE to learn more about Empower and attend the informational webinar on December 8 at 6 p.m. 

Have questions? Contact City of Morgan Hill Housing Director Rebecca Garcia at Rebecca.Garcia@morganhill.ca.gov