Hope your summer is off to a great start!  With our Community BBQ now behind us, we are focused on building strong programs for the second half of the year and outlining our schedule of events and activities for 2015.  So that we meet your needs, please complete our annual membership survey.  Thank you!

On another note, the Chico City Council recently approved the 4-year Police Staffing Plan proposed by Clean & Safe Chico.  Tonight, Council will review the Sit/Lie Ordinance.  Safety is still a top priority for our local businesses and for this organization.  You've called in with your concerns and I encourage you to continue doing so.  The Council needs your constant feedback.

City permitting remains high on our list of business climate concerns, too.  To that end, our Permitting Task Force is pleased to bring you our first Community Development Update on July 24th from noon - 1pm in the Old Muni Building (441 Main).  Join Mark Wolfe and Ruben Martinez for an update on online permitting, energy codes, the DRC, and user fee increases (Phase 1 begins September 20th).  Free to attend - please RSVP.

We're also busy tracking the Butte Regional Conservation Plan, Airport updates, False Alarm PD responses, the revision of Title 19 now with the Planning Commission, and the upcoming election.  Stay tuned for our City Council Candidate Forum as well as another Lunch Hour with our Interim City Manager and Interim Assistant City Manager.  In any transition, it's important to stay present and engaged and we're doing just that.

When we create a task force to tackle an issue, we mean business.  Such is the case with our Permitting Task Force and Airport Task Force, both of which were approved by our Board of Directors recently.  The Permitting Task Force is currently working with City staff on recurring concerns related to transparency, fees, and processing times for permits.  With the recent passage of the User Fee Resolution which will allow for increasing and, in some cases, decreasing certain fees, we are ensuring that the transactions are timely and efficient.  Stay tuned for our first User's Group workshop planned for July.

The Airport Task Force will work with the Commission and City on strategies for improving air service.  With the planned addition of a contracted airport manager on next year's City budget, we may have the support of a dedicated steward who will maximize economic activity and business potential at the airport.  With an integrated plan that includes continued input from the business community and investment from the City, the sky just may be the limit for the Chico airport.

Our annual BBQ is right around the corner which means summer is almost here.  Kick off the season with our public safety teams, businesses, and restaurants who are fine-tuning their special tri tip recipes with locally grown ingredients.  See you on the 12th at Manzanita Place!

Let's start with a big round of applause for Team Chico, our local economic development and business support team, for receiving the Grand Prize from the California Association for Local Economic Development on April 9th in Sacramento.  The award was received by our Mayor and members of the team who have spent countless hours over the past year ensuring that the needs of our local business community are met and that Chico is maximizing every opportunity to be responsive and business friendly.  As a member of the team, I can attest to the fact that we are strictly solution-oriented.  

In April, we welcomed 22 new members into the Chamber - wow! 
This organization is growing stronger by the day thanks to your support, investment, and participation in our mission to be the voice of business in Chico.  I am constantly awed by the impact you, your colleagues, and this organization have on the fabric of our community.  Keep up the good work...and we will, too.

~Katie

It comes as no surprise, I'm sure, to hear that as the voice of business we juggle between 30-50 issues a day, including everything from general business climate concerns like the local permitting process to challenges caused by the state regulatory environment.

At our meeting with Assemblyman Dan Logue last month, it was clear we agree on the fact that many challenges originate with our state agencies, but we wanted to know: how and where does a local Chamber press for the right solutions? Oftentimes, advocacy generates more questions than answers which is why we're expanding our efforts to address as many issues as possible with as many members as possible, as I mentioned in my article last month.

You may have heard me say that advocacy doesn't end with a letter of opinion; it ends when an issue is resolved. To get there, we need to be part of the solution and we need to maintain strong relationships. We rely on the legislative analysts at CalChamber to parse through hundreds of bills and to formulate recommendations on behalf of businesses in the state. We rely on our City Council to hear the concerns of the local business community and to make proactive decisions on our behalf. We rely on our City administration to keep the lines of communication open between city staff and the private sector so that processes can be made more efficient. We rely on our Board and our Legislative Action committee to tackle even the trickiest of issues so we know where to apply pressure and where to send resources. And we rely on our members to use the amazing capabilities of this organization, led by their peers, to enact great change.

I'm ready to spend my time and energy picking solutions rather than battles. If you have a solution you're ready to take on, please give me a call. Or, if you are experiencing a challenge and need the support of your peers, share your thoughts here.

Switching gears, I'd like to welcome Emma Jessee to the Chamber staff. She comes to us with years of marketing and creative experience that we're plugging in to our social media channels and elsewhere. With deep family roots in the Chico area, Emma is thrilled to join an organization with nearly 100 years of community-building under its belt. Please stop by and say hello to Emma, or welcome her at emma@chicochamber.com.

I spent much of last year trying to figure out how to be in at least three places at once -- not an easy task! Given the fact that we continue to participate in so many community initiatives and discussions, I am pleased to share one of our greatest successes of the year thus far: the complete reconfiguration of our Legislative Action committee to include one liaison for each issue. Lisa Johnson with Transfer Flow, Chair of the Legislative Action committee, has taken on the role of airport liaison and Tom Lando is our liaison with higher education. Jolene Francis is representing the Chamber on the Mayor's Task Force on Community Services, and Angela Casler is our liaison on sustainable business. Kym Campbell will serve on the Fire Department Advisory Committee on our behalf, and we are setting up meetings to address ongoing City permitting concerns with multiple liaisons. Beau McSwain, our Chairman, will continue to lead our Board and Business Spotlight program, and Anastacia Snyder and Rick Anderson will lead our Membership committee. With each day that passes, we are connecting members of our business community with critical issues thereby increasing our ability to strengthen our local economy and grow jobs. We are now incredibly organized around what is most meaningful to the business community. We are also following up on the feedback we received through our 2014 Business Survey circulated at the Summit & State of the City Address last week. Share your thoughts here.  Want to get involved? Our Legislative Action committee meets the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30am, and our Membership committee meets the first Thursday of the month at noon. Both meetings are held at the Chamber. There's a spot for everyone at the table.

We've got great new programs lined up for 2014 including our annual Business Summit & State of the City Address co-hosted with the City of Chico on January 30th from 3-5pm at the CARD Center (free - but RSVP now as seats will fill up!), and a first-time seminar from noon - 1pm on February 6th focused on hiring Chico State students for internships and part time and full time jobs.  Ken Naas with the Career Center on the CSUC campus will share tools and tips for engaging students in Chico area businesses and for retaining our talented workforce with local employment.  If you've ever thought about hiring a Chico State student or recent grad, this workshop is for you.

We're now taking RSVPs for our Lunch Hour with Council member Sean Morgan on February 20th from noon - 1pm at the Old Municipal Building and we're planning a seminar with the State Board of Equalization to provide tax help to local restaurants.  More details soon!

And, of course, what would the new year be without our Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony?  I'm positively thrilled to acknowledge the work of so many business and community advocates on January 16th from 6-9pm in the Big Room at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.  We'll induct our new Chairman (welcome, Beau!) as well as recognize our outgoing and incoming Directors.  It'll be a night to remember and I hope to see you there!

Call 530.891.5556 to RSVP for these programs or visit www.chicochamber.com for more information.

I don't know about you, but I've already got one foot planted firmly in 2014. This year was amazing, no doubt, and I'm pleased with the exciting growth and team work we see all around us. Since it appears we're headed in the right direction, let's rev up our engines and aim for even more progress in 2014.

We'll kick off the year with our 76th Annual Dinner & Business Awards Ceremony on January 16th. We're still accepting nominations for our business and community awards so send us your ideas! We live in a community of givers, many of whom are deserving of top honors this year. Let's recognize them.

On January 30th, we'll host our 3rd annual Business Summit. Since we don't rest on our laurels around here, we're changing the format this year and shortening the program to get you in and out quickly. The program will include the State of the City Address by our Mayor as well as brief updates on our successes, lessons, and outlook.

You may have noticed that your last Chamber mailing included a full calendar of 2014 events ranging from Q&A sessions with elected officials, power lunches on hot topics, networking opportunities, YPO events, and more. It's going to be another big year thanks to you - our members - who make everything possible.
Happy holidays!