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Bend Chamber
Weekly
April 24, 2009
By Courtney Linville, Communications Coordinator
This Week's
Highlights
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Sponsorships for Annual
Dinner Still Available
Time is
running out, but there are still a few sponsorship
opportunities available for your business at the
Annual Excellence Awards Dinner on May 12 at the
Riverhouse Convention Center.
If you are looking for maximum exposure to the “who’s
who” of the Bend business community then consider
being the Centerpiece Sponsor at this year's event!.
Just imagine... a centerpiece on every table bearing
your business name. A few other options still remain
as well so contact Ann
Gates at 382-3221 or
ann@bendchamber.org today to discuss your
options. There is something to fit
every budget!
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Employment Numbers
Central Oregon saw another
increase in unemployment rates during the month of
March with ranges of 14.7 percent in Deschutes
County to 18.5 percent in Crook County. The state of
Oregon also saw an increase in unemployment rates
from 10.7 percent to 12.1 percent.
Deschutes County’s rate increased more than 2 percent
from February. According to the State of Oregon
Employment Department, “The rate is more than double
the rate of one year ago.” This is the highest rate
the county has seen since at least 1990.
Typically, the county sees a seasonal gain of 710 jobs
in March, but only saw 480 jobs added. However,
there were several industries that added jobs
including professional and business services,
mining, logging and construction, and leisure and
hospitality.
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Town Hall Forum
Recap: Consolidation: Are there ways to make
government agencies more efficient?
Last Friday’s Town Hall entitled “Consolidation: Are
there ways to make government agencies more
efficient” allowed Chamber members the opportunity
to talk with the leaders of local agencies to find
out what they are doing to consolidate services and
how they are working together. The forum had a very
interactive panel with Bend Mayor Kathie Eckman,
Deschutes County Commission Chair Tammy Baney, Bend
Parks and Recreation Board Member Scott Wallace, and
Bend La Pine Schools Board Chairman Nori
Juba. Questions during the forum ranged from union
contracts to the use of private businesses for
services to communication.
Listed below are just a few questions asked at Town
Hall with abbreviated answers:
Q: As our communities grow, so does government. What
percentage of private versus government use for
services do you encourage? Do you see use of private
businesses increasing?
A: Commissioner Tammy Baney: Before we take on something
internally we make sure we are getting the best bang
for our buck. We try to make sure we are not
duplicating a service. We want to make sure it’s
cost effective.
A: Mayor Kathie Eckman: What I have seen over the last three
months is that our staff has grown with the growth
of the population. The growth of planning, police
and fire goes along with the growth of the city;
however, it also comes down to paying for those
services with the growth. Our staff is down quite a
bit. In terms of the private sector, we are not
comparing apples to apples. It depends on what type
of services people want. If you want less, we can
provide less. Every ballot measure, people want less
crime and more people in jail, but we don’t want to
pay for it. We want a transit system, but nobody
wants to pay for it. The citizenry is asking for
those services and it depends on which part of
the population you represent whether you want the
service. From what I can see we are providing top
notch service for a low cost.
A: Scott Wallace: With the increase in population, we have
invested in new park spaces and facilities. We have
over 700 programs the district administers for the
community, and we expect the demands to continue to
be there. The district continues to plan for growth
and demand of services, especially within the
private sector. We are finding ways to partner with
others.
A: Nori Juba: We are passionate about public, private
partnerships. We try to form as many partnerships as
we can. Whether raising funds for an athletic
facility, coming into the schools to help, or being
a part of the School-to-Career program.
Q: During the UGB expansion process, many times, entities
like the school district, parks and recreation, and
the county expressed great concerns they were not
involved in the project. Is it valuable to work
together and how can that be encouraged?
A: Commissioner Tammy Baney: It starts with leadership. We
all serve the same people. It does me no good to
speak negatively about the city, parks or schools.
We have had a finger pointing battle. As leaders we
must support one another. We have needed to have
better lines of communication. Relationships begin
the conversation. I know we work on that and that
goes down to our staff as well.
A: Nori Juba: When I came on the board I was amazed at the
finger pointing. We are serving the same people. You
have to make it clear this is the board and we work
with the other industries we support. It is beyond
me why there was so much animosity. A few years ago
I wanted to get to know the other agencies, so I
reached out. Now on a quarterly basis we meet and talk
about different issues. We have no agenda, but get
can get a temperature of each other’s entities. We
need to figure out where the efficiencies start … It
starts from the top with the leadership and then
that will filter down.
A: Scott Wallace: If we impart collaboration and
communication, we need to walk the talk. To expect
something to happen without doing it yourself isn’t
going to happen. In my tenure on the board, I think
communication is tremendously advanced over where it
was. Silos aren’t built overnight and aren’t broken
down overnight. Examples that are set by leaders
are critical.
A: Mayor Kathie Eckman: My goal when I was elected was to
start building relationships again. I have every
intention of reaching out to everyone and not just
at staff levels in terms of management, but also
council members. The Bend City Council is now
focused on communications with the public and that
will be a key focus of all of us. We have to start
building those relationships. It would be my hope
that the breakdown in communication or finger
pointing doesn’t happen in the future.
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Legislative budget
writers to appear in Central Oregon
The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Ways and Means Committee
is holding a series of meetings around the state and
will be in Central Oregon on April 29.
Local state representatives are asking members of the
business community to turn out and voice their
opinions on what the state should or shouldn’t be
doing to help create jobs.
Oregon State University’s Cascades campus is also
requesting members of the community turn out and
voice their support for the school. The Ways and
Means Committee is currently considering an option
to close the campus.
The meeting will take place at Central Oregon Community
College in the Cascades Hall, Room 117 and will run
from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
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Downtown Parking
Validation reinstated
As of April 20, the Downtown Parking Validation Program
has been reinstated by the City of Bend. According
to a press release, no costs will be incurred by
downtown businesses and the program will help to
promote downtown commerce and tourism.
However, customers that do receive a parking citation will
have to meet several criteria in order to have the
citation waived. The criteria include the following:
• Provide a dated receipt that matches the timeframe in
which the overtime citation was issued.
• Purchased a minimum of $10 of goods or services from
any Downtown business
• Provide a copy of a driver’s license
• Have not exceeded 4 violations in the past calendar
year
• Provide citation and receipt to Diamond Parking prior
to pay by date on the ticket.
According to the city, the program was disbanded in
2006 due to low merchant participation and employee
abuse. The new program has an auditing system that
limits employee abuse.
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In the News:
Oregon Senate approves bill that provides more affordable
healthcare: The Oregon Senate took steps
Wednesday to provide a solution for the increasing
numbers of uninsured Oregonians and the increase
cost of healthcare. Senate Bill 862 was passed
unanimously and would help “empower communities to
provide workers with access to health care services
by forging partnerships between employers,
employees, and community providers,” stated a recent
release. The bill would follow a model of Access
Health created in Muskegon, Michigan. The bill will
now head before the Oregon House of Representatives
for consideration. “This is a big step towards
providing communities with a powerful new tool to
use in combating the number of uninsured workers and
start giving working families the access to
affordable healthcare they need,” said Senator Chris
Telfer (R-Bend), the sponsor of the legislation.
“This bill will catalyze a proven model of local
partnership that significantly expands the number of
individuals who can access and afford healthcare.”
COBA announces release of
Central Oregon Recycle/Reuse Guide: The
Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA), and The
Building Green Council™ of Central Oregon recently
announced the release of the Central Oregon
Recycle/Reuse Guide. The guide, in directory style,
provides a complete resource for recycling and reuse
of materials. It contains a list of businesses who
accept recycling, or who take donations and resell
or reuse them rather than having them fill up the
regions landfills. The guide was developed by the
Deschutes Solid Waste Department, the Central Oregon
Environmental Council and the Building Green Council
volunteers. To conserve resources, the guide is
available as a download at
www.coba.org/green/CentralOregonRecycleGuide.htm
Welcome Home Rachel Scdoris:
Rachael Scdoris, legally blind sled dog racer from
Bend, just returned from Nome, Alaska where she
finished in 45th place in the Iditarod. “I pretty
much knew I could accomplish anything in my life if
I put my mind to it, but if I had any doubts, this
achievement put that to rest for good. This was an
incredible experience!” said Rachael. Through her
second annual pledge-a-thon for Central Oregon
Resources for Independent Living (CORIL) she so far
has raised over $5,000 for their services and
programs. The Pledge-a-thon this year was jointly
sponsored by KOHD, Ruff Wear, The Bend Radio Group,
EDCO and the Bend Chamber of Commerce. Those
interested in attending her welcome home party
scheduled for April 27 at the Bend Radio Group
should contact Jim Lee at
jiml@coril.org
for an invitation and confirmation. Those wishing to
make a donation to CORIL in honor of Rachael’s
personal victory may do so at
www.gorachaelgo.com.
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Upcoming Events
May 12 – 2009 Excellence Awards – You
are cordially invited to attend the 2009 Excellence
Awards Dinner at the Riverhouse Convention Center.
It’s an evening of networking, dining, and
entertainment. Come enjoy this formal event with
fellow Chamber members and vote for the Large
Distinguished Business, Small Distinguished
Business, and Organization of the Year. Those in
attendance will also find out who will be recognized
as Citizen of the Year! This year the finalists for
Large Distinguished Business are: Nosler, Inc.,
Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Bend, and Robberson
Ford Sales Inc. Small Distinguished Business of the
year nominees include: Homecare I.V., Jake’s Diner,
and ServiceMaster Cleaning Specialists. The
finalists for Organization of the Year are: Central
Oregon Resources for Independent Living (CORIL),
Family Access Network (FAN), and Healthy Beginnings.
For more information or to sign up visit
www.bendchamber.org/annualdinner.
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