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Bend Chamber Weekly
August 28, 2009
By Courtney Linville, Communications Coordinator
This Week's Highlights
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Bend Chamber Council Update
The following is a message from Bend Chamber Executive Director Tim Casey:
As with many businesses, the Bend Chamber has not been immune to the current economic downturn and we have had to make a difficult decision to reduce our staffing. While this reality will necessitate some changes to our educational programs, it also presents some new opportunities to restructure and strengthen our programs moving forward.
We are working together with InvitExcellence and the leadership of the Entrepreneurial, Nonprofit, and Professional Development Councils to develop a new streamlined council. The new council's goal is to provide the most effective education series we can in 22 sessions per year.
Our process began earlier this month and will continue through October. To accommodate our reduced resources in staffing, during this time Professional Development will continue as planned and Entrepreneurial and Nonprofit Councils will be on hiatus.
We will also be soliciting your opinions through a brief survey so your input and ideas can be included in the new development process.
We appreciate your understanding and patience during this development period. Know that your Chamber is working hard to ensure you have the education tools you need to continue to be successful.
I'm looking forward to the new council and the positive impact it will have on the business community. As always, I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to contact me at 382-3221 or tim@bendchamber.org |
Swing into Fall with the 12th Annual Member Invitational Golf Tournament
Time is running out to sign up for the 2009 Bend Chamber Fall Invitational Golf Tournament on September 14. Join fellow golfers at Brasada Ranch for a great day of networking, breathtaking views, and of course ... golfing!
Make sure to secure your spot for a team of four, or just yourself today at www.bendchamber.org/golf.
If you don't golf, consider becoming a sponsor. There are still a few open positions that will give you a chance to gain great exposure for your business!
But wait... there's more. You can also highlight your business by donating a prize for the raffle drawing or placing items in the golfer's tee bags.
If you are interested in donations or sponsorship opportunities, call Gayle Najera at 382-3221.
The 12th Annual Member Invitational Golf Tournament is brought to you by:
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Planning at Bend Airport to move forward
During a joint work session Wednesday evening, both city and county officials stated they are looking to move forward on planning for the future of the Bend Airport. One of the key elements stressed by all sides is to make sure the area supports economic development.
"The airport is important, it's an economic engine," said Commissioner Alan Unger. "It could bring a lot of visitors and traffic to Central Oregon... I support the airport and it needs to be successful because there are a lot of potential jobs that could be there."
To move forward with planning, the Bend Airport Master Plan, which hasn't been updated since 2002, will receive a fresh look and a new outlook. The funding needed for the master plan update could possibly come from the Federal Aviation Administration. The process will likely cost at least $100,000 to $150,000.
City and county staff questioned local officials about what they would like to see included in the master plan. Above all, both councilors and commissioners agreed they wanted the public involved in the process, and they wanted to see more outreach to different types of aviation businesses.
Commissioner Dennis Luke told staff he, along with Commissioner Tammy Baney, agree the neighbors surrounding the airport should be involved in the process. "We would be interested in your working with our staff to develop a mailing list and sending out information about where the impact is and what you might be working on out at the airport... and hopefully having at least one or more meetings at the airport," he said. "The involvement of that community is very important to the board."
Luke also stressed he would like to see involvement from several different groups on the project. He told officials the view points of people from areas of the community and focus groups can provide valuable information to the process. Unger and Councilor Tom Greene also pointed out having conversations with other local airports including Redmond and Prineville might provide some useful information and insight.
While including several stakeholder groups, officials also stated their concerns about the ups and downs with in the aviation industry. Several officials would like to see a larger range of businesses at the airport.
Councilor Jeff Eager stated "We need to cast a wide net in bringing folks in looking for industries we would like down the road."
"In many communities, many cities with small airports like this, the airport property is a great incubator for new and interesting kinds of companies, most of which are related towards aviation, but not all of them are," Councilor Jim Clinton said. "They may be looking for somewhere that requires a little more space, may be working on something a little out of the mainstream that leads to something big. I would like to see the master plan have room for that kind of business incubator function that is not as easy to accommodate in a more highly regulated place somewhere else in town. It's a very critical part of airport operation in other places."
According to Airport Manager Gary Judd, there are FAA regulations that require most businesses at the airport to be aviation related, though there are a few exceptions in some areas.
Greene stated he would like to see staff work with Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) on brainstorming two or three key sectors the city should go after. "I'm concerned about manufacturing after we've seen what's happened," he said. "Especially over the last 50 years with the history of manufacturing."
Unger stressed as soon as the master plan is completed, the city can show there is land to develop, and this will also allow the airport to move in a different direction.
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Joint Bend City Council/County Board of Commissioners Highlights
North Corridor Project Update: The Bend City Council and Deschutes County Commission received an update on the North Corridor Project Wednesday evening. At this time, there are four alternatives and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is in the detailed design and technical analysis phase to draft the Environmental Impact Statement. The maps of the alternatives are available online at www.us97solutions.org There is currently one west alternative and three east alternatives. A representative from ODOT stated the west alternative is still in consideration, though issues seem to keep rising up. Over the course of its multiple public meetings and focus groups, ODOT has heard concerns ranging from loss of land and loss of business, to making sure trucks and freight can still make it into commercial areas and emergency services access. The ODOT official stressed to all in attendance the plan for the north corridor needs to make sure Highway 97 will keep working in the next 2 to 15 years. Councilors questioned the area around Juniper Ridge and how the alternatives could hinder future employment in the area. "To me it's a giant gaping hole in the program to not have access to a primary employment area," said Councilor Jim Clinton. Questions also arose about Cooley Road and the North Interchange.
City/County continues coordination efforts: The City of Bend and Deschutes County are continuing their coordination efforts on sharing services. Several examples of these efforts were supplied to City Councilors and County Commissioners on Wednesday evening. Several departments of the city were involved including human resources, public works, and community development. Both human resources departments have held joint trainings on customer service and sustainable practices, and intend to hold a management academy and a supervisor training academy later in the year. In the community development departments, the city and the county have now signed an intergovernmental agreement regarding inspections. The first test of the agreement will come in October when the County's electrical inspector is out on vacation. The two departments also plan to explore the creation of a regional dispatch center for inspections. Both public works departments have not only shared training, but also equipment over the past few months. Public Works Director Paul Rheault stated both departments continue to work together. |
Town Hall Forum Recap: 2009 Legislative Overview
Last Friday's Town Hall entitled "2009 Legislative Overview: A recap with your local representative" allowed Chamber members the opportunity to speak with local representative Judy Stiegler (D-Bend) about the 2009 Legislative session. Members were able to question Stiegler about pressing issues for the business community including tax increases, the state budget, and the session's accomplishments. This interactive forum had questions ranging from the increase in public jobs versus private, questions on the recent tax increases, and communication with local organizations.
Listed below are just a few questions asked at Town Hall with abbreviated answers:
Question: Looking at public versus private employment, there has been tax increases on companies of all sizes, and increases in filing fees etc. I don't see how that helps private sector employment. You voted for a bill to take away incentives that would take away the enterprise zones, basically raising our costs. Can you speak to the tilt towards public vs. private?
Judy: The increase in public sector jobs is in response to unemployment. The jobs have mostly been in the service areas because there has been a great demand for processing forms and applications. The state employees recently reached an agreement where their pay was frozen, they will take furlough days, etc.
There is a lot of misinformation on the taxes, one of my thresholds when this was being debated were the conversations around the corporate business tax. Those conversations involved the business community from the get go... The Oregon Business Association was actively involved in negotiations up until the end. Did it come out where everyone wanted? No. Were we 100 percent? No. I tried to protect small business as much as possible. This package was ardently debated and discussed for months. If you could see where original packages were and where it ended up, it was vastly different.
Question: You stated several business associations were in favor of the taxes. My question revolves around the corporate minimum.
Judy: The corporate minimum is based on gross receipts for Oregon sales. The Oregon Business Association plan would have raised $1.76 billion. The legislative plan will raise $775 million. You will only pay corporate tax rate if you have a profit.
Question: I ask that you listen to business groups in this community. You are going to put people under because of these proposals... I am frustrated you are misrepresenting the business community from Central Oregon.
Judy: I don't have a problem, that's part of the conversation. You do with as you see fit with the petitions and ballot measures that will come out of all of this. I had to make a decision on how we continue to pay for certain things that I felt were vital to the citizens of this state including education and social services. I made a decision I felt best made it possible for us to continue a full spectrum of services. You can exercise that disagreement in a constructive way. That is why I do have respect for the process. |
Deschutes County sees drop in unemployment rate
Unemployment rates are starting to drop in the tri-county area, with two counties posting a decrease for the month of July. Crook County saw a significant drop to 18.7 percent and Deschutes County dropped slightly to 15.3 percent while Jefferson County rose slightly to 15.7 percent.
According to the State of Oregon Employment Department, Deschutes County actually saw a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from June. "This is the second month in a row that the rate fell in Deschutes County," stated a recent release. "In June of 2008, the rate was 7.5 percent."
The State of Oregon saw a slight decrease in unemployment to 11.9 percent as did the national unemployment rate at 9.4 percent.
According to data released by the federal government last Friday, Oregon tied for the fourth highest unemployment rate in the nation in July. Oregon tied with California at 11.9 percent.
Michigan, Rhode Island, and Nevada rounded out the top three. In June, Oregon was ranked third in the nation. Over the course of July, 26 states saw unemployment rates worsen, while 17 saw improvement, and 7 remained unchanged.
Over the month of July, Deschutes County added 360 jobs, "which is a 710 percent seasonally adjusted job gain." The largest gains came in the leisure and hospitality sector followed professional and business services, and trade, transportation, and utilities. |
CORIL receives several recognitions/awards
Central Oregon Resources for Independent Living (CORIL) was recently selected by Oregon Business Magazine as one of the Top 100 Nonprofits to work for in Oregon.
The list and rankings were based on the confidential input from 6,700 employees from over 200 Nonprofits across the state. Several other nonprofits in the area were also chosen for this honor including Saving Grace and the Kids Center.
CORIL was also selected as the Organization of the Year in the Nonprofit sector by the Bend Chamber membership and received the Al Soenneker Memorial Award in Portland this past June for their innovative practices in service to people with developmental disabilities. |
Upcoming Events
September 8- Professional Development Series Morning Session - Achievement Creates the Leader - The management at Deschutes Brewery risked all they had while striving to do the right thing for their co-workers and community, only to become one of the nation's most successful brewers. Gary Fish, owner of Deschutes Brewery, never set out to create the outstanding company you know today... .the simple goal was to be a little bit better than they were the day before. Join us to learn the insights and history behind the remarkable success of Deschutes Brewery as owner Gary Fish conveys his honest views on how achievement creates the Leader. This session will also feature time for attendees to ask Gary Fish questions about his business and much more. Take advantage of this opportunity to speak with this successful entrepreneur. This session is FREE. Please RSVP for this event by September 4 at www.bendchamber.org.
September 14 - 2009 Bend Chamber Fall Invitational Golf Tournament - The summer is starting to fly by and that means the 2009 Bend Chamber Fall Invitational Golf Tournament will be here before you know it. Join us at Brasada Ranch for a great day of golf. We pay out prizes for both the low net and low gross teams. Start making plans now. If you do not know the names of your players, take the first step of securing a spot in the tournament by signing up online today at www.bendchamber.org/golf. We also encourage you to register as an individual and we will create a team for you. If you are not a golfer, but would like to participate in the tournament we have options ranging from sponsorships to donations for tee bags, team prizes, and more. For more information on the golf tournament or sponsorship opportunities, contact Gayle Najera at gayle@bendchamber.org or by phone at 382-3221.
September 15- Professional Development Series - Boosting employee morale in a down economy - How do you keep employees engaged during an economic downturn? This can be challenging, especially during uncertainty. Employee morale and focus can wane. More then a decade ago, The Gallup Organization published a report that pointed to a sobering calculation: disengaged employees cost the American economy up to $350 billion a year in lost productivity. Imagine the costs today! As businesses look to get the biggest bang for the buck these days, no one can deny the greatest investment companies make is in their human capital. Join presenter Dana Barz, principal of danamics, to discover how you can reignite your team's passion, creativity and productivity by using low and no cost techniques. Please RSVP for this event by Monday, September 14 at www.bendchamber.org.
October 16-18 - 11th Annual Fall Home Show & Living Green Expo: Market your company to thousands at the 11th Annual Fall Home Show & Living Green Expo at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds October 16 through October 18. The show is simply the most cost effective way to reach a targeted audience. The total attendance of the event is expected to exceed of 5,000 and is one of the largest fall events in Central Oregon. To reserve a space, visit the Show Web site, print out the Registration Information and send it into the Central Oregon Builders Association office, www.centraloregonshow.com/Registration/default.aspex. For more information or to reserve your location, contact Sonia Burns at the Central Oregon Builders Association at 389-1058 or soniab@coba.org, or online at www.centraloregonshow.com. If you your business centers around selling a product or service to homeowners, you can't miss out on this opportunity to be an exhibitor at the Central Oregon Fall Home Show & Living Green Expo.
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