The Chamber's Mid Point Bill Report for 2014 Legislative Session

If you have been following certain issues in the legislature and are wondering what the current status is, click on the following link to see a summary of the bills our Chamber is following in the 2014 Legislative Session.  If you have any questions or input, please don't hesitate to contact our Chamber office or attend our Government Affairs Committee meetings on the first Tuesday of every month, 7:30am at our Chamber office, 323 N. Meridian, Puyallup.  (253) 845.6755.

2014 Mid Point Bill Report

Chamber + Education Partners = Quality Workforce For Your Business

Our annual State of Education luncheon is growing and has changed locations. On Friday, March 14th, our luncheon will be held at the Fair View Club at the Washington State Fairgrounds and includes a venue for all our education partners and business employers to interact, learn about internships, ongoing employee recruitment, and connect with our local career and technical advisors.  

We've done the math for our businesses and it all adds up to attending this forum/luncheon.  We'll teach you the principals of using our education partners and the programs they have developed to produce the qualified employees you need for your business to be successful.

In this year's updated program format, not only will we include presentations from the superintendants of the Puyallup and Sumner School Districts and the President of Pierce College, you will also have the opporutnity to hear from and connect with these local education partners:

• PLU
• Cascade Christian
• Brandman University
• UW of Tacoma
• Pierce County Skills Center
• Clover Park Voc. Tech.
• WSU Ext Center
• Central WA University
• NW Christian School

All chamber members should attend this luncheon to take advantage of learning more about local progams available to their employees like:

• Culinary Arts
• Automotive
• Healthcare
• IT
• Aerospace
• Apprenticeships
• Police/Fire/Emergency Responders 

This year's program will include two presentation times.  

• 10:00am -- Attendees will have the opportunity to hear brief presentations from the education partners listed above with plenty of time to interact with local career and technical advisors to learn about the programs that pertain to your workforce needs.
• 11:15am --  Break
• 11:30am --  Lunch 
• 12:00pm -- Traditional education presentations from the Puyallup and Sumner school districts and Pierce College followed by an opportunity for our members to interact with presenters about their workforce needs.  

We look forward to seeing you on March 14th, at the Fair View Club.  Many thanks to the Washington State Fair for sponsoring this event and for their ongoing support of our local schools.

PCRC Annual General Assembly Held in Puyallup

Ken Greenberg, Principal, Greenberg Consultants

This year's annual Pierce County Regional Council meeting was held in Puyallup at the Pioneer Park Pavilion on Thursday, February 20, 2014.  The meeting topic was Urban Branding and featured Keynote Speaker, Ken Greenburg, author of Walking Home 2012 and former Director of Urban Design and Architecture for the City of Toronto.  Also speaking at the event were Bruce Kendal, President & CEO of the Tacoma Pierce County Economic Development Board, regarding the branding of our Pierce County Region, and myself regarding the imporance of branding for local Chambers of Commerce.  It was a great opportunity to advocate for our local businesses and cities to the rest of the region and emphasize how important branding is for our Chamber marketing programs and services.

The PCRC is a coalition of local governments committeed to improving the transportation system throughout Pierce County and the South Sound through comprehensive planning and strategic investment.  The PCRC represents an area that includes:

• 23 Cities and Towns
• Pierce County
• Two Transit Agencies
• The POrt of Tacoma
• The Puyallup Tribe of Indians
• Joint Base Lewis-McChord
• 814,500 People
• Over 350,000 Jobs

Many thanks to Glenn Hull, PCRC Chair and Mayor of the City of Fife, for the opportunity to advocate on behalf of Puyallup and Sumner, and for his service to our region.  Glenn also announced at the annual meeting that he will be relocating to Savannah, Georgia with his family in the next few weeks.  We will miss his passion and commitment for our region and wish he and his family the best in their new endeavors.

Puyallup and Sumner Council Members Address Leadership Institute Class

Councilmen Vermillion, Allsop and Swanson

As controversial issues such as land use moratoriums, Sound Transit parking solutions and I-502 are included in our local council meeting agendas, Puyallup Councilmen Steve Vermillion and Tom Swanson and Sumner Councilman Steve Allsop, took advantange of their Leadership Institute presentation time to ask for this year's class input.  

Each year several of our local electeds participate in our Leadership Institute program by making presentations, sharing their experiences as community leaders and being part of our local democratic process.  This year's cirriculum included class discussion focused on possible solutions for the above issues which they then shared with the council members.  For our class participants, these discussions highlight the challenges of public service and provide insight and opportunities for one on one discussions with these local electeds.

A big thank you to Councilmen Vermillion, Swanson and Allsop, as well as Sandy Maynard and Tana Hasart, our Leadership Institute facilitators.  It was a great class discussion.

Tana Hasart addresses Leadership Institute Class

Congressman Heck Meets With Regional Chamber Execs

Congressman Denny Heck met with Chamber Executives from across Pierce and Thurston Counties in the 10th Congressional District to host a roundtable discussion on issues like  Highway 167, Export-Import Bank, Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and Retired Military Cost of Living Adjustments. 

The discussion around SR 167 was unified by everyone's agreement that it was critical that our regional advocacy for the transportation project continue in order to ensure the project remains a top transportation priority for the State, specifically as a new jobs creator, but also to protect the existing jobs in our region.  

Also addressed were the 8,000 military retirees that are transitioning to the public sector annually from JBLM and their employment qualifications/skill sets learned during their service to our country.  Also of concern was the continuing impact on JBLM as a result of the winding down of the war.  Congressman Heck acknowledged the reduction of our nation's force structure across the country was felt locally in the loss of one of our stryker brigades at JBLM in 2013.  

When asked about the federal minimum wage issue, Congressman Heck advised that he was in favor of increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, and emphasized that with 10,000 retirees a day in our country it was critical to continue our efforts with workforce development to ensure qualified workers could fill the positions/jobs that retirees left. One Chamber Exec asked about simpler and more consumer friendly laws and policies that small business owners could understand and easily implement.  As with many chambers, as much as two-thirds of membership is small businesses with 10 employees or less.  Over burdensome reporting requirements and policies have become barriers for small business success.  

Sustainable energy was also briefly discussed and Congressman Heck described this issue as one of our country's brightest and best stories.  Most of which related to natural gas.  He also talked about the adoption of a Marketplace Fairness Act regarding the taxation of internet sales to level the playing field for small brick and mortar businesses.  

In the past year our Chamber has appreciated the interest Congressman Heck has taken in our local business members and the issues that impact their bottom line and sustainability.  He has physically toured Green Mt. Coffee Roasters, the Washington State Fair and the Sales Family food stands, and STAC, Inc. learning about their specific challenges and successes and has continued to look for opportunities to advocate on their behalf.  

If you have questions about any of these issues, please contact our office or attend one of our government affairs meetings which take place the first Tuesday of every month, 7:30am at the Chamber office, 323 North Meridian, Puyallup.

Puyallup and Sumner See Growth Indicators

Last Friday's annual State of the Cities Chamber luncheon highlighted information about growth indicators both Puyallup and Sumner are witnessing in their planning departments.  Though some good natured rivalry entertained the audience, those who attended learned about the current status of community development, public works, public safety, and the overall well-being of the cities.  Issues like the required updating of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan are underway for both cities, expansion of sewer treatment facilities, obtaining water rights, increased clean water standards, use of social media in public safety practices, Sound Transit parking solutions, and more.  A big thank you to our city officials and electeds for making the time to share about the current well being for our cities and how that impacts residents and our local businesses.

State of the Cities this Friday

Celebrate Valentine's Day with us! Although it may not be very romantic, our businesses and Chamber members will love to hear from our  local city officials and directors at this luncheon! We will learn about the growth and development the  cities have experienced in the past 12 months, as well as what projects they may have on the horizon. Friday, February 14th, 2014 Doors Open at 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Best Western Premier Plaza  620 S Hill Park Dr, Puyallup, WA 98373 Please contact Lana Hoover for more information.

STAC, Inc. Hosts Congressional Tour

Gary Kemmer, Chamber business member and owner of STAC, Inc., hosted a tour of his Sumner business for Congressman Denny Heck and myself last Friday.  Kemmer is a member of our Chamber Government Affairs Committee and active in monitoring government policies and programs that impact his business.  He contacted Congressman Heck about SBA programs and requested a meeting to discuss the reality of small business access for such government backed programs.  STAC, Inc. is a veteran owned small business, 3M Premier Service industrial products distributor, and winner of the Boeing Silver Performance Excellence Award for six consecutive years.  Mr. Kemmer is a great example of utilizing our elected representatives and relationships established through the Chamber to further his plans for growth in his organization.

Home Front Heroes a Fun Night at the Manor

Our annual Chamber Bash was definitely a fun evening thanks to our many business members and friends who donned vintage attire and arrived dressed to enjoy the spirit of the event. We celebrated our businesses emerging victorious from the recent economic downtown, just as they did during the WWII era. Plus we introduced our inaugural Victory Bonds.  The proceeds will be utilized to support our advocacy efforts with Chamber sponsored programs.  

A big thank you to Jamie Gregory, our auctioneer for the evening, who entertained as he encouraged members to contribute to our organization's mission.  Also to Steve James who photographed many of the well dressed attendees.  And a sincere appreciation for our many board and chamber members who donated and bid on our great auction items and services, especially Debi Gregory, our event chairperson. 

Members enjoyed seeing the over sized photographs of local businesses in Puyallup and Sumner since the 1930's and 1940's, comparing vintage costumes and the opportunity to network and wander throughout the Manor which is a great historic venue in downtown Puyallup.  Many were heard to say they'd drived by hundreds of times, but never been inside before.  

Many compliments were also received for the food and spirits tastings of local businesses highlighting menus from the WWII era:  Berryland Cafe, Mama Stortini's, Adriatic Grill Italian Cuisine and Wine Bar and Parliment Distillery.  Also to BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse who served up a fabulous dinner.  

And a big thank you to our event sponsors:  The Manor, Sound Family Medicine, American Party Place, Adriatic Grill, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse and Parliment Distillery.  See you all next year!

  

Washington State Fair Delivers Scones to Olympia

Excerpt from Rep. Hans Zeiger's Newsletter (posted January 31, 2014): 

Last week I learned that House Bill 2622 had been introduced by Rep. Norm Johnson, R-Yakima, to declare Yakima’s Central Washington State Fair the “official state fair.” Of course, that’s a problem for the real Washington State Fair in Puyallup! I quickly let Rep. Johnson know my feelings on his bill (see the photo below of Rep. Johnson and I, fists up, with Central Washington Fair President and General Manager Greg Stewart looking on). I also spoke with the chairman of the committee to which the bill was assigned and urged him not to hear it.

Nevertheless, the committee heard the bill on Wednesday. In advance of the hearing, I arranged to have Fisher Fair Scones delivered to the Capitol. Puyallup Sumner Chamber of Commerce Director Shelly Schlumpf, Chamber board member Charla Neuman, my legislative assistant Sarah Pollock, and I delivered the scones to committee members’ offices Wednesday morning. Once word got around the Capitol that we had scones, it was clear demand exceeded supply. 

Perhaps in view of the fact that there are more pressing matters before the Legislature, the bill appears to be dead. But we remain vigilant. We are prepared to stand valiantly in defense of the real Washington State Fair.

Regulatory Reform Presentation by DOC

Tuesday our Chamber attended a presentation by the Dept. of Commerce requesting business input in an effort to identify and reduce regulatory burdens faced by the business community.  

Pictured here are the Hon. Wes Uhlman, Rep. Norma Smith and AWB Government Affairs Director, Mike Ennis. The DOC presentation included an introduction to their Red Tape Index which is based off a European model that identifies measures of different regulatory burdens.  

This effort overlaps with the deptartment's implementation of HB 1818 adopted during the 2013 legislative session.  HB 1818 was sponsored by Rep. Norma Smith and designed to promote economic development through business and government streamlining projects.  The website to the model is http://www.administrative-burdens.com/

Puyallup Council Votes for Moratorium Extension

Last week at a special study session, Puyallup City Council voted 4-3 to place a moratorium for processing any land-use or building plans in a 70 acre area near Shaw Road and East Pioneer Ave.  Voting in favor of the moratorium were council members Palmer, Shadko, Hopkins and Door, voting against the moratorium was Mayor Knutsen, and councilmen Vermillion and Swanson.  Pictured here is former daffodil grower and property owner, Neil VanLierop, testifying before council regarding his disappointment in their decision.

   

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/01/28/3017267/puyallup-leaders-freeze-development.html#storylink=cpy

Superbowl, Punxsutawney Phil and Berryland Cafe

Leave it to Nolan Burslie at Berryland Cafe to recognize that Superbowl Day is also Groundhog Day and commission a poster showing Berryland supporting the Seahawks. Local news reports Punxsutawney Phil saw a shadow, forecasts 6 more weeks of winter.  Great graphics by Terry Flippin at Artistic Solutions.

Legislative Transportation Talks Continue

Pictured here, Senator Curtis King and Rep. Judy Clibborn, at an AWB Luncheon on Thursday focusing on transportation. Presentations highlighted the challenges facing our legislators in the 2014 Session to pass a transportation pkg that includes completing SR167. Issues like transit, bike and pedestrian paths, 11 and a half cent gas tax, etc. challenge the caucus discussions.

WTA Tourism Matters Summit

TOURISM MATTERS! Spent Tuesday in Olympia at the Washington Tourism Alliance Summit and joined more than 100 members as we visited our legislators to advocate for tourism promotion in Washington State. Specifically SB6195/HB2229 (same bill) which establishes the principle of a private funding plan, identifies major private sectors in the tourism industry, lodging, food service, attractions and entertainment, retail and transportation, plus recognizes the level of funding and governance organization for a state tourism marketing program. Members of the WTA Executive Committee concluded the summit with a Q&A session on stage.