|
City
hires project manager for Juniper Ridge
The city of Bend has hired a
well-respected former interim Bend city
manager as temporary project manager for
Juniper Ridge. Ron Garzini served two terms
as interim Bend city manager, from October
1998 to October 2001, and for eight months
before current City Manager Andy Anderson
was hired. Garzini has 25 years experience
in government at all levels, including city
government positions in Alaska and Oregon.
He has particular experience in working on
industrial land projects. He will work for
the city of Bend managing the Juniper Ridge
master development project by coordinating
with stakeholders, city, county and state
officials and managing the development
agreements and contracts.
Top of Page
Columbia
Chapter 11 could have silver lining
The decision by Columbia Aircraft
Manufacturing Corp. to file for Chapter 11
bankruptcy protection doesn’t mean the
company’s approximately 400 jobs in Bend
will disappear. According a filing in U.S.
Bankruptcy Court in Portland, plane
manufacturer Cessna Aircraft company has put
in a bid for Columbia, and a company
spokesman said the firm wouldn’t move the
jobs to its headquarters in Wichita, Kan.
Columbia Aircraft is one of the anchor
tenants at the Bend airport and one of the
region’s top 15 employers, so keeping those
jobs in Bend is a major concern. Cessna has
offered to buy Columbia for $14 million, and
it also would assume approximately $7
million in liabilities. In court filings,
Columbia listed $60 million in unsecured
debt.
Top of Page
Housing
sales still dropping, but Seattle is hot
Housing markets continued to fall in
August across the U.S. as the number of
existing homes sold dropped for the 13th
consecutive month, according to the
latest report from the National Association
of Realtors. Sales fell 4.3 percent in
August from July, and have fallen 12.8
percent from August 2006. Officials from the
NAR blamed much of the loss on the current
credit crunch, including a significant rise
in so-called “jumbo” loan rates. The
inventory of existing homes for sale is 4.58
million, the highest level in 16 years. On a
more positive note, the west is doing better
than the nation overall. For example,
Seattle-area home appreciation has been the
hottest in the nation for 11 consecutive
months. July’s price for a typical home in
the Seattle area was up 6.9 percent from
July 2006 and up 0.2 percent from June 2007,
according to a local survey. The worst
market among major metropolitan statistical
areas (MSAs) was Detroit, Mich., with a 9.7
percent decline from July 2006 to July 2007.
Top of Page
Don’t look now, but IRS
is on the prowl
Watch your mailbox for a letter from
the Internal Revenue Service: Starting in
October, thousands of Americans will be
getting notices they’ve been selected for a
special audit. The 13,000 chosen at random
are part of the IRS’s National Research
Program, which is designed to give the
agency a better understanding of how
accurately income and deductions are
reported and to reduce the so-called “tax
gap,” the difference between what taxpayers
should have paid and what they actually did
pay. The IRS has concluded in tax year 2001,
for example, there was a $345 billion
shortfall in taxes collected. The National
Research Program is an annual event.
Top of Page
Upcoming
Events
October 4: Workforce Housing
Solutions 101 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at
Bend Golf and Country Club. Learn about
workforce housing solutions underway by
Central Oregon Builders Association and
HousingWorks; solutions which are not
government-funded and are generated by the
private and nonprofit sectors. RSVP by
calling the Chamber at 382-3221 or via the
web at
www.bendchamber.org/Housing. This
breakfast is underwritten by the Central
Oregon Builders Association and the cost is
$15.
October 9: Reasonable Accommodations
Training from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the
Worksorce Center of Oregon, 1645 NE Forbes
Road in Bend. Are you hurting for qualified
employees? Learn about an untapped employer
resource. Save money with tax credits, save
time and energy with free on-site support
and time recruiting with a pool of
prescreened applicants. Call Gary Daniele
at 548-8196 ext-345 or via email at:
gdaniele@coic.org. This is a free event,
so ditch the myths, find the facts, and fill
your employee needs!
October 23: Drug Free Workplace
– Hands-On Drug and Alcohol Policy Writing.
8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Develop and or enhance a
customized drug and alcohol policy that is
ready for legal review. Cost is $25 for
members. RSVP online
HERE or contact Lindi at
lindi@bendchamber.org or call 382-3221.
Top
of Page
This
week’s survey question
Is the Chamber doing enough or not
enough as a voice in the political arena to
advance business issues? Please e-mail your
response to:
jeff@bendchamber.org.
Top of Page |
