Last night, Chico joined a growing list of California cities approving the formation of a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID). This small assessment on lodging stays will generate funds for dedicated destination marketing of Chico and, if other neighboring communities join in, all of Butte County. Whereas Transient Occupancy Tax was once used for this purpose, the TBID will provide a sustainable funding source over time to attract visitors for overnight stays, increasing the patronage of our hotels, restaurants, retail businesses, and more. We're pleased that the City Council voted in favor of this proven strategy for tourism development.

You may have heard about the "Safety Meetings" we're hosting around town with Team Chico and the Chico Police Department.  Building off of our business walks and the Nord Corridor & South Campus safety meetings we hosted in June and July, we're bringing these opportunities to other business districts in Chico to improve communications and connectivity with law enforcement. These meetings are free and open to business and property owners in each area, as well as to residents who have an interest in participating.

Upcoming meetings:

• Mangrove and Vallombrosa Avenues & Bidwell Park: Monday, September 21st, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. in the CARD Community Room, 545 Vallombrosa Avenue. 
• Nord Corridor & South Campus Area: Wednesday, September 23rd, 7:30 - 8:30 p.m., Azad's Martial Arts Family Center, 313 Walnut Street, Chico.
• Park Avenue Corridor & Surrounding Areas: Thursday, October 22nd, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. at Chico Country Day Middle School Common Area, 1054 Broadway.
• Downtown Chico: Tuesday, November 17th, 9 - 10 a.m. in the Old Municipal Building conference room, 441 Main Street. 
• Safety meetings are planned for the Rio Lindo Area and Chico Airport in the immediate future. Additional meetings will be hosted throughout business districts in Chico in 2016.

If you wish to host a meeting at your business, please let me know!

In other news, we're dedicating the entire month of October to generating member awareness and feedback!  We'll be releasing a month-long survey asking for your input on what the Chamber of the future looks like. With the roll out of our Community Vision last month, it's time to build our Chamber Vision together. Stay tuned!

Last but not least, here's a sneak peek at the early results of our Millennial Survey. More to come!