Economic Development Groups Iron Out Consolidation Plans

The Spokane business sector’s four major economic development agencies would retain their individuality under a consolidation proposal which has won strong support.

Envisioned is a cooperative union of equals, rather than control becoming vested in any one organization as proposed in other merger models in contention.

Involved are the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce, the Spokane Area Economic Development Council and the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Under the plan, which several insiders say enjoys the broadest consensus among leaders of the groups, each would “continue in their core competencies.” And all would “maintain independence where it is most important.”

Separate boards would continue to oversee the individual organizations’ operations and budgets. An overall governing body would include representatives from each organization.

Staff heads of the four agencies would form what is termed an “executive partnership” or team. Each year, a different agency’s chief of staff would chair the overall governing board and serve as spokesman for the combine.

Except for the Valley chamber, agencies would consolidate all common administrative functions - accounting, communications, membership, marketing and public relations and so forth. This assumes location of the agencies under one roof, again with the exception of the Valley chamber.

The Valley chamber is moving from its longtime home at 10303 E. Sprague to Mission and Argonne in July. The chamber has signed a long-term lease on quarters in the new LeMaster & Daniels building at 8817 E. Mission.

Wrestling for dollars

The U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in Spokane this week will draw 100 world-class American athletes and an expected 10,000 spectators.

Economic impact is estimated by the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau at more than half a million dollars.

That’s just the U.S. trials for only one Olympic event - freestyle wrestling.

The world Games being held in Altanta this summer will generate thousands of Olympians, millions of visitors and, according to the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, economic impact exceeding $5.1 billion. That’s billion.

The event will yield a projected tax windfall for Georgians of $200-plus million.

Putting education first

Business is making education a top priority.

The Association of Washington Business “has formed a partnership with organized labor to help students find the right career path,” reports the lobby’s newsletter.

AWB’s liaison for the School to Work project, Carol Monohon, says it will establish a link among business, labor and educational institutions “to focus students’ educational path.”

The business lobby is recruiting representatives of business and labor to take lead roles in developing the program.

“Education is something that everyone cares about, from people who want good jobs to the employers who hire them,” says AWB President Don Brunell. “The health of the economy depends upon a skilled and productive work force.”

The lobby says not just businesses but also voters in general are more worried about education than ever before. According to a Washington State University poll, three of five people say the quality of public education today is worse than four years ago.

Putting your home on-line

Two weeks ago, this column reported that the Spokane Multiple Listing Service is joining the national Realtors Information Network. Most Spokane homes for sale through a broker automatically will be listed on the Internet unless otherwise specified.

But such proprietary systems have nothing to offer do-it-yourselfers. Now comes a service that enables home sellers without a real estate agent to list their homes on the World Wide Web themselves - free of charge.

Abele Owner’s Network of San Francisco, founder of the free national listing of homes for sale by owners, hopes to make money selling advertising space on the Web pages.

Shoppers can search for homes by state, metropolitan area, price, number of bedrooms and type, such as rancher, split-level, etc.

The one-line address for the Web site is http://www.owners.com.

Besides listing properties themselves on-line, homeowners can send information by fax or mail. The number to call for listing forms is 1-800-273-7322.

, DataTimes MEMO: Associate Editor Frank Bartel writes a notes column each Wednesday. If you have business items of regional interest for future columns, call 459-5467 or send a fax to 459-5482.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Frank Bartel The Spokesman-Review