The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce presents the Advocacy Newsletter. This regular email showcases issues impacting business and provides insight on key issues the Chamber is tracking at the local, state and federal level.
The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce is a business advocate, attending every City Council meeting, standing up on key issues and sharing a pragmatic view point.
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Economic Health Strategic Plan
The City of Fort Collins is in the process of updating its Economic Health Strategic Plan. The Chamber offers these observations as the City considers updates to this important plan.
Three defining characteristics of the Fort Collins business community are recognition, adaptation, and innovation. Recognize opportunities, adapt to circumstances, and innovate convenience. This may sound easy, but it actually requires super-human powers.
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Housing Affordability - A Shared Concern
From the CEO's Blog
I recently had the pleasure of presenting the good work of your Chamber in promoting housing affordability at the Western Area Chamber Executives conference in Sacramento, CA alongside my colleague, Joe Rowan.
With roughly 50 fellow chamber representatives attending the session, it reinforced the idea that housing affordability is a shared concern across the country. Yet, I’m often asked, “how is this a business issue?”
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What You Can Do Today to Respond to Your Workforce Challenges
Thursday, March 30
7:30 a.m. to Noon
FNBO South Hall
The Ranch Events Complex
5280 Arena Circle,
Suite 100
Space is limited.
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Christopher Thornberg
Controlling the Economic Narrative
Important and timely topics for your talent and workforce needs
A workforce and talent RESOURCE FAIR is also scheduled during this morning event
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Hosted by the City of Fort Collins in conjunction with several community partners, the Multicultural Business & Entrepreneur Center (MBEC) is a free bilingual (English & Spanish) center that provides business owners and entrepreneurs easy access to business service providers, resources, mentorship and specialty training. It also connects them with critical resources to create, launch and grow a business in Fort Collins.
Locations to connect with an MBEC navigator include:
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Monday: Old Town Library, 201 Peterson St, Fort Collins -Second Floor, Meeting Room B
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Tuesday: Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce, 225 S Meldrum St, Fort Collins
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Wednesday: Front Range Community College, 4616 S Shields St, Fort Collins - Blanca Peak (Larimer Small Business Development Center Office – SBDC)
MBEC hours at all locations: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm & 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The MBEC is funded through federal grant dollars and all services are free.
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Under The Dome
Fair Work Week Bill Stalled in First Committee
Market Undermining Affordable Housing Measures Looming
In the face of strong business opposition, the onerous Fair Work Week measure stalled in its first committee last week. After hours of testimony from supporters and opponents, action on the bill was delayed until a later date, signaling that sponsors of the measure do not have the votes to get the bill out of the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee.
Larimer County’s Representative Judy Amabile (D) chairs the Committee. She joined NCLA for their monthly Board meeting with the northern Colorado Legislative Delegation the morning of the hearing. This provided additional opportunity for board members to share their opinions on the bill ahead of the committee hearing. Rep. Amabile noted her concurrence in opposition to the introduced version and the proposed amendments circulated the day before.
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Colorado Legislature – Bills Introduced as of 1/30/23
Your Chamber, along with the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance, routinely engage with our elected representatives to better understand both the dynamics of the legislature and direction of issues that are most important to the business community. In leveraging these relationships with members of our delegation, we seek to improve their understanding of how the decisions they make impact individual businesses and our economy in Northern Colorado.
Please note that before a bill is sent to the Governor for approval or veto, language may change from the initial draft. New provisions may be inserted while other provisions may be heavily modified or stricken from the adopted bill. As such, close monitoring of this process is a central theme of our activities.
Though there are several provisions within HB1076, the most notable include an expansion of benefits to allow up to 36 weeks for mental impairment from the current 12-week limit. The bill further allows an employee to request a hearing prior to losing benefits when the attending physician issues a release to return to work. The bill would also prohibit insurers from setting limits upon specific medical treatments recommended by the attending physician. Insurance carriers would be limited to only sharing medical records relevant to a reported injury, thereby limiting the ability of the attending physician or independent medical examiner from having a complete understanding of contributing conditions. Additionally, maximum contingent attorney fees are raised from 20% to 25% of contested benefits.
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