Chamber Report - Edition 1 - January 2020
Greetings ERACC Members!
It’s been a very busy start to 2020 for the chamber. Beside putting away holiday decorations and getting back into the swing of a regular schedule, we are working to bring you refreshed programming and improving our existing programs. Here’s a look into what we’ve been focusing on:
- The Elk River Community Guide is fresh off the printers and will be arriving on the doorstep of over 15,000 local residents and businesses. This publication promotes your business and expands your visibility with the free listing you receive as a member of our Chamber!
- Just before Christmas, the chamber staff spent a morning away from the office to volunteer at CAER Food Shelf. It was great to get out in the community, give back, connect with other volunteers, and support CAER.
- Jules & I got out of the office again to visit a few members and hear about what’s hot for them in 2020. If you’d like us to stop by for you to share what’s going on in your business, please contact the office, we’d love to come and visit!
- Speaking of getting out – our Ambassadors also made some pop-in visits to chat with members about what they’ve got planned for 2020!
- This week the ERACC launched a new group called the "Otsego Business Council" which met for the first time on the 15th. This group will meet monthly to share information and stay up-to-date with business development happening in the City of Otsego.
- The Government Relations Committee met and reviewed the final version of our Legislative Priorities for the 2020 Legislative Session that starts on February 11th. The Minnesota Chamber Federation met last Friday to provide status updates to myself and other Chamber executives on these priorities. The upcoming session will be fast paced and, as usual, full of surprises, so stay tuned and watch for updates! The top priorities will be presented to our legislators on February 5th at our Legislative Preview Luncheon. Some of the topics this year include:
- Workplace Mandates (we oppose one size fits all)
- Tax Competitiveness (we support federal conformity with Section 179 business expensing)
- Environmental Sustainability (policies need to recognize to economic and technological limitations and drive private investment)
- Health Care (require a cost-benefit analysis before adding mandates to insurance policies)
- Education & Workforce Development (support private sector training, career exploration and use of data to drive training in high-demand careers)
- I attended a quarterly meeting with City, County, and School District officials to stay in touch with all the activity in our region. An update on the results of the School Levy that was passed last fall included several accountability pieces. You can stay up to date on those results by visiting the district website.
- I am continually meeting with past Leadership Elk River graduates as we work together to create the lesson plans for the current Leadership Elk River class. Last week they embarked on Education Day and next month they will learn about our local government.
Please enjoy Edition 1 Chamber Report
Sincerely,
Debbi Rydberg
