|
|
|
Bend Chamber
Weekly
May 1, 2009
By Courtney Linville, Communications Coordinator
This Week's
Highlights
|
|
BAT
to keep weekend service
Service will continue as normal for Bend Area Transit
(BAT) as city officials agreed Wednesday to move
funds earmarked for an airport road construction
project into the transit budget.
During a joint meeting of the Bend City Council and the
Budget Committee, officials voted 8 to 6 to use some
of the $196,000 allocated for road improvements near
the Bend Municipal Airport at the corner of Butler
Market Road and Powell Butte Highway. The funds had
been set aside as a local match for an approximately
$400,000 state grant for the improvements.
BAT will receive $150,000 of the funds to keep its
budget at $1.1 million. This will allow weekend
service to remain in effect for Dial-a-Ride and the
fixed routes. City staff had recommended getting rid
of the weekend service and having a budget of
$950,000 for transit.
At the April 15 City Council meeting, councilors
requested city staff look at other options to help
fund transit services. The councilors requested city
staff look at taking more funding out of Long Range
Planning and Engineering.
City Manager Eric King told officials Wednesday those
budgets had already been cut by 50 percent and the
$196,000 seemed like the only viable option. He told
officials the city has requested federal earmark
money to help with the road improvement project, and
he is fairly confident the city will receive the
funds. “It is a top priority on our federal
appropriations request … I think we have a pretty
good chance of getting it, but I can’t give any
guarantees,” King said.
The project for the intersection was planned after Deschutes
County requested the city make improvements to
accommodate the increased traffic at the Bend
Airport.
Several officials asked if the $196,000 could be used
for other projects. King stated he has received
questions from employers at Bend Airport about
possible rent relief. The city owns the land at the
airport and has ground leases with many employers.
King said some of the funds could be used for rent
relief, but the money would have to come from
somewhere. “There are needs everywhere,” he said.
Budget Committee member Diedra Cherzan stated she was
concerned about the other areas of need and wants to
see the needs of employers met. She pointed out
providing relief to employers could have a trickle
down effect of providing relief to employees.
Some officials echoed those sentiments saying they were
uneasy taking money from elsewhere in the budget to
provide weekend service for a relatively low number
of riders on the weekend. According to City of Bend
Transit Manager Heather Ornelas during the month of
March BAT provided a total of 134 Dial-a-Ride trips
on Saturdays, 146 Dial-a-Ride trips on Sundays, and
347 fixed route trips on Saturdays. Most riders make
an average of two trips, so officials broke the
numbers down to as follows: an average of 16 or 17
Dial-a-Ride passengers on Saturdays, 18 Dial-a-Ride
passengers on Sundays, and about 40 fixed-route
riders on Saturdays.
However, other officials argued the city should keep
supporting the transit systems and its users. “I
think we should keep in mind that we have this
fledgling transit system, and I know some people
would rather not have it at all,” said Councilor Jim
Clinton. “But we have it, and have an obligation to
the people who use it, and for a minimal amount of
money, we should continue to use it until we can
figure out how to fund it properly.”
There are several more budget deliberation meetings
left for the City Council and the Budget Committee.
The council will not sign off on the final budget
until June. It is unlikely any more changes will be
made to the proposed transit budget because four of
the seven councilors voted in favor of using the
road project money for transit. The four include
councilors Mark Capell, Jodie Barram, Jim Clinton
and Mayor Kathie Eckman. Councilors Jeff Eager, Tom
Greene, and Oran Teater voted against the plan.
|
|
Nominations sought for
Bend Chamber/Commute Options Employer of the Year
The Bend Chamber and Commute Options are seeking
nominations for the Commute Options Employer of the
Year Award. The award is presented in June to a Bend
Chamber member showing exemplary support of and
participation in a wide variety of transportation
options.
This includes employee trip reduction programs,
commuter options incentives, quality bicycle and
carpool parking, encouraging transit ridership,
recognizing the health benefits, and overall
reducing impact on the road system.
Past recipients of this award include: Clear Choice
Health Plans Inc., Mt. Bachelor, St. Charles Medical
Center, Central Oregon Community College, Tennant
Developments, Alliance Data Systems, Bend Memorial
Clinic, The Footzone, Pine Tavern
Restaurant, Brooks Resources, Sunriver Resort, and
Steele Associates Architects, LLC.
The partnership between the Bend Chamber of Commerce
and Commute Options is in its fourteenth year.
To nominate your business, please contact Jeff Monson
at 330-2647. For more information on Commute
Options, go to
www.commuteoptions.org.
|
The American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Employer’s
Role
There are many questions surrounding the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act and what is the
employer’s role regarding health insurance. Under
the act, the federal government may pay 65 percent
of health insurance premiums for nine months. This
only qualifies for individuals who involuntarily
lost their jobs after August 31, 2008 or lose jobs
before January 1, 2010 and for individuals who
qualify to continue their health plan under federal
COBRA or state continuation laws.
According to a recent release from the Department
of Consumer and Business Services Insurance
Division, “employees who are eligible for the
subsidy only need to pay 35 percent of their monthly
premium to continue their health coverage.
There are different variations to the law employers
must follow depending on how many employees they
have.
For employers with 19 or fewer employees:
• Your insurance company must notify employees of this
opportunity and give employees the
“election” forms to complete.
• Your insurance company advances the 65 percent of the
premium cost.
• Your insurance company receives reimbursement as a
credit on payroll taxes.
• You must respond promptly to insurer questions about
terminated employees.
Some good sources of information regarding this include
your agent or insurance company or the Department of
Consumer and Business Services at 1-866-877-4894.
For employers with 20 or more employees:
• You must notify employees of this opportunity and
provide them modified COBRA “election” forms to
complete; model election forms are at
www.dol.gov/ebsa/COBRAmodelnotice.html.
• You advance the 65 percent of the premium cost.
• You receive reimbursement from the federal government
as a credit on payroll taxes.
Some good resources for employers with more than 20
employees include you health plan administrator,
agent or insurance company, the U.S. Department of
Labor (1-866-444-3272), or
www.dol.gov/COBRA.
|
|
A message from the
Department of Human Services on Swine Flu
In the workplace:
In the event of the spread of Swine Flu in Oregon,
businesses, and other employers will play a key role
in protecting employees’ health and safety as well
as limiting damage to health and the economy.
Companies that provide critical infrastructure
services, such as power and telecommunications, also
have a special responsibility to plan for the
continued operation in a crisis and should plan
accordingly. As with any catastrophe, having a
contingency plan is essential. The federal
Department of Health and Human Services and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have
deployed guidelines and checklists to assist
businesses, industries, and other employers in
planning for an influenza pandemic as well as for
other comparable catastrophes. See
http://pandemicflu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/index.html.
The Oregon Public Health Division asks that
businesses review their plans now and modify or
expand them as needed.
Additional community strategies may reduce the spread
of disease, thereby mitigating the health and
economic effects of a pandemic, until a vaccine is
available. Recommendations will be based on the
extent and severity of influenza in the community
and may include the following:
• Asking ill people to remain at home voluntarily, not
going to work or out into the community for 7 to 10
days or until they are well.
• Asking household members of patients with influenza
to remain at home voluntarily until the period of
risk for influenza is past – about 7 days.
• Asking businesses to consider changing workplace
environments and schedules to decrease social
density to the greatest extent possible without
disrupting essential services.
• Asking businesses to adopt sick-leave policies to
facilitate adherence with the measures outlined
above.
|
Leadership Bend
Alumni Reunion
Wondering where your Leadership Bend classmates are
now? What are they doing? How have they changed?
Come to the Leadership Bend Alumni Reunion on May 7
and discover the answers to these questions and
more.
The event will start at 5 p.m. at the Bend Golf
&Country Club and is free to attend for alumni and a
guest. Enjoy a light hors d'oeuvre buffet,
networking with fellow classmates, and hear about
some community opportunities. All attendees will
receive a drink ticket with a cash bar to follow.
To RSVP for this event, go to
www.bendchamber.org/lsb.
|
Business Journal Correction
In the May edition of the Bend Chamber Business
Journal, the event location for Business After Hours
on May 27 has changed. Our host, West Coast Events
has moved to a new location 3064 NE 18th St. Suite
102.
We do apologize for any inconvenience, but do look
forward to seeing you there.
|
|
In the News:
Bend to Host 2010 Oregon
Governor’s Conference on Tourism: Travel
Oregon Representatives announced earlier this week
that Bend has been selected to host the 2010 Oregon
Governor’s Conference on Tourism. This is the first
time the event will be hosted in Bend, it has
previously been held in Sunriver. “Hosting a
conference of this magnitude is an honor for the
City of Bend, and is a testament to the economic
impact that investment in tourism infrastructure can
provide,” said Doug LaPlaca, president and CEO of
Visit Bend in a recent press release. “With the
addition of the Riverhouse Convention Center, Bend
now boasts the facilities and infrastructure needed
to accommodate groups of this size, something that
was not logistically possible until recently.” The
event would bring at least 450 people representing
tourism-related businesses and organizations from
across the state to the area. “Tourism is such a
critical part of Bend’s economic engine, and hosting
the Governor’s Conference there is a reflection of
the City’s tourism promotion efforts and
accomplishments in recent years,” said Todd
Davidson, CEO of Travel Oregon.
Deschutes County Planning
Commission Opening: The Deschutes County
Planning Commission is seeking a new volunteer
member. The Commission reviews land use policy and
zoning regulations and makes recommendations to the
Deschutes County Board of Commissioners. Currently,
there is one south County area vacancy available
that represents Three Rivers, Sunriver and the La
Pine unincorporated area. Applicants from the south
County are preferred. Those interested in serving on
the Commission are invited to submit an application
and a letter of interest that describes the
applicant’s background and interest in land use.
Applications and letters of interest will be
accepted before 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 18. The
Planning Commission application can be obtained from
the Deschutes County Community Development Planning
Department or at
www.deschutes.org/cdd. Click
on “Planning for the Future” at the top of the page,
and then click on “Planning Commission.” For more
information, please call Terri Hansen Payne at
385-1404.
Final Call for Days of Caring:
The United Way recently issued its last call for the
Days of Caring. Sponsors, projects, teams, and
individuals are still needed. The 13th annual Days
of Caring will take place on May 29 & 30. Days of
Caring is a county-wide effort matching volunteer
teams with non-profit agencies for a day of
community service. To get more information or to get
involved, contact Terianne at the United Way office
at 389-6507 or via e-mail
doc@deschutesunitedway.org.
Information is also available at
www.liveunitedco.org.
|
|
Upcoming Events
May 12 – Professional Development Series – Advance
Your Business Now! - How do you think the current
market will define your business? What opportunities
are out there? Can I make my business grow in this
current market? In this month’s Professional
Development Series Morning Session, Rich Rudnick,
Smart Sales Solutions Sales Coach and Consultant,
will help you learn how the market will define you
and the key components of taking your business to
peak performance in this tough market. Other topics
of discussion will include: what separates those who
thrive from the rest, the keys to advancing your
business in this market, out-of-the-box ideas that
just might work, and opportunities available in this
market. Please RSVP for this event by no later than
noon on Monday, May 11 at
www.bendchamber.org. If
you have trouble signing up, call 382-3221.
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 semi-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.
May 15 – Town Hall Forum – Oregon Legislative Update:
Employment Bills – Every year employers face new
regulations and guidelines not only from the federal
government, but also the state. This year there are
several bills in the Oregon Legislature that could
affect your business. Do you know what is being
talked about in the Legislature? How could certain
bills affect your day to day business? What steps
will you possibly have to take to hire or let go of
an employee? Join Katherine Tank from Schwabe,
Williamson & Wyatt, PC and fellow Chamber members in
this interactive forum and get your questions
answered. If you would like to attend this event
please RSVP by noon on Thursday, May 14 at
www.bendchamber.org. If you have trouble signing up,
call 382-3221.
|
|
