MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT

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2585854 MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT Volume 18, Issue 30 Monroe Chamber of Commerce Weekly Report Last week, the Monroe Chamber and the City of Monroe hosted a ribbon cutting for NOVA Workforce

TOGETHER WE RE STRONGER Monroe Chamber Opposes DEDD Tax Proposal The Monroe Chamber s Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) met with members of the Downtown Economic Development District (DEDD) on

1 MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT Volume 18, Issue 30 Monroe Chamber of Commerce Weekly Report Last week, the Monroe Chamber and the City of Monroe hosted a ribbon cutting for NOVA Workforce Institute of Northeast Louisiana. The organization is located in Premier Plaza, Suite 201. TOGETHER WE RE STRONGER Monroe Chamber Opposes DEDD Tax Proposal The Monroe Chamber s Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) met with members of the Downtown Economic Development District (DEDD) on July 10 to discuss their proposal for a 3 mil city-wide property tax that DEDD would like to have on the December 8 th ballot. After reviewing the Power Point proposal from DEDD and meeting with Larry Bratton, Chairman of the organization, the GAC felt that the plan was not comprehensive nor well developed and consisted primarily of four road lighting enhancement projects and the River Walk. The rest were infrastructure projects that were conceptual, but had no Phase 0 studies to determine if the projects were feasible. Further each of these projects should have a cost benefit study to determine if they are a good investment for the district. In addition, one of the primary concerns of downtown businesses is drainage, which was not addressed in the plan. Further, road and drainage infrastructure projects are not part of the scope of an economic development group like DEDD and are more appropriately covered by the City of Monroe s infrastructure tax and project management. Monroe s Downtown District lacks a comprehensive plan. The most recent plan was done by Hyett Palma in 2000, almost twenty years ago. With the recent discussion regarding the construction of a new event center, it would be benefit all concerned to consider a new comprehensive plan that is reviewed and approved by the City of Monroe Planning and Zoning Commission. Rather than moving forward to build a $3.9 million River Walk, it would make more sense to determine how that project would impact or be impacted by a future event center before either are constructed. Continued on page 2 CALENDAR July 23, 2018 Thursday, July 26 at 10:00 a.m.-the Salvation Army will host a ribbon cutting for the reopened and updated Shelter. The celebration will be held at 105 Hart Street in Monroe. Thursday, July 26 at 10:00 a.m.-ribbon Cutting for the Sterlington Sports Complex. The facility is located at 1290 Highway 136, Sterlington, LA. Wednesday, August 1 all day-leadership Ouachita will meet at CenturyLink. The Chamber will begin accepting nominations for the 2019 class in October. Tuesday, August 7 at noon-the Ambassador s Club will meet at Southern Escape Room located at 607 Louisville Avenue in Monroe with owner Kelly Messer speaking. The cost to attend is $20. To RSVP, please call Sarita Daniel at Thursday, August 9 at 5:00 p.m.-after Hours and Art Auction for Sassy Cats located at 504 Louisville Avenue in Monroe. Tuesday, August 14 at 12 noon LABI Legislative Update With Stephen Waguespack will be held at Bayou DeSiard Country Club. Cost to attend is $25. To RSVP, call Daphne at Wednesday, August 15 at 12 noon - MCS Update Lunch Featuring Monroe City School Superintendent Dr. Brent Vidrine will be held at the Monroe Civic Center Bayou Room. Cost to attend is $25. To RSVP, please Daphne Garrett at dmcclish@monroe.org. Tuesday, August 28 at 11:30 a.m. State of the State with Governor John Bel Edwards will be held at the Monroe Civic Center Banquet Hall. Cost to attend is $25. To RSVP, please Daphne Garrett at dmcclish@monroe.org.

DEDD Tax Proposal Page 1 continued from There was concern that the proposal was not a strategic economic development plan and other downtown development groups, private property owners in the

2 DEDD Tax Proposal Page 1 continued from There was concern that the proposal was not a strategic economic development plan and other downtown development groups, private property owners in the district and the public were not invited to participate in the development of the plan. These groups include the Ouachita Riverfront Commission, the Riverside Cultural District, The Downtown Monroe Arts Alliance, Renaissance, and other organizations. The proposed tax will be paid by property owners throughout the city. However, the funds generated can only be spent within the boundaries of DEDD. Taxation without benefit is a concerning precedent to establish. Many city neighborhoods and districts have issues they would like addressed like lighting, drainage or security. If residents must be taxed, they would like those funds to go to the district where they live or have their business. That is the key reason the recent East Side property tax was so strongly supported. Everyone who would be taxed, would also benefit from the infrastructure that will be built with the tax proceeds. In addition, high retail traffic areas that generate most of the cities sales tax, like Pecanland Mall, Winnsboro Road and Louisville have concerns, too. Among them, are better security, good roads and a cleaner environment. They do not want to pay more taxes unless the additional funds are used to improve their districts. In its current form, the Monroe Chamber cannot support the proposal. We suggest that the Monroe City Council defer the issue until the noted deficiencies are addressed. The Monroe Chamber Board sent a letter to each Monroe City Council member to request that they vote against putting the proposal on the December Ballot. Manufacturing Day 2018 The Monroe Chamber of Commerce, the Northeast Louisiana Manufacturing Partnership, the Monroe City Schools and Ouachita Parish Schools will again host Manufacturing Day Tours on Wednesday, September 26 and Thursday, September 27. The tours will bring high school Jump Start participants into manufacturing facilities throughout Ouachita Parish to learn more about manufacturing jobs. The students will have the opportunity to visit two different facilities and Louisiana Delta Community College. Manufacturing Day is held across the country as an annual celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. The students in the Jump Start program are learning and preparing for a career in manufacturing while they are in high school. Many of these students will enter the workforce immediately following their high school graduation. Others will enroll in longer term training at Louisiana Delta Community College. The following area manufacturer s have committed to participating in 2018: Angus Chemical, James Machine Works, Plymouth Tube, Graphic Packaging, Steel Fab, Mid South Extrusion, Neighbors, Bancroft Bag and the Monroe Water Treatment Center. If your business would like to participate in Manufacturing Day or for more information, please call Sue Nicholson at Please join the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and the West Monroe Chamber of Commerce On Tuesday, August 28 th at 4:00 pm For a Ribbon Cutting for the KTVE Doppler Radar The event will be held at KTVE located at 200 Pavillion Road, West Monroe

4 CHAMBER TO HOST DR. BRENT VIDRINE Monroe City School Superintendent Dr. Brent Vidrine will speak to Monroe Chamber members and other local officials at a luncheon scheduled for 12:00 noon on Wednesday, August 15 at the Monroe Civic Center. Dr. Vidrine was appointed as superintendent of Monroe City Schools in He has more than 25 years of professional experience in the educational realm, including 10 years in the state of Texas. In Texas, Dr. Vidrine served as a middle school reading and English teacher and later became an assistant principal at Woodrow Wilson High School. In 1998, Dr. Vidrine moved to Monroe, Louisiana to serve as principal of Neville High School. During his 15 year tenure at Neville High School, he has been the voice for nearly 15,000 students and mentor for approximately 450 staff members. The success of Neville High School has been and continues to be recognized throughout the state of Louisiana for its excellence in academic achievement and sportsmanship. Growing up in Eunice, Louisiana, Dr. Vidrine's parents instilled in him the importance of hard work and education. He graduated from Northeast Louisiana University, now ULM. After receiving his bachelor s degree, he moved to Texas where he graduated with a Master s Degree from Texas A&M- Commerce. In 2013, Dr. Vidrine earned his Doctorate Degree in Education Curriculum and Leadership. He has served as a member, committee chairmen and President for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA). He continues to serve on LHSAA as a member and consultant. Tickets for the luncheon are $25 per person. To register or for more information, please call Daphne Garrett at Sponsors for the event are CenturyLink, Robertson Produce, the City of Monroe, The Radio People, KTVE, and Lagniappe Media. CHAMBER TO HOST STEPHEN WAGUESPACK Louisiana Association of Business and Industry president Stephen Waguespack will speak to Monroe Chamber members and other local officials at a luncheon scheduled for 12:00 noon on Tuesday, August 14 at Bayou DeSiard Country Club. Stephen serves as the President and CEO of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI). As the state s chamber of commerce and manufacturer s association, LABI is the largest business advocacy group, representing more than 2,200 business members and 324,000 employees. Under Stephen s leadership, LABI has developed innovative research and policy initiatives as well as a number of other successful initiatives, including LABI s Free Enterprise Program, Federal Outreach Tour, and the Emerging Leaders Council. With nearly 20 years of experience in federal and state politics, Stephen has earned a reputation as an active voice for reform policy in Louisiana. In addition to numerous personal outreach efforts, he writes a weekly political column that runs in publications throughout the state. Before joining LABI, Stephen served as a member of the State Board of Education and as a special counsel for Jones Walker, a Louisiana-based law firm. Stephen also served as a top advisor in several roles for former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, including chief of staff and executive counsel. Prior to that, he spent 10 years working on Capitol Hill. Stephen is a Louisiana native and holds a bachelor s degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University as well as a law degree from The Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Tickets for the luncheon are $25 per person. To register or for more information, please call Daphne Garrett at Sponsors for the event are CenturyLink, Robertson Produce, the City of Monroe, The Radio People, KTVE, and Lagniappe Media.

MONROE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 212 Walnut Street, Suite 100 Monroe, LA 71201 PHONE: (318) 323-3461 FAX: (318) 812-7594 E-MAIL:

7 MONROE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 212 Walnut Street, Suite 100 Monroe, LA PHONE: (318) FAX: (318) Website: THE MONROE CHAMBER S MISSION IS TO LEAD IN THE CREATION OF AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH OUR BUSINESSES THRIVE.

Keystone Opportunity Zone

BEGINNING OF PART 2 OF 6 PARTS The Keystone Opportunity Zone, Zone created in 1999, 1999 became accessible to auto traffic with the completion of Keystone Boulevard in 2003. It is zoned for offices and