After twenty years on the air the live cable TV auction presented by Redlands Chamber of Commerce has come to an end. The news came from Time Warner Cable when they just announced to the Chamber that because of policy they would no longer transmit the show. It was explained that the cable company does not provide the service for any other organization in any other community in the State and therefore will no longer be providing it for the Redlands Chamber, and so after two decades the partnership is terminated.

            “It’s disappointing”. Said Kathie Thurston, Executive Director of the Chamber, “This has been an extraordinary program that showcased the local businesses, served as a fundraiser for the Chamber and kicked off the holiday shopping season here locally. It was a fun project to produce and it brought out more than 100 volunteers every year that really enjoyed working on the event. The show will be missed by the viewers who not only enjoyed the program but were able to shop at home and get some pretty amazing bargains at the same time.”

            Over the years the live auction grew from six hours on the air to 12 hours broadcast over two nights, the weekend before Thanksgiving every year. It featured 45 business sponsors, and more than 300 items were auctioned all generously provided by local businesses. From coffee makers to children’s bikes, stunning jewelry to plumbing fixtures, they were up for bid and in every case the local businesses were touted proving that whatever was on the shopping list it could be purchased inRedlands.  

            “Not only did this program meet our mission but it helped up promote the Shop Redlands Campaign year after year.” said Chamber President Paul Barich. “It’s sad to see this chapter close.”

In a move to help local business owners save money on their utility bills, the City Council in March approved a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing program administered by Figtree Energy Resource Company (Figtree). The PACE program will provide commercial property owners upfront financing for energy and water efficiency building upgrades and renewable energy systems.
 
Figtree’s unique PACE program unlocks the multi-billion dollar market for energy-efficiency with flexible financing terms that empower property owners to work with local contractors to improve commercial buildings. Energy improvements can transform existing energy expenses into thousands of dollars of positive cash flow each year, as the cost of financing is often lower than the amount of money saved on energy. As a result, PACE financing stimulates local economies and creates local jobs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the benefit of all Californians.
 
Redlands is participating in this effort with other California cities and counties to remove cost and technical barriers to going green. Property owners qualify for long-term financing based on the value of their property and the land-secured PACE structure eliminates the need for personal guarantees. The fixed-rate financing requires no money down and no minimum credit score. Plus, the balance is transferable if the property is sold before the PACE financing is paid off – so the current owner pays only for the benefits s/he receives.
 
Participating property owners will pay back their financing through a voluntary assessment on their property tax bill for up to 20 years. Although the billing mechanism is the property tax bill, the program does not rely on public funds or increased taxes.
 
PACE funds can be used only for materials and labor costs of permanently installed improvements, such as high-efficiency lighting, heating and air conditioning, windows, reflective roofing, plumbing fixtures, water treatment equipment, solar panels, and many more, that will reduce the building’s use of grid-supplied energy or water.
 
“It’s good to offer this ability for residents and local businesses to become more energy efficient,” said Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar. “It’s good for our local economy and it’s good for our sustainability practices.”
 
About Figtree
Figtree Energy Resource Company is committed to making financial sense of the clean energy movement.  An extensive background in finance and built environments enabled Figtree to develop Figtree PACE, a privately-financed municipal program that addresses a gap in traditional financing to bring energy and water efficiency improvements within reach for virtually any commercial property owner. This popular financing program has been successfully launched and is now expanding to a growing list of participating cities and counties throughout California.
 
Additional information is available at www.figtreecompany.com or by calling 877-577-7373.