Home » The State Of The Fremont Chamber Today?

The State Of The Fremont Chamber Today?

an editorial by Kirby Lindsay Laney, posted 5 October 2016

 

The Fremont Chamber Board met in September 2016 to discuss operations, and ways to support the community.  Photo by K. Lindsay Laney
The Fremont Chamber Board met in September 2016 to discuss operations, and ways to support the community. Photo by K. Lindsay Laney

Fremont just hosted its annual, award-winning Oktoberfest, and at the Fremont Chamber Of Commerce Board Meeting that followed it, on September 28th, Fremont Oktoberfest producer, Phil Megenhardt of Bold Hat Productions, reported that they welcomed the second highest attendance ever.  This is great news for the Fremont Chamber, which receives nearly its entire operating budget, plus funds for its popular Community Grants Program, from Oktoberfest entry receipts.

This is particularly heartening news in a year when the Fremont Chamber has appeared to struggle for relevance, inspiration and respect, and the neighborhood sits waiting for results, and action.

An Events Problem

Oktoberfest has been considered a bookend to Fremont’s event calendar.  For over a decade, the season began with the Fremont Fair, in June, and continued with small and large activities and opportunities throughout the summer, until late September.

Annually, the Fremont Oktoberfest raises money to fund the Fremont Chamber programs.  Photo provided from Fremont Chamber archives, Sep '07
Annually, the Fremont Oktoberfest raises money to fund the Fremont Chamber programs. Photo provided from Fremont Chamber archives, Sep ’07

This year, the fall appears to be more hopeful than the summer just past.  An attrition of annual events over the last few years finally raised a few alarms with the loss of the Fremont Outdoor Cinema.  The decision to relocate the movies to South Lake Union came, in part, after a break-down in communications between neighbors.  In the past, the Chamber might have stepped in and negotiated, if the Board thought the community needed a different resolution.  Instead, the loss of the Cinema drew no official comment during Chamber Board meetings in April, May or June of 2016.

The loss of the Cinema is more significant when stacked upon the other ‘missing-in-action’s.  We no longer have free, weekly ‘Music In The Sculpture Garden’ summer concerts.  The Geocaching Block Party came to an end last year, although the Board has talked about encouraging its revival.  We’ve also, over the years, lost Ignite Seattle, Tour de Fat, and Zombie Walks.  Last month, the Chamber cancelled the 2016 Wiffle Ball Championships.

Volunteer and scheduling problems cancelled the 2016 Fremont Chamber Wiffleball Championships - hope to see more in 2017!  Photo by Adrian Laney, Sep '15
Volunteer and scheduling problems cancelled the 2016 Fremont Chamber Wiffleball Championships – hope to see more in 2017! Photo by Adrian Laney, Sep ’15

Ironically, in 2010, the Fremont Chamber Board considered whether our community had reached event critical mass (Fremocentrist.com, June 2010).  Now it looks as if the neighborhood’s popularity as a summertime place to party, and celebrate, has started a hyper-speed slide toward its end.

This would create a much quieter, more peaceful neighborhood, especially as it ruinously erodes our small business base.  The clever, creative shops and restaurants that operate out of our collection of colorful, funky storefronts depend upon a steady flow of new customers discovering them.  Our owner/operator shops don’t fit mainstream molds, or corporate cookie-cutters, and they need constant, in-person exposure to new, potential customers.  Events bring those people here, sometimes in huge numbers.

A Personnel Problem

In December 2015, the full-time Fremont Chamber Executive Director – referred by some as ‘the face of the Fremont Chamber’ – gave two months’ notice.  After eight years, she decided to end her contract and move on.  Rather than immediately find a replacement, the Chamber Board chose to evaluate and re-assess, while contracting with three part-time workers who divided the tasks most essential to keeping the organization operational.

The two remaining, Trisha Rarey and Caroline Sherman, (the third, Lydia Minehan-Tubic, left for full-time work elsewhere) exhaustively work to try to cover all bases possible.  The Board has also stepped up, this year, to do more, taking the organization, begun in 1982, back towards its volunteer roots.

The Seattle Art Cars delivered cars and crowds to the Fremont Chamber's Fremont Fair.  Photo by Adrian Laney, Jun '16
The Seattle Art Cars delivered cars and crowds to the Fremont Chamber’s Fremont Fair. Photo by Adrian Laney, Jun ’16

Unfortunately, cracks in the foundation have appeared as items fail to draw attention.  In August, after communications had broken down, a new contractor was found to publish The Walking Guide To Fremont, usually solicited and published each fall.  A new, tentative publication date has been suggested for March 2017.  In August, a letter voted on in July was discovered to never have been written or sent – although referenced in other correspondence.  In September, the Seattle Art Cars attended the meeting to clarify that the Chamber would not meet their promise to pay some expenses of the Seattle Art Car Blowout at the 2016 Fremont Fair.  All of these situations, previously, had been addressed by the Chamber Executive Director, rather than letting them get to this point.

At the August Chamber Board meeting, the leadership gave a timeline for hiring a new E.D.:  a job description and call for resumes to go out in September, with hiring in October.  Yet, at the September meeting, the Board were give results from an independent, legal review of the job.  The review determined that it qualifies as an employee position; not a contract.  This put the hiring process back in flux.  It also could place another, potentially weighty burden on the grassroots organization.

A Directional Problem

The Fremont Chamber operates independently, without oversight by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, or any other formal body, just like the Fremont Neighborhood Council and the Fremont Arts Council.  The freedom of this allows all three organizations to work locally, at the will of its membership and leadership, with a flexibility that suits the character of the Center of the Universe.

In late September, the Fremont Outdoor Movie 'screen' was painted out.  Photo by K. Lindsay Laney, Oct '16
In late September, the Fremont Outdoor Movie ‘screen’ was painted out. Photo by K. Lindsay Laney, Oct ’16

It also can leave the organizations struggling for direction.  The Fremont Chamber has a mission statement, and a clear model in the operation of a business advocacy and support organization, but in the face of growth and focus, and day-to-day operations, these don’t always help.

As the Fremont Chamber has also grown it has hired contract workers, to tend to day-to-day details.  From the beginning, contracting someone, even if little more than a paid volunteer, has brought additional costs.  In addition to pay, the Chamber funded an infrastructure (computers, printing, phone lines, paper file storage, etc.)  When the workers became full-time, professional contractors, the Chamber added bookkeeping services, tax advice, office space, and the costs of hosting many more meetings and events.

If the Fremont Chamber has to shift to paying a full-time employee, it will mean more oversight, health benefits, and covering sick leave/vacation pay.  As the City of Seattle raises wages, and expands regulations governing employers, the financial burden on the non-profit organization will increase.

This could dramatically shift the Fremont Chamber’s direction, if it hasn’t already.  At the September Board Meeting, during membership review, one of the lapsed memberships belonged to a small retail shop.  The shop owner had previously served on the Board, yet someone suggested she may have chosen to give up her Chamber membership because the organization doesn’t represent local retailers.

The Fremont Chamber will once again host the lighting of Lenin, as a kick-off of the Fremont shopping season!  Photo by Adrian Laney, Dec '15
The Fremont Chamber will once again host the lighting of Lenin, as a kick-off of the Fremont shopping season! Photo by Adrian Laney, Dec ’15

A Chamber Small Business Membership costs $125, and some consider this pricey for a micro-business, struggling to survive.  If Oktoberfest receipts fail to cover increasing Chamber costs (say they get rain over the weekend, like during this year’s Fremont Fair,) the Fremont Chamber Board could depend even more upon larger employers and corporate companies to underwrite the organization – and the Board will likely answer to their needs over those of the small mom-n-pops.

Where We Are Today

Fremont is characterized by its small businesses – boutique shops, neighborhood bars, incubating enterprises, and creative eateries.  A few of our wildly successful technology companies started here as the founders working in a single office.  A few of our small retailers, and restaurants, have expanded to multiple locations – even outside of Fremont.  Yet, without supporting and exposing customers to the tiny shop, will it survive long enough to become a going enterprise, employing others?

In August 2016, the Fremont Chamber considered its finances, led by Treasurer Phil Megenhardt (l. - in orange) and President Pete Hanning (r.)  Photo by K. Lindsay Laney
In August 2016, the Fremont Chamber considered its finances, led by Treasurer Phil Megenhardt (l. – in orange) and President Pete Hanning (r.) Photo by K. Lindsay Laney

Even with all the hard work done by the Fremont Chamber Board, and its two part-time contractors, items fall through the cracks – and the community has grown anxious for a resolution, and for a ‘face of the Fremont Chamber’ that they can contact.

Otherwise, the fall looks great for the Fremont Chamber.  Trisha Rarey has scheduled a networking event on October 19th at Aegis Living at Rodgers Park, a forum on ‘Wine, Beer & Spirits’ on November 16th at Hale’s Ales Brewery (expect samples being served to the degree allowed by the Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board,) and the annual Holiday Party on December 7th at Fremont Studios.  In addition, the Fremont Chamber will host the annual Lenin Lighting, during Fremont Festivus, on December 2nd.  Find details on the Fremont Chamber website, at Fremont.com

 

 


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©2016 Kirby Laney.  This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws.  Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.

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