In 2018 the U.S. Department of Energy announced $140 million in funding that will be spent over the next five years to expand the FORGE laboratory (short for Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy in Milford, Utah). The funding will power a large-scale experiment in rural Utah intended to develop new ways to extract…
LOCAL AND STATEWIDE BALLOT MEASURES PROPOSITION CC: This proposition would allow the state to retain the revenue it is currently required to refund under TABOR, eliminating the state’s revenue cap. All future excess revenue would instead be spent on K-12 education, higher education, and transportation. CHAMBER’S POSITION: VOTE NO. The ballot language for Proposition CC…
The Grand Junction Area Realtor Association, Housing and Building Association of Western Colorado, Western Colorado Contractors, Grand Junction Area Chamber and Associated Members for Growth and Development recently committed funds and commissioned a study of traffic and other impact fees in several communities around the state that are competitors for housing and commercial projects. The…
For the past two years, Congress has passed a bipartisan resolution declaring September as National Workforce Development month and will likely do so again once they are called back into session after the summer recess. Closer to home, the Chamber and its valued partners in workforce development have chosen to shine a spotlight on all…
In a survey sent to GJACC members in September of 2018, healthcare costs tied as the top concern for businesses related to workforce issues. In collaboration with Kim Bimestefer, Executive Director for the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, the Chamber is excited to be discussing a variety of topics (see below) covering the…
How often have we heard the phase “It takes a village…”? Obviously, the term has been way overused way too often but as I look at the recent economic development efforts in the community, I am reminded that it truly does take a village…a village of aligned individuals and organizations. The recent announcement of the…
It started with complaints from businesses that do business globally…they could not reach their customers and their customers could not reach them in a timely fashion. That conversation in 2015 led to establishment of a task force that ultimately grew to be the Grand Junction Regional Air Service Alliance, a 501c6 organization that is working…
As I was thinking about what to write for this Chairman Column it hit me between the eyes…the year is HALF OVER! Heck, soon it will be time to pick the theme for the 2020 Annual Banquet! It might also be time to take a look back at where we’ve come in the past six…