CONTACT US

 Bend Chamber
 777 NW Wall St, Ste 200
 Bend, OR 97701

 Phone: (541) 382-3221
 Fax: (541) 385-9929
 info@bendchamber.org
 www.bendchamber.org

Bend Chamber Weekly
September 19, 2008
By Courtney Linville, Communications Coordinator

This Week's Highlights....

• Bend Business PAC City Council Forum Recap

• IRS Streamlines Application Process for New Tax-Exempt Organizations

• Oregon OSHA to increase tower crane inspections

• Newly Awarded Federal Grant Benefits Mental Health Court Clients

• Upcoming Chamber Events

Bend Business PAC City Council Forum Recap

     The Bend Business PAC held the first of two candidate forums at Touchmark at Mt. Bachelor on September 11. Candidates in attendance were Jodie Barram, Jeff Eager, and Kathie Eckman. Linda Johnson contributed to the forum by way of a prerecorded video, and Dallas Brown could not be reached to attend. The moderator for the morning’s event was Oran Teater.
     A unique format was used to introduce the candidates to our community. The process began with a brief introduction from the candidates and then individually they were brought on stage for a series of five preselected questions. Candidates were allowed to give a two minutes response to each question. At the end of the forum the candidates were brought back on stage for a series of eleven yes or no questions. Below is a recap of the yes or no question segment.

• Did you or would you sign the Infrastructure First initiative?
       Kathy Eckman- NO
       Jodie Barram- YES
       Jeff Eager- NO
       Linda Johnson- NO

• Is the $400,000 +/- spent thus far on the 2030 Vision project money well spent?
       Kathy Eckman- NO
       Jodie Barram- YES
       Jeff Eager- NO
       Linda Johnson- YES

• Should we dredge Mirror Pond?
       Kathy Eckman- YES
       Jodie Barram- YES
       Jeff Eager- YES
       Linda Johnson-YES

• Is hiring a consultant to hire a consultant to find a college or university to locate in Juniper Ridge a good use of tax payer money?
       Kathy Eckman- NO
       Jodie Barram- NO
       Jeff Eager- NO
       Linda Johnson- YES

• Were there successful, independent groups of Bend citizens donating and working to improve the City of Bend prior to the 2030 effort?
       Kathy Eckman- YES
       Jodie Barram- YES
       Jeff Eager- YES
       Linda Johnson- YES

• Should a city councilor have the duty/responsibility to pick and choose who gets to own property in Juniper Ridge?
       Kathy Eckman- NO
       Jodie Barram- YES
       Jeff Eager- NO
       Linda Johnson- YES

• Is $450 for a simple sign permit reasonable?
       Kathy Eckman- NO
       Jodie Barram- NO
       Jeff Eager- NO
       Linda Johnson- YES

• In general terms, do you feel the city staff has been supportive of growth in Bend?
       Kathy Eckman- NO
       Jodie Barram- YES
       Jeff Eager- NO
       Linda Johnson- YES

• Is the level of spending on consultants necessary?
       Kathy Eckman- NO
       Jodie Barram- NO
       Jeff Eager- NO
       Linda Johnson- YES

• If you were going to cut the budgets, would everyone get a percentage cut or would you pick and choose?
       Kathy Eckman- BOTH
       Jodie Barram- PICK and CHOOSE
       Jeff Eager- BOTH
       Linda Johnson- PICK and CHOOSE

• Would you be open to bidding out certain government services to private providers?
       Kathy Eckman- DEPENDS
       Jodie Barram- YES
       Jeff Eager- YES
       Linda Johnson- YES

     The overwhelming response from both the candidates and attendees was this was a great format to demonstrate fairness of process in a nonpartisan and non-confrontational venue. Everyone was very pleased with the event.
     The Bend Business PAC will hold the second forum on October 2, from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at Touchmark at Mt. Bachelor. Attending candidates will be Jim Clinton, Peter Gramlich, Tom Green, and Don Leonard. Oran Teater has once again offered to be the forum’s moderator.

Please click HERE if you would like to RSVP to attend.
    

     The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department issued new regulations that will streamline the approval process for organizations seeking tax-exempt status as publicly supported charities.
     The new regulations do away with the so-called advance rulings that granted public charity status for an initial five-year period but required exempt organizations to demonstrate, after the initial period, that they in fact received a substantial part of their support from public sources to receive a final determination letter.
     The IRS was able to eliminate the advance rulings process because of the recent redesign of the Form 990, the tax return filed by organizations exempt from federal income tax.
     “The revised Form 990 enhances transparency for exempt organizations and makes it easier for them to show that they are ‘publicly supported’ charities, rather than private foundations,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.
     Private foundations under federal law are subject to more restrictions on the way they operate than publicly supported charities. To apply for exempt status either as a private foundation or as a publicly supported charity, an organization must file a Form 1023, the application for recognition of tax exemption.
     Over the years, approximately 95 percent of exempt organizations that received advance rulings were later recognized as publicly supported charities at the end of the five-year period.
     “Given the high ‘recognition’ rate and the redesigned Form 990, it makes sense to eliminate the burdensome advance ruling process” said Lois G. Lerner, Director of the IRS Exempt Organizations division. “Not only will the streamlined process aid exempt organizations, but it will also allow the IRS to redirect staffing to other program areas without compromising compliance.”

     Because of the number of recent tower crane failures and accidents across the country, Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) will begin a tower crane emphasis. Starting this month, the agency will increase its focus to inspect more tower cranes at construction sites across the state.
     The program will be limited to tower cranes and will not cover mobile cranes. Inspectors will assess some of the following during inspections:
     • Crane operator qualifications
     • Crane maintenance (manufacturer guidelines) and inspection records
     • Training records
     "We haven’t had a deadly tower crane accident in Oregon in more than two decades, which is fortunate," said Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood. "However, we want to ensure that employers are fulfilling their responsibility to inspect cranes and ensure operators are properly trained."
     Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, will evaluate the program’s effectiveness and findings in July 2009. The scope of an inspection may be expanded to address unrelated hazards if they pose a serious danger.
     Information provided by Oregon OSHA.
 

     The Deschutes County Mental Health Department has been awarded a significant Federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The $199,638 grant from the 2008 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program will allow the County to double the number of persons served by its existing Mental Health Court. With the grant dollars, the current Mental Health Court enrollment of approximately 12 individuals per year is expected to increase to 25.
     Deschutes County’s Mental Health Court is a collaboration between the criminal justice and mental health treatment system in the County. The program is designed to enhance public safety by increasing accountability and access to services for non-violent offenders with mental illness. These offenders have committed a non-person misdemeanor and have demonstrated a willingness to participate in the program as an alternative to jail incarceration.
     "Treatment in the community for those with a mental illness provides long-term public safety while helping the person overcome their disability. Mental Health Court strives to achieve this result," said Deschutes County District Attorney Mike Dugan.
     For more information about the Mental Health Court Federal grant, please call the Deschutes County Mental Health Department at (541) 322-7500.
 

    September 19 - Government Services: Tightening the Belt - In this tough economy, are there ways for local governments to work together on certain services? What are they currently doing? Do you have any ideas to help these entities? Join the Community Affairs Council (CAC) Town Hall luncheon as officials from the city, county, schools, and parks department talk about what they are doing to combine services and what the future holds. To join the CAC Town Hall luncheon series, come to Touchmark at Mt. Bachelor Village. The price for the event will be $25.
     October 7 - Business Leader Forum – How Green Practices Increase Profits and Customer Satisfaction, co-sponsored by Oregon Environmental Council, Central Oregon Environmental Center, and the Bend Chamber of Commerce. Interact with and learn from company leaders from a variety of industries about the business value of “going green.” Discover new ways to improve your business practices and operations, cut costs, reduce waste, and use less energy, thereby increasing profitability. Featured speakers include Hank Ashforth, CEO, Ashforth Pacific; David Williams, CEO, ShoreBank Pacific; and Tim Fallon, President, Kettle Foods. St. Charles Learning Center, 2500 N.E. Neff Road, Bend. Breakfast served. $35 general public; $25 OEC members, nonprofits and government agencies. To register: www.oeconline.org  or (503) 222-1963 ext. 100.