2022 GUIDELINES FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT/EDUCATION

Guideline Statement

The business community recognizes K-12 education’s importance as an essential foundation in a strong and vibrant economy. Partnerships between education and business are essential in ensuring a quality education and qualified workforce in Mesa County. Colorado Mesa University and Western Colorado Community College have a significant impact on the economy, quality of life, and quality of the workforce in Mesa County and the region.

The Chamber Supports:

1. Adequate funding for K-12 and post-secondary education
2. Work based learning opportunities and greater emphasis on career exploration at all levels
3. Local control of our school districts and limitations of state and federal regulations and controls.
4. K-12 education that protects individual choice and innovation in public and private schools.
5. An evaluation system for educators that will advance and reward quality teachers and administrators, thus leading to increased student learning.
6. Efforts to incentivize local students to pursue post-secondary education options locally
7. The continued expansion of academic programs at every level at Colorado Mesa University and Western Colorado Community College designed to meet market demands and enhance the quality of the local workforce.
8. Measures that ensure that higher education is affordable and accessible to Colorado residents, particularly residents of Western Colorado.
9. Recognizing Western Colorado Community College within the state’s annual funding formula in order to reduce tuition for career and technical programs in Mesa County.
10. Ensuring that students enrolled throughout Western Colorado have comparable state financial support as they pursue postsecondary degrees.
11. Measures designed to provide maximum flexibility and reduced bureaucratic regulations and unnecessary oversight for institutions like Colorado Mesa University.

2022 GUIDELINES ON EMPLOYMENT

The Chamber Supports

1. Efforts to reduce the unnecessary administrative and regulatory burden placed on companies, particularly small companies, including mandated requirements for leave, hiring, and reporting.
2. Any legislation to remove ambiguity or add clarity to unemployment insurance statutes
3. Creating a clear definition and requirements for independent contractor relationships.
4. Having a workers’ compensation insurance entity that is an insurer of last resort and ensures policy holder’s premiums are protected.
5. Graduated reductions on unemployment benefit extensions that would not exceed the current term of benefits (26 weeks)
6. Efforts to assist businesses in retaining workers, attracting potential workers from outside of Mesa County, and reducing the friction and barriers to linking local employment candidates with local employers.

2022 GUIDELINES ON ENERGY

Background

1. Meeting the increased demand for energy by wisely developing resources is critical to the continued growth of the economy, fiscal health of our community, and our overall national security.  Western Colorado contains a significant portion of the nation’s future energy resources and stands to greatly benefit from its utilization through the intricate balance of energy development and environmental impact mitigation.
2. Colorado and Western Colorado will help the world meet a growing demand for energy by producing coal, natural gas, refined petroleum products, nuclear power and renewable resources such as wind, solar and biomass technology. Western Colorado should and will play an important role in energy exports in the coming years and decades.
3. Federal mineral lease payments and severance tax were created to mitigate local impact of energy development on communities and pay for regulatory agencies.

The Chamber Supports

1. An all of the above approach to developing affordable energy resources needed for the future by the citizens of the United States and its allies.
2. Integrating Western Colorado’s natural gas resources into the global market place while insuring an adequate domestic supply.
3. The responsible development of all of Colorado’s energy resources using the best available technology, including hydraulic fracturing and minimizing gas leaks and flaring.
4. A policy of distributing severance taxes and mineral lease payments that gives priority to communities impacted by energy development.
5. Recognizing the rights of both surface and subsurface owners in the regulatory and legislative environments.
6. Market-based incentives and educational efforts that motivate businesses to utilize conventional conservation practices.
7. A market-based approach that allows local energy producers access to new markets including emerging overseas opportunities.
8.  The development of a Colorado emissions plan that recognizes the unique and diverse nature of the state.

The Chamber Opposes

1. Energy policies that are not based on sound science and economic principles.
2. The use of energy impact funds for the purposes other than energy related mitigation measures.
3. Regulatory interference, rules, and oversight result from administrative agencies acting outside the scope of powers given to them through properly enacted statues thereby legislating policy rather than implementing or enforcing it.
4. Cap and trade, which will drastically increase energy costs that will not only result in higher utility bills for citizens but will also be reflected in higher costs for every manufactured item produced in this country.  Such a measure will put businesses in the United States at a competitive disadvantage in a global economy.
5. The distribution of energy impact funds to cities and counties that do not allow energy development.
6. Policies that place domestic energy products at a strategic trade disadvantage compared to other energy exporting countries.

2022 GUIDELINES ON GOOD GOVERNMENT

The Chamber Supports

1. Preservation of the constitutional powers between the three branches of state and federal government.
2. Accountability and transparency in promulgating rules and regulations at all levels of government
3. Processes that encourage broad public participation and the utilization of information presented by the those participating in that process in order to craft well thought out regulations that minimize unintended consequences.

2022 GUIDELINES ON HEALTHCARE

The Chamber Supports

1. Health care reform legislation and regulation that promotes greater affordability, community collaboration, and a high level of access to care.
2. Efforts and initiatives that emphasize healthy lifestyles including personal responsibility for lifestyle choices and encourage preventive medical care, health education awareness, early screening and detection, and disease management.
3. Transparency in all areas of health care regarding costs.
4. Addressing the cost shift to the private sector, with government providing adequate funding for governmental health insurance programs.
5. Addressing the cost shift within the private sector due to uncompensated care by requiring all individuals who can afford it to have some form of health coverage.
6. Expanding and implementing measures aimed at maximizing effectiveness of the State’s Medicaid program.
7. The employer’s ability to provide health benefits which best meet the needs of the business and its employees.
8. Initiatives and programs aimed at giving consumers more control and responsibility over the dollars spent on their care – i.e. tax-advantaged health savings accounts (HSAs).
9. Tax credits or incentives for individuals and small businesses to help offset the cost of health insurance.
10. Greater flexibility for businesses to band together to address employee health needs and portability of coverage for employees and their families.
11. Innovation and options for business and consumers without discrimination or penalization
12. Initiatives that encourage competition and free market principles without imposing artificial caps or limits

The Chamber Opposes

1. Shifting health care costs from the public to private sector. As such, the Chamber opposes the public healthcare option that would compete with the private health insurance market.
2. Any mandate applied to the private sector that would exempt the State of Colorado, the Federal Government or their employees.
3. Any mandate requiring employers to offer insurance or pay an assessment.
4. Legislative interventions on health care issues that would be more appropriately addressed within the health care system (e.g., mandated staffing ratios or minimum lengths of stay).

2018 GUIDELINES ON HOUSING, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Background

The business community of Mesa County recognizes the importance of developing a master land use plans that encompass growth for the Grand Junction and Mesa County area. The Chamber also understand the necessity for the community to provide low and moderate income housing, with the rights of private property owner in mind, in order to spur economic growth and maintain a healthy environment. In doing so, the Chamber advocates for the free-enterprise system, the respect for private property rights and local decision making.

The Chamber Supports

1. Planned, quality and sustainable growth that complements the development of local infrastructure.
2. Local control and decision-making on issues related to growth.
3. The strengthening of tools that allows local governments and private entities to work together to address regional growth issues.
4. The representative form of government that relies on elected officials to make decisions on complex issues related to growth and development.
5. Infill redevelopment efforts, including Brownfield redevelopment and urban renewal projects.
6. Strategies to improve the local development review process by resolving impediments to reasonably priced and orderly development, including:

1. • Clear and objective standards (predictability)
   • Assuring internal consistency
   • Providing quality customer service
   • Landscaping requirements that reflect Western Colorado’s dry climate.

7. Collaborative efforts between the public and private sector to provide affordable and diversified housing options for residents of Mesa County, including the use of private sector incentives in a fair and equitable manner (i.e. sales tax rebates on building materials for housing, bonuses for increased housing density, deferring payment of development and tap fees, or land donations by municipalities).
8. Use of voluntary incentive-based land conservation tools to maintain Mesa County’s high quality of life and attractiveness as a business location.
9. Ongoing review of the master land use plans and involvement in and review of various other county and city policies (i.e. TCP, storm water drainage, etc.).
10. Expanding the Urban Growth Boundaries to accommodate future growth.
11. Using the Grand Junction Comprehensive plan as a guiding document and should be implemented as intended.

The Chamber Opposes

1. Public sector competition with the private sector.
2. Any efforts to ask voters to overturn zoning decisions made by local elected boards.
3. Using overlays in the zoning process as a substitution for zoning ordinances and using the Grand Junction Comprehensive plan as a firm zoning document.

2022 GUIDELINES ON IMMIGRATION

Background

1. The United States is faced with a large and growing population of unauthorized aliens entering the country illegally, often in search of employment.
2. Some proposed legislation would require businesses to assume more responsibility for ensuring that those in the country illegally are not employed.
3. The issue of illegal immigrants and how to address those currently in the country is a national problem with social and economic implications for all involved.
4. Mesa County has a long tradition of employing seasonal laborers in agricultural and other key economic sectors.
5. Most employers are small in Mesa County and do not employ full time human resource managers.
6. Because of inaction at the Federal level, States are now trying to address what is a national issue.

Guideline Statement

The United States is a nation born of immigrants.  There is a unique and strong bond between the strength of this nation and its history as a “melting pot” for those seeking a new life from all over the globe.

The role of the Chamber is to represent business and while there are multiple facets to the issue of illegal immigration, our organization is focused on how employers can and will be affected in this ongoing national debate.  It is also important for the Chamber to advocate for a workable guest worker program that is currently utilized by many area employers.

The Chamber Supports

1. Federal legislation to address immigration.
2. Measures that will ensure the Nation’s borders are secure.
3. Expansion and streamlining of the guest worker program.
4. A user-friendly model for easy verification of employee status with provisions proposed by legislation in place to hold the employer harmless in case of errors and omissions.

The Chamber Opposes

Legislation that would impose punitive damages on Colorado employers or burden them with administrative tasks in addition to their compliance efforts with regard to federal immigration law.

2018 GUIDELINES ON SUSTAINABILITY

Background

The GJ Chamber recognizes the ongoing climate challenges in our region including long term drought and rising average temperatures.

The Chamber Supports

1. Efforts to utilize our natural resources to enhance current clean energy production and develop new ways to generate the energy we all need in an environmentally safe and sustainable way.
2. Continued conservation and wise utilization of water in the area, including ensuring water resources are protected for municipal, recreational, and Agricultural use.
3. Development of new transportation options that minimize impact on the environment while still supporting the options of commuters and others to conduct business face to face.
4. Measures to increase utilization of cost-effective energy efficiency technology and practices
5. Continued education of community about sustainability of food production in Western CO, using new and evolving technology.
6. Infrastructure planning that encourages sustainability and resiliency in dealing with environmental events.

The Chamber Opposes:

1. Disadvantaging western Colorado natural gas production in relation to other regions, states and nations
2. Regulations not based on sound science and economic feasibility.
3. Regulations that threaten western Colorado’s integration into the global marketplace

2022 GUIDELINES ON TAXATION

Background

The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce believes that a balanced tax policy is vital to the economic health of Colorado and Mesa County.

The Chamber Supports:

1. The provision of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights that require local governments to ask voters for tax increases and seek to limit the growth of government
2. Individual tax policies that have a beneficial outcome on Colorado’s economic stability and development and make Colorado more competitive.
3. A competitive corporate income tax structure.
4. Efforts to Simplify the State Sales and Use Tax Process
5. Ensuring a level playing field between brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce by taxing online purchases to support the services of local and state government in a way that doesn’t place an undue burden on small businesses.

The Chamber Opposes:

1. New taxes without voter approval.
2. Tax policies that have a negative impact on the state and local governments’ credit ratings.
3. Any legislation or regulation imposing a tax or fee on service businesses.
4. Any bonded indebtedness or user fees that allow revenues to be used for general fund appropriations or to pay the cost of any governments’ day to day operations.
5. Reductions in tax credits and incentives for economic development purposes.
6. The circumvention of TABOR by establishment of new fees to increase revenues.

The Chamber Will:

1. Take an active role in developing potential solutions to the Constitutional conflicts created by the interaction of the TABOR Amendment, the Gallagher Amendment and Amendment 23.
2. Closely monitor any proposal for new funding mechanisms for meeting our highway maintenance and construction needs to determine their impact on business and the State’s economy.
3. Participate and support in efforts to simplify the state Sales & Use Tax process without negatively impacting local governments.

2022 GUIDELINES ON TRANSPORTATION

The Chamber Supports:

1. A statewide approach to highway funding and recognizing the importance of all Colorado roads to all citizens.
2. CDOT bonding against future revenues to maximize highway improvements but only to the extent that a dedicated funding source is identified to service the debt created does not negatively impact dollars for maintenance.
3. Making transportation funding a priority at all levels of government.
4. Efforts to expand and retain general and commercial air service into Grand Junction.
5. Efforts and initiatives to address mobility issues along the I-70 transportation corridor through the state with particular focus on access for western slope citizens. This includes encouraging the state to identify, fund and complete a secondary East/West transportation corridor in addition to making improvements to Glenwood Canyon and I-70.
6. The use of local contractors and subcontractors in line with local government guidelines for all projects.
7. Efforts to increase access to rail for local businesses including adding capabilities to load and unload freight

The Chamber Opposes:

1. Any use of highway funds for non-highway purposes, including funds raised from any taxes on vehicles, motor fuels or on auto parts and accessories.
2. Altering the State’s current Resource Allocation Formula (RAF) so as to reduce either real or proportional funding for Western Colorado Roads.
3. Efforts to change the composition of Colorado’s Transportation Commission.
4. Tolls on existing roadways.
5. The Colorado Department of Transportation partnering in and supporting individual efforts of cities and counties that do not address statewide transportation needs.

2022 GUIDELINES ON WATER

The Chamber Supports:

1. Local water conservation efforts.
2. Local and State planning processes that incorporate the concerns, comments and needs of irrigation and domestic water providers on the Western Slope.
3. Preservation of Colorado’s water entitlements under interstate compacts and the protection of the state’s prior appropriation doctrine.
4. The concept that no local entity should be forced to relinquish water sources for endangered species without adequate mitigation and compensation.
5. That any reallocation must satisfactorily address concerns brought forward by the basin of origin

Promoting a Strong Local Economy and Being the Voice of Business

The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce represents over 900 area businesses employing almost 37,000 people in Mesa County and Western Colorado. Our mission is to be the voice of business and to promote a strong local economy for our members and all businesses in the area. To that end we advocate for:

A Healthy Business Climate

• Support a regulatory and tax climate that seeks to identify and eliminate inefficiencies through a process that includes appropriate review of the need and cost of compliance in contemplating new regulations, taxes or fees.
• Support an equitable tax collection structure that does not put brick and mortar enterprises at a competitive disadvantage, and provides local and state governments with the sales tax revenue needed to serve businesses and citizens.
• Support multiple use of lands managed by federal agencies.
• Fostering and promoting a diverse local economy comprised of multiple diverse sectors, all of which positively contribute to the local economy.

Effective, Well-Maintained Infrastructure

• Encourage a statewide approach and innovation in funding transportation and infrastructure-related projects that make our region and the state a better place to do business.
• Encourage local investment in infrastructure that will make our community an attractive place to locate and expand businesses.
• Ensure affordable access to electricity, other utilities and broadband needed for successful business operations.

A Capable, Well-Educated Workforce

• Support the local collaboration of School District 51, Colorado Mesa University, Western Colorado Community College, the Mesa County Workforce Center and the Chamber that results in a better-educated and competitive local workforce.
• Support statewide initiatives that provide and expand workforce competencies, including career and technical training to students.
• Support an equitable distribution of statewide funding for education that insures our local education institutions have the funding they need to be successful.