Rep. Kilmer Talks to Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Arlene Alen

Alright. Alright. Alright. Hey Hey everybody. Derek Kilmer Kilmer here here I I I am am am here here here with with with with my my my. my friend friend friend Arlene. Arlene Arlene Arlene Allen, who's the executive executive director director at at at the the the Chamber Chamber Chamber Chamber of of of. of Commerce Commerce Commerce Commerce in. in in in Jefferson County. County. One One of of our our districts, districts, districts, many many many fantastic fantastic fantastic fantastic. chambers chambers chambers of of Commerce Arlene Arlene Thanks Thanks for for for joining joining joining me me me and and and thanks thanks thanks for for for for joining joining joining. joining with with with such such such such a a. a a cool cool cool background. Thank you you you for for for for Townsend Townsend Townsend. Townsend at at at its its its it's finest finest finest finest. and this this year year that that that boat boat boat festival festival festival. festival will will will be be be missing missing. missing, missing, but but but it'll be back. back. back Arlene Arlene Arlene Maybe maybe maybe maybe you say say. say say a a a few few few few words. words words words about about about the the the work you do at at the the chamber chamber chamber and and and what what what it it it it means. means means means in in in terms terms terms of of of of the community's economy and in particular. How you're stepping up as folks are challenged in the face of this pandemic. you know it's my first condemning so the rule book didn't get to me in a timely fashion and I didn't get to a lot of people in the community. I came to this community two years ago from another state and was drawn to a have so many people are by the charm and the character and the commitment of the people in the community and and never never had had the the the community community community needed needed. needed needed that that that more more more than. than than right right now. now. We have a chamber of 530 businesses, but we view ourselves as a community, which means we are serving over 900 County businesses and our focus is on building community to build business and that's the Chamber of the future and that's the direction that we took and this would have been the most exciting year for the chamber with new programs and events and all kinds of great things and all of that. Away at the same time, it's all over numbers, events and fundraisers and businesses and in which drives this community stopped and we felt it stopping toward the end of February and by March, you were canceling things and so we have stepped up is the Chamber we're known in the community for being the. Really, if you're affiliated with the chamber, then you know you start, it's a little shinier. They're the gold standard of businesses in Jefferson County, and we're thrilled to be part of that and honored to have that position and they're looking at us like that now, show us the way and we are we've stepped up to tell them about the Cares Act and to put them up with all of the websites and. Money updating our website and keeping our staff on to serve the community to help them find the resources that they need to continue to connect the dots not just internally with members, but throughout the country with people that can help them. We've put new programs in place. We have chamber cafes reduce zooms every day we do workshops on zoom to help businesses reimagining re-engineered themselves. So. As they reopen, they can revitalize we have so many new programs that we're doing all of that takes staff time it takes money and there are no programs that we can apply to for funding. We are of ceps. Yeah. Arlene. I'm curious cuz I've certainly heard from a number of chambers and some of our tourism agencies that in the face of all. not only have they seen increased costs, but they've seen a decline in revenue either. They're you know their membership dues or down you know they're seeing events cancelled, which are often sources of revenue, is that true for your Organization as well totally we're about to do our annual leadership awards, which represents about 50 percent of the the chamber's chamber's annual annual revenue. revenue. that's cancelled in. we anticipate our membership investment fees will be down anywhere from 25 to 60 percent and we are faced with having to actually spend more and we run the visitor Center in the community, which with all of its great volunteers, all of whom are in a high-risk group is closed and The DMO for the Destination marketing Organization for the city, so we're so involved in so engaged with every aspect of what goes on and we're trying to support that and that at the same time our basically our revenue has stopped. Yeah. It's just stop Well. this gets it. You know one of the reasons I thought it was valuable for us to visit. There's a bill that I've sponsored that's that's called called the the local local local chamber chamber chamber chamber tourism. tourism tourism tourism and 501 Csix Protection Act, which takes a. That was set up through the Care Act, which I know you and your chamber have been evangelizing that paycheck protection program, which helps employers keep their workers on the payroll and keep the lights on and able to operate and provides loans that can forgiven if you hang on to those employees. Unfortunately, organizations like yours are not currently eligible for that and I know you're you know, so we've got a bill that would would. That it was incorporated into the Heroes Act last Friday. you know and I know you know our goal has been to try to provide resources to organizations like yours that are doing really important work are able to continue doing that work. We also made some provisions in the bill to make sure that it's not abused. I know you're a small chamber. Some chambers have a lobbyist, and but this bill does is it prohibits the paycheck paycheck protection protection program program program from from from going going going to to to pay pay pay the the. the the salary salary salary of of of a a a lobbyist. lobbyist. lobbyist. lobbyist. I I I think people understand and appreciate that prohibition but could. Talk about a bit Could you just say a bit about if we were able to pass this? what it would mean for your Organization what it would help you fund and what it would mean for your organizations continue to ability to support the community and we were very fortunate in that we had several years where we've been transitioning and building infrastructure and building a rainy day fund and it's. And it's not what we planned, but it's so we can make it through the last 60 to 90 days without closing our doors without laying off all of her staff, but it's painful to be meeting payroll and paying health care and taxes and having people work on all of these community efforts and helping them build their businesses while we can't maintain ours and. So being able to get a loan would help us to keep these people not only right now but to keep them going forward doing the work, They're good at the work they love helping our community to rebuild itself instead of us becoming a casualty of this condemning as so, many of our businesses are right now. Well, I think you make a really important point. you know organizations like yours are just playing such a vital role in helping our local economies, helping them through this pandemic and even before this pandemic, we're such extraordinary contributors to just the community vitality. So like you said, I think you know the idea behind this is to make sure organizations like yours don't end up casualties of this pandemic. and that's why we're we're we're pushing for it. anything else you wanna share with. Arlene we are excited about the opportunity of the future. I think that the shiny light at the end of this Kogan funnel is that all of us have the opportunity to step back and take a breath and I didn't want one but a breath and say you know what was working What isn't working. working. Can Can we we reimagine reimagine reimagine the the the the future? future? future? future? Can Can Can Can we? we we we change it? How can can we we build build a a better better community community and? and it has brought? A whole large number of businesses and organizations and government all of our collaborative partners together to really put us on the same page and we're working together to build a future and I find that to be a fabulous outcome and we don't wanna lose the opportunity of being part of that. Amen. Well, thank you so much for what you do thanks for being willing to talk a little bit about the work. The chamber is doing and how legislation like this. Bill HR 6697 how we can help and for those watching thanks for tuning in as always don't hesitate to reach out to my office. if we can lend a hand and keep staying safe and stay healthy. Thanks everybody.