Legislature Considers Mandating More Benefits

A trio of employee benefits bills impacting all businesses (or businesses whose workers enter Seattle), will be heard this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 1:30 p.m. by the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. 

Chamber Recommendations:

SUPPORT SB 5726 Places geographic limitations on local paid sick leave and paid safe leave programs.

SUPPORT SB 5728 Declares state preemption of local paid sick and paid safe leave regulation.

OPPOSE SB 5594 Mandates state-wide minimum standards for sick and safe leave from employment.

The City of Seattle’s application of its sick leave regulation to any business that has workers temporarily in Seattle has impacts on all businesses whose workers physically go there.  If you have workers who go into Seattle even for only part of a given day, contact your legislators (where you live and where your business is located). (Link to Senate Find Your Legislator.)

Your stories of the impacts on your business (paperwork expense, added personnel costs, etc.) to the Chamber’s lobbyist Michael Transue will help.  For those companies with lobbyists, have them sign up in opposition to this legislation.

You may want to communicate to your legislator and/or sign up in opposition to SB 5594 legislation if you believe there is no room in state government for a sick/safe leave policy mandate on business on a state-wide level.   You may comment online for each bill here.

 
If you have the opportunity to journey to Olympia to personally tell of the impact to your business, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee meeting is:

Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 4
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA

(link to campus map)

Pierson Elected Chair of Chamber Executives Association

Tom Pierson, ACE, President & CEO of Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, has been elected 2013-2014 Chairman of the Board of the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.).

 

W.A.C.E. is an association of chamber of commerce executives and staff professionals with approximately 800 members in 15 Western states. The association is designed to promote and enhance the professional development of chamber of commerce executives and is the largest state or regional chamber of commerce executives association in the United States.

National Education & Workforce Tour Visits Tacoma

Education, the skills gap and workforce development are frequent and relevant topics in the business community.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, in partnership with the Institute for a Competitive Workforce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will host the "Breaking the Monopoly of Mediocrity" Tour on February 20th.

Visit the Chamber's online events calendar to learn more about this event. RSVP no later than Friday, February 15. 

Amendments to Tacoma’s Drive-through Regulations

Today, Dustin Lawrence, a senior planner at the City of Tacoma, presented to the Council’s Economic Development Committee regarding amendments to the City’s drive-through regulations.

Currently, Tacoma’s Zoning Code allows drive-throughs in all but residential districts, however there are some design requirements in Shoreline, Downtown, and X Districts.

In the proposal, drive-through regulations would be especially strict Downtown, with the potential of prohibition from the Downtown Commercial Core District. Downtown, drive-through windows and stacking lanes would be required to be entirely within buildings, and entrances and exists would have to be a minimum of 100 feet from designated (pedestrian/ light rail) streets. Stacking lanes refer to the portion of the drive-through in which vehicles are awaiting service.

Likewise, additional regulations would be imposed on drive-throughs in X districts, such as those zoned for mixed use, as well as broader restrictions that would apply to drive-throughs in all districts across the City.   

The presentation sparked a lively discussion on drive-throughs, the vision and reality of the City of Tacoma, and economic development. Councilmember Boe, an experienced architect and Vice-Chair of the committee, noted the challenges in building when governments layer on regulations, suggesting that too strict of regulations would discourage investment in the community.

Numerous businesses have drive-throughs, such as restaurants, banks, pharmacies, car washes, and the demand for drive-throughs are high in some areas.

In contrast, Councilmember Mello expressed that he wanted to see more policies that promote walk-ability, which in his view, drive-throughs do not accomplish.

Deputy Mayor and Committee Chair, Councilmember Campbell, also weighed in, noting the urban value of drive-throughs and how they reduce the need for surface parking, since vehicles (and customers) are constantly rotating through.

Additionally, drive-throughs not only offer convenience to patrons, but they also allow businesses to close off public access while continuing to serve customers late into the night.    

Boe expressed more concern about drive-throughs abutting residential areas rather than Downtown or mixed-use districts, because a drive-through near homes may decrease the land value. Moreover, establishments with drive-throughs offer potential property tax generation over a vacant lot, as well as sales tax.

The proposal will be released on February 20, 2013 for public comment, followed by a public hearing in March. For more information on the proposed amendment, visit the City’s website.  

Vote for TPS Prop 1 Now!

The Pierce County Auditor reported today that based on the number of ballots turned in so far, Tacoma Public Schools Proposition 1 may not get enough total votes submitted to validate the election. As of this morning, only about 25,000 voters have turned in their ballots.

At least 35,733 must turn in or mail in their ballots by the 8 p.m. deadline tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 12. Help spread the word to your friends and family and remind them to vote.

Find out what Tacoma Public Schools Proposition 1 means for your child's school.

Export Help for Ag and Food Producers

Manufacturing-Industrial-Maritime Luncheon

Today the Chamber hosted our Manufacturing-Industrial-Maritime Lunch at the La Quinta Inn & Suites. M-I-M's purpose is in recognizing the wealth generation that comes from basic industries, to support manufacturers, maritime and basic industries.

The meeting started off with an update on last meeting's roundtable focused on: education, advocacy, and business.

There were presentations about some incredible programs we have access to here in Pierce County. The first program is called Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA). YEA is an opportunity for high school students to work with business professionals over the course of a year and create their own full functioning business, that may carry on after they graduate.

The next presentation was on Invista Performance Solutions, a company who provides high quality workforce training. After that we got a chance to hear about the Pierce County Skills Center, and the great things that the skills center is offering to K-12 and Community Colleges in the region. The last presentation of the day was a presentation on Washington Business Week. Washington Business Week is offering a manufacturing week for high school students in grades 11 and 12. Manufacturing week is a full week learning about careers such as Aerospace, Marine or Process Control Techonology.

I was so excited to see all these wonderful organizations for business community that are working to prepare the future generations of the business and manufacturing work force. If you are interested in coming to the next M-I-M meeting please contact: Savannah Kimball at SavannahK@tacomachamber.org.