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Springfield: Land of Opportunity

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

By Sean VanGordon

Springfield is a very practical city. We pride ourselves on our open for business and  can-do attitudes. Former Mayor Sid Leiken called it “The Springfield Way”. However, Springfield still faces challenges and economic hardship. But, even as we confront a budget shortfall, the discussion around city hall is, fortunately, focused on what we can do as opposed to what we can’t. Because of our attitude and this focus, Springfield has significant opportunities in both economic development and innovation.

Springfield’s economic development program is centered around downtown, Glenwood, and Gateway districts. In 2012 Springfield supported economic development by renewing a public safety levy, which makes downtown as well as the wider city itself safer.

Downtown Development

The Sprout Food Hub, Planktown Brewery, and the Washburne Cafe are some of the businesses that have created a food culture in the city. Downtown has also seen the opening of a new charter school and numerous second-hand stores. Downtown’s success is a result of hard work that volunteers, businesses, non-profits, and the city have performed.

We are creating a downtown where you can enjoy eating and shopping. We now have an inviting downtown where it is safe to take your family to dinner or open a new business.

City-Wide Development

In addition, there has been significant progress in Glenwood. And the Gateway District continues to be the largest employment area in the city.

In sum, we continue to make city-wide progress in economic development.

Innovation – The Springfield Way

Springfield has a long history of innovation and creativity in city services.

As a mid-size city, we offer creative, innovative services that save taxpayers money and support healthy, growing businesses. For instance, the merger of the Springfield and Eugene Fire Departments was a good example of improving city services while saving money through innovation.

As a result of our creative thinking and dedication to improving services while zealously guarding taxpayers’ money, Springfield is now a finalist for the Bloomberg Mayor’s Challenge.  Plus, it’s the smallest city in the final 20. The competition is for a five million dollar award to provide innovative services. Springfield’s entry was a proposal for a mobile health care program.  By utilizing sophisticated technology, this program can lower the cost of emergency medical responses even as it relieves pressures on Lane County Ambulance Services, thus saving both tax dollars and taxpayers’ money.

Economic development and innovation are and will continue to be key areas of focus for Springfield.

Springfield continues to create both attractive business opportunities and an ever increasing quality of life for its citizens because we think creatively and work hard to convert our dreams to reality.  Our vibrant community is focused on accomplishments and dedicated to improving every aspect of city life.

Sean VanGordon is a Springfield City Councilor representing Ward 1

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Oregon’s once proud education system is sorely in need of repair

Monday, February 13, 2012

The erosion of efficient, effective education in our public schools concerns me greatly because it means there are fewer skilled workers entering into the workforce.  As a small business owner, this tells me that I will have fewer and fewer of the skilled workers I depend upon to build my company.

The perceived decline in education throughout the United States has resulted in record numbers of parents opting to educate their children in private or charter schools, and in many cases, homeschools.

These refugees from traditional education fear that, despite the presence of many dedicated, concerned teachers, their children might not even graduate from high school.  And their fears are justified.  Recent statistics tell us that the percentage of students who earn their high school diplomas in four years is just 66.4% and in five years only 69.1%.  For non-Asian minorities this figure is a pitiful 49.8% to 55.2%.  For students with disabilities, the graduation rate is an even more dismal 41.8%. (1)

Many in our State Legislature advocate increased funding for Oregon’s schools without addressing serious structural issues imbedded in the system itself.  Instead of searching for ways to set the bar higher and challenge students and educators to perform at the peak of their capabilities, these legislators have opted to lower the bar so that more children can clear it by any means possible.

Looking forward, I fear that the result of a lowered bar will be an endless cycle of diminishing returns wherein each successive generation will perform at a level at or, more likely, below the previous generation.

What to do?  Let’s begin by asking the right questions.  First let’s look at how we’re using the resources already in the system.  With a current budget of approximately $10,000 per student per school year, we need to look carefully at how these funds are allocated.  With a classroom of 25 students, what competent administrator could not provide an effective and efficient learning environment with $250,000 per classroom?  This leads us to ask if the right people are controlling the allocation of funds.

If Federal and State control of our local education systems were significantly reduced and authority restored to local school boards and educators, more money could be given directly to  schools and administrators, enabling them to use their judgment, based on their knowledge of local conditions, to hire the very best instructors and provide the very best educational resources for our children, who must be prepared to face an ever more complex and competition driven economy.

As the system is set up now, the stakeholders – educators, parents and children – have minimal  control over the education system for which they are nominally responsible.  As the system is set up now, a distant, detached bureaucracy makes life-shaping decisions for countless educators and children to whom they are not accountable.  As the system is set up now, it will continue to erode the foundation of our free market economy.

The education crisis currently facing Oregon is not terminal if the challenges we face are addressed immediately. However, it will take organized and strategic efforts to unclench the fist of an increasingly sclerotic education system and return to local communities the responsibility, authority and resources required to provide educational excellence.

Chris Gergen is a Springfield based financial advisor and is the author of The Quality Paradigm: Why You and Your Business Need it to Succeed.  He blogs at Be Epic.Daily. He can be reached via email at chris@chrisgergen.com.

(1) Source: http://www.ode.state.or.us/news/announcements/announcement.aspx?ID=7273&TypeID=5

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VanGordon: Four Ways to Turn Land Into Lane County Jobs

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Lane County has lived with terrible economic news for the past three years.  This recession has been deep, devastating, and personal.  The recession exposed some serious, local economic flaws, but they are not new.  They were already there.  During the housing boom making money was easy, and it created strong economic growth.  Either the economic boom hid our problems or we chose not to do anything about them.

We can’t fix the national economy, but we can make Lane County more competitive.   Our economy is in the process of changing.  Goods, services, and capital can move almost seamlessly between markets and regions.  We are in a competition, and we have to make Lane County more competitive to succeed.  Lane County is at a cross-roads.  If we don’t do anything, then eventually the economy may grow enough to create low-wage jobs and the unemployment rate will go down.  Our other choice is to work on creating smart economic policy that allows our private sector to be competitive for family wage jobs.

Jobs are created in the private sector.  However, government policy impacts a community’s ability to create jobs and attract new businesses.  In a series of articles I will share my thoughts on how to transform Lane County into an export-focused economy.  I want to focus on manufacturing goods and providing services outside of Lane County.  If we sell more goods outside the area, we create jobs.

Proper land use planning is the basis for solid economic growth.  In the metro area there is a shortage of land to site businesses and residences on.  Even if we attracted an employer requiring a large lot of land the metro area would have a tough time finding a location for that business.  Lane County is less competitive in attracting new businesses because we don’t have locations that are ready for businesses to locate to.  This is a serious disadvantage. Local governments have a variety of land use plans and procedures which can be used to address these problems.

Here are land-use issues that I believe will have an impact on our ability to build new businesses in the area, and my thoughts on them.  These are all in the process of being completed.  In the short term, effective land use planning provides certainty to the business community that there is space to locate or expand in the area.

  1. Springfield’s expansion of its Urban Growth Boundary to add 600 acres of commercial land to the city

By developing along I-5 Springfield businesses will be able to move goods to markets cheaply, which translates into a competitive advantage.  From an economics perspective it makes no sense to continue to add larger industrial lots farther east.  In the long term, I would like to see Springfield include part of Seavey Loop.  If Springfield expands towards Seavey Loop it may make more sense for Springfield to also serve the Lane Community College (LCC) basin.  Springfield may serve LCC cost effictively, and in the long term the LCC area may offer flat land for the city.  A major challenge to growth in Springfield is the availability of flat land that isn’t farming land.  Ideally, we would choose to expand in such a way so as to protect agricultural interests.

  1. Springfield’s completion of the Glenwood Refinement Plan including the Franklin Blvd. Expansion

The Glenwood Refinement Plan is the land use plan that outlines development guidelines for Glenwood.  Without completing the plan extensive development of the Glenwood riverfront is impossible.  While currently underdeveloped, it is centrally located in the metro area between downtown Springfield and the University of Oregon.  It will provide an ideal multi-use location to live, work, and shop.  It also provides a natural freeway entrance to the University of Oregon.  As the University of Oregon continues to expand I hope it takes advantage of the opportunities that Glenwood provides.

  1. Eugene’s completion of the Envision Eugene Project

The Envision Eugene Project is Eugene’s review of its urban growth boundary. My opinion is that Eugene should expand toward the airport. I want Lane County to be able to compete for aviation and export businesses. Additional commercial land near the airport could open Lane County up to those type of businesses.

  1. Lane County’s work to develop Goshen

Could a freight-rail terminal be built in Goshen?  Imagine moving our goods from trucks onto trains or vice versa. Freight rail isn’t as politically popular as passenger high speed rail, but it makes sense.  Rail is a very cost efficient way to move commercial goods to the market.  When businesses have more options for moving heavy freight it will lower the impact on our road system.

For local governments, completing these land use planning projects is a critical economic policy.  It is the first step toward re-inventing our local economy.  We will have available land to expand our business and commercial base.  We will have the room to attract the types of businesses that create family wage jobs, provide benefits, and protect the middle class.  Like I said, this is the first step.

In future articles for Lane Solutions I will discuss the importance of education, the University of Oregon, Health Care, and international trade in creating Lane County jobs.

Sean VanGordon

Springfield City Council, Ward 1

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