|
1. 2007 Oregon Legislative Wrap
Up
The Regional Business Plan identified a number of priorities
for the 2007 Oregon legislative session to promote a
competitive environment for Portland metropolitan area
businesses. Though there are other pieces of legislation
that will no doubt impact the business community, below
is a summary of the outcomes of the priorities identified
in the Plan.
Education/Workforce
- K-12 Education and Head Start Budgets. A
$6.245 billion budget for K-12 education, including
$39 million for Head Start, was passed.
- Higher-Education Budget. A budget of more
than $876 million was approved for the operation of
Oregon's seven public universities, including a $275
million dollar allocation for capital maintenance
and construction.
- School Improvement Fund. Directs additional
funds to key proven school reforms such as K-1 class
size as well as for a wide variety of other purposes;
includes a requirement that schools specify how expenditure
of these funds will improve school and student performance.
- School Audits. Though voluntary, statewide
audits of local school districts will create some
data on performance and efficiencies for school districts
to help track the effectiveness of funding.
- Skill Up Oregon, Workforce Development. The
Skill Up Oregon Fund legislation aimed at addressing
the needs of Oregon's workers to become more skilled
was left in committee, and never saw a final vote
before the legislature adjourned.
- Workforce Training. Oregon Innovation Council's
(Oregon InC) recommendation to fund training and research
and development to ensure Oregon has an advanced and
globally competitive manufacturing workforce was successfully
adopted.
Freight Mobility/Transportation
- Statewide Transportation Funding. Initiatives
that would have raised vehicle registration fees,
gas taxes, or license plate fees to address statewide
congestion failed. Although a coalition of groups
advocated for additional funding sources for needed
transportation projects until the final hours of the
session, there were not sufficient votes to overcome
the super majority requirement for tax measures.
- Interim Transportation Committee. A bill
was passed that creates an interim transportation
committee to work with stakeholders to analyze current
mechanisms for addressing transportation needs and
explore opportunities for new regional mechanisms.
The committee will report back to the Legislature
by January 2009.
- Accident Response. A bill was passed that
makes it an offense for a driver to leave an automobile
on the highway after an accident if there is no injury,
the vehicle can be moved and the driver can safely
drive to the shoulder or other parking area. Vehicles
remaining on a highway are a significant contributor
to congestion and this bill will help reduce accident
related congestion.
- Multi-Modal Transportation. HB 2278, better
known as Connect
Oregon II, passed the legislature. The $100 million
bill is aimed at Oregon's multi-modal marine, rail,
and air transportation projects. This legislation
follows up on the success of the Connect Oregon I
initiative.
Land Use
- Urban Growth Boundary. Legislation to provide
a one time, two-year extension of the Urban Growth
Boundary expansion process in the Portland-metropolitan
region was passed.
- Urban Rural Reserves. A bill that calls for
the designation of Urban and Rural Reserves to guide
future expansions of the Urban Growth Boundary was
passed. The legislation calls for Metro to designate
a 50-year inventory of urban and rural reserves outside
the Urban Growth Boundary to provide more certainty
regarding where development will or will not occur.
Economic Development
- Oregon InC. Bills to continue funding the
Oregon InC were passed by the legislature. Oregon
Inc's initiatives such as the Signature Research Center
for Innovation and the University Venture Funds were
also approved and funded.
LAND USE
2. Clark County prepares growth
management plan
On July 5, 2007, the Board of Clark County Commissioners
closed public testimony on proposed changes to the Comprehensive
Growth Management Plan, following public hearings and
meetings that have taken place over the past two years.
The plan includes revisions for urban growth boundaries
in Vancouver, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, Camas, Washougal,
La Center and Yacolt. Additionally, it explores potential
impacts on the environment, transportation, farmlands,
schools, parks and utilities.
Later this month, the Board of Commissioners will consider
proposals for changes to urban growth boundaries in
Clark County, zoning in newly designated urban areas,
written planning policies, and development regulation.
To learn more about the Clark County Comprehensive
Growth Management Plan, visit the county's
web site.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
3. Greenlight Greater Portland
to market region as gateway to prosperity
The Four-County Economic Development Corporation, a
private-sector group devoted to fostering this region's
economic vitality, announced in June its new name: Greenlight
Greater Portland. The new name more accurately reflects
the group's mission of marketing the area's many resources
- financial, industrial, human and natural - to businesses
worldwide. In its business recruiting, the group will
capitalize on one of the region's key differentiators
- its well-established reputation as a hub of sustainable
business and living.
The organization will identify new businesses that
can join existing companies throughout the region that
are already developing better processes to drive productivity
and prosperity, from sports apparel and transportation
manufacturing to recycling and sustainable practices.
Read more about Greenlight Greater Portland at http://greenlightgreaterportland.com/.
4. Oregon
Iron Works gets federal streetcar contract
In June, Oregon Iron Works was awarded a $4 million
contract by the federal government to build a streetcar
prototype. The prototype streetcar will be used in Portland
and will serve as a model for streetcar projects across
the nation. This contract will make Oregon Iron Works
the sole manufacturer of the modern low-floor streetcar
in the U.S.
5. Vancouver manufacturer acquires Texas company
Wacom Company recently announced its acquisition of
Touchscreen Konnection Oasis, Inc. (TouchKO), an Austin,
Texas-based company specializing in touch input. Wacom,
a manufacturer of digital pen input devices, is headquartered
in Vancouver, Wash. The acquisition will accelerate
the product offerings of Wacom's components business,
which specializes in technology used in Tablet PCs,
mobile phones, PDAs, and displays. For more information,
click
here.
|
