Voice of South Sound Business

West Meets East

Last month the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce embarked on a nine-day tour of China.  Nine days in China is like 45-minutes at Disney World, “C’mon gang, only 7.5 minutes to tour Epcot before the bus leaves for The Magic Kingdom!” It’s daunting.

That in mind, 60 of my closest friends, colleagues, and I gladly took on an agenda that had us traveling at break-neck speed from Beijing to Shanghai, balancing historical and economic points of interest along the way.

We began at the future home of the 2008 Summer Olympics -- Beijing, population 15 million. China’s 3rd largest city appeared clean albeit highly congested with traffic.  The city’s $17 billion spent on anti-pollution efforts seemed to be paying off with hardly a trace of the infamous smog-like toxic haze that has plagued Beijing in the past.

Beijing is a rich mix of old and new and our whirlwind tour reflected this.  Visits to the ancient Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, the Great Wall, and Ming Tombs were counter-balanced with tours of a pearl and jade factory, as well as a very modern business conference where we mingled with industry leaders.

We then flew to Shanghai, where we immediately set off on buses to Suzhou, population 2 million. Known as the Venice of China, 42% of this city is covered by water, including a vast number of ponds and streams. Built in 514 BC, this ancient city is considered by locals to be ‘paradise on earth’, and it’s hard to argue the point once you’ve experienced the beautiful stone-worked bridges, pagodas, and intricate gardens.

With 6 million new people to visit with, we traveled to Hangzhou, one of China’s most prosperous and scenically beautiful cities.  A visit to a tea plantation has us tasting 'Dragon Well' green tea before heading to West Lake to see the Lingyin Temple. Loosely translated, “The temple of the Soul's Retreat” is a 1600 year wonder and one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China.

Finally, we arrived back in Shanghai – this time for a visit.  The 2nd largest city in China hosts 17 million people --dwarfing Seattle’s own 600,000 current occupancy rate!  Where Beijing is its cultural and political epicenter, Shanghai is largely considered the center of finance and trade in mainland China.

We rode the Shanghai Maglev - or bullet train - that travels up to 431 kilometers per hour -- talk about light-rail transit!  We toured the Bund, a world-famous waterfront park and traveled to the Yu Gardens, before a visit to the Pudong Economic Development Zone for another look at the Chinese business world. 

We learned that for a country that makes up about a fifth of the world's population, China consumes more than half of the world's pork and cement, a third of the world’s steel, and over a quarter of its aluminum.  This illustrates China’s massive industrial and urban growth (and love of pork products!).   

China's potential appears boundless.  Based on this observation several of our travelers are already planning to learn the Chinese language and return to leverage business opportunities and further explore the beauties of its culture and landscapes.

Our maiden voyage to the original Magic Kingdom, from Beijing to Shanghai proved unforgettable.  It’s almost impossible to describe the experience – but I’ll try.  China is a very delicate balance of honoring rich ancestral traditions with the title of world’s fastest emerging super-power.  The result of this mass economic reform and growth in a country with an ancient blueprint is an exciting, exotic fusion of modern traditionalism. 

China is a must see. For more information on our trip, including day blogs and pictures, please visit our website www.federalwaychamber.com and click on Visit China.

Destination Federal Way

Ask a Seattle native the last time they visited the top of the Space Needle, and you’ll probably hear “it’s been a long time.”  Ask a San Franciscan about Alcatraz or a New Yorker about the Statue of Liberty and it’s the same story.  But ask any tourist about these cities – and these very attractions are top their to-do lists. 

Same goes for Federal Way.  A visitor’s eye-view of our city is quite different from our own. On average, we’re probably not spending every weekend at the Bonsai Gardens or walking the BPA trail, but throughout the year, these attractions and other events draw volumes of people who make Federal Way a destination.

Here some of what keeps our interstate off-ramps busy:

Sports
Weyerhaeuser/King County Aquatic Center:
The Aquatic Center maintains one of the most active competition schedules in the country -- but anyone who’s driven past it on a weekend already knew that! The Center packs a financial wallop with impact revenues resulting in excess of $7.5 million a year for Federal Way according to a recent King County economic study. This month brings the NCCA 2008 Swimming and Diving Championships (March 27-29).  Winning the opportunity to host this live televised event is another achievement for this famed venue whose legacy includes the 1990 Seattle Goodwill Games, and Olympic Trials.
City of Federal Way’s Celebration Park:
Summer weekends find the park full with local, regional, statewide tournaments, bringing thousands of guests – and their spending money - from outside Federal Way.  July 4th it’s the site of our city’s biggest party - the Red White and Blues Festival – drawing huge crowds of residents and guests alike.

Nature
Rhododendron Gardens, the Bonsai Collections:
People come to watch Spring unfold before their eyes.  Open year round, Buds & Blooms is just one of the Garden’s many festivals. Held Mother’s Day weekend (May 10-11) it features gardening celebrities, music, children’s activities and more at low or no cost.

West Hylebos Wetlands Park:  120 Acres of wildlife refuge, ecological and hydrological conservatory and nature trail bring visitors walking along the one-mile-long boardwalk to study nature in quiet reflection through the forested wetlands.
Dash Point State Park:
0ver 397 acres, including 3,301 feet of saltwater Puget Sound shoreline draw people from all over to enjoy the camping, picnicking, fishing, hiking, beachcombing, unguarded swimming, and marine life-study this spectacular park has to offer.

Adventure
I’m talking Wild Waves – Western Washington’s premier amusement and water park. The colossal primary colored water slides inspire many an I-5 commuter’s summer dream! With over 60 acres, Wild Waves & Enchanted Village is the hottest ticket for summer family fun.  Attractions include a 24,000 sq.ft. Wave Pool, River Rides, Water and Speed Slides, the Ring of Fire, Falling Star, and the Amazing Wild Thing Roller Coaster.  The Chamber phones are busiest  during the summer months with callers wanting information on the park, but also on where to stay, eat and shop during their visit!

We love our visitors – but we know these locations and events could not be successful without local support as well.  To find out more about these locations and other great Federal Way destination spots, visit www.FederalWay.org, and get busy.

Going Green

Washington state has done more than just commit to lessening its global footprint — it has acted upon that commitment.

Nationwide, Washington ranks fifth in wind power generation. Our state’s use of the green energy, largely led by Puget Sound Energy’s 300-foot-tall windmills, has already helped hold down electricity costs and promote conservation.

Furthermore, the very symbol of our state government, the capitol building in Olympia, has the largest array of solar panels of any other state capitol building in the United States.

With Washington emerging as a leader in the green brigade, it’s only natural that Federal Way, the state’s seventh-largest city, follow suit. Will going green have our business owners seeing red? What sort of painstaking measures will we need to take? More important, what will it cost?

“Going green” does not need to be extreme or expensive. In fact, the best approach is a balanced one — where sensible people come together for the betterment of our environment and our local community and economy.

“Going Green” doesn’t have to mean inviting The Earth Liberation Front to shop for office space downtown. Our community is probably not an ideal environment for the anarchistic underground movement recently linked to the string of arsons on the “Street of Dreams.”

“Going green” does not mean the city will join the Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club either. At least not anytime soon, considering we are still collectively feeling the sting from the club’s campaign to reject the Roads and Transit package, something our city desperately counted on.

Don’t get me wrong — we love our environmental avengers in Federal Way. As you know, our city is the proud home to Friends of the Hylebos, headed by our own local Chris Carrel.

Carrel and his troop of ecological superheroes are prime examples of how environmental groups should lead — by advocating through cooperation with businesses and the city, and uniting a community around a common cause everyone can embrace.

“Going green” can be easier than we think. One example is to partner our business with innovators like Cedar Grove Organics Recycling who provide organic commercial recycling programs incorporating food scraps and plant/wood scraps. Many emerging green niche businesses like Cedar Grove Organics provide services that not only lessen bulk in our landfills and conserve energy, but actually save our businesses money.

We are not going to accomplish everything overnight. In fact, it’s a very long road ahead. Still, there are existing groups in place that can help us make up for lost time — groups like the Cascade Land Conservancy’s Cascade “100 Years Forward” Agenda. Resources like these may help us as a city develop local policies and advocate at the state level to encourage land conservancy through private and public partnerships.

“Going green” does not mean becoming fanatics, or living a paranoid doomsday existence. It just means doing our part locally. It means doing something as simple as recycling in our offices and homes, or moving toward paperless processes, or volunteering with one of Chris Carrel’s work parties.

Ultimately we can make Federal Way, Washington state and our world a better place and home for our children and grandchildren.

The End of the 2008 Legislative Session

Yesterday marked the last day of the 2008 Washington State Legislative Session and below are some noteworthy items that the South Sound Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition were able get passed on behalf of the businesses in the South Sound area.

Workforce Education and Training:  The legislature passed sweeping reforms of career and technical education housed in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  2SSB 6377 contains $2.75 million to implement this program  Here is a link to the bill

Freight Mobility Funding:  The supplemental transportation budget removed all restrictions on freight mobility funding that were attached during the 2007 session when Sen. Haugen could not get folks to buy off on a container tax.  No conditions exist now and freight mobility funding is free to be spent in the form and manner provided in the original 2007-2009 transportation budget.  - WIN

School Funding Structure Equity:   Language has been added to the supplemental budget to require the K-12 Funding Task Force to review and make recommendations on the Federal Way School District v. State issue.  - WIN

For more information on the coalition please see there website:  www.southsoundcoalition.com

New Deal or No Deal

It was just a little less than a year ago when I was driving my family across Minnesota when I witnessed something I never thought I would see.

Just 500 yards in front of me, the bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. People were scrambling for their lives; many did not see another day.

It’s very hard for me to ignore that vision in my mind or the fact that our national infrastructure failed that day – and continues failing today. We need a better response; we need a better commitment of resources.

In responding to questions about Washington state’s lack of transportation funding, state lawmakers often respond that one-time federally funded projects are now nearly entirely the state’s responsibility and that the state budget simply does not have any additional funds for necessary fixes.

If there’s to be more funding for infrastructure, lawmakers suggest “alternative funding initiatives” – a very necessary and basic point that, sorely, my business colleagues and I are coming to accept.

Public-private partnership programs, while often heralded as the savior of all “alternative funding initiatives,” are seldom defined. More seldom do they materialize, and even less frequently are they implemented. What we need instead is what President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called the New Deal – a new New Deal to address our nation’s suffering bridges, roadways and other vital but problematic infrastructures.

The New Deal is synonymous with success – the success of the federal government’s ability to stimulate the economy through broad public works programs, and the success to rebuild and reform our national infrastructure through these enormous – and necessary – projects.

Like Roosevelt’s initiative, such an undertaking would provide much-needed relief to our economy. We are nowhere near the level of economic crisis experienced in the 1930s, but we are at a period in time where there is a great transfer of wealth under way, when the need to invest in our nation has never been higher.

Despite the success of FDR’s New Deal, it wasn’t until 1956 that our national roads were even considered. More than a half-century has passed since President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Federal-Aid Highway Act built the roads and infrastructure it supported; the system is in dire need of repair and reconstruction.

The economic fallout from infrastructure failure is seen nationwide: The fires in California, the recent closures of Interstate 5 due to flood damage and the repeated closures of Interstate 90 due to heavy snow bring commerce to a grinding halt resulting in the estimated loss of more than $20 million a day.

When will our public servants come together on the federal and state level to put critical needs first and make the much-needed investment in our infrastructure? When will we reinvest in the United States of America?

History has proved that we have the capability to employ, and unite, thousands of our countrymen in times of need. When will our country’s cries for help be answered, so we can stand united once more?

New deal or no deal? Either way we are going to have to face our nation’s critical infrastructure issues. The question is what kind of major catastrophe will it take to get our national leaders to step up with a New Deal that marries need and necessity.

Hospital the Backbone of the Community

All eyes are on the horizon downtown waiting to see the first tell-tale signs of the highly-publicized expansion. When month did the first crane arrive? When will the first steel beam be hoisted? What date will go down as the day our future --- and landscape --- was forever altered?

The answer --November, 2007.

That’s when the first steel beam weighing nearly 53,000 pounds was raised. Since then, many have followed --laying the foundation for floors that were poured around Thanksgiving and walls that began taking shape in December.

How did you overlook a seventy-eight foot wide steel beam? You were looking in the wrong direction. A slight shift of perspective and you would have seen our community hospital once again taking the lead in planning Federal Way’s future.

Once again, because this isn’t the first time St. Francis has been on the fore-front of our urban development. Kemper Freeman, CEO of Kemper Development Company and Bellevue Square fame is a fourth generation developer whose family has been synonymous with the Eastside community’s development and growth. He states the very first thing his family invested in was a hospital.

Luckily, we had our own visionaries like the Clerget’s, Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, and other key influencers who realized that if Federal Way was going to be a contender as a regional leader, it needed a hospital.

In 1987 St Francis Hospital was completed, and our future path as a city was set into motion. Today, when businesses consider relocating to Federal Way, the first two questions asked are regarding our education and healthcare systems. BOTH are highly ranked not only in Washington, but throughout the country.

Still, much like our city itself, after 21 years, St. Francis hasn’t been able to keep up with the growing demands of a growing community. The first of many much needed revisions is taking shape in the form of a new Critical Care Unit (the home of that first crane over two months ago).

Improvements to the Emergency Department began in earnest last month. This project will bring five additional exam rooms and a new waiting area to what is now one of the South Sound’s busiest Emergency Departments, serving over 45,000 a year.

These are only baby-steps.

St. Francis Hospital is very busy to say the least, and neither of these projects address the obvious bed shortage the facility faces. Regardless of these improvements, the total bed count will remain 110 --which is the exact same number of units the hospital opened with in 1987.

In 2006 alone, St. Francis had to transfer approximately 800 patients from the Emergency Department to other regional hospitals including St. Joseph Medical Center, Auburn Regional Medical Center, and even hospitals in Seattle and beyond because of capacity issues.

St. Francis filed a Certificate of Need with the state Department of Health in July 2006 asking for an additional 36 beds and an expanded nursery. Nearly a year later they were approved, but unfortunately that decision was appealed by Auburn Regional Medical Center. A judge will listen to arguments at a hearing in March, and is expected to render a decision sometime before September.

I am sure the majority of people don’t give much thought to the history of the hospital much less consider its future when they arrive at its doors. More than likely they are preoccupied with the event that brought them there --- be it an emergency or a celebration of new life. Still, there is plenty of time for reflection on the drive over to Harborview once they find out that loved-one was transferred due to a critical lack of rooms.

Let’s face it, the so called health of St. Francis Hospital is critical to all of us here in Federal Way and beyond. I for one am hoping hospital turf wars, bureaucratic red tape and inadequate/out of date state agency processes do not get in the way the back bone of our community getting the much needed help it deserves in it’s hour of need.

Workforce Development Update

Senate version of the Career and Technical Education Bill (SSB 6377) made it out of Senate Ways and Means today and the House version (SHB 2826) made it out of House Appropriations yesterday.  Both occurred before the fiscal committee cut-off.  They both had some minor amendments mostly to reduce the fiscal impacts of the bill.  Substantively, the are very much as strong as they were coming into the fiscal committees.  This is a major victory given that both fiscal committees passed the bill out BEFORE they actually needed to because they would be necessary to implement the budget anyway.  Work continues on this issue.

More information on SSB 6377

Vote No and Help Keep our Government Moving

On February 19^th the citizens of Federal Way will decide on whether you want to change the form of government in Federal Way.

 

The Federal Way Chamber of Commerce asked a subcommittee to review the upcoming ballot measure to change the form of government in Federal Way from Council-Manger to Mayor-Council and ultimately the Board of Directors agreed with their recommendation by an unanimous vote in late December urging our members to vote against the ballot measure and here is why.

 

Currently we have a system (Council-Manger) that allows for the following:

• Accountability: Accountable for performance of the City Manager by the elected City Council.
• Cost of Government: With no change there is no budget increase.
• Office Term: Contract terms are flexible and set by the elected city council.
• Politics: Less politics in the daily operations of the city.
• Qualifications: There are set qualifications and experience requirements for the hiring of the City Manager.

 

The proposed new system (Mayor-Council) would allow for the following:

• Cost of Government: This adds a new branch and therefore costs will increase.
• Office Term: 4 years for elected Mayor determined by the voters.
• Politics: There will be more politics to get items passed and could create decision gridlock
• Qualifications: Mayor is elected on popularity, funding, and political savvyness.

 

There fore we unanimously adopt a position AGAINST the  mayor-council ballot initiative.

 

If this initiative becomes law, there will be a tremendous change in the political power structure of the city. Political power will shift to the elected mayor, and the role and power of the city council will be diminished.  This change would bring the potential of both great risks and great rewards for our community.  If a strong, intelligent, pro-business individual were elected as mayor, the business community and the city could enjoy great benefits.   However, the wrong person taking the office of mayor could have very serious consequences for economic growth and the health of our business community. Special interest groups could potentially buy the office and exert undue influence with the elected mayor. The possibility of corruption and favoritism in city government would increase. If a weak, narrow-minded, anti-growth, anti-business person were to become mayor, there could well be discord, trouble, and decision gridlock in the city.

 

Should this initiative pass, the latter scenario would be a very real possibility for our community. We find this risk to be unacceptable.  The potential risks outweigh the potential rewards. This is the primary reason for our recommendation.

 

The proponents for this ballot initiative say that the current council-manager form of city government is not responsive enough; not accountable to the people.  We disagree.  There are seven elected members of the city council who are accountable to the people, and if they are not responsive to the people they represent, then they can and should be replaced by election.  Moreover, if the city manager's performance is not satisfactory, that person can be replaced much more easily than an elected mayor.

Legislature is Reviewing Workforce Development

19 days of the 2008 Regular Washington State Legislative Session are behind us and there are over 4,000 bills that are active. One of the most important so far for businesses is House Bill 2826 which Representatives Priest and Sullivan are prime sponsors. This bill will help in regards to workforce development, one of the top issues employers have!

Please research the information and urge your legislator as well as Speaker Chopp: Rep. Frank Chopp’s Olympia Office: 339C Legislative Building, PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600, (360) 786-7920

HB 2826 - DIGEST Seeks to increase the quality and rigor of secondary career and technical education, improve links to postsecondary education, encourage and facilitate academic instruction through career and technical courses, and expand access to and awareness of the opportunities offered by high quality career and technical education.

More information on House Bill 2826

Safe City Federal Way Kicked Off

A two-year project between the Federal Way Police Department, the City of Federal Way, the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce, and Target Corporation ushers in a new era of community policing.

SAFE CITY FEDERAL WAY uses a combination of technical and information-sharing tools to empower the community to achieve crime prevention results. The intended results of SAFE CITY FEDERAL WAY are:

· A reduction in crime committed in the City of Federal Way

· A flourishing and safe atmosphere for consumers and businesses

· Economic development within the safe zone

· Increase communication between city government, law enforcement, and the business community

· A decrease in response time in the City of Federal Way and an increase in officer safety

· Law enforcement personnel will utilize fewer resources within the safe zone

SAFE CITY FEDERAL WAY will use existing technical solutions and combined resources to invest in new upgraded solutions, such as closed circuit television. The program will make use of 25 wireless cameras set in strategic locations within an approximate 1-square mile of the downtown area. Each camera will be accessible from any computer accessed by the Federal Way Police, including laptops located in each patrol vehicle. The goal of these cameras is to catch criminals while "in the act" and to emphasize that the City of Federal Way is not a friendly city for criminals.

Private security and loss prevention located within the safe zone and the Federal Way Police Department would be connected to each other via a dedicated SAFE CITY radio frequency.  Brian Wilson, Federal Way Police Chief said, "We are excited about the SAFE CITY program and believe it will play a key role in our crime reduction strategy and in our city’s economic redevelopment plan."

The SAFE CITY FEDERAL WAY project was made possible through funding from the Target Corporation, the City of Federal Way, Weyerhaeuser Corporation, and the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce.

Currently there are only 17 cities in the nation which can claim the title SAFE CITY. A majority of those cities have populations over 500,000. The City of Federal Way will be the first city in the Northwest region having a community-policing program of this caliber. The distinction of becoming a "safe city" will enhance community safety and economic development in the City of Federal Way which will help the city to retain and attract new businesses.

View the Kick Off on You Tube