Eugene Public Policy

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 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.
 

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.

 

The staff of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce looks forward to:
 

• Providing promotion and networking opportunities for our members,
• Advancing responsible economic development projects, and
• Advocating for business-friendly public policy

for the Eugene/Springfield business community in the coming new year.

Happy New Year!

Poet Rita Dove summed it up well when she said, “There are times in life when, instead of complaining, you do something about your complaints.”

When it comes to the topic of public safety in downtown and other commercial districts, a good part of the community dialogue often focuses on what is going wrong. In this issue of Open for Business we focus on the actions of business leaders who are facing the public safety challenges in their respective commercial districts. Examples of what is going right.

There is no denying the public safety challenges in downtown and other commercial districts. As a member of the Downtown Safety Task Team, a group of downtown and community interests formed to develop recommendations to city leadership, I helped identify four main areas that contribute to the problems in the city core, many of which could, at one time or another, could have applied to either the University District or Midtown area. They are:

• A lack of consequences for criminal behavior because of an inadequate police presence downtown and a shortage of jail beds, which served as a sanction for criminal activity.
• The presence of behaviors ranging from illegal to obnoxious.
• The lack of a cohesive, coordinated downtown public safety plan, including resources such as staff, facilities and treatment.
• The debilitated state of many physical spaces in the downtown (e.g., empty storefronts, dark corners), which invite illegal activities.

These are significant challenges. At the same time, there are positive stories to tell about how business and property owners have stepped up to address public safety challenges:

• Businesses in the downtown formed a special services district more than a decade ago, voluntarily agreeing to tax themselves to create resources to fund, through Downtown Eugene, Inc., the Downtown Guides, graffiti abatement and other strategies to make downtown clean and safe.
• University District businesses also formed a special services district to fund a portion of a police officer dedicated to providing community policy services in the district, West University Guides and more. Over the last decade the collaborative efforts of the University Small Business Association (USBA), the City of Eugene, University of Oregon and PeaceHealth Oregon Region have made significant strides in turning around a significant public safety challenge in the commercial district adjoining the University.

Through commitment, collaboration and good strategic thinking, I am confident that as a community we can make a difference in our downtown. The business community, through the Chamber and Downtown Eugene, Inc., has and will continue to move beyond complaining and, instead, actively participate in finding solutions to the public safety challenges in our commercial districts.

Dave Hauser is president of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. As the area’s leading business advocate, the Chamber works to create an environment in which business will thrive. The Chamber works with partners in business, government and education to improve the quality of life for local residents.

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 full background and report can be found HERE.
 

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.
 

The announced closure last summer of Hynix Semiconductor Manufacturing America and layoffs by a handful of the region’s most prominent employers served as reminders of just how fragile our local economy can be. While Eugene/Springfield has had its share of economic development successes over the past decade, recent announcements point to the need for a comprehensive regional economic development game plan.

A generally accepted definition of economic development is "the development of economic wealth of countries or regions for the well-being of their inhabitants." I really like the last part. Throughout our 100-plus years, the Eugene Chamber has linked a strong local economy with the livability of the people in the community.

So how is the local economy performing?

If our local economy were a college football team, you could say we are struggling to become bowl eligible. That’s not to suggest we haven’t had economic successes. We have. Or that local economic development organizations, including the Eugene Chamber, aren’t working hard to produce results. We are.

What holds us back is the absence of a comprehensive regional economic development strategy. Today, there are no fewer than 14 economic development organizations in Eugene/Springfield, each working from a different business plan. If we were a football team, we’d be trying to win a game with each player working from a different playbook.

We need a regional playbook. A plan that aligns the efforts of public and private players with an economic development strategy that defines the kind of local economy we aspire to -- and that then institutes a series of coordinated steps to achieve it. We need a plan that produces more results to advance the well-being of residents.

This is a top priority of the Eugene Chamber. We are, and have been, committed to collaborating with local partners to produce results that work for our communities.

Dave Hauser is president of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. As the area’s leading business advocate, the Chamber works to create an environment in which business will thrive. The Chamber works with partners in business, government and education to improve the quality of life for local residents.

1. Your business could be featured in our Open for Business magazine.
2. The awards ceremony is a night of celebration you won’t want to miss!
3. The Emerald Award will look great in your lobby (and promote stimulating conversation about your business).
4. See your company’s name along other reputable award nominees.
5. It’s a chance to get positive public relations (at no charge) and earn bragging rights!
6. You don’t want your competitor to win, do you?
7. Boost morale among your staff and help to entice new employees to join your business.
8. Customers/suppliers want to do business with businesses that have a good reputation.
9. Enhance the image of all businesses in the community.
10. Your business deserves to be honored for its accomplishments and contributions to our community!