Chamber Of Controversy

CHAMBER OF CONTROVERSY… Squid oozed out of Squid’s lair as soon as Squid heard there was politically charged drama brewing, shrimp-flavored popcorn at the ready. At the heart of the matter is the relationship between the city of Salinas and the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce – the latter being an association of local companies and enterprises, big and small, designed to promote business and economic development. The president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, responsible for its day-to-day operations, is Steve McShane, who indeed makes his living through the role. McShane is also a sitting member of the Salinas City Council.

Well, McShane’s dual roles have rubbed some of his colleagues on the city council the wrong way, chiefly fellow councilmember Andrew Sandoval. In emails obtained by Squid’s colleagues through a California Public Records Act request, Sandoval offered a lengthy list of complaints to the Chamber’s board, including qualms about McShane’s promotion of the Chamber at council meetings, as well as the Chamber’s practice of doling out political endorsements – not least because the city of Salinas is itself a dues-paying member of the Chamber, and has worked with the Chamber to fund, organize and host Chamber-sponsored events.

These questions stirred up enough dust that on May 24, Salinas City Manager Steve Carrigan informed the Chamber the city would no longer fund its membership, effective June 30. (The Chamber responded to break up with the city before the city could break up with the Chamber – taking on an “it’s not you, it’s me” tone.)

Chamber Chair Bill Hastie, who runs Salinas-based financial planning firm Hastie Financial Group, tells Squid’s colleague that the parting between the city and the Chamber is in the interest of dispelling “salacious accusations” about conflicts between the two entities. Hastie stresses that the Chamber will continue to have a close relationship with the city, including meeting with Carrigan on a monthly basis. “Really, there’s not a whole lot changing, and I think a lot more has been made of this than need be,” Hastie says. “We all have a mission to serve the businesses of our Salinas. It’s not our business to be answering these salacious claims.” (Political endorsements will continue, with Hastie calling them “an important part of the Chamber” and its work.)

Meanwhile, McShane is on mysterious “personal leave,” and Hastie won’t say whether or when he’s coming back or if someone else will be hired.

As far as McShane’s promotion of Chamber business on the city council, Hastie believes that McShane “was just being enthusiastic about his job.”

For someone so enthusiastic – and McShane normally is – Squid was surprised he didn’t return Squid’s calls.