The Seascape
Newsletter of the CLCA
Central Coast Chapter
January 2021
Calendar of Events
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offering a 15% discount this year to members!
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January 14, Wednesday
Safety Program Development
Time: 1:00-2:00 p.m., will be held as a virtual meeting
East Bay CLCA’s Loren McIrvin, president of Allied Landscape will discuss how to develop a safety program and how a focus on safety leads to an improved company culture, improved employee retention, improved client retention and improved profitability.
Topics include: Why safety is important, four critical components to an effective safety program, and COVID 19 compliance.
CLCA members FREE, Non-members $25. Register here.
February 4, Thursday
Central Coast Chapter Board Meeting
Time: 12:00 noon, will be held as a virtual meeting
2021 Board Members will be announced. Contact Justin White for details at (831) 331-3476 or justin@kndlandscaping.com
February 20, Saturday, 10 a.m.
Firescaping Workshop—Free to All
Join lead presenter Phil Dundas, owner of The Landscape Company, Marco Mack the Aptos La Selva Fire Marshal, Martin Quigley, executive director of UCSC Arboretum and others. Many topics of interest on wildfire mitigation in wild land urban areas will be covered including: Firescape Landscaping and Designs, Maintenance Plans, Creating Fire Breaks and more. Please contact to Phil Dundas with questions. Email will be sent out soon with more information and to register online. Scroll through newsletter for more info…
coming soon, date TBA…
April or May, a Saturday
Predictable Profit—Free to Members
Justin White, Central Coast’s favorite president of 2021 and CEO of K&D Landscaping is giving a presentation on “preditable profitability.” He will discuss business vision and roapmap, “unstoppable culture,” sales and estimating, marketing and innovation, and more. Contact Justin White for details at (831) 331-3476 or justin@kndlandscaping.com You can sign up at this link. (ADD LINK)
Sign Up/Renew Partners for Success Program Support for 2021.
It matters now even more than before. Sign Up/Renew Partners for Success 2021.
** Our new Beautification Awards Banquet has been postponed until June 25, 2021 due to difficulty scheduling around the COVID virus**
** Our Suppliers Night Event has been postponed until March, 2021 due to difficulty scheduling around the COVID virus**
January 2021 President’s Message
by Justin White, Chapter President, K&D Landscaping Company
We Made it to 2021
Well here we are folks, we made it to 2021 and I’m excited for what this year will bring us! Many are fatigued by the year 2020 and I think we are all ready to start a new chapter this year. Don’t let the momentum of a new year go to waste, this is a great time to dig into your life purpose and make sure you are in line with what feeds your soul and energizes your mind. CLCA is always looking for more volunteers and the Central Coast Chapter is a great please to start. If you are interested in getting more involved please drop me an email, there are many committees and specific projects that we have planned for 2021 and your help would be greatly appreciated.
Our end of the year raffle was a great success! Thank you to our sponsors who donated gift cards, lawnmowers, and so many other great prizes. The evening was light and informal and we all had fun catching up and enjoying each other’s company virtually. We ended up raising over $1,300 for local food banks and we made a huge difference for those who were less fortunate this holiday season. Thank you!!!
So what is the plan for this year as we are still in a “stay at home” order? We will continue to run an online chapter including virtual Zoom chapter board meetings, virtual meet-and-greets, and some great online training/webinars. I personally can’t wait until we can all get together and enjoy each other’s company, but the importance of stopping the spread is crucial for our community. Right now we have many in-person events planned for this year including a suppliers night, two golf tournaments, awards banquet and much more. We aren’t sure how many of these will happen but we are staying optimistic and will continue to keep you all updated on the calendar changes and updates for 2021.
Is your business safe and secure? We all know that we picked the hardest state to operate a business in, especially being a contractor where we have to navigate labor laws along with building codes and local jurisdiction requirements. As a member of the CLCA, you have access to a solution that will keep your business safe and secure, with our free, on-call lawyer! I am a big fan of being proactive when it comes to legal concerns and encourage you to phone our on-call lawyer and see what holes are missing in your risk management plan.
What does the new stimulus bill mean to me?
1. The second round of PPP funds are now available, but whether you qualify for this depends on what your 2020 revenue results were. If your revenue dropped more than 25% in any quarter compared to 2019, then you qualify for the second round of PPP funds. I assume many of you have not had this happen as the landscape industry has seen an increase in demand with so many homeowners wanting to improve their homes.
2. The other huge development is that the first round of PPP funds that many businesses received will not be taxed. This has been a back and forth between congress and the IRS, but this new bill confirms that the loan will be forgiven without any tax obligations from the recipients. As always, your bank and your CPA are the best people to discuss your personal situation with.
3. There is much more in this new bill, but the last topic I want to cover are the changes to the FFCRA. The current law requires companies to pay their employees for all hours they miss due to a covid issue/quarantine order. This pay is capped at 80 hours and will be reimbursed to the company through tax credits. This requirement expired on 12/31/2020 and the new law changed the wording from “required” to “optional” giving companies the option to pay employees for time missed. Tax credits will still be available for reimbursement of all time paid until March 31st, but remember it is capped at 80 hours/employee. It’s important to keep detailed records of any payroll made to employees for covid hours. If you have specific questions give our on-call lawyer a ring.
What will be your big achievement in 2021? I like to think of each year as a chance to accomplish one major thing in your life and your business. It’s great to have small goals and New Year resolutions, but what if you put all your energy into something, that if accomplished, will make everything else in your life easier? What is the one goal that if achieved, will change your life for the better? That will make you a better owner/employee or contractor? How can you change yourself to better serve those around you? I am excited to hear some of your answers!
To your success,
Justin White
CEO, K&D Landscaping Inc.
justin@kndkandscaping.com
C: (831) 331-3476 │ O: (831) 728-4018
2021 CHAPTER BOARD Central Coast Chapter CLCA
President: Justin White
Company Name: K&D Landscaping, Inc.
Phone: (831) 728-4018 Cell Phone: (831) 331-3476
E-mail: justin@kndlandscaping.com
Immediate Past President: Regan Barry
Company Name: Coastal Evergeen Company
Director, Events / Vice President: Katia Velasquez
Company Name: Netafim
Secretary: David Ventura
Company Name: Granite Crete
Director, Membership: Gregory Miller
Company Name: Green and Growing
Director, Golf Events: Matt Gomez
Company Name: Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply
Associate Member Rep: Craig Stenehjem
Company Name: Site One
Education Director/Treasurer: Phil Dundas
Company Name: The Landscape Company
Non-voting Members
Bookkeeper: Cathy Quinn
Editor/Newsletter: Elise Huffman
Website Editor: Ki Bowman
Company Name: MO Graphics
2021 Central Coast Chapter Partners for Success Program
There has never been a better time to support Central Coast’s Partners for Success Program. Joining provides an opportunity to increase your visibility in the community, to be seen as a leader in the green industry by helping sustain the many educational and enrichment offerings of our association. For more information, contact Justin White justin@kndkandscaping.com. Or, better still, go directly to our online registration! Join us!
IN 2021 we had hoped to be giving one free golf game to all renewing members who renewed and PAID by January 30, 2021. However, it looks like this will not be possible in the foreseeable future.
PaRTNERS CORNER
Jeff Henninger of Delta Bluegrass
This month Jeff Henninger is featured in our “Partner’s Corner.” Read more here.
Use these links for Latest Covid-19 Information
January 2021
Helpful county-specific links here:
Alameda County information here.
Contra CostA County information here.
Marin county information here.
San Benito County information here.
San Francisco bay AREA Information here.
San Mateo County information here.
Santa Clara County information here.
Santa Cruz County information here.
CLCA STATE information on Covid-19 rules
FREE to MEMBERs and ALL!
Presented by the Central Coast Chapter of the California Landscape Contractor’s Association (CLCA)
FIRESCAPING
february 20, 2021, 10:00 AM—online event
Join lead presenter Phil Dundas, owner of The Landscape Company and CLCA’s Central Coast Chapter education director, Marco Mack, Aptos La Selva Fire Marshal and Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County board member, Martin Quigley, executive director of UCSC Arboretum, Liz Kroft owner of Sol Property Advisors and president of the Women’s County Board of Realtors, Lynn Sestak of Firewise, and Justin White, CEO of K&D Landscaping and Central Coast Chapter CLCA president.
Phil Dundas and others will share what they know about urban, wildland interface wildfire mitigation, a topic we are all concerned about. Here’s a chance to learn some ways to help reduce risks related to low intensity wildfires. Concepts to be presented include maintenance of vegetation, awareness and management of combustible materials, thoughtful design, layout and incorporation of fire and ember-resistant construction materials and plants, fire breaks, firescape designs, and the importance of neighborhood and community involvement.
All are welcome at this online event. More information will be sent soon via email and social media, or contact Elise at clcaccc.editor@gmail.com.
Phil Dundas is owner of The Landscape Company, an active board member of the UCSC Arboretum and our new Central Coast CLCA Education Director.
mark your calendar—don’t miss this event
For more on the important subject of firescaping scroll down to see Monterey Peninsula College’s course offering, via zoom, “Firescaping in Fire Country.”
Central Coast Happy Hour & CHARITY RAFFle 2020
There Were Many Winners
$1,345.12 Raised for Local Food Banks
Plenty of Christmas cheer at this zoom party.
where happy hour and charity event intersected
Longtime Central Coast Chapter member passed on September 3, 2020 with his loving family at his side. Phil Reiker worked in the turf, irrigation, and landscape industry for nearly forty years. Phil formed Jet Mulch in 1996. It was a major success, based on Phil’s friendly, endearing style. The Central Coast was lucky to call Phil own of their own. We all look back with fondness, feeling lucky to have known such a stand-up gentleman.
John David, another long time Central Coaster put together a charity raffle in Phil’s name and that raffle was part of our holiday happy hour this year. Diane, John David's wife pulled the names out of, appropriately enough, a Santa's hat.
We had the most fun that I think is possible on zoom. As someone said “We partied like it was 2020!” Very true. Justin lead a Trivia Quiz, though I can’t remember who the winners were, that was fun. We remembered the fun we had at last year’s actual party, that happened at an actual and wonderful location, the Sheriff’s Posse. We thanked Katia for putting that magical event together. We remembered the White Elephant Gift that we all love to hate, or is it hate to love? Or maybe just kinda hate, the “Welcome” Dog. Regan Barry has “The Dog” in his closet, where he told us it still sometimes scares his cat. Speaking of cats we met two at the zoom meeting, and two dogs…we had a glass of wine, and happily toasted the end of 2020.
The competition was intense for some of the favored items raffled off. Our 2020 raffle winners were:
Drill Set donated by K&D Landscaping won by Regan Barry
Trash can and drip tubing donated by Ewing won by Donna Gallagher
Pallet of Bolero Turf donated by Delta Bluegrass won by Katia Velasquez
Toro Mower donated by Toro won by Kurt Christiansen
Amazon Gift card donated by CLCA Insurance Solutions won by John David
A-Tool Shed gift card donated by A-Tool Shed won by Justin White
Whey2Grow Quarts of fertilizer donated by Organic Brand Management were won by Katia Velasquez, Regan Barry, John Kern, Shane White, Chris Elliott, Robert Pederson, Phil Dundas, Craig Stenehjem and Jeff Henninger.
$1,345.00 was raised and donated to these local food banks by the Central Coast CLCA: Second Harvest, Pajaro Valley Food Bank and Valley Churches United.
thank you to all the companies who donated to our charity raffle:
Thank you John David for doing a great job of capturing the spirit of our dear friend Phil.
Education Corner
Happy New Year! What a year we endured in 2020. So many people had to stay at home but there was little of that for the essential landscapers.
The last book I recommended was The Gentleman from Moscow it was appropriate as it was about being sequestered in a Grand Hotel, unable to leave. It was well written but it wasn’t the normal landscape fare I am wont to recommend. The Overstory by Richard Powers, remains one of my favorite novels for all that it says and for our beloved subject matter, Trees. And that brings me to this month’s recommendation The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. This book is excellent and is a real page-turner despite not having a plot. This book will likely require an apology from the start to whomever you are living with because you just can’t help to say “Hey listen to this, you won't believe it.’ This happens every few pages and this book flows like the water that siphons from the roots to the transpiring leaves to be exhaled like a cloud of steam. And, I am sure you have heard that trees communicate among themselves and are social creatures but this book explains how and gives you an understanding of how forests work, better than anything I have ever read.
There are even cases of forests maintaining the roots of a large tree that had died, a tree that surely was highly respected, by sending energy from their photosynthesizing to the roots of the fallen old tree to maintain its life force. I could keep going with examples but I should just keep this short by saying this is a must read for landscapers.
It is a good book for anyone but it dispels old myths about plant spacing and keeping a forest open. Trees and plants like to be close to each other.
I also felt a new responsibility to plant in “plant communities,” so the trees would be with the plants they knew and were accustomed to living with.
It’s not a big book, only 250 pages, but it is a book you will be happy you read.
Hopefully the person you live with will be happy too with your reading to them, because you just really can’t help it.
Enjoy every day doing good for the earth.
— Jerry Allison
especially for CLCA Members
Advertise in the Central Coast Seascape Newsletter!
THis is a great time to show your support for the central Coast CLCA and promote your business. Advertise in this newsletter! Reach your target audience monthly. Sign up for large, medium, or small ads. For specs and pricing contact: clcaccc.editor@gmail.com. OR sign up online here.
Online course through MonterEy Peninsula College
Two Saturdays in Spring 2021
Saturday, APRIL 17 — 9:00-11:15am & 1:00-2:30pm (Zoom) and
Saturday, APRIL 24 — 9:00-11:15am & 1:00-2:30Pm (Zoom)
Creating beautiful and functional residential landscapes within defensible space is possible! Experts will give relevant landscape design and maintenance principles for fire country. We will review maintaining defensible space and hardening your structure. It's possible to have gardens for food, habitat and beauty while also maximizing your structure's survivability when wildfire comes. Presenters will include landscape architects and horticulturists, as well as fire science experts. This 8-hour course is valuable for garden designers, landscape contractors, tree services providers, homeowners, and anyone working and/or living where wildfire can occur.
Speakers will include Doug Kent, author of Firescaping-Protecting Your Home and Carol Rice and Cheryl Miller, authors of Managing Fire in the Urban Wildland Interface. Cheryl and Doug are landscape architects.
Monterey Peninsula College
HORT 210 - Section 1026 - Current Topics in Ornamental Horticulture (8 hours)
The course will be delivered synchronously by Zoom. Those taking the course for credit will complete assessments in Canvas.
REGISTER ONLINE: www.mpc.edu
Please direct questions to John Kern jkern@mpc.edu
Board Meeting Minutes
Central Coast Chapter CLCA Board Meeting December 3, 2020
Justin White, Craig Stenehjem, Katia Velasquez, David Ventura, Cathy Quinn, Ki Bowman, Elise Huffman. Zoom meeting started at 12:00
Call to order. Approve minutes from last meeting, review agenda.
Treasurer Updates
• 2021 Budget discussion and motion to approve.
• It was moved and seconded to approve the 2021 Budget. All voted in favor.
• 2021 Advertising push, update website and create links for registration, start making calls…
New Event Schedule
• Raffle night flow, 12/17/2020
Membership Update
• It was moved and seconded to approve the 2021 board member positions. All voted in favor.
__________________
2021 CLCA Central Coast Chapter Board
President: Justin White
Immediate Past President: Regan Barry
Director, Events / Vice President: Katia Velasquez
Secretary: David Ventura
Director, Membership: Gregory Miller
Director, Golf Events: Matt Gomez
Associate Member Rep: Craig Stenehjem
Education Director/Treasurer: Phil Dundas
Non-voting Members
Bookkeeper: Cathy Quinn
Editor/Newsletter: Elise Huffman
Website Editor: Ki Bowman
__________________
Education Events
• Winter Training Ideas?
• A February 20, 2021 Firescape presentation was discussed and the group will start working on collaboration and marketing.
• Justin White will provide a presentation on Predictable Profit January 28, 2021.
Associate Members
• 2021 Partners program renewal – how is this going?
Newsletter and Web Updates
• Board positions for 2021 and election process
• Advertising – we could use some more advertisers
Meeting called to an end at 1:18