Busy night at Wednesday’s Bend
City Council
The Bend City Council at a busy
(and long) meeting on Wednesday
took action on several items of
interest to the business
community. Arguably the most
important, the council agreed to
rezone 20 acres in the first
phase of Juniper Ridge from
Urban Area Reserve to Industrial
Light near Cooley Road and 18th
Street to allow Les Schwab Tire
Co. to build a headquarters in
Bend. The company hopes to begin
construction later this year. In
other action, the council agreed
unanimously to spend $4.1
million to buy 5.14 acres at
62975 Boyd Acres Road that now
is owned by Hap Taylor and Sons,
which is moving its headquarters
to Tumalo. The city plans to use
the land to house and maintain
equipment for its streets, water
and sewer divisions. The council
still has yet to decide whether
to sell a piece of property the
city bought last year at the
corner of Wall Street and Olney
Avenue as a possible new City
Hall site. On Monday, the
council’s six members
unanimously chose Peter Gramlich
to fill the unexpired term of
Councilor John Hummel, who
recently resigned. The Bend
Business PAC had recommended
three applicants – Kathy Eckman,
Rockland Dunn and Don Leonard.
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“One Voice” trip to Washington,
D.C., provided contacts
Last week’s Bend Chamber “One
Voice” trip to Washington, D.C.,
provided valuable time with
several members of Oregon’s
congressional delegation and/or
their staffs. Chamber President
and CEO Mike Schmidt and Vice
President of Legislative Affairs
and Communications Jeff Nielson,
as well as insurance brokers Tom
Spear and Del Johnson, attended.
Spear and Johnson were
particularly helpful in
explaining to Department of
Labor officials why the Bend
Chamber should be allowed to
offer a group health insurance
policy and other
insurance-related products to
its members. We also discussed
transportation issues, including
meeting personally with Oregon
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-4th
District), who chairs the House
Subcommittee on Highways and
Transit. He recommended that if
Central Oregon is seeking
federal funds for
transportation, area public and
private leaders should first put
together a funding package to
show local support. Thanks also
to Oregon Sens. Gordon Smith and
Ron Wyden and Oregon Rep. Greg
Walden, who is always helpful to
his constituents in Central and
Eastern Oregon. Mark your
calendars for the last part of
March 2008 if you’re interested
in the third annual trip; the
more we can show Washington that
there is business support for
local issues, the better.
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Road congestion starting to
affect local business
Our most recent survey question
was, “Have highway limitations
or congestion either in Central
Oregon or statewide affected
your business? It’s clear that
the answer is, “Yes.” Some
replies:
“It definitely is affecting our business. We have to go
to Eugene frequently, and it’s
terrible getting over the
Santiam Pass, especially in the
winter. A few years ago, it was
possible to make the trip
one-way in three hours or less;
now, it’s impossible even in
good weather. It’s not unheard
of to take four hours each way
now.”
“It is getting more and more difficult to make
deliveries in Bend, especially
traveling east to west. There
are few intersections that
aren’t congested during the day,
and Reed Market is the worst. We
avoid it at all costs during
rush hours.”
“Bend to Redmond isn’t too bad yet, but it’s getting
worse. I was glad to hear that
the police are stepping up
patrols on the Parkway – it’s
about time! If you travel at
anywhere near the posted speed,
you’re taking your life in your
hands. Now, if the police would
do the same thing on Highway 97
between Bend and Redmond …”
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Funds available for start-ups,
small businesses
This from Economic Development
for Central Oregon: If you’re a
small or start-up business with
a great new technology or
product concept that needs
funding for development, you may
be eligible for grants under
federal Small Business
Innovation Research and Small
Business Technology Transfer
programs. If you’re interested,
a full-day workshop will be held
in Bend from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. Thursday, April 12 in 151
Boyle Education Center at
Central Oregon Community
College. The presenters are
Greenwood Consulting Group,
renowned business and technology
experts. The cost is $100. To
register, go to
www.bizcenter.org/sbirworkshops
or call 541-463-5250.
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U.S. Census says Bend is among country’s fastest-growing cities
In data released today, the U.S.
Census Bureau reported that the
Bend Metropolitan Statistical
Area (MSA) was the
second-fastest growing city by
percentage in the nation for
2005-06, second only to St.
George, Utah. The Bend MSA is
defined as all of Deschutes
County, so it also includes the
incorporated cities of Redmond,
Sisters and La Pine. The Census
said the Bend MSA grew by 7,852
people, or 5.6 percent, to
149,140. The fastest growing
city by sheer numbers was
Atlanta.
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