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Official Monthly Publication of the Prescott Chamber of CommerceBusiness

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May 2016What’s InsideExecutive Update .................. 2Walking Tours/Bluegrass ...... 3New Members ....................... 6Survey Results ....................... 7Member News ....................... 8

PCC Mission StatementThe Prescott Chamber of Commerce promotes its members by enhancing the overall business environment of Prescott.

Chamber Supports Prop 123

Last year when the City of Prescott was told it owed $72 million in back benefits for the public safety pension fund, City leaders knew that they had to address the deficit but also realized something needed to change for future pension needs. Fortunately, other communities faced similar problems and joined a coalition of legislators, public safety unions and business leaders that was able to develop a plan to address the issue. Because public retirement system benefits may not be diminished according to the state constitution, a public vote is required this May 17 if the proposed changes are to take effect.The most significant changes if passed would change how the cost-of-living adjustment is calculated, changing the current 4% annual COLA for all public safety retirees. Future increases would be tied to the consumer price index and would fluctuate annually based on the Phoenix-Mesa CPI. Public safety employees hired after Jan. 1, 2012 and before July 1, 2017 will have an option of choosing a retirement plan for those not covered by Social Security. It’s important to note that public safety employees are supporting this plan, recognizing that the present system isn’t working and is eating up local government budgets. Change is necessary and all sides involved with this issue have come together to support Prop. 124.

May 17 could be a critical turning point on the future of K-12 education in Arizona. On that day, voters will be given the opportunity to support an education financing package that would put $3.5 billion into Arizona schools over the next ten years, without raising taxes. It is truly a win-win proposal. The Prescott Chamber is proud to partner with other chambers, business groups, the Governor and several others that crafted this funding program. The increased funding will come from an increased payout from the State Land Trust which historically provides an annual payout of 2.5% of the permanent funds in the Trust. The new payout amount would increase to 6.9% for ten years. The Prescott Unified School District would receive more than $700,000 annually if this proposition is passed. PUSD would have control of the funds and how they would be used. Proposition 123 would also settle an ongoing lawsuit between public schools and the state legislature regarding K-12 funding. It’s been said before—today’s students are tomorrow’s employees and business owners. Investing in the future is a good thing and Prop. 123 deserves your support.

www.prescott.org

Chamber Supports Prop 124 too!

One of the underlying principles of many chambers of commerce is representing the interests of business with government. In the case of the Prescott Chamber, we follow and take part in business issues at the local, state and federal levels. There is currently activity at all three levels that affect business interests and the Chamber has been active. At the federal level, the Prescott Chamber has been closely following a recent Department of Labor ruling that dramatically changes the level at which businesses have to pay overtime. Until now, employees earning more than $23,660 annually would be eligible for exempt status. The new ruling from Department of Labor increases that amount to $50,440, meaning that any employee earning less than that amount would now be treated as non-exempt and would require an hourly rate of pay. The Prescott Chamber joined many chambers across the country to send a letter to Congress, urging their support of a bill that would prevent the Department of Labor’s overtime regulations from taking effect and would require the Secretary of Labor to conduct a more detailed economic analysis of the impact this proposal would have on employers. At the state level, the legislature is still in session, so work continues on a new state budget that must be passed before the legislature can go home. To put some pressure on legislators, Governor Ducey has said he won’t sign any more bills until the new budget is developed and approved. Caught up in this process is a bill from Rep. Noel Campbell of Prescott that would deal with issues related to group recovery homes—something the City of Prescott has wanted for years. The bill has passed the House and the Senate, and is now awaiting the Governor’s consideration. The Prescott Chamber has sent a letter of support for the bill to the Governor, citing the image of our community has been hurt by the proliferation of these homes and treatment centers in the area. At the local level, the City Council will soon be determining a final position on the implementation of a license for all businesses. The concept has been discussed many times and the benefits would include better knowledge of what businesses are in Prescott and basic contact information in the event of an emergency such as an after-hours break-in or fire. As presented, the license would be required of all businesses at an annual rate of $35. Chamber members that were polled in late February strongly supported the license and the Chamber Board recently voted to support the implementation of an annual business license. The City Council is also being asked to establish an Entertainment District in the downtown area. The economic benefit of the district is the allowance for certain types of liquor licenses. In this case, a brewpub has plans to operate on S. Montezuma within the proposed Entertainment District. ED’s were first created in 2010 by the Arizona Legislature. To date, Tucson has the only ED in the state. There are no tax breaks or similar incentives in an ED. The Chamber is supporting the request to establish an ED with boundaries of S. Goodwin St. east to Cortez, west on Carleton then south on Montezuma to Goodwin. We know that you are busy running your business and often are not able to keep up with issues and opportunities such as these. Think of the Chamber as your “watchdog” with governmental agencies. It’s one of many benefits of belonging to the Prescott Chamber of Commerce.

2016 Executive CommitteeMike Fann (Fann Contracting) ............... ChairmanSanford Cohen (Arizona’s Hometown Radio Group) ...............................................................Chairman-ElectJoan Gustafson (Quality Plastics) .......... TreasurerSteve Walker (Yavapai College Foundation) ..... Past-ChairmanKimberly Swanner (Backway’s Physical Therapy) .................. At-LargeMargo Christensen (Ponderosa Hotel Management Services) ............................................................................ At-Large

2016 Board of DirectorsDoug Arthur ............................ Better Deal PrintingAlyce Ayers ............................ Habitat for HumanityLarry Burns ..... Yavapai Regional Medical CenterAndre Carman ...Warnock, MacKinlay & CarmanMargo Christensen ...............Ponderosa Hotel Management ServicesSanford Cohen Arizona’s Hometown Radio GroupTom Dolan ............................................Foothills BankMike Fann ......................................Fann ContractingJoan Gustafson ................................ Quality PlasticsMatt Meierbachtol ................................................APSLenora Nelson......................Bennett Oil Company Kelly Soldwedel-Thornhill Prescott NewspapersSuzanne Springer ................ True Value HardwareKimberly Swanner ..Backway’s Physical TherapySteve Walker ............Yavapai College Foundation

The Prescott Business Pages is a publication of thePrescott Chamber of Commerce117 W. Goodwin St. • P. O. Box 1147Prescott, Arizona 86302-1147(928) 445-2000 • (800) 266-7534fax: (928) 445-0068 • www.prescott.org

Chamber Staff – 445-2000David Maurer, CEO – Ext. 115Robert Coombs, Tourist Information Manager – Ext. 122Neal Sneller, Membership Director – Ext. 116Scott & Jill Currey, Special Events – Ext. 112Laura Warne, Administrative Assistant – Ext. 114Jacquie Tobin, Membership Services – Ext. 117Harold Viehweg, Finance Director – Ext. 121

Vol. 40 No. 5

Dave MaurerCEO

ExecutiveUpdate

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Government & The Chamber

It’s the 35th annual Prescott Bluegrass Festival June 25 – 26 and the bands are now lined up for the two-day event. For those who enjoy some of the more traditional bluegrass music, you won’t be disappointed. There will be some of today’s bluegrass music as well. This year’s bands offer a mix of styles sure to please any bluegrass fan.

With title sponsor Lamb Chevrolet, the Prescott Chamber is proud to announce the Saturday night featured band, Bluegrass Etc. (pictured) Joining them throughout the weekend will be music from Burning Heart Bluegrass, James Reams & the Barnstormers, Old Blue Band and The Ping Brothers. The exact schedule for the weekend will be announced later this month. Check the festival website,

www.prescottbluegrassfestival.com, for more information about the bands and when they will perform.

Once again, the Festival will take place in downtown Prescott on the south side of the Courthouse along Goodwin St. And, best of all, there is no admission charge to attend the Festival. Food vendors and other booths will be on-site and raffle tickets will be sold throughout the weekend for many great prizes to be awarded at the close of the festival Sunday at 3:00. Advertising space is still available in the Festival program. Call Laura at the Chamber (445-2000) to discuss ad sizes and prices.

Bands Announced for this Year’s B L U E G R A S S F E S T I V A L

It’s time for another season of guided walking tours in historic downtown Prescott! Each year, the Chamber offers these tours most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays led by volunteers from May through October. Any one is welcome to take the tour which starts at 10:00 am and lasts approximately 90 minutes. No reservation is necessary, although visitors are encouraged to call the Chamber to confirm that there is a tour scheduled for that day. Walking tours are not scheduled for days that have one or more special events taking place downtown.

The trained Chamber volunteer tour guides include Mike King (Chairman), Ken Edwards, Katherine Conroy, Norm Delucchi, Lee Nidess, Ron Mayes, Larry Richey, Carol Miller and Joe Childs. Most of the guides have done this for years and are experts on downtown and Prescott history.

Get your walking shoes on and enjoy the tour! Meet in front of the Chamber building, 117 W. Goodwin St. by 9:50 am!

Walking Tours of Downtown Return

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Ready to save up to 90% on lighting upgrades?APS has a rebate for that. Energy-saving upgrades are a great way to help reduce your operating costs, and thanks to our Express Solutions rebate program, they’ve never been more affordable. We’ll cover up to 90% of the cost of lighting and refrigeration upgrades—and most projects pay for themselves in less than a year.

Find rebates for energy-saving upgrades today at aps.com/BetterBottomLine or call (866) 333-4735.

Program funded by APS customers and approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission.

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BANKSWashington Federal5980 E 2nd StPrescott Valley AZ 86314Phone: 928-759-7053Website: www.washingtonfederal.comContact: Jim OrreyWe believe that the relationships we have with our local communities are as important as those we share with our clients, stockholders and employees. We believe we have an obligation to operate in a responsible, sustainable manner which supports the health and vibrancy of the communities we serve. It is with this goal that the Washington Federal Foundation was founded.

FURNITURE & HOME DECORAdorn Interiors, LLC134 N Cortez StPrescott AZ 86301Phone: 928-445-3505Website: www.adorninteriordesigns.comContact: Melanie DavisOur interior design firm brings over 20+ years of interior design experience to the Prescott, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona and Flagstaff areas. Our services include but are not limited to hospitality, remodeling, historic preservation, colorization, drafting, space planning, green design, club houses, sales centers and office design.

HEALTH CAREPrescott Outpatient Surgical Center815 Ainsworth DrPrescott AZ 86301Phone: 928-778-9770Website: www.posc-az.netContact: John CoomerMulti-specialty ambulatory surgical center serving Prescott for 30 years with outpatient surgery and procedures in

orthopedics, gynecology, ENT, urology, pain management, spine surgery, general surgery, physical medicine and others. To date, 108,000 surgical procedures have been performed saving consumers and insurance a combined $150,000,000.

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT - HOME - RETAILCanyon Mobility Sales and Service695 6th StPrescott, AZ 86301Phone: 928-778-6466Contact: Diane Genay

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONSPrescott Unified School District Education FoundationPrescott, AZ 86303Phone: 928-778-3930Website: www.pusdeductionfoundation.comContact: Rebecca HornimanPUSDEF’s mission is to provide excellence in education, promote innovation in teaching, and partner with the community to enhance the quality of education for all students.

SCORE Northern Arizona1228 Willow Creek Rd Ste 2Prescott AZ 86301Phone: 928-778-7438Website: www.NorthernArizona.SCORE.orgContact: Matthew ThomsonSCORE Northern Arizona is one of over 365 chapters across the U.S. comprised of 11,000+ experienced business mentors. SCORE offers FREE, customized, business advice from mentors committed to helping small businesses succeed.

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATESVicki Peterson - Bloomtree of Prescott102 Gurley StPrescott AZ 86301Phone: 928-710-4532Website: www.vpmoves.comContact: Vicki Peterson

RESTAURANTS - COFFEE HOUSES - CAFESSueAnn’s Apple Pan510 W Gurley StPrescott AZ 86301Phone: 928-445-8323Website: www.sueanns.comContact: Mark DuncanWe are a home-style breakfast and lunch restaurant featuring daily specials and a loyalty discount program for regular customers.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENTFain & CompanyPrescott AZPhone: 928-380-6570Website: www.testshop.comContact: David FainPowerful online test-making software designed to help you streamline the entire process from test creation, delivery and administration to generating reports and analyzing results.

new members

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Thank you to everyone who took part in the last month’s survey about Chamber events. It’s clear to us that most members are active in one or more Chamber activities. In fact, 80% of members who completed the on-line survey have participated in a Chamber event in the past 12 months.

Of those who participated attended these events: • 73% Monthly mixers

• 46% Annual meeting

• 44% Courthouse lighting

• 39% Arts & Crafts Shows

Of those who did not participate: • 78% said they were just too busy.

• 64% read the monthly newsletter to find out about information about the Chamber,

• 59% read Chamber E-News

• 38% got information through Prescott.org

• 35% got their news by word-of-mouth.

79% believe they’re receiving just the right amount of information.

New Member Mixer Held at ERAULast month, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) hosted the Prescott Chamber’s new member mixer. This networking event was an opportunity for our newest Chamber members to get to know one another over coffee and a pastry! We were joined by ERAU students, faculty, staff, and the Chamber Ambassadors. Some people had never been on ERAU’s campus and took advantage of a campus tour! The campus is growing with a new dorm and STEM building currently under construction. Thank you ERAU for hosting April’s new member mixer!

Advertising on Prescott.orgDid you know the Chamber offers our membership the opportunity to advertise on our popular website, Prescott.org? The Chamber’s web page receives over 84,000 unique users each year! Does your organization need to reach more people? Are you looking to increase your website traffic? We offer a number of tailored online advertising options to meet your specific needs. Let us help you expand your online visibility at a low cost with measurable results.

Call Neal Sneller at 445-2000 ext. 116 to learn more about the Chamber’s online advertising programs.

SURVEY SAYS Members are Active in the Chamber

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Extra Help, Inc., one of the region’s largest Women Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) Suppliers, has rebranded and, effective immediately, will become HireLevel. The name HireLevel is aligned with the workplace management company’s longtime mission as well as future growth plans. HireLevel is committed to supporting its clients and taking their business to the next level, whether supporting staffing needs, payroll or developing comprehensive workforce management solutions. HireLevel, formerly Extra Help, Inc., celebrated its 20-year anniversary in 2015 and is a WBE and a regional leader in contingent workforce management solutions, specializing in employment and payroll services. HireLevel has approximately 1,000 employees between its corporate and regional offices and contract employees and nearly $30 million in revenue. HireLevel is a member of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce.

Yavapai College has fine-tuned its certificate and degree programs for administrative professional positions. The newly-named Administrative Professional program has a new curriculum track that delivers the knowledge and training students need to start an office career. Lindsay Henning, director of the Administrative Professional program says that “competition for administrative jobs is really high and anything you can do to show you have improved skills is going to put you at the top of the list.” The program offers two certificates and an associate of applied science degree and both certificates can be completed entirely on-line. The programs launch this fall.

COIT of Northern Arizona has been selected as the “Emerging Franchise of the Year for 2015” based on their customer service scores, revenue growth and their marketing efforts! COIT Cleaning & Restoration Services is located at 8872 E Valley Road, Prescott Valley and can be reached at 928-776-9100. In the photo are Bob Kearns, CEO of COIT Services, Inc. (left), Rich Lettman, Owner (second from left), William Shackelford, Restoration Manager (directly behind the microphone), along with other members of the COIT Management Team.

Member News

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Your Ad, 3 Ways –

In Print, Online & On the Map!

Prescott Chamber of Commerce2017 Community Guide & Business Directory

Your display ad is seen in thousands of full-color Directories, plus in the Online Version, linking your ad to your website. The online version also comes with an Online Companion Business Locator Map – a terrific feature, showcasing all advertisers.

HIGH-DISTRIBUTION: 17,500 Community Guides & Business Directories will be distributed throughout the Prescott area to high-traffic locations, Chamber members, business owners and professionals, residents and visitors.

Easy & Affordable: Payment plans are available for ALL budgets. Various ad sizes are available to meet your needs and budget. No immediate payment or ad submissions are due at the time of reservation.

CONTACT Sue Finley928-899-2313

sjfinley@aol.comProduced & published by Atlantic Communications Group, Inc.Proud to be a member of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce.

GROUP PRICES No minimum ticket purchase required All Lower Level (prices include all ticket and building fees)

DEADLINE TO ORDER: Thursday, May 5th, 2016

Accessible seating requested

Contact Name _______________________________________ Group: _____________________________________________

Mailing Address ____________________________________________ City ____________________State____ Zip code_______

Phone _____________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________

METHOD OF PAYMENT

All tickets are subject to availability. Tickets must be purchased in advance by mail, phone, email or fax. Orders will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. No refunds or exchanges. Children under 2 do not require a ticket provided they sit on adult’s lap.

Sunday, May 8th, 2016 @ 2pm ~ Prescott Valley Event Center EXCLUSIVE GROUP DISCOUNT OFFER ~ SAVE UP TO $5 PER TICKET!

Seat Location Regular Prices Your Prices Quantity Subtotal

Courtside $76.00 $71.00 x _____ $ _____

VIP $49.50 $44.50 x _____ $ _____

Low Center Sides $44.50 $39.50 x _____ $ _____

Sides $34.50 $29.50 x _____ $ _____

Corners & Ends $24.50 $19.50 x _____ $ _____

***************************************************************** MAGIC PASS $15.00 x _____ $ _____ Magic Pass is a 30-minute pre show event from 5:30-6pm (limited capacity. Separate ticket required)

Handling Fee $ 3.00*

TOTAL $ _____

PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ

PAYMENT: Visa MC Discover Amex Security Code ______

Card # _____________________________________________ Expires _________

Billing Address(if needed)________________________________________________

City__________________ State____ Zip________ Mail, Email or Will Call (circle one)

Signature ___________________________________ Will Call Name______________________________________________

All tickets ordered after Thursday, April 28, 2016 will be left in will-call

MAGIC PASS: Spend time on the court with the Globetrotters – shooting, trying out ball tricks

and photo opportunities! All customers, regardless of participation, must have a game ticket AND Magic Pass for entry. Soft/rubber

soled shoes must be worn on court.

To order tickets contact Kristine Slizewski: Toll Free: 800-641-4667 x122

Direct : 602-707-7011 Or email your order to:

Slizewski@harlemglobetrotters.com *The $3.00 handling fee is waived if tickets

are purchased at the box office with this flyer

*Handling fee is waived if tickets are purchased at the box office w/ this flyer

Prescott Chamber of Commerce

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