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Seaside commission adopts Business of the Month criteria and links recognition to Monterey Bay FC partnership
Summary
The commission approved a criteria sheet for a Business of the Month recognition program and accepted one nomination for June, to be recognized at the June 10 Monterey Bay FC match; commissioners debated nomination procedures and low-cost recognition options to stretch a $3,500 budget.
The Seaside Economic Development Commission agreed on selection criteria for a Business of the Month program and approved one nomination for June 2026 that staff will honor at a Monterey Bay FC game.
Staff described a new community partnership with Monterey Bay FC that will provide recognition at halftime, free tickets for the selected business and an opportunity to table at the match. "Selected business gets free tickets to the game. They also get recognition during halftime. So their logo is displayed during halftime and then they have an opportunity to table at the game as well," a staff speaker said while explaining the partnership and its intent to bring more visitors to Seaside.
Commissioners debated how nominations should be collected and whether the commission or the Neighborhood Improvement Commission should handle selection. They discussed using a scoring sheet adapted from the NIC process that weighs factors such as community engagement, sustainability practices, philanthropic activity and business stability. Several commissioners urged outreach before selection—business walks, mixers and direct contact with managers rather than relying on owner mailing lists—to better identify active, eligible candidates.
Concern was raised that past selections may have relied on informal impressions rather than consistent criteria; commissioners nevertheless voted to adopt the presented criteria. The commission received one nomination and approved that business as the June honoree; staff said recognition would take place at the June 10 match and that renderings for signage and banner options would be shared with commissioners by email. Members discussed lower-cost recognition items (certificates, plaques, banners) to avoid exhausting the $3,500 commission budget.
What happens next: staff will finalize nomination materials and the scoring process, prepare the signage/certificate for the June honoree and coordinate the June 10 recognition with Monterey Bay FC.
