Moving Chico Forward By Addressing Public Safety Needs

Good evening, City council members. I’m Katie Simmons, President & CEO of the Chico Chamber of Commerce.

As Mark Francis, President & CEO of Golden Valley Bank, and Chairman of the Chamber Board of Directors, likes to say: everything we see is a result of a successful business, from the clothes on our backs, to the food on our tables, to the jobs that allow for the purchase of homes. Businesses make all of these things possible for our community.

It is also true that Chico is built upon a foundation of compassion and is a deeply generous community, led in no small part by the businesses that give to our shelters, services, churches, and community-based organizations with missions dedicated to improving lives. The level of giving and compassion that runs powerfully and quietly through our community is at risk.  It is at risk because of a feeling of lawlessness that pervades perceptions and experiences in Chico.

Without adequate accountability and enforcement to maintain civility, and standards and expectations upheld for all citizens, there is a growing sense of decline in our community and a noticeable erosion of confidence in our downtown and other business districts, neighborhoods, and green spaces. And with these increasing frustrations and a sense of being unheard, come acts of vigilantism and extremism that put everyone at risk.

Community members are reaching and surpassing personal limits every day, and we are sitting on the precipice of watching the generous culture and character of Chico change irrevocably. This ordinance will not solve everything, nor does it complete the spectrum of needs we have in this community, but it sets a tone to our businesses and to our community at large that the crimes and bad behaviors we have witnessed, been victims of, or heard about are not OK in Chico.

We must continue to fill the gaps in our enforcement tool box with ordinances like this, as well as create much-needed bridges into services through partnerships that the Chamber actively participates in. One will not be successful without the other in meeting the needs of all citizens in Chico, and the business community has been part of the solution all along.

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!

At our recent Lunch Hour with the Mayor, Mark Sorensen met with our members to talk about the state of the City. After approving a $109.7 million dollar budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the Mayor says the City is bouncing back far more quickly than anticipated, but the initial 10-year projected recovery time is still accurate when we consider building back reserves and having the flexibility to proactively invest in our community.
 

New Police Chief Michael O'Brien, who attended our June Board meeting, says his department will refocus on addressing top complaints in the community which center around "quality of life" crimes that erode residential and business confidence. His department, he says, is on the rebound after officer numbers bottomed out earlier this year. Things, it seems, are finally looking up for the City after a long and arduous journey from near insolvency a few years ago, but the City still has work to do, as the Mayor cautions. Businesses, on the other hand, are thriving like those we visited on our Team Chico Business Walks on June 24th, see below. 

One business reported hitting record sales numbers month after month which has led to more jobs and possible expansion plans. You've heard us say that everything you see is a result of a successful business, and this is precisely why.

If you were born between 1980 and the early 2000s please take our 3-minuteMillennial Survey, or forward it to the millennials in your life!  The results of this survey will offer us a rare sneak peek into the future of our community.  Thank you for helping us reach our goal of 500 responses!

Millennials - who are they and what do they want? I'm kidding, but much of the talk around our office over the last few months has been centered around these two questions. As you likely know, millennials were born between 1980 and the early 2000s, and they are shaking things up in the business world and in our workplaces. Even the White House published a study called 15 Economic Facts About Millennials in 2014. And you know how it goes: once you pay attention to something, it starts popping up everywhere...as has been the case with our focus on Millennials. Later this month, to help us understand how to do business with and for these technological trailblazers - called "technology natives" by many major corporations - our Chico Young Professionals Organization will be circulating a Millennial Survey to begin scoping out this information in Chico. With a goal of 500 responses, the survey will be open to the public and we're hoping you will encourage all millennials in your local circle to take it. With this information, we will not only better understand what the "Voice of Millennials" in Chico sounds like, but we will be better equipped to consider their expectations as we finalize the community vision plan Mark refers to in his message below.

Last Friday, I said goodbye to our Air Service Development Manager after coordinating 3 days of meetings for him with local businesses and entities. His intent on this first trip was to gather information on what kind of airline service Chico might be able to sustain. I don't have any details to share just yet as his meetings with the airlines begin this month, but as soon as I know what direction we're heading, I'll let you know!

With that, I'll see you on the 11th at Patrick Ranch for the anniversary celebration of the year. We love Italian Cottage!

This week, AvPORTS, the company hired to develop a long-term business plan for the Chico Municipal Airport made their first public visit to Chico. Back in March, it was our recommendation to the City Council that an Airport Manager or firm be hired if restoring commercial air service is a community priority - which, in so many ways, it is. But, there is more to AvPORTS' work than attracting an air carrier to our city. To dive into the details about business development plans, infrastructure improvements, and, yes, what commercial carriers are saying about Chico, we had the opportunity to participate in a stakeholders meeting with their CEO. We spent some time talking about what makes the Chico air field unique and the benefits of such a diversified business mix currently located at the airport. The good news is: AvPORTS sees a great deal of potential for the Chico Municipal Airport. The work lies in maintaining a general willingness to tolerate and adapt to new standards, developing adequate incentives for the airline attraction strategy, and ultimately centralizing our marketing efforts to brand Chico as a regional travel hub. This is just the beginning of the City's formal relationship with AvPORTS but I, for one, am very invested in ensuring the business voice is heard in each and every discussion.

Speaking of travel, Chico will soon host tens of thousands of parents and visitors who will be dining, shopping, lodging, and recreating in our fair city. Graduation weekend is great for business! Enjoy the smiling faces of the many proud family members and friends who helped Chico State and Butte College turn students into graduates. It's a great month to celebrate their accomplishments and to give their guests a red-carpet experience that they'll never forget.

Last Friday, I was working away at my computer when congratulations started to roll in via email. Wondering what I'd done to deserve the accolades, I looked closer and realized LinkedIn was celebrating my 3-year anniversary at the helm of the Chamber. Wow, time has flown by! I paused to reflect on these past 3 years and consider where we are now given what we - all of us - have endured. The outlook in 2011 was very shaky and we were starting to see our public resources dry up without any indication of recovery. The landscape was changing right before our very eyes and we didn't have a roadmap. Now, in 2015, strengthened by the partnerships and efficiencies that have sprung up from our collective scarcity, we are lifting our heads to look toward the horizon. We're asking: what's next? Where will we be in 2018? I can guarantee we'll have made progress on our top business climate priorities and you will see a more robust local government serving Chico. In the meantime, it's up to us to create the roadmap for our own success as a community in the years to come. If we have the creativity and innovative spirit to survive with so little, we certainly have the capability to thrive. On that note, take a look at Mark's article below and tell us what you think. Where will Chico be in 5-10 years? You decide. - Katie Simmons, President & CEO, Chico Chamber of Commerce

Chairman's Report

If I were King/Queen  . . . . Haven't we all thought about that at one time or another when we see something locally that just isn't right?   Here's one of my favorite examples... "If I were King, Chico High wouldn't be playing football on Pleasant Valley's field."  No kidding! We are embarking on a project with the Chamber Board to identify some of those "If I were King/Queen" long term projects or programs that are necessary for our community's health, pride and well being.  We want to circle four or five and have them on a list that the business community helps push forward.  Not only to shine the light on the projects, but to lend our support in making them happen. What would you do here in Chico if you were King/Queen?  Email me your ideas at mfrancis@goldenvalleybank.com. Please remember that showing up is one of the most important things we can do as Chamber members!  See you at the next event! Mark Francis, Chair of the Board, Golden Valley Bank

I recently had an opportunity to attend a presentation by the Disney Institute. I learned that in 60 years of operation, the same three survey questions have returned the same three responses from Disneyland guests. Surveyors ask: 1) Why do you come? 2) Why do you come back? And 3) Why do you tell your friends and family to come? Guests respond: 1) Cleanliness, 2) Friendliness, and 3) Safety. Amazingly, despite all the magical bells and whistles of "The Happiest Place on Earth," people visit the park for very basic reasons. Our speaker shared that the Disney philosophy is to "over-manage" the details that are often overlooked such as the distance between trash cans (26 paces in their case), the consistency of lighting (all light-bulbs are changed out at 85% of the manufacturer's recommended duration), the appearance of their lawns (replaced every 42 days), and the genuine friendly spirit of their "cast members," aka staff. "Perfection is something you can feel," said our speaker, "not necessarily see." I took this information to my leadership team and we talked about how Disney's priorities mirror some of our own. We want Chico to shine, to feel enduringly safe, and to be seen as a smiling, happy community. We want visitors, potential residents and business owners, and residents to sense these things about Chico intuitively. What is the role of the Chamber in ensuring that we are clean, friendly, and safe? Our priorities, set by our members, help us address concerns that threaten the health and vitality of our businesses which, in turn, fund the public services that allow us to enjoy such a high quality of life in Chico. We are all responsible for making sure that our guests, whether they are here for four hours or for a lifetime, have a sense of perfection about this place. Chico is special and we all know it. I hope that our work continues to demonstrate how invested we are in keeping it so.