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By Courtney Linville, Government Affairs/Public Relations
This Week's Highlights:
Deschutes County addresses membership and continues "out-of-the-box" thinking
During a presentation at the Bend Chamber County Forecast Breakfast, Deschutes County officials provided insight on their various partnerships and plans to continue moving the county forward through some progressive thinking.
The main message to attendees on Thursday was the county will continue to maximize and leverage taxpayers' dollars for the best possible service delivery. They have strived to consolidate services, share services with local government entities, and work closely with other area agencies.
County Commissioner Tammy Baney pointed out there continues to be efforts in the consolidation of departments and cost saving measures. For example, Health Services and Mental Health are now under the direction of one manager. Also, the Sheriff's Department has not filled positions including undersheriff and administrative captain.
Sharing services is another idea the county takes seriously. Deschutes County participates in the CODE Team (Drug Enforcement Team with officers from all over the area), operates the 911 Dispatch Center which is connected to all of Central Oregon, provides GIS mapping for public works projects, works with other agencies for emergency preparedness, and more.
A prime example for shared services is in the county's Community Development Department. The department acts as a back-up to the City of Bend, performs all of Redmond's building inspections, and has a building services department in La Pine.
The county, city of Bend, and city of Redmond Road Departments also work closely together by sharing snow plowing duties during the winter, painting rigs for striping of roads, and spraying for noxious weeds. Another area where everyone works together is chip sealing. "This way they don't have to buy the equipment, and we get better utilization of our equipment," said County Commissioner Dennis Luke.
Deschutes County also works in cooperation with Klamath and Crook counties to apply for federal and state funding for forestry needs including fuel reduction. It handles special prosecutions for Crook, Jefferson, and Lynn counties. Furthermore, the county helps residents in Klamath County, who live closer to La Pine than Klamath Falls, with the Oregon Health Plan.
The county is also looking to offer an increase of services in Sisters and Redmond. They plan to place a department in Sisters and is in the early phases of exploring a North County Campus in Redmond. "Service delivery is very important, if people don't have access to those services then quality of life is diminished," said Baney.
Turning to Economic Development, Deschutes County continues to contract with Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) to provide economic services throughout the county. Baney reported the county is looking to explore the enhancement of the Business Loan Fund. They received some money from the federal government some time ago and is looking at ways the funds can be used for business retention and relocation in the community.
One item on everyone's minds these days is budgets. Luke pointed out many departments track their own income and expenses. He says this is a great process because it allows departments to carry over funds for larger purchases and it reduces the "use it or lose it mentality." For example, the County Clerk's office was able to save funds for 4 years to purchase a new vote counting machine.
On the top of voter's minds right now is the $44 million Jail Expansion Bond. Sheriff Larry Blanton explained there is a great need for the expansion if citizens want to continue with a low crime rate and a good quality of life. "Our crime rate is down slightly and that is because everyone cares about quality of life and public safety," he said. "If you don't have a good public safety system, then you are beating your head against the wall if you are looking for economic development."
The bond would add 250 additional daily use beds and another 50 beds for inmates with special needs. The current facility has 228 beds, but Blanton pointed out the jail is often full before the beds are because there has to be a right mix of male and female inmates, and then inmates need to be housed according to behavior and mental health issues.
"We have the worst of the worst in jail," Blanton said. "Our snapshot says we have 114 serious felony offenders in your jail."
On the May 18 voters will be asked for 18 cents per thousand in assessed value. Blanton will also ask for a tax reduction of three cents for district one. "This is something I have wanted to do for more than a year," Blanton said. "Timing happens to coincide at the same time for jail. (The reduction) will happen either way on May 18."
Blanton says he will continue to squeeze a "nickel out of every penny" taxpayers give him, and asking for the jail expansion funding is not easy, but it's the right thing to do. |
Bend Chamber joins with organizations to "Adopt" a Local Business
In an effort to help the business community grow and thrive, several area business and advocacy organizations have joined together to help a local small business succeed.
The Central Oregon Business Consortium, comprised of SCORE, the Bend Chamber of Commerce, Central Oregon Community College, the Small Business Development Center, Economic Development for Central Oregon, and Opportunity Knocks, plans to "Adopt a Business" for two years. The business that is adopted will be awarded a full range of services offered by each organization.
"The Bend Chamber is excited to be a part of this program and have the opportunity to help small businesses in the area," said Tim Casey, Bend Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. "The business who is selected for this honor will receive valuable educational and mentoring opportunities from all the organizations, as well as insight from some of the Central Oregon's best professionals."
The "adopted" business will receive two years of counseling and mentoring services, membership in participating organizations, reduced costs for local business workshops and educational courses, and other benefits to be provided by selected program sponsors (valued well in excess of $2,500).
The Consortium has extensive contacts and connections with professionals in the legal, accounting, financial services, marketing, public relations, human resources, and general management and operations field.
"Small businesses fight daily just to keep their heads above water, particularly in these tight economic conditions. Helping to provide some essential services along with direct counseling can make a big difference in a company's long term viability, and that is what Adopt-a-Business is all about," stated Bill Saling, Chairman of Score's Central Oregon Chapter. "We are proud to be a part of this new and diverse sponsorship."
In April, the Consortium will start taking applications from businesses located within Central Oregon. The group hopes to have a business selected by early summer.
If you have questions or would like more information, you can contact the Consortium at adoptme@bendchamber.org. |
New poll shows area residents against tax increases for public services
The possible annexation of the Bend Fire Department into the rural fire district and a tax increase are now dead issues after a poll shows residents are opposed to tax increases.
City officials are looking for a way to prevent cuts in public safety and fill a $21 million shortfall in the city's general fund in the next six years. A poll conducted by Moore Information showed residents were generally happy with the services Bend Fire Department and Bend Police Department.
In a survey of 400 registered voters, 88 percent said they were satisfied with the fire department and 86 percent were satisfied with the police department.
"These are very stellar marks," said Kelly Middendorff with Moore Information. "It's a good news bad news situation. Everyone would love to see these numbers, however when looking for funding it makes the sell a little harder."
Currently, the city uses about 80 percent of the general fund to pay for public safety. Officials say unless the city raises property taxes by 41 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value, further cuts will have to be made to police and fire.
With the question "How willing are you to pay additional property taxes in order to avoid cuts to existing public safety service levels?" 51 percent of respondents stated they were unwilling to pay more.
When specifically looking at the annexation and the possible 41 cent increase, 48 percent of respondents were opposed to the tax increase. The majority of the opposition was due to not only the increase in taxes, but another hit to the "pocket-book," said Middendorff. "Anti-tax sentiment is hard to overcome especially in the economic climate we are in right now."
City Manager Eric King said this data shows the fire department annexation is not a viable possibility because city property owners needed to pay the 41 cent tax increase to be included in the rural fire district.
However, the poll did show residents would be in favor of a tax neutral proposal. The downtown Urban Renewal Assessment which is 27 cents per thousand of assessed property value is set to retire in two years. Pollsters asked residents if instead of retiring the debt, if they would be in favor of re-authorizing the 27 cents to fund public safety services. Sixty-two percent of respondents were in favor of that idea.
Councilor Jeff Eager was skeptical of the results on the neutral proposal. He said the question might have been answered differently if pollsters had stated property owners would receive a tax cut. "There would be a lot of support for a tax cut," Eager said.
The city paid $13,000 for the poll. City Manager Eric King said the survey was conducted so the city could go into the process "with eyes wide open."
"If not to just test the sentiment of the community, we wanted to use the data to help determine the best path forward," he said.
So what's next? The city will now form an Advisory Committee on Public Safety Funding. The committee will include 7 to 9 citizens. Councilors said they want to see a wide cross section of citizens to sit on the committee.
Some possible choices include people from the Deschutes County Rural Fire District Board, City of Bend Budget Committee, Police Chief's Advisory Committee, and the Bend Chamber of Commerce. Councilors have stated citizens who are interested in being on this committee should contact them within the next few weeks.
King said he would like to see the group formed soon so they can have their first meeting in April and report back to council by late summer.
To see a full copy of the Moore Information poll, go to www.ci.bend.or.us and click on City Fact Check
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Bend City Council Highlights
Pine Tavern Spotlighted by Bend City Council
The Pine Tavern was the first business to be spotlighted by the Bend City Council on Wednesday evening. Councilor Oran Teater presented Owner Brad Hollenbeck with the award.
Teater highlighted the restaurant for its commitment to the community since 1936. Pine Tavern is very involved with many areas of the community including Central Oregon Community College. The restaurant has hosted various fundraisers for the COCC Foundation and helped to develop the curriculum for the Restaurant and Hospitality program.
The Pine Tavern is also active on several boards and committees including the Bend Chamber and the Oregon Restaurant Association
Hollenbeck said this award is very special. "It is very special to be chosen as the first one to receive this honor," he said.
Each month one councilor will spotlight a business that is supporting the community or doing something innovative.
Parking Changes delayed by split Council vote
In a 4-3 decision, the Bend City Council decided to pull items relating to parking in Downtown Bend from the Bend Code Update. The Council was set to hear the second reading on the Bend Code update which would have increased fines and the distance for movement within a 1,000 feet radius.
Several councilors said they didn't feel comfortable making the fines permanent until more research can be done on lowering permit fees at the parking garage. Councilor Tom Greene stated he was worried if enacted, the fines and radius would further drive employees and customers into the Downtown Bend Neighborhoods. "I can't see if someone buys a burger or a pita and then decides to drop off something at the post office, because we all know how long those lines can get... that someone could get a ticket," he said. "I'm just not comfortable with that."
Councilor Oran Teater suggested taking away some of the 144 customer parking spaces and putting those towards permits.
On the other side, Councilor Mark Capell stated now is the time to put an end to parking violators and evaders in downtown Bend. "I think moving forward with the code (as written) is still appropriate," he said. "In my mind one of the most abused rules in downtown parking is the 500 foot rule... By moving to 1,000 feet, we force (employees and business owners) out of the moving to evade... those are the people we really need to hit."
In regard to the parking structure, which is not part of the code update, Capell stated there needs to be an economic analysis done to see what the overall impact of lowering the fees would be.
While supportive of the measures for parking evaders, Councilor Jeff Eager is worried about sending the wrong message for the downtown area. "Even if this is calibrated to get repeat offenders, some customers will be scared by a headline that says 'Parking fines to increase in Downtown Bend,'" he said. "The ultimate goal is that customers have a good experience downtown."
Councilors Oran Teater, Tom Greene, Jeff Eager, and Mayor Kathie Eckman voted to amend the code by taking out the parking items. Councilors Mark Cappell, Jodie Barram, and Jim Clinton voted against the amendment. Cappell tried to make a motion to get the parking items back into the code, but the motion failed.
Because of the removal of the parking items, Wednesday's reading will be considered the first reading. Council will have the second reading of the code at its next meeting. |
Oregon's unemployment rate remains flat
Oregon's unemployment rate remained essentially flat from December's revised 10.6 percent rate to January's rate of 10.7 percent. The Oregon Employment Department reported Tuesday the jobless rate has remained relatively unchanged since October.
The state did see a gain of 1,100 jobs in January. The Oregon Employment Department stated this is the first net gain in nearly two years. In February 2008, 900 jobs were added.
"(Tuesday's) employment numbers for the first month of the new year reveal positive job growth - a piece of good news that I hope is repeated throughout 2010 to get Oregon's economy beyond the recession and onto a full recovery," said Governor Ted Kulongoski in a press release.
The Employment Department also revised the unemployment rate for May 2009 from 12.2 percent to 11.6 percent. "The difference between these two levels is not statistically significant, but the change does mean that the highest unemployment rate of this current recession (to date) is now lower than the highest rate of the recession of the early 1980s (12.1 percent)," the Employment Department release stated.
Revised payroll employment estimates for 2009 show the state's job losses were more substantial than those originally published. For example, initial estimates suggested Oregon lost more than 120,000 jobs from the February 2008 pre-recession employment peak to the December 2009 level. That figure is now reported at 148,600.
Kulongoski says the road ahead may be long and there are still tough decisions to be made. However, he believes by working together, the state will emerge from the recession "stronger and better prepared to take advantage of the opportunities to come." |
In the News
City of Bend submits appropriations requests: The City of Bend has submitted its appropriations requests to the Oregon Congressional Delegation for Fiscal Year 2011. Some of the projects included in the request are the Surface Water Project ($10 million request for 100 percent of the design of the project), Mirror Pond Restoration ($500,000 request for complete alternative analysis), and Community Access Improvements ($750,000 request for constructing sidewalks and curb ramps). The Bend City Council also approved support for a $4.9 million appropriations request to construct and equip a Bend Applied Research Center.
ABC Commission seeks public input for art placement: The City of Bend Arts, Beautification, and Culture Commission (ABC) is currently seeking the public's opinion on where to place the ArtMatch inventory of various pieces of art. Fourteen locations throughout the City are up for consideration. To see the locations up for consideration and cast your vote online, visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/CoB_PublicArt2010. The survey ends March 8, 2010. For more information, contact Patty Stell at 541-388-5505 or pstell@ci.bend.or.us, and Pamela Trow-Johnson at 541-322-0909 or pamela@501drive.com.
Java with Judy: Representative Judy Stiegler will hold a Town Hall on March 6 at 10 a.m. at East Village Bakery, 425 NE Windy Knolls. The event will give constituents of District 54 opportunities to talk with Stiegler about the bill she sponsored and others she supported during the session. |
Upcoming Events
 March 10 - Business Success Program - Rally Your Brand with the 5! - Cut through the advertising clutter and make your brand stand out. In today's world of constant bombardment of advertising messages on the web, mobile marketing, billboards, radio, newspapers and television, this statement seems nearly impossible.
Chris Piper, president of Breakout Strategic Merchandising, will show you how branded merchandising is a key component in your overall marketing strategy. Branding merchandise, a non-traditional advertising medium, is the only advertising medium capable of engaging all five senses. Brand merchandising can easily be integrated into the consumer's lifestyle and can stand alone as an advertising medium when used strategically.
At this session you will:
- Discover what branded merchandise really is and the value it brings to traditional advertising/promotional campaigns.
- Integrate all five senses into your marketing campaign resulting in lasting impressions.
- Identify the right product to complement your marketing campaign.
- Engage your customer and increase your brand's exposure using Strategic Merchandise Placement.
In this interactive session, Piper will present case studies from his vast experience in marketing. He will show you how branded merchandise can increase awareness of your brand and add value to traditional advertising, which leads to greater customer relationships.
Piper began Breakout Strategic Merchandising in 2008 after a varied background in advertising and marketing. He was director of advertising for Oregon Business Magazine and helped start AM1410 Business Radio Portland. He is an active speaker across the country to business associations, the premium sports industry and the Promotional Products Association International. If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP by noon on Tuesday, March 9 at www.bendchamber.org.
 March 18 - City Forecast Breakfast - Please join us to hear City Manager Eric King, Mayor Kathie Eckman discuss Bend's 2009 accomplishments and what City officials are planning for 2010 and beyond. The member price is $30 ($50 for non-members) and corporate table sponsorships are available for $395 (includes 8 seats) or a half table for $200 (includes 4 seats). If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP by noon on Wednesday, March 17 at www.bendchamber.org/city.
 March 19 - Town Hall Breakfast - What does Bend need to do to get its own Facebook? - Prineville's recent success brings to light many questions for Bend residents and business owners. What does Bend need to do to be in the running with our surrounding Central Oregon communities? Do we need to provide incentives? What about an enterprise zone? Are there any hindrances in attracting large and small companies to Bend? In this month's Town Hall Forum, Economic Development for Central Oregon Executive Director Roger Lee will discuss the reasons why Bend was not attractive to Facebook, some of the hurdles the city faces, and what can be done moving forward. This is a great opportunity to understand what we can do to bring more businesses to the area. Please RSVP at www.bendchamber.org.
SAVE DATE: Bend Chamber Excellence Dinner - May, 20, 2010 |
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