I S S U E S I M PAC T I N G T H E C H I P P EWA VA L L EY
C H A M B E R ALLIANCE
chippewa falls - eau claire - menomonie
FROM THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY This year, at the 19th Annual Chippewa Valley Rally, we look to strengthen relationships with state legislators and administration officials that will prove to be beneficial to both the Chippewa Valley and the State of Wisconsin. The Chippewa Valley Chamber Alliance is made up of the three chambers within the Chippewa Valley: Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire and Menomonie. The Chamber Alliance’s 2,200 members, representing 55,000 employees, contribute significantly to the employment and tax base in Wisconsin. Western Wisconsin is one of the fastest growing regions in Wisconsin. With more than one million additional residents expected in the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area in the next 25 years, the Chippewa Valley is expecting continued growth and is poised for extensive economic development with much to offer business and residents including:
• Rated as one of the top regions with the best quality of life in the United States.
• A track record as being among the safest places to live in the United States.
• Continually recognized as one of the best places to raise a family in the United States, as reported by Business Week Magazine.
• The region is home to world class health care. • The Chippewa Valley is also home to top quality higher education
with a history of collaboration with area universities and technical colleges.
We look forward to sharing the Chippewa Valley’s story with you again this year!
The Chamber Alliance is comprised of the three chambers of commerce in the Chippewa Valley— Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Menomonie. The mission of the Alliance is to create a stronger business voice in the Valley by having three chambers align on areas of mutual interest.
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C H A M B E R ALLIANCE chippewa falls - eau claire - menomonie
2013 Issues ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
VENTURE CAPITAL As we examine new policies aimed at stimulating job creation, it is important to recognize that many, if not most new jobs, are created by small business in various stages of growth. Taking a start-up company to a point where it employs even 25 or 30 people requires a certain amount of investment capital. Investing in start-up companies is, by definition, high risk. As a result, there are a limited number of investors willing to take on such risk and, therefore, many potentially successful companies never make it due to lack of adequate equity capital. To be successful over the long haul in
creating jobs, part of our state’s economic development strategy must address this shortage of venture capital. ACTION REQUESTED: Continue to support economic development initiatives by passing legislation to increase eligible activities with additional funding allocation, while not creating specific funding silos limiting flexibility. Support legislation which would provide for venture and seed capital while also allowing the sale of angel tax credits, making investments into early stage businesses more attractive.
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REDUCE THE SKILLS GAP
SILICA (FRAC) SAND MINING
Wisconsin faces a workforce paradox – unemployment rates are relatively high and employers are limited by their ability to find skilled workers. The workforce skills gap needs to be addressed in order to fill the many job openings and increase the economic competitiveness in Wisconsin.
Sand mining has occurred in Wisconsin for hundreds of years; however, recently there has been a huge increase in the number of mining proposals in Western Wisconsin. This increase is attributed to a surge in hydrofracking, a technique used by the petroleum industry to extract natural gas and/or crude oil from rock formations, which requires a certain quality of sand in the process. Wisconsin has high-quality sand resources and therefore is seeing a substantial rise in mining permit requests to mine for frac sand. It is estimated that the industry currently provides about 2,780 good paying jobs and will provide a tremendous economic boost to many hurting local economies.
ACTION REQUESTED: Support recommendations from the Sullivan Report, Be Bold 2 and others such as realigning the state’s economic development organizations and job training efforts, expanding efforts to turn research funding at the University of Wisconsin into business start-ups, enhance occupational information available to parents and students, focus on STEM and use better data to drive investment of workforce training dollars.
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ACTION REQUESTED: Support continued adherence to state and DNR oversight while allowing local governmental entities control in negotiating reasonable agreements with frac sand companies.
EDUCATION The Chippewa Valley believes education is one of the fundamental factors of sustainable economic development and an investment in area universities and technical colleges will help keep the Chippewa Valley competitive in training the future workforce for the new economy. Specific investments include:
technical colleges to adequately respond to current and future workforce demands by increasing the $1.5 million biennial limit on new construction to $3 million, thereby helping CVTC meet area workforce demands through the completion of the Energy Education Center.
SUPPORT INCREASED FLEXIBILITY TO FUND THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE (CVTC) ENERGY EDUCATION CENTER:
UW-Stout – Continuing its 16 year residence hall upgrade plan, much needed renovations to McCalmont Hall and North Hall would modernize the 1960’s-era dormitories and be funded by program revenue (student housing fees) supported bonding.
CVTC is planning to build an Energy Education Center to meet the demands of future job growth in the energy sector by providing a comprehensive learning and demonstration center to serve new and incumbent workers of the Chippewa Valley. The Energy Education Center will be a demonstration facility for day-to-day classes, training for energy industry workers, and the application of innovation and applied research, which will result in a workforce trained in emerging energy technologies adding value and growth to the economy of West Central Wisconsin. Because of the current state statute limiting new construction, CVTC cannot meet the demand for workers in a timely manner. ACTION REQUESTED: Allow more flexibility for
UW-STOUT AND UW-EAU CLAIRE RESIDENCE HALLS AND UTILITIES IMPROVEMENTS:
UW Eau Claire – To meet demonstrated demand for additional student housing, a proposed residence hall would be built on upper campus and be funded by program revenue (student housing fees) supported bonding. Also, the proposed redevelopment of Garfield Avenue utilities and other infrastructure on the UW Eau Claire campus would be split between program revenue and state general fund supported bonding. ACTION REQUESTED: Approve enumeration for these projects in the UW System Board of Regents 2013-15 Biennial Capital Budget Request. 5
THE CONFLUENCE PROJECT The Confluence Project is a public-private partnership for the 21st Century. The Confluence Project is a unique public-private partnership that proposes to develop a community arts center shared jointly by the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) and UW-Eau Claire, a mixed-use development consisting of retail/ commercial space, public parking, and university student housing, all located at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers in downtown Eau Claire. The community arts center would replace ECRAC’s obsolete State Theater, built in 1926 and UWEau Claire’s inadequate Kjer Theater, built in 1952. As envisioned, private investment would pay for the retail/ commercial space in the mixeduse project. The city of Eau Claire would pay for site preparation, parking, and public amenities. UW-Eau Claire would seek program revenue (student housing fees) supported bonding from the UW System Board of Regents to pay for the university student housing. The construction of the community arts center would be 6
funded through philanthropy, state and local government investments, and new market tax credits. UW-Eau Claire would seek state general fund supported (tax revenue) bonding from the UW System Board of Regents to pay for its portion of academic program and performance space in the community arts center. The Confluence Project is consistent with five independent, yet complementary public plans including the City of Eau Claire Comprehensive Plan and UW-Eau Claire Facilities Master Plan. The Eau Claire City Council and UW System Board of Regents have both unanimously approved resolutions supporting the concepts of the project, with additional resolutions of support from the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, Clear Vision Eau Claire, Downtown Eau Claire Incorporated, North and South Barstow Business Improvement Districts, Eau Claire Regional Arts Council and UW-Eau Claire Student Senate. No action requested-information only.
INFRASTRUCTURE
TRANSPORTATION As the Chippewa Valley’s population and economic activity continue to grow, a robust, balanced transportation system is critical to the smooth flow of people and freight to promote commerce. State transportation policy must address the needs of our area to ensure that our transportation assets provide economic competitiveness and freedom of travel. It should include all key modes -- highway, rail and air – in a balanced way. ACTION REQUESTED: Complete the State Rail Plan, and continue the Freight Rail Assistance Program to ensure shipping access for local industries and communities that continue to show more freight activity. Consider looking at selective weight limits on highways if it will promote more efficient intermodal transfer of
goods between freight rail and highway. Ensure good repair and adequate capacity on I-94 and its feeder highways. Continue long-term planning for a high speed rail link for the Chippewa Valley on the ChicagoTwin Cities corridor, and continue to study the feasibility of complementary local/commuter rail service to and from the Twin Cities. Maintain good access to the air travel system, including air travel choices at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport. Ensure a stable funding stream that will provide adequate funding for infrastructure investments that is not raided to balance the state budget.
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broadband Today, high speed internet, or broadband, is essential for economic growth, job creation, and global competitiveness. The United States – the country that invented the Internet – has fallen from 1st to 15th in high-speed Internet penetration, and WI ranks 43rd in access among states. High-tech innovation, job growth, telemedicine, distance learning, rural development, public safety and e-government require truly high-speed, universal networks that lack in some areas in the Chippewa Valley.
ACTION REQUESTED: As the Northwest Central Wisconsin Broadband Plan works to identify ways to fill the gaps in broadband availability by continuing to leverage current assets and resources allocated for broadband deployment, we ask the legislature to consider providing some income and sales tax incentives for private sector providers. This would expand to underserved areas and fill identified gaps for increased access to promote commerce, information, education and employment.
DUNN
CHIPPEWA EAU CLAIRE
C H A M B E R ALLIANCE chippewa falls - eau claire
menomonie
The Chamber Alliance is comprised of the three chambers of commerce in the Chippewa Valley—Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire & Menomonie. The mission of the Alliance is to create a stronger business voice in the Valley by having three chambers align on areas of mutual interest.
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ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON LAKES AND RIVERS The Chippewa Valley is rich in water resources and values its natural resources. These water resources support our quality of life by providing recreation and tourism to boost our economy. Run off from various sources jeopardizes the water quality in our area’s lakes and rivers.
ACTION REQUESTED: Consider changing assessment practices to encourage farmers to ‘retire’ cropland along rivers and streams, thus creating buffer strips to protect water quality and encourage conservation. Currently, retired cropland is designated “recreational” and has a higher tax rate. There should be a “conservation” tax level that is equal to “cropland” for these extraordinary efforts to protect our area’s land and water for future generations.
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Thank You to our legislators INCOME TAX RECIPROCITY Wisconsin has reciprocity agreements with many of its neighboring states, but, reciprocity for individual income tax with Minnesota has been on hold. We thank the legislature and Governor who have agreed in principle with Minnesota and ask that due diligence be given to finalize the agreement. This will simplify tax filings for over 60,000 Wisconsin residents employed in Minnesota.
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE REFORM EFFORTS Thank you for improving unemployment insurance provisions such as: looking for fraud and abuse, creating choice
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of employer standards, modifying benefits eligibility, and other provisions listed in Senate Bills 219 and 417.
IMPROVING WISCONSIN’S BUSINESS CLIMATE Wisconsin has improved its competitive advantage through regulatory and legal reform and reorganizing economic development efforts. These would seed, nurture and cultivate new economic opportunities that would create high paying jobs. We have seen Wisconsin jump in national rankings of the business climate among other states. Although we are heading in the right direction, more can be done.
ROYAL CREDIT UNION
Together our energy creates strong communities. Xcel Energy is proud to support Chippewa Valley businesses, education and economic development. xcelenergy.com
© 2011 XCEL ENERGY INC.
Creating Talent for Wisconsin’s Future
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