Points from the President

By: Ray Phelps, President

We are starting 2010 with a very important ballot measure that can have a significant negative impact on the economic vitality of businesses in the south metro area and throughout the state. Your Chamber has recommended a “NO” vote on this measure in response to our mission – business is the priority.

We will have voted before you read this commentary. Hopefully, Oregonians will have settled this issue in favor of the businesses that employ Oregonians as well as providing the needed revenue to restore some of the jobs lost during the past 12 to 18 months.

Mayor Tim Knapp shared with us in last month’s Catalyst a progress report on new business in the City. His list of new companies coming to Wilsonville and current companies operating in the city that are expanding is impressive. This is a positive indication that economic vitality is functioning in our city.

Your Chamber has been pressing various public agencies for nearly a year on the need to bring the Coffee Creek I Regionally Significant Industrial Area on line to increase jobs and revenue for our community. We learned through these efforts that “market or shovel” ready means a site needs to have the infrastructure necessary for a tenant to move onto the site and build.

The city just received a $48,562.00 grant from the Department of Land Conservation and Development to prepare infrastructure plans and funding strategies to create “market ready” sites in the nearly 200-acres in the Coffee Creek I Regionally Significant Industrial Area. This area is northwest of the city between Day and Ridder Roads. This is very good news!

Construction of an “auxiliary” lane on southbound I-5 between I-205 and Elligsen Road is well underway. This is one of several transportation projects your Chamber promoted during the past three years in the I-5 to 99W Connector Project. It is nice to see that the Chamber’s effort is starting to pay a dividend for members. We will continually update you on the status of projects identified in the I-5 to 99W Connector Project report.

Your Board of Directors met on January 21, 2010 to plan specific actions to continue meeting the Chamber’s vision – create and promote economic vitality for business in the south metro area. These are exciting times and your Chamber will spend its energy finding the opportunities businesses need to grow. Your support of the Chamber’s efforts is well placed and greatly appreciated.

Together we make a difference in our community.