JULY 2014 – President’s Article by President Geoff Bonney
Once again it is time for the quarterly update. Here are some of the things keeping us busy here at the Chamber.
Redlands on Ice: This is a brand new event that we are really excited about. This December the Chamber will bring ice skating to Redlands. From December 26th through January 2nd there will be a synthetic ice rink in the mall parking lot. This will bring more people and activity to downtown between Christmas and the New Year. Kathie and Jan will provide more information in coming announcements.
FAST Critical Infrastructure Program: That stands for Flood, ADA Ramps, Sidewalks, Trees & Parks. Responding to concerns expressed at the February 18th City Council Meeting, the City expanded the education and feedback efforts to engage more citizens. As a result, the City determined that there is not enough support to make this worth putting on the ballot in November.
Alcohol Ordinance: The alcohol ordinance was discussed at May 6th City Council Meeting. There were a lot of questions and objections from the restaurant and bar representatives present, particularly in regards to the potential for live feed security cameras. The City set up a meeting allowing those concerned to express their issues, as well as hear from the Police Department the reason behind the Ordinance. Revisions to the Ordinance will be made based on the dialog from the meeting.
Congressional Candidate Forum: With the slate narrowed down to the final two, the Chamber is organizing a forum for the candidates running for the 31st Congressional District. This will be a great opportunity to hear where the candidates stand on the issues important to Redlands and the Inland Empire. Keep an eye out for the announcement of the date, time and location. (Probably in mid-September.)
City Council Candidate Forum: By the end of August we will know who is running for the 3 seats on the City Council. Once again we will provide a forum to ask the candidates questions on matters important to you. Look for something scheduled in late September or early October.
Anti-Business Legislation: As you can see the GRC is hopping. To add to the items above, there is a bill in the State Legislature will create hardships or exposure to unwarranted lawsuits on not just California businesses, but consumers as well. AB 2416 will allow liens to be filed on property as part of a labor payment dispute without first proving wrongdoing. The lien can be filed on the property where the work was done, even if the owner of that property has not contributed to the dispute. This bill is moving through the legislature rather quickly. We are doing what we can to stop it, but it looks like this one is on its way to becoming law. The GRC meets the first Wednesday of every month at the Chamber office, 7:30 am. Please join us if you would like to learn more or get involved in addressing these issues.
Night Light Run: The Night Light Run Committee is working diligently on making this year’s event even better than the last. The date is December 27th. To keep things interesting, the rout will be different than last year. Sign-ups have already begun so make your reservations now!