Tuesday, May 20th is election day! Be sure and get those ballots in the mail today or drop them off next Monday and Tuesday at drop locations. The elections office on Millikan and Murray Blvd is always easily accessible and you can drive through. Read about the business friendly Chamber endorsed candidates here.  We also ask you to vote yes on the Beaverton School District and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue bond and levy.

  
A Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce Initiative

Beaverton Business Walk....

is underway as you read! Teams of two are hitting the streets to say "We care and thank you for doing business in Beaverton". We are visiting 5 targeted areas of high density business in our community to gather data on how things are going. We'll look forward to reporting to you in a week or two the answers we receive. We couldn't have asked for more wonderful volunteers nor amazing weather for this morning.

 The Class of 2014 graduated last evening! Pictures will be shared soon. Applications are now being accepted for next year's program and I'm thrilled to say I have 6 apps in house already. Don't wait too long, the application is simple and we'll let you know in July if you are accepted so you have plenty of time to plan your calendar.

Visit our website for the brochure, application and information. I would love to answer any questions you may have so pop me an email of give me a call.

Finish your week strongly and productively.

Lorraine Clarno, President/CEO, ACE
Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce
503.350.2006 

• Continued work on finding the best solution to the empty Westgate lot. This work will help create more jobs in Beaverton and draw more customers to the current businesses. 

• Worked with businesses who are struggling to connect them with free business counseling and with the right departments at City Hall to find solutions to turn their business around. This will help keep the community strong by preserving jobs and keeping businesses open. 

• Referred over 30 Chamber members to business looking for products and partners. 

• Launched 9 new businesses in Beaverton - yes! YEA!

• Reached a mile stone with direct*CONNECT - generating over $1,000,000 in documented sales in the first year of the program. 

• Your Business Advocacy Council interviewed the Beaverton School District and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue about their bond and levy to ensure they are meeting the best needs of the community before endorsing them. 

• Your Candidate Endorsement Council spent over 40 hours interviewing candidates for this year's election to make sure our business community will continue to grow and have their needs met. The council addressed questions/concerns brought up by you and made sure each candidate will keep an open flow of communication so Beaverton is taken care of. The council then endorsed those candidates who best fit the needs of Beaverton. 

• Partnered with the City of Beaverton to create the 2014 Business Walk so we can find out how business is going in Beaverton and what issues need to be addressed. 

• We are partnering with the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce to co-host a Healthcare Summit this fall so you all are prepared for what will happen heading into 2015. 

• Celebrated the graduation of the Leadership Beaverton Class of 2014. This 9 month program helps Beaverton citizens understand what goes on in our community and how we all work together to make us the safest city in Oregon, keep at the forefront of innovation and keep our community growing and strong.

Our Business Advocacy Council focuses on issues that directly impact businesses that most owners/managers do not have time to stay on top of but count on the Chamber to do so and be their voice.

Your BAC voted unanimously to support the following up for vote May, 2014

We support the Beaverton School District Bond Measure  

The Beaverton School Board authorized the District to place a $680 million School Bond on the May 20, 2014 ballot. 

Since 2006, Beaverton School District's enrollment has increased by more than 2,600 students.  District enrollment now exceeds 39,400. According to District facilities planning information, four of the five comprehensive high schools are near or over 100% capacity. There are a number of elementary schools near or over capacity. Enrollment projections by Portland State University Population Center and District project that 5,400 additional students will enroll in Beaverton schools by 2025.

The $680,000,000 bond would address repairs, provide new capacity, modernize and renovate all facilities, improve safety and replace outdated learning technology, curriculum and equipment over a projected eight-year period. 

Due to retiring previous bonds, this measure is expected to result in no increase in the District's existing overall bond tax rate of $2.11 per $1,000 of assessed value for a projected eight years.

We support the Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Replacement Operation Levy.

The levy would:

Retain 42 current firefighter medics hired since 2000. These firefighters ensure every crew has enough personnel to provide fast, safe, and effective response to fires, and immediate life-saving care at medical incidents and rescue situations.

Add up to 44 firefighter medics, apparatus, and contribute to the construction of new stations. Increases in 9-1-1 calls and traffic are creating demands on our current network of stations. Our community is also growing older. This can prompt more calls and result in longer time on scene as crews provide care to patients. The levy would provide additional resources throughout the district to better ensure fast and effective response.

Estimated cost:
The replacement levy has a rate of 45¢ per $1,000 of assessed value, a 20¢ increase over the current rate. For a typical home with an assessed value of $230,000, this would result in a total cost of $104 (a $46 increase) in 2015. It would appear for the first time on the November 2015 property tax bill.  

NEXT MEETING: June 5th, 2014.   7:30 - 8:30am  

We will hear from the Renew for Our Blue Campaign - Beaverton's need for a public safety center.

We meet monthly on the first Thursday at 7:30am - 8:30am in our down stairs conference room. Feel free to contact Lorraine if you have any questions. We'd love to have you.  

All Business Advocacy Council Meetings are open to all members (appointed or not!). If you "get" the connection between monitoring regulations, ensuring business has input at the table on issues such as transportation, taxation and more...you should come and participate. All ideas and opinions are welcome.  

Full Calendar of Events - What's happening this week? - Chamber Calendar Click

Member Events Calendar Click

Weekly BUSINESS BUILDING Features:

TIDBIT: direct*CONNECT has passed a major mile stone! More than $1,000,000 documented in exchanged business in just under 12 months! 

Tuesdays -

direct*CONNECT (7:30am - 8:30am, Chamber Suite 140)

direct*CONNECT (12:00 - 1:00pm, Chamber, Suite 140)

Thursdays -

Sales Tune Ups (7:30 - 8:30am, Chamber, Suite 140)

direct*CONNECT (12:00 - 1:00pm, Chamber lobby conference room)  

Business Before Hours -May 28th, 7:45am - 9:00am Northwest Printing Options at Great Bones. Must RSVP to Jean Sneed EMAIL or call 503.644.0123. SPACE IS LIMITED

  

ACH Payments

Sign up to have your renewal automatically withdrawn from your account. Membership starts at only $27.08 per month! Contact Michelle or Kelly for more information.

CHAMBER EVENTS

Back by popular demand are our many wonderful events!

2nd Annual Business Community Expo - Saturday, July 19, 2014

Expose your business to thousands of customers by participating in this event. Held at City Park during the Beaverton Farmers Market, this trade show will be a great way to showcase your product and/or service. Visit our website for more information and how to sign up and be a sponsor. 

Rooftop Hullabaloo Returns!! - Saturday, August 2, 2014

You made this event a major success in 2013 that we had to bring it back for another year. Join us at the top of the parking structure at The Round for a celebration of Beaverton Businesses. Is your company celebrating a milestone anniversary? Let us showcase you at the event. Want to be a part of the event? Sponsorship starts at $150. Email Michelle for more information.

Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Scramble - Friday, October 3, 2014

This long running event is so much fun we have to keep it going! We have upped our game this year with some great give-aways. Join us by being a sponsor, donating a raffle prize (golf related please) and by playing in the scramble. We already have a handful of teams signed up so space is going fast. You can even register online! View our golf page for all the information you need. You can always contact Michelle as well.

Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce Holiday Auction - November, 2014

2014 is the year of change and we are providing you the opportunity to do all your Christmas shopping from your desk or the comfort of your home. Our online auction is so popular that our 2014 Holiday Auction will be 100% online. Find out how you can get involved by contacting Evelyn.  

The Chamber provides many sponsorship opportunities for you to get exposure for your brand. You can view our full sponsorship brochure at Beaverton Chamber 2014 Sponsorship Brochure