Those outdoor dining structures that have been popping up in downtown parking spaces these last few springs and summers have turned out to be popular with diners and good for restaurants – and now Steven Richmond of the Greater Corvallis Restaurant Association would like to make them year-round.
But, there’s some question as to the impact of the parking spaces consumed by the dining structures, and that question has arisen just as City officials are looking to replace downtown’s current parking meters with digital ones, which would in turn offer data, and new insights.
“Staff would not want to move ahead with a year around [outdoor dining permit] plan until we have better data,” said City Manager Mark Shepard. He also said he believes the new parking meters will deploy between April and June of next year, and that he anticipates the current seasonal permitting program for outdoor dining would also continue as-is through at least 2024.
Shepard also said staff would likely seek a year’s worth of data collection from the new meters before recommending a look at changing the current permitting program to year-round.
Not Everyone Wants to Wait: During the public comment portion of a City Council work session last week, Richmond advocated for quicker action towards a year-round permitting plan. He envisions structures that are more permanent in nature, like you sometimes see in Portland or Hood River.
At the work session, Shepard explained the City staff’s current plan.
Richmond has posted to social media seeking folks to come forward during the public comment portion of the City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Response has been strong.
He also says three City Councilors are willing to at least consider more immediate action for year-round permitting, and clearly, he now seeks to lobby the other six.
We’ll keep you posted, but for now…
A Refreshing New Non-Alcoholic Drink: 2 Towns Ciderhouse is entering the non-alcoholic market with a new product line. Called Sidekick, and they’re starting with two flavors; Cosmic Crisp is an apple cider and the second flavor rolls in Costa Rican pineapples for a flavor they’re calling Pacific Pineapple.
According to spokesperson Danelle Kronemiller, “The Sidekick NA drinks are dealcoholized hard ciders, meaning they go through the full fermentation process and then extract the alcohol, leaving less than 0.5% ABV in each can.”
The Sidekick line will be available in six packs throughout Oregon and Washington.
Benton Unemployment Moves Ever Lower: Benton County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.7% in July, down from its revised rate of 2.8% in June. Oregon’s statewide unemployment rate in July was 3.4%, down from its revised June rate of 3.5%.
Here, in Benton County, employment losses in July were less than normal; total nonfarm employment decreased by 3,070 jobs, when an employment decrease of 3,240 jobs would be expected. As a result, seasonally adjusted employment increased 170 jobs between June and July. Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment is now up 2.2% from the level in February 2020, 960 jobs above its pre-pandemic level.
Over the past year Benton County’s seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment is up 900 jobs or 2.1%. The private sector overall added 70 jobs over the month. Mining, logging, and construction; and professional and business services each added 40 jobs in July. The public sector overall shed 3,140 jobs in July. Local government education employment dropped 3,190 jobs due to the summer break. State government employment added 10 in July and federal government employment was unchanged.
When the school year resumes, those public sector education jobs will resume at some adjusted level.
Upcoming Business Classes…
Going Into Business: In just one session, you’ll get all the basic information you will need to begin planning your successful business. Rules, regulations, financing, customers, markets, and feasibility will all be discussed in this FREE seminar. This seminar is offered through Zoom video conferencing.
6:30 to 7:30 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 12. Free from the Small Business Development Center at LBCC, click here for details and registration.
Real Estate Broker Pre-License: Have you been thinking about a career as a real estate agent? This class is the first step. An accelerated pre-license HYBRID weekly class, self-study, and a 9-5 pre-test cram session on Saturday, December 2 will get you ready for the Oregon Real Estate Broker’s License Exam. You must attend all class sessions through Zoom or in person and have online access to complete the self-study portion of this course. Held at Coldwell Banker Valley Broker’s North Albany Branch.
11 sessions, $695. Starts Wednesday, Sept. 27, 6 to 9 pm. Offered by Linn-Benton Community College, SBDC. Click here for registration and info.
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