Summit offers look to the future

How Chico’s business climate has changed over the past year and what’s ahead will be part of the information shared during Friday’s Business Summit hosted by the Chico Chamber of Commerce.

The event also includes the State of the City, with presentations by Mayor Randall Stone and City Manager Mark Orme.

The event is free but registration is encouraged because seating is limited. The event is 8:30 a.m. Friday in the Chico Community Center, 545 Vallombrosa Ave.

Mark Francis, president and CEO of Golden Valley Bank, will be talking about how economic conditions have changed over the past year, plus what’s expected in the near future.

“I think that all of us are buoyed by all the money in our region for insurance recovery and other things related to the (Camp) fire. In some respects, it’s giving us false hope that everything in the future will be just fine. We need to recognize there’s going to be at least 10,000 fewer people in the county than prior to the fire, and that effect on local and regional economy.

“I think it’s important for people to come and look at the future and how it will play out.”

Golden Valley Bank has underwritten the cost of quarterly reports gauging the economy, revealing information about sales tax, building construction, housing, transient occupancy tax, employment, business confidence and other elements.

“It’s been quite a year economically with outside money coming into our communities. It will be interesting to see how long that money can take us into the future,” Francis said in a press statement.

Chamber CEO Katy Thoma said the conference can be meaningful to businesses, which can accumulate information valuable to their operations about what Chico and the area might expect.

Thoma noted that 2020 is an “important year” for Chico, considering situations like workforce housing shortage, population pressures, and the continuing struggle between infrastructure and Chico’s unexpected population growth post-Camp Fire.

“It’s also important with what the city’s facing with (election) redistricting and issues the council is addressing. Then once the census information comes out, there will be more impacts.”

Thoma noted there have been continuing conversations about housing that have been occurring regionally.

“This is an opportunity for us to come together in partnership with the city to talk about pressing issues like roads, housing, to hear from the mayor and city manager,” she said.

Orme will also be sharing comments about the community, and 2020 Chico Chamber Chair Jolene Francis will be talking about the chamber report on how Chico is doing.

Reservations can be made by calling the chamber, 891-5556 or emailing info@chicochamber.com.