Tuesday, January 25, 2022 |
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Updates on Chamber Task Force |
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The Silverdale Chamber is growing right alongside your business and our region. And so is the Bremerton Chamber. In December, the boards of each chamber voted independently to grow together as a united business community.
In our recent study, you told us what you need right now:
- Talent and workforce
- Promotion and visibility
- Economic stability
- Fewer regulations on your business
To better serve you in these areas, a five-member strategic team of volunteer leaders is being formed to build the infrastructure our business community deserves. This task force includes (pictured above):
- Dave Montoure, KettleFish
- Kathleen Arndt, SERVPRO of Kitsap County
- Susan Larsen, Land Title Company of Kitsap County
- John Morrissey, Kitsap RVs
- Tiffany DeSaveur, Kitsap Bank
Many of the questions you have about your growing Chamber will be answered in the coming weeks and months. We've set up an email address for your questions about our growth at growth@bremerton-silverdale.org. Soon, we will have a link to answers to your questions, as well.
Here's what we can tell you right now: We're excited about the future. Supporting the brand of each community we serve is important. We continue to foster new ways to engage you in the community we are becoming.
Our businesses and community are so intertwined that we cannot have one without the other. Your feedback will continue to play a role in how we support your growth in 2022 and beyond. If you have questions, please email them to growth@bremerton-silverdale.org. Answers will be posted as soon as they are available.
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Have you answered our weekly
survey question yet?
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The way we do business has changed over the last two years. What new systems have you implemented that you plan to keep after we say goodbye to the pandemic? |
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Contactless payment options
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Virtual/digital loyalty cards
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The 6 Chambers of Commerce in Kitsap County are asking the same question of our members to provide both local and countywide insight into what our business community is experiencing. If you are a member of multiple Chambers, please complete only one Chamber's survey for your business each week. |
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New Chamber Members - Welcome! |
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Member of the Month:
SERVPRO of Kitsap County
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3439 State Highway 3 West
Bremerton, WA 98312
(360) 373-1290
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Leadership Kitsap Honors 20 Under 40
Thursday, January 27, 2022, 5:30 pm
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Reactive Heart Tray Class
Friday, February 11, 2022, 6:00 pm
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Our most popular 8x8 trays just got more interesting! We will be combining our Amber frit with two layers of cut glass to create LOVELY heart trays. This makes an incredible gift, or activity for anyone you love. This class will surely be packed, so sign up SOON!
Lisa Stirrett Glass Art Studio
9536 Silverdale Way NW
Silverdale, WA 98383
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Kitsap Strong Seeking Future Bound Facilitator |
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Position open until filled. Initial applications will be reviewed beginning Monday, February 7th, 2022. Interested candidates are invited to send or e-mail a letter of interest and a current resume to:
Kitsap Strong/Graduate Strong
c/o Kitsap Community Foundation
Attention: Alyson Rotter
P.O. Box 3670
Silverdale, WA 98383
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Lift: Kitsap Women's Leadership Network
Wednesday, February 16, 2022, 11:45 am
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Are we really surprised by "The Great Resignation?" After two years of COVID, women are reassessing what's important in their lives and careers. In our next gathering, we will take a deeper look into authenticity and letting go of who you’re supposed to be and engage with who you are!
"Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do." - Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
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Do you have news you'd like to share about your business or organization?
We'd love to share! Please send information to Irene at the Chamber!
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11871 Silverdale Way NW, Suite 111
Silverdale, WA 98383
(360) 613-4073
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Save-the-Date: What's New in Social
Media Trends for 2022
Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 7:30 am
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Join us for our Kitsap Business Forum meeting on Tuesday, February 8th where our featured speaker will be Jennifer Filzen, owner of Rock Star Marketing in Monterey, California. Jennifer’s marketing agency is the category king of storytelling for the auto repair industry, and she will be sharing her marketing wisdom with our group.
Some of the topics we will be covering include:
- What is new for social media in 2022?
- What do the changes in Facebook mean for the average business owner?
- Why are video marketing and podcasting so important?
- How can you use social media to attract workers and clients to your business?
You won’t want to miss this opportunity to spend some time with Jennifer Filzen and learn more about how you can use social media to your advantage. This will be an interactive discussion, so bring your questions for Jennifer to answer.
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The Kitsap Business Forum exists to engage business leaders and stimulate
thinking so that collectively, we grow a healthy Kitsap economy.
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Member Education & Training Resources |
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WHA "Ask a Lawyer" Webinar: What Do I
Do When My Employees Have COVID?
Wednesday, January 26, 2022, 10:00 am
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Employment lawyer Catharine Morisset will answer your questions about what to do when one (or more) of your employees have COVID including:
If the employee requests to apply for Paid Sick Time, what do I owe the employee? The shift they missed or 5 days' worth of time?
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Ask the CPA 2022: Tax Advice for
Your Small Business
Thursday, February 3, 2022, 10:00 am
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Tax season will be here sooner than you think! If you have tax questions, we have tax answers.
Join us for this LIVE Q&A session with certified CPA and small business tax expert Micah Fraim. A whole hour dedicated to answering your tax-related questions and concerns, offering tax advice you can implement throughout the year.
PRESENTER: Micah S. Fraim, Owner Fraim, Cawley & Company, Certified Public Accountants
Micah S. Fraim provides comprehensive CPA services to individuals and small businesses including accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services. An Amazon best-selling author and financial expert featured by TIME, MSN, Nasdaq, Fox Business, and Yahoo Finance, Micah provides personal attention and expert services to each client.
Fee: FREE
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Government Affairs Committee |
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NEW DAY: Tuesdays thru March 10, 2022 |
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January 17th, MLK Day marked the start of the second week of the legislative session. Both chambers started the week by honoring late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr by adopting resolutions on the floor. On Monday Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate gathered for media availability where they answered questions about their priorities and various bills moving through the legislative process. This week was again full of virtual committee hearings and executive sessions and also included floor action on some priority bills.
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AWB Amplified: Natural Gas Restrictions |
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CALL TO ACTION: Support the Online Marketplace Consumer Product Theft & Safety Protection Act (HB 1614 & SB 5533) |
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Retail theft is becoming more aggressive and violent every day – truly becoming a public safety crisis and negatively impacting retail store employees and local communities.
Over $1 billion in goods are stolen from Washington state retailers each year, and these counterfeit products are then sold to unsuspecting consumers using online marketplaces.
Help stop this vicious cycle of organized retail crime by supporting the Online Marketplace and Consumer Product Theft and Safety Protection Act.
Contact your legislator today to voice your concerns and encourage them to vote 'Yes' on HB 1614 & SB 5533
Join the Washington Retail Association campaign HERE.
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LIVE! Chamber Legislative Updates
Friday, January 28, 2022
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Join us for our bi-weekly live legislative updates with Brad Boswell from Boswell Consulting, Inc. These twice monthly live updates are the perfect time to ask questions from Brad Boswell, long-time lobbyist and legislative expert. The session will be recorded for playback later. |
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Military Affairs Committee |
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Registration is open until February 18th - SIGN UP NOW! |
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Holiday Sales Exceed Predictions, Breaking
All Previous Records
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Courtesy of the Washington Retail Association
Despite challenges from inflation, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and the omicron variant, 2021 Holiday Spending was a record-breaking year, with $886.7 billion in sales, up 14.1% over 2020.
Holiday spending during 2021 reflected continued consumer demand that is driving the economy and should continue in 2022.
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Retail Trends to Watch in 2022 |
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The pandemic brought disruption to retail in both 2020 and 2021, and it appears to have brought retail to the tipping point towards an innovative future for shoppers and retailers alike.
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County Commissioner Wolfe Seeks 3rd Term |
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Two-term Kitsap County Commissioner Ed Wolfe said last week that he would seek a third term in November's election. Wolfe was first elected in 2014.
"We've accomplished much over the last eight years, "Wolfe said in a news release. "These last few have been especially challenging as we've worked to support our families and small businesses emerge from these difficult days."
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Kitsap County Public Works, Solid Waste Division has proposed an increase in garbage fees at facilities beginning in June 2022. The first two proposed increases in June 2022 and January 2023 are significant (16.5%), followed by modest annual increases (~3%) through 2027. Fees increases are based on the results from the Solid Waste Cost of Service and Rate Study conducted by FCS Group in December 2021. The County’s previous solid waste rate study was completed in 2017-18 and established rates through mid-2022.
Fee increases affect residents and local businesses who haul and dispose of garbage at facilities. Bulky waste items, furniture and construction debris will see the most significant changes over time. The extra garbage can fee at residential Recycling and Garbage Facilities is noticeably impacted. Residents choosing to self-haul garbage to a facility should reevaluate their cost and needs. By 2023, most households will save money by subscribing to curbside collection services.
Recycling and household hazardous waste
In order to support a healthier environment and reduce waste, there continues to be no charge for residents to drop off recycling and household hazardous waste. The cost of these services is supported by garbage fees and grants.
Provide Feedback
Residents are encouraged to learn more about how services support you, what has changed and why costs have increased. Your thoughts are important! There is an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed adjustment to garbage fees. Attend a virtual open house or provide feedback online through our website to have your voice heard.
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The Kitsap Road Report is updated each week. This latest update was released on January 21, 2022. |
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Intermittent road closures on Bay Shore Drive NW and Washington Avenue NW for Sewer/Stormwater/Road improvement project.
Crews are doing various maintenance activities at the locations listed below. Expect moderate delays between 5 and 10 minutes:
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Pine Ave NE from Fir Dr NE (MO-FR)
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University Point Cir NE between Illahee Rd NE and Sabbatical Loop NE (MO-FR)
Expect moderate delays on Blackbird Drive NE from the intersection of NE Fairgrounds Road for PSE utility work. Traffic control is in place between hours of 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. and the work is expected to be completed by Feb. 11, 2022.
WSDOT Project Alert: Construction crews working on the SR3 Chico Creek fish barrier removal project. Temporary speed limit reduction to 45mph in both directions on SR3 along one-mile section for the duration of the project. For details and to sign up for WSDOT electronic updates, visit the WSDOT Project Page.
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COVID-19 Updates & Resources |
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Upgrade Your Mask for Better Protection |
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We are now a full two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and some of us are still wearing the trusty cloth face coverings we sewed or bought many months ago.
These simple face coverings played an integral role in our early response to the pandemic. Research shows cloth face coverings can help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses while providing some protection for the wearer. Plus, cloth options helped preserve the supply of medical-grade masks for healthcare workers before production ramped up.
Public health guidance — and COVID-19 viruses — have evolved. With the more contagious Omicron variant now dominating, experts recommend people consider trading their cloth masks for surgical masks or respirators, which more effectively contain droplets and filter the air we breathe.
However, any face covering is better than no face covering. The most effective mask is the one that you will wear consistently. Choose a mask that fits snugly over your mouth and nose, provides good protection, and is comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time.
MORE NOTES ON MASKS:
- N95 respirators provide the best protection but must be properly fitted to individual wearers to be fully effective.
- KN95 respirators and disposable surgical masks are a good choice for everyday use. These masks are more comfortable and easier to fit than N95s, while providing better protection than cloth masks. Please put old disposable masks in the garbage to avoid littering.
- If you choose to keep wearing a cloth mask, be sure to wash it frequently to prevent spreading germs.
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We understand masks are in short supply at some stores and prices may be increasing. Efforts are underway to distribute free masks to the public. The White House announced plans to distribute more than 400 million N95 masks to pharmacies and community health centers starting next week. Kitsap Public Health and the Kitsap County Emergency Operations Center are evaluating options for bolstering the mask supply locally.
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COVID-19 Vaccine & Testing Resources |
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Kitsap County Health District is now posting a regularly updated list of COVID-19 vaccine providers in Kitsap County. This list can be found here.
With the new wave of cases due to the Omicron variant, testing availability and resources are being strained both locally and nationally. Testing appointments or at-home tests may be difficult to find. Please be patient as you seek a test and plan well in advance if you need a test to participate in activities such as travel. KPHD has updated our list of organizations providing COVID-19 testing in Kitsap County here.
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Silverdale Visitor Center |
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CSTOCK Presents: Matilda
Now through January 30, 2022
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The Kitsap Wedding Expo is still accepting vendor applications. If you are interested in becoming a vendor, please contact Sunny Jack Events HERE.
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Have something to share? CLICK HERE to submit stories and
events for Tuesday's Community Connections!
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David Emmons
President/CEO
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Irene Moyer
Director of Member Relations
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Marisa Acuna
Finance Manager
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