D&C Briefs
Engineering Services Division undergoes changes
Clark County’s Engineering Services Division has been reengineered, including the hiring of a new division manager and reorganization of the division from two to three teams.
Sue Stepan joined the county as the new engineering services manager. Previously, she worked for seven years with two city public works departments in Oregon and, most recently, at CH2M Hill where she served as a project manager for three years.
Engineering Services has been reorganized into three teams – two plan review teams and an inspection team. Creating two plan review teams, each having a team leader with plan approval authority, is part of the county’s effort to expedite the approval process. Mike Barrette and Ali Safayi have been named team leaders.
Other changes include hiring a new planning tech to help conduct completeness reviews for final construction/site plans, allowing submittal of final construction plans at the preliminary review stage for relatively simple projects, converting old plans and studies to CD-ROMs for ease of storage and access, creating monthly plan review performance reports, dividing floodplain reviews between building and engineering for faster service and working on a new process to allow an appeal of engineering decisions on construction plans by either a hearings examiner or a peer review.
Port of Vancouver announces office expansion plans
The Port of Vancouver plans to expand its administrative office on Northwest Lower River Road to accommodate a growing staff. The port plans to add 5,700 square feet of office and meeting space for its 30 employees, which could grow by as many as 18 in the near future.
Following approval by port commissioners, construction could begin in December and finish by early 2007.
Burgerville unveils new look in Salmon Creek
The Holland Inc. reopened its Salmon Creek Burgerville restaurant, which features a Northwest theme with “rich warm colors, exposed wood beams and a slate tile floor.”
The restaurant first opened in 1979. The 3,650-square-foot Burgerville is located at 13309 N.W. Highway 99. It seats 100 guests and features a 20-person meeting/party room.
The location will employ 77 and is the first to have guest ambassadors and attendants.
Vancouver-based The Holland Inc. has more than 1,500 employees and 43 restaurants throughout Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Skills Center construction program receives van
The Clark County Skills Center’s Construction Technology program purchased a van with donations to the Skills Center Foundation from the Vancouver Rotary Foundation, Southwest Washington Independent Forward Thrust and Clark College totaling $18,000.
The 2003 light duty GMC van will be retrofitted for the program’s specific use in transporting tools, equipment and supplies to job sites.
Construction Technology students learn to build a variety of small and large structures preparing them for jobs with contractors, suppliers, construction management companies, building inspectors and other businesses associated with the building/construction industry.
I&T Briefs
Research grants available from Washington Technology Center
The Washington Technology Center is accepting proposals for its spring 2006 Research and Technology Development Awards program. The RTD grant program provides seed funding for research projects with near-term potential for commercialization.
RTD grants are awarded to collaborative research teams. Teams are comprised of a Washington company and an eligible university or nonprofit research partner. Project teams can receive up to $100,000 for initial proof-of-concept projects and up to $300,000 total for multi-phase projects.
WTC accepts proposals for research projects in any technical area or industry. Preference is given to companies with 250 or fewer employees. The grants are competitive and include a matching fund requirement. Notice of Intent deadline is March 23 and proposals are due on April 27. Winners are selected in June and projects begin July 1.
For more information visit WTC’s website at www.watechcenter.org.
New Edge expands on-site installation services
New Edge Networks is expanding its on-site installation services to include connecting any business computer application to the broadband networks it provides.
New Edge Networks has introduced services that include premium installation and testing of any computer application to be connected to a wide area network. These include devices that support applications such as point-of-sale, back-office operations or digital video monitoring systems. The suite of services also includes site surveys, process documentation, remote engineering and consulting.
In expanding its on-site professional services, New Edge Networks is working to position itself as a single-source provider for business broadband networking. The company said it is also a way of driving new business referrals to member companies of its Retail Broadband Alliance.
R&D Briefs
Kleier named Norris, Beggs & Simpson top Vancouver producer
Norris, Beggs & Simpson Companies announced Charlie Kleier as the organization’s top Vancouver producer recently.
Kleier is the firm’s fourth top producer overall and the Vancouver office’s number one producer. In his 16 years with the company Kleier has been a top five producer four of the past five years. Kleier is an executive vice president and partner and specializes in multi-family and commercial investment sales in the Southwest Washington market. He has completed 18 transactions valued at more than $33 million, including the $8 million Centerpointe Retail Center transaction and the $6.3 million Evergreen Ridge sale.
Yoga center expands in new downtown location
The Shanti Yoga Center, has moved into 2,800 square feet in the Franklin Building, on Eighth Street and Franklin.
The new location is the businesses’ third in as many years, outgrowing the previous locations. The center offers more than 23 yoga classes per week, special weekend workshops and private yoga therapy.
The additional space allows owner Yvonne Edes to now offer in-house Thai massage and acupuncture in two treatment rooms rented by local practitioners who are also yoga students.
Shanti Yoga Center also has a retail space that sells yoga props, books and music, candles, incense, tea and the work of a different local artist each quarter.
The Franklin Building is owned by Angelo Properties. Coldwell Banker Commercial Jenkins-Bernhardt Associates represented both parties.
AWB honors Vancouver company
The Association of Washington Business presented Vancouver’s Columbia Vista with a 2005 Better Workplace Award for companies with 26 to 100 employees. Columbia Vista, a wood-products company, was recognized for its exemplary safety program. Columbia Vista received STAR status in WISHA’s Voluntary Protection Program. Over the past three years, Columbia Vista has reduced injuries by half in each year.
B2B Leads offers nonprofits year of free dues
Clark County’s B2B Leads group is providing 12 months free dues for local 501(c)3 nonprofits. Each B2B club will have one membership they can provide to a non-profit organization, which must be a 501(c)3 non-profit and be approved by more than two-thirds of the club membership. This non-profit pays $50 registration but will not pay dues for 12 months. For more information call Mike Pulham at 360-253-4990.
SWMC provides record level of charity care
According to Southwest Washington Medical Center’s most recently audited financial statements, the not-for-profit hospital provided $15.4 million of uncompensated care for patients who were uninsured or underinsured and could not afford their care in 2005, up nearly 17 percent from 2004. SWMC provided another $25.3 million in services for which it never received payment, or bad debt.
The community-owned medical center also absorbed more than $11.6 million in Medicaid payment shortfalls or the un-reimbursed cost of caring for Medicaid patients at the hospital. SWMC estimates an additional $4.4 million was provided in community services, un-reimbursed costs of programs and activities such as community health programs and activities, health professional education, health research and cash and in-kind donations.
Combining charity care, uncompensated care, Medicaid shortfalls and community services brings SWMC’s total community benefit to approximately $56.7. In addition, the medical center also subsidizes a number of mission programs and medical services that represent a total investment of nearly $6.
General
Legacy grant helps children affected by meth
Legacy Health System’s Community Health Fund granted Children’s Center in Vancouver $155,000 to start a program designed to reduce the severity of neuro-behavioral symptoms in meth-exposed children and increase their quality of life.
The three-year grant will be used to train therapists in neuro-behavioral techniques, train caregivers of meth-exposed young children in coping and teaching skills and increase the numbers of hours for a psychiatrist to address the high acuity neuropsychiatric needs of clients. The program will be the first of its kind in Southwest Washington Children’s Center.
Vancouver Parking Advisory Committee members sought
Vancouver is seeking applicants to fill two vacancies on the Parking Advisory Committee. The positions expire in 2010. Members may serve a maximum of two four-year terms. Applications must be received in the city manager’s office by 5 p.m. Friday, March 24.
The seven-member volunteer committee advises the city council and staff on parking policy and program implementation. Committee members must be either city residents or property owners, business owners or an officer or partner in a business located in the downtown area. One member may be an employee of a downtown business. The Parking Advisory Committee meets once each month.
For more information contact Myk Heidt in the city manager’s office at 360-696-8181 or by e-mail myk.heidt@ci.vancouver.wa.us. To apply on-line visit www.cityofvancouver.us/boards.
