Last week, the City Council adopted, or gave direction to pursue a series of recommendations from the Downtown Safety Taskforce designed to improve the safety and appearance of Downtown. Dave Hauser, Chamber President, served on the Task Force, and the Chamber supported the recommendations.
Things began to look dicey, after Councilor Betty Taylor moved and passed a motion to discuss each of the twelve items one by one, but all of the recommendations ultimately passed by a wide margin, with only councilors Taylor and Brown opposing solutions put forward by the majority of the council.
Among the projects included in the package are increased police officers downtown, increased lighting and surveillance, the purchase of dedicated jail space from Springfield, and funding of added human services and mental health programming. The Chamber and Downtown Eugene, Inc. will also work with the city to improve delivery of security services, and seek to expand opportunities for more revenue devoted to Downtown. Finally, the proposals call for using money from the Urban Renewal District to help support the Lane Community College Downtown Center at 10th and Charnelton, and the VA Clinic on Willamette, if the VA selects that site. Both of these projects would make a marked difference on the level of activity downtown.
To share your thoughts with the Mayor and City Council about the city’s support of Lane Community College and the VA Clinic, or to thank them for taking steps to improve Downtown, write to mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us
Major community decisions are being made that will affect the future vitality of our downtown, and of our city as a whole. The planning process for the overall design concept for the EWEB Master Plan is coming to a head and the project consultants are preparing to present the overall design concept at a public meeting TONIGHT.
Please attend the public meeting on TONIGHT, Wednesday, Mar. 3, at the Eugene Hilton at 6:30pm to make your voice heard, and give your input about what you would like to see happen on the EWEB site.
You don’t have to be a land use expert. Just show up, and share your perspective on this site. Register by email at eweb@rowellbrokaw.com or visit www.eugeneriverfront.com for more information. As you likely know, the Eugene Water & Electric Board is creating a new master plan for its riverfront property, much of which will be sold after they move their operations to Roosevelt Blvd, in west Eugene.
Rowell Brokaw Architects, based in downtown Eugene, and a Chamber member, is leading the master planning process.
The process has been assisted by a nine-member Community Advisory Team, made up of community members from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, and co-chaired by Eugene Chamber President, Dave Hauser.
The outcome of this master plan process will have a major impact on the ability to connect our downtown to the river, and to allow increased river access by citizens and visitors. The success of this project could not have greater implications for our city’s livability, the vitality of our downtown, and the success of the business community.
We hope you will make time to participate on TONIGHT, Wednesday, Mar. 3rd. We look forward to seeing you at the Hilton at 6:30pm.
The February class of the Chamber’s Leadership Eugene-Springfield (LES) program studied the state and local land use system, and discussed some of the constraints that come with a lack of available commercial, industrial, and residential land. Class members also had an opportunity to participate in a group activity deliberating the prospect of urban growth boundary adjustment for Eugene and Springfield.
Each year, LES participants undertake an eight month course of study preparing them to assume increased volunteer, appointed, and elected leadership roles. With over twenty years of shaping leaders in the Eugene-Springfield area, the program provides members with a number of critical leadership and communications skills, coupled with a broad understanding of issues and challenges facing local governments and non-profits.
The 2009-2010 class will graduate in May. The Chamber will begin accepting applications for the 2010-2011 program late this spring. To inquire about the program, or join the “interested parties” list for upcoming classes, contact Jared Mason-Gere, Director of Business Advocacy, at JaredM@eugenechamber.com or 541-242-2355.
The Local Government Affairs Council (LGAC) is a committed group of business leaders that meet nearly every Friday morning to study, discuss, and take action on the many pressing public policy issues that impact our community’s economic prosperity. From enterprise zones to Downtown development to public safety funding, LGAC has led the charge for policies that encourage increased livability and economic vitality at the city, county, and state levels.
In January, LGAC had several vacant positions, which attracted a tremendous level of interest, resulting in nearly fifteen applications from business leaders interested in helping chart the Chamber’s course and take a more active role in the Chamber’s public policy and advocacy work. The Chamber works hard to maintain a broad representation of our membership. We are excited to announce the following new Local Government Affairs Council members, who bring a wealth and breadth of perspectives and expertise:
o Wendy Baker- Wendy J. Baker, Attorney at Law
o Rob E. Bennett- Downtown Athletic Club
o Julie Daniel- BRING Recycling
o Jeanine Jackson- Pacific Benefit Planners
o Ben Sappington- Pacific Continental Bank
o Tenille Woodward- Kernutt Stokes Brandt &Co.
We congratulate these members for their appointments, and thank them for their willingness to serve their Chamber and their community.
Recently the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce received the City’s Community Recognition Award for two separate categories. The Community Recognition Award, a standard based on the goals of City Council, is awarded once a year to a group or organization that advocates and supports goals set out by the City Council. For their hard work and contribution to the drafting of form based code for the Walnut Station Node, the Chamber, along with the University of Oregon and the Fairmount Neighbors Association, received the Community Recognition Award for contributing to “Effective, Accountable Municipal Government.”
In a partnership with Downtown Eugene Incorporated, the Chamber received the Community Recognition Award, recognizing their commitment to making Eugene a safe place to live and work. For the downtown guides; a Chamber-sponsored program, we are honored to accept this year’s Community Recognition Award for contributing to a “Safe Community.” We are pleased to have the opportunity to help improve safety in Eugene.
We would like to give a special thanks to Tim Campbell, Bruce Mulligan, and Gary Wildish, from the Chamber’s Local Government Affairs Council, who spent hours working through the various aspects of the draft code language to ensure that developers will have the leeway they need in order to build, and existing businesses are protected in their current locations.
Next week the 2009-2010 class of the Leadership Eugene-Springfield program will reach the midway point in their community education experience. The class, made up of up-and-coming leaders from businesses and nonprofits throughout the community, has studied leadership and communication styles; learned how to interact with the media; worked on meeting facilitation; learned about economic development challenges and opportunities in our region; investigated the management styles and government and cultural history of Eugene and Springfield; and examined local systems for meeting community health care and social service needs.
Before the year is out, the class will have improved understanding of local public safety systems, land use planning and education, and been introduced to a variety of volunteer and appointed leadership opportunities.
The Leadership Eugene-Springfield class runs from October to May each year, with enrollment and admission each summer. For more information about the program, or for an application for the 2010-2011 year, contact Jared Mason-Gere, Director of Business Advocacy, at (541) 242-2355 or JaredM@eugenechamber.com.
From transportation to public safety, downtown to taxation, the Chamber’s Local Government Affairs Council (LGAC) is hard at work, week after week, charting the course for the Chamber’s advocacy work, and affecting policy discussions at the city, county, and state levels.
The Local Government Affairs Council had a very active year in 2009, helping secure LRAPA permits for the new Seneca biomass facility, stopping garbage hauler fees, promoting land use application extensions, lobbying the state legislature, and much more.
The Committee is comprised of twenty-five members, from a representative mix of business sectors among the Chamber membership, and a variety of experiences and expertise. The group generally meets weekly, Friday mornings at 7:30am at the Eugene Chamber, with some joint, off-site meetings with other organizations.
LGAC is accepting applications to fill four vacancies on the committee in January 2010, from members interested in helping the Chamber digest and influence decisions that impact local businesses.
Contact Jared Mason-Gere, Director of Business Advocacy at 242-2355 or
The Joint Elected Officials, including the Lane County Commissioners, Eugene City Council, and Springfield City Council, recently voted to send the issue of a functional consolidation to the respective city councils for public input and council discussion. While both the Eugene and Springfield city councils expressed general support for the cost savings and increased efficiencies that could come of such a move, both are looking for feedback from citizens, and an opportunity to explore the best process for merging administrative functions. Unless schedules change, the Eugene City Council will consider this issue in January.
The Eugene Chamber has weighed in supporting proposal for cooperative services increases, or a form of merger between the Eugene Fire Department and Springfield Fire and Life Safety. Regardless what form the merger takes, the Eugene Chamber believes the increased collaboration will deliver an improved level of services and cost savings to improve overall community safety and free up funds for other essential services long term.
Independent consultants and fire department staff have estimated cost savings and cost avoidance that could add up to a total of $850,000 in savings annually through streamlined administration and staff attrition. The Eugene Chamber of Commerce in the past has congratulated Fire Chiefs Dennis Murphy and Randy Groves for thinking outside the box to try to best serve their communities and the region; while it is still early in the process, the city councils are to be commended for their willingness to take steps forward in considering these new methods of service delivery, and we encourage them to continue searching for cost savings and improved efficiencies.
The Mayor and City Council can be contacted at mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us to express support for the consolidation.
The Eugene inventory of available commercial and industrial lands continues to proceed at a steady pace. Last week the city council adopted a resolution accepting the draft products of the assessment. This puts the City of Eugene in compliance with the 2007 Legislation, House Bill 33337, that compelled the cities of Eugene and Springfield to undertake the inventory.
After concerns arose about the assumptions used by the city’s consultants to compile the current inventory, the Chamber worked with the Homebuilders Association and neighborhood representatives to encourage the City Council to adopt a revised timeline for adopting a final inventory. After accepting the draft language, the City Council will adopt the final, improved inventory in April 2010, then will still be on track to adopt a new Urban Growth Boundary in February 2011.
On January 1st, 2010, a law will go into effect that requires building owners to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) available on the premises. The law affects facilities over 50,000 square feet where business is conducted AND twenty-five or more people will congregate or pass through in the course of the day. Note that this requirement pertains to building owners, not tenants. Private residences and places of worship are exempt. Training is not required, nor are exact locations within a facility specified.
AEDs are portable electronic devices that can automatically diagnose and treat cardiac arrest. They are designed for use by a layperson. Most models cost between $1,000 and $2,500.
For more information, or to learn how to acquire an AED, businesses can contact the Health & Safety Institute. Health and Safety Institute provides AEDs and AED training, and is providing a special discount through December 31st to those businesses who mention “Oregon AED”. Contact HSI through their AED webpage, www.hsi.com/oregonaed or call 541-284-3898 to speak to client services about the Oregon AED special.
The Chamber recently hosted a group of business leaders for an informal conversation with one past and three current members of the Eugene Planning Commission, to help them better understand the job of a planning commissioner. Those in the crowd came from a variety of business backgrounds, but all were interested in helping Eugene move forward with the many challenges and opportunities facing the community, by possibly serving on the commission. Questions were answered about the application process, time commitments, upcoming issues, among many other things. The Chamber has been hard at work seeking pragmatic applicants from the business community who can help Eugene move forward in addressing the many planning challenges and opportunities in the coming months and years. Contact the Chamber's Director of Business Advocacy, Jared Mason-Gere, jaredm@eugenechamber.com or 541/242-2355, for more information on the Chamber's advocacy efforts.
Want to make a difference in your community, influence public policy outcomes, and support the Chamber’s mission to promote a healthy local economy?
The Chamber’s Local Government Affairs Council (LGAC) is accepting applications from members interested in helping the Chamber weigh in on important city, county, and state decisions that impact local businesses. From transportation to public safety, downtown to taxation, LGAC has played a role in public policy decision making for a decade, helping chart the course for the Chamber’s advocacy work, and providing their insight to state, city, and county elected officials and staff.
The Committee is comprised of 25 members, from various categories of Chamber membership, and a variety of experiences and expertise. The group meets weekly, Friday mornings at 7:30am at the Eugene Chamber.
Contact Jared Mason-Gere, Director of Business Advocacy at 242-2355 or jaredm@eugenechamber.com, for more details.
Your chance to weigh in to help the Beltline planning process move forward. Please stop in to share your thoughts.
4:30-7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 North Eugene Alternative High School Library 200 Silver Lane, Eugene
At the open house, you can:
1. Learn about the project, including schedule, the area’s natural environment, and the transportation problems in the area. 2. Review the project’s goals and objectives, and tell us which matter most to you. 3. Review maps and suggest solutions for the Beltline.
The event is drop in/stop by, with no formal presentation.
If you are unable to make the open house, all materials and the comment form will be posted on the project website: www.beltlineplan.com. Feel free to add your comments online.
For more information, please contact Savannah Crawford, ODOT project manager, at 541.747.1354 or Savannah.CRAWFORD@odot.state.or.us.
The state legislature has approved an increase in the maximum payroll tax rate that can be charged by Lane Transit District.
Prior to this new legislation, the maximum payroll tax rate was .7 percent ($7 per $1,000 of payroll), and that rate could not be reached prior to 2014. The governor proposed that the payroll tax be allowed to increase to .7 percent (it is currently .65 percent) on January 1, 2010, and then be allowed to increase to .8 percent over a ten-year period. LTD discussed this proposal with the Eugene Chamber of Commerce when it was first introduced, and the Chamber voted to support an increase to .7 percent and to be neutral on the possible eventual increase to .8 percent, working to strike a balanced stance, understanding the importance of LTD to the local economy, while working to keep the local tax burden low.
The actual legislation, which is contained in Senate Bill 34, does not include the option of increasing the rate immediately to .7 percent, but retains the potential for an eventual increase .8 percent. The increase in the rate to .8 percent can only be made after "the Board makes a finding that the economy in the district has recovered to an extent sufficient to warrant the increase in tax." It also required that the increase be phased in over a ten-year period, and that the increase in any one year not exceed .02 percent. For a business with an annual payroll of $500,000 (which is a higher payroll than 90 percent of all businesses in the district), the increase would be $500 per year when fully implemented over the ten-year period. Full implementation would not occur until 2022 at the earliest.
While the law now allows for a higher maximum payroll tax rate, any actual increase in the rate must be authorized by the LTD Board of Directors.
The potential for an increase in the payroll tax rate provides the community with an option to enhance transit service. During the last three years, transit ridership has increased more than 30 percent as more and more community residents have opted to use transit. However, budget problems have required a 3 percent service reduction in 2009, and there is a possibility of additional service reductions in the future. This additional funding could allow for service to be enhanced in the future.
Jared Mason-Gere, Director of Business Advocacy at the Chamber, is headed to the Western Association of Chamber Executives’ Academy in August, on a scholarship from the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce.Jared received the award from the state chamber organization on June 24th .
The WACE Academy is an intensive program on organizational management for chamber executives and professional staff from throughout the western United States, covering a variety of managerial, development, and communications knowledge and skills that will help Jared continue to advance the Chamber’s advocacy and leadership development efforts.
With official representation or active involvement on a host of planning and advisory groups, the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce collaborates for a positive future and ensures business interests are represented:
Airport Advisory Committee: The Eugene Airport Advisory committee develops recommendations for City staff by providing an ongoing citizen perspective and review of Airport Capital Improvement Projects, environmental issues, airport finances, air service development and changes to Airport Administration policy (Dave Hauser)
EWEB Riverfront Master Plan Citizen Advisory Committee: A nine-member Community Advisory Team (CAT) has been appointed by the EWEB Board of Commissioners and the Eugene City Council to work with a consultant to create a draft master plan for the redevelopment of EWEB’s riverfront property (Dave Hauser; Gary Wildish, Mark Johnson, Tom Hoyt, Dean Pape).
Walnut Station Mixed Use Development Plan Stakeholders Group: Representatives from the Fairmount neighbors, University of Oregon, City and Chamber to attempt to indentify and address potential concerns that various stakeholders might have as the plan takes shape and moves to the City Council for Adoption (Jared Mason-Gere, Bruce Mulligan, Gary Wildish, Tim Campbell).
Eugene Comprehensive Lands Assessment (ECLA) Community Advisory Committee: The ECLA CAC is a 15-member committee that provides guidance to the City on the technical analysis that will occur throughout the project. Members represent key stakeholders and community groups and will ensure that the best available information is incorporated into the study (Bill Kloos).
Beltline Highway: Coburg Road to River Road Facility Plan Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC): The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is beginning a study to consider ideas for improving safety and operations on the Beltline Highway between Coburg Road and River Road. The study will focus on areas near the Delta Highway, River Avenue/Division Avenue, and River Road interchanges. The SAC will provide advice and guidance to ODOT during the study while striving to reach consensus on study issues (Ryan Pape).
City of Eugene Community Climate and Energy Plan Task Team: The goal of the Task Team is to "identify strategies to help the City reach goals of reducing carbon emissions, cutting fossil fuel usage in half by 2030, and adapting to the impacts of climate change in Eugene" (Josh Proudfoot).
Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene: The Chamber is a founding member of this group whose mission is to enrich the Eugene community through strong arts and business partnerships through increased awareness that the goals of the art and business sectors are congruent promoting community-wide awareness of the economic, educational, business benefits of arts and culture (Dave Hauser).
West Eugene Collaborative: This community based group was tasked with Develop an integrated land use and transportation solution supported by stakeholders that will facilitate movement of people and commerce from, through and to west Eugene and west of Eugene while enhancing community, business and the environment (Gary Wildish; Rusty Rexius; Larry Reed).
The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Tim Taylor as a summer public policy intern. Tim is an undergraduate at the University of Oregon in the Planning, Public Policy, and Management program. Tim started with the Chamber on June 16th, and will work throughout the summer, continuing part-time into the school year.
Tim’s desire to work with the Chamber came from an interest in policy and its affects on a wide range of issues and people. Tim saw that the Eugene Chamber of Commerce truly impacts policy in action and the affects of decisions made at the governmental level, as it functions as a liaison between the private and public sectors. It attempts to create an environment in which businesses and policy makers can work together with a collaborative goal of improving the quality of our local community.
As an intern with the Chamber, Tim will maintain continuous research of local organizations including, but not limited to the Eugene City Council, the Lane County Board of Commissioners, and the Eugene Planning Commission. I will continue to events that occur throughout the local community such as Budget Committee meetings, Lane Council of Governments board meetings, and Neighborhood Leaders Council meetings. He will also lead research on solutions to transportation and public safety funding issues.
“I understand the need for fair implementation of policy, and I recognize the importance of sound judgment by those who have been chosen to make decisions that affect the entire community. I desire to learn more about this process, and I intend to pursue a career in public service,” says Tim. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that the Chamber has provided me, and I am excited for the time that I will be spending here.”
Tim can be reached at timt@eugenechamber.com. Please welcome Tim to the Chamber team.
On Wednesday, Lane County Commissioners voted to approve funding to re-open 84 jail beds at the county jail. Commissioners also voted to remove allocations for increased personal staff. The Eugene Chamber of Commerce and its members lobbied the commissioners in written correspondence and with public testimony for these changes to the 2010 county budget, as well as the reinstatement of Lane County’s portion of funding for the Lane Metro Partnership, our regional economic development organization.
You can read Eugene Chamber President Dave Hauser’s letter to the Commissioners HERE and watch the testimony HERE (Chamber testimony at 2:27:04)
This is an important first step in local efforts to improve our public safety system, but we still have just a fraction of the jail beds, sheriff’s deputies, and prosecutors needed. The larger, systematic funding problem remains to be solved. How do we gain the necessary funding to put our public safety system on stable footing? Where does public safety rate as a priority for you? What should the Chamber’s role be in addressing the remaining budget shortfall?
Oregon is among three states, including Colorado and Tennessee, having large and fast-growing energy economies, according to a study conducted by Pew Charitable Trusts.
Pew Charitable Trusts looked at green economy of all states, plus Washington, D.C.
Oregon had 19,340 green jobs in 2007 and a 4.77 percent growth of such jobs from 1998 to 2007. Of the total 1,902,294 jobs in Oregon, 1.02 percent are considered green, which is the highest percentage of any state and Washington, D.C.
Pew Charitable Trusts’ definition of the clean energy economy includes jobs in clean energy; energy efficiency; environmentally friendly production; conservation and pollution mitigation; and training and support.
Match the name of the Eugene city councilor and the ward they represent to the fact.
George Brown, Ward 1 Mike Clark, Ward 5 Andrea Ortiz, Ward 7 George Poling, Ward 4 Chris Pryor, Ward 8 Jennifer Solomon, Ward 6 Betty Taylor, Ward 2 Alan Zelenka, Ward 3
A. Public relations and marketing consultant, avid vegetable gardener.
B. An emergency room nurse who is a product of Lane Community College’s nursing program, past Bethel School Board Member.
C. Retired Staff sergeant in the Marine Reserves, retired law enforcement officer.
D. Marist High school Graduate, Chamber Leadership Eugene-Springfield graduate.
E. Owner of The Kiva grocery store, ardent Civic Stadium supporter.
F. Retired English teacher with a passion for the environment.
G. Energy Consultant, former Emerald PUD employee, Chamber Leadership Eugene-Springfield graduate.
H. CEO, American Red Cross, Oregon Pacific Chapter, past 4J School Board Member, past Chamber Leadership Eugene-Springfield Steering Committee Member.
ANSWERS: A. Ward 5: Mike Clark, B. Ward 7: Andrea Ortiz, C. Ward 4: George Poling, D. Ward 6: Jennifer Solomon, E. Ward 1: George Brown, F. Ward 2: Betty Taylor, G. Ward 3: Alan Zelenka, H. Ward 8: Chris Pryor
Next week the 2009-2010 class of the Leadership Eugene-Springfield program will reach the midway point in their community education experience. The class, made up of up-and-coming leaders from businesses and nonprofits throughout the community, has studied leadership and communication styles; learned how to interact with the media; worked on meeting facilitation; learned about economic development challenges and opportunities in our region; investigated the management styles and government and cultural history of Eugene and Springfield; and examined local systems for meeting community health care and social service needs. 
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