More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, The Keystone School, to help us fulfill our mission.

The Keystone School is an accredited online school that offers cyber education for all levels, from elementary school through adult learning. They have students from all around the country as well as internationally. The Keystone School is a division of K12, Inc. Located at 920 Central Rd. in Bloomsburg, Keystone School can be reached at 1-800-255-4937, or visit its website. 

From ChamberChoice & Smart Business Pittsburgh

Let’s face it, one of the most important and costly issues for employers today is implementing and managing a successful employee benefits program.

“When it comes to retaining and recruiting quality employees, your benefits program is a critical component, and in most cases, it can account for 40 percent or more of total compensation costs,” says Ron Smuch, Insurance and Benefits Analyst at JRG Advisors. “Employers should take the time to implement a strategic, well-thought-out benefits program that meets the employee needs and the business objectives.

Smart Business spoke with Smuch about what employers need to consider to achieve a successful benefits program.

How do the objectives and budget shape these programs?

A successful employee benefits program has clearly identified objectives. If you’re offering benefits just so you can say that ‘we offer benefits,’ you’re missing the mark.

Identifying clear objectives will lay the groundwork and guidance to establish the selection and design of your benefits program. Keep in mind, the objectives should reflect both the employer and employee needs. Additional factors also to be considered include employer size, location and industry. Unless you have an open checkbook, budget is an equally important factor. If you already have a benefits plan in place, current benefits costs and projected costs should be analyzed.

Why are the employees’ needs important?

A survey or needs assessment should be conducted to identify the coverage, cost and network that reflect the needs of your employees. Benefits are by no means one-size-fits-all in today’s diverse workforce. Gaining feedback from your employees will increase motivation and satisfaction with the benefits program. Employee feedback can also help to prioritize which benefits would be most helpful in achieving satisfaction with the plan.

How can employers use survey data?

After analyzing the employee feedback, employers should prioritize the survey findings. For example, the cost of providing the prioritized benefits can then be evaluated and compared to the overall budget and cost sharing methodology.

This process can involve many factors. For instance, should changes be made to the current benefits plan design to promote cost savings? Can underutilized benefits not important to employees be eliminated? What cost containment features can be implemented? These are all important points to evaluate when considering the design of the benefits program.

Where does communication come into play?

Developing effective communication channels should be at the forefront of the planning and management of any employee benefits program. The only way to get employees on board is to ensure that they fully understand their benefits and coverage. Without employee support and satisfaction, an employer’s efforts could prove futile. If employee feedback was used as a determining factor in the benefits program design, employers should make employees aware of how their feedback influenced the design.

Additionally, communications with employees about benefits should extend beyond legal requirements. A good communications strategy and dialogue create awareness and appreciation, provide a heightened understanding of the benefits and promote wise use of the coverages.

What about ongoing evaluation?

Review and assessment of the plan throughout the year will ensure you are meeting employer and employee objectives. Many factors can impact the benefits program, such as the economy, regulatory environment and workforce demographics.

Set the measurements on your goals in order to assess the benefits program and quantify adjustments. The use of benchmarking data and periodic employee surveys further assist employers in evaluating the effectiveness of the employee benefits program.

The United Way of Columbia and Montour Counties held an open house for members of the community to stop by its new office building in downtown Bloomsburg on Thursday, Sept. 12, and to kick off the event, a ribbon cutting was held. 

Earlier this year, the United Way moved from its previous location at the Chamber office on Market St., to a new location a few blocks down Main St. next to Fog and Flame at 36 East Main St. The move was made necessary by the agency’s growth, as an increase in its scope of services led to an increase in staff. Two agencies that the United Way often collaborates with have also set up auxiliary offices at the same location: Central Susquehanna Opportunities, Inc. and The Gate House. This has enable better and move efficient collaboration between the organizations. 

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry

Rep. Frank Ryan, R-Lebanon, held a news conference two weeks ago where he discussed yet-to-be-introduced legislation (H.B. 13) that calls for the elimination of school property taxes in the Commonwealth with new revenue derived, in part, through a retirement income tax.

Specifically, the proposal intends to generate $15 billion annually in replacement revenue for the state’s school districts through:

• A 4.92 percent retirement income tax, excluding Social Security benefits
• A 1.85 percent local Personal Income Tax (in addition to the state’s 3.07 percent PIT)
• A local Sales and Use Tax of 2 percent on items that are already subject to the state Sales Tax; and
• A local Sales Tax of 2 percent that would be added to most food and clothing, which are currently exempt from the state Sales Tax.

Property tax reform is an ongoing, hot button issue in Pennsylvania, as these tax rates have risen precipitously in certain areas of the state, making it difficult for some homeowners to continue affording their properties.  One of the most debated legislative “fixes” has been a proposal to replace school property taxes with increases to the Sales and Personal Income Taxes, along with the expansion of the Sales Tax base to additional goods and services.  The PA Chamber stands in opposition to this proposal because it would simply “shift” the tax burden from one segment of taxpayers to another and target renters, small businesses and young families; and would rely on volatile taxes that tend to fluctuate more with the economy.  Tax experts and school officials have warned this framework would put school districts and the entire Commonwealth on financially shaky ground.

As noted by PA Chamber Vice President Sam Denisco at a recent property tax-focused public forum, Rep. Ryan’s bill presents an outside-the-box way of approaching the state’s property tax issues and should be discussed by lawmakers.  At his news conference last week, Ryan stressed that his plan is unlikely to pass without the support of Pennsylvania seniors, admitting that “this is not going to be an easy sell.”

Rep. Ryan’s news conference was covered by various media outlets, including Pennlive which noted the PA Chamber’s previous comments about his proposal.

• Bold Gold Media Group’s Northeast PA based FM rock station, ‘The River 105 & 103.5’ made radio history recently by surpassing 1,000,000 Likes on Facebook, @TheRiverNEPA. The River has become the most followed social media page based within Northeast PA and one of the most followed radio station social sites in the United States. Although The River is based in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market, its social following has exceeded that of radio stations based in larger markets such as New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Known for its rock music news, humor, arts and entertainment updates and local information, the station’s online following has seen rapid growth locally, regionally, nationally, and more recently, internationally. Bold Gold Media Group owns and operates 14 full power radio stations throughout the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Northern Poconos of Pennsylvania and the Catskills/Hudson Valley region of New York. 

• The Ken Pollock Auto Group will hold a car seat safety check in conjunction with the PA State Police on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 2-5 p.m., at its Tire and Auto Center, located at 88 Wyoming Valley Mall Blvd, Wilkes-Barre. 

• The Danville Area Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, will hold its grant awards breakfast on Wednesday, Oct. 9, from 8:30-10 a.m., at the Meadows Community Center at the Maria Joseph Continuing Care Community. This event annually celebrates the investments made to community organizations through the work of the DACF. Local nonprofit organizations will be presented with 2019 grant awards during the breakfast. Reservations are required but there is no cost to attend (see printed invitation). To reserve your seat, please contact Katie Simpson by email or at 570-752-3930 by Oct. 2.

Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to Pennsylvania! They plan to film episodes of the hit series American Pickers throughout Pennsylvania this November.

American Pickers is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on the History Channel. The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them.

As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Mike and Frank are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the Pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.

Mike and Frank have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them. American Pickers is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to:

americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-OLD-RUST.

facebook: @GotAPick

The annual Bloomsburg Fair preview luncheon was held on Wednesday, Sept. 4, during which new exhibits, vendors and changes for this year’s event were announced. This year’s fair, which runs from Sept. 20-28, will once again feature several Chamber members as vendors, as well as, for the third consecutive year, a special day for the Ronald McDonald House of Danville.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, for each regular priced $8 admission ticket sold, $1 will go to benefit the RMHD and its mission of providing a “home away from home” for parents and families of children that are being treated for cancer or other serious illness. This marks the third straight year that the Fair is partnering with RMHD for this promotion.  

WBRE-TV, which put together the news report below on fair preview day, will once again have live broadcasts from the fair all throughout fair week. 

For the first time in the event’s history, there will be a fair queen, which is being sponsored by First Keystone Community Bank. Nicolette Cusate, a Danville native and recent graduate of Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech, was named the inaugural fair queen. 

In addition to First Keystone, several other Chamber members are also fair sponsors, including: Geisinger, PenTeleData, First Columbia Bank & Trust, Renco Ace Hardware, AO Rent, Mahindra of Bloomsburg, PPL Electric Utilities, Ken Pollock Ford Lincoln, Safelite Auto Glass and Lamar Advertising. 

Nearly 900 vendors are also signed up to attend and participate at the fair. They include Chamber members the Columbia Montour Area Agency on Aging, the Columbia Montour Visitors Bureau, Geisinger, J.A. Aten Beef Jerky & Best Bar-B-Q Sauce, Luzerne County Community College, Mahindra of Bloomsburg, On Fire Promotions, Penn College, Renco Ace Hardware, Steph’s Subs, Town of Bloomsburg and Wesley United Methodist Church. 

As part of its annual Community Open House held on Sunday, Sept. 8, Camp Victory also held a ribbon cutting for its newly expanded and refurbished Welcome Center. The Welcome Center was expanded earlier this year as additional offices and a small camp store were added. The new addition includes space for two administrative offices and a store that sells Camp Victory t-shirts, pins, and other souvenirs. Other parts of the building were also refurbished and refreshed.

Camp Victory saw a record turnout of more than 400 people come out to the event to take part on rock wall climbing, zip lining, paddle boating and several other activities throughout the campground. Check out Camp Victory’s Facebook page for photos from the event.  

“From April to October, we are so happy to host thousands of special campers – kids with cancer, autism, diabetes, heart disease, spina bifida and more, all have their own week to come to summer camp and just enjoy being kids,” explained Kate Pacacha, Camp Victory’s resource development associate. “Everything here is accessible to all abilities.

“We are very fortunate to have an army volunteers and many generous donors, both individuals and companies, so we started having an annual open house to thank our neighbors for their support. We’re a very small, efficient staff – just two full-time year-round people, and four part-time year-round people. But we needed a little more room to grow. We work hard to keep costs to our campers at a bare minimum yet give them an incredible experience at a facility unlike any other in the state.”

WBRE-TV also came to the event and put together this news story.

From ChamberChoice

Effective Jan. 1, 2020, final regulations issued by the IRS, Department of Labor, and Department of Health and Human Services will permit employers to offer Individual Coverage HRAs (ICHRAs) that reimburse an employee for purchasing individual coverage and comply with the employer’s obligations under the ACA Employer Shared Responsibility rule.

Also effective Jan. 1, 2020, new regulations create a class of HRAs called Excepted Benefit HRAs (EBHRAs) that can be used solely to reimburse excepted benefits, including limited scope vision or dental benefits, up to an annual $1,800 inflation-adjusted limit.

Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA)

Effective January 1, 2020, employers of any size may offer ICHRAs that reimburse individual market premiums without violating the ACA provided they operate the ICHRA according to the following rules:

• The individual covered by the ICHRA must be enrolled in individual market insurance coverage and verify this enrollment to the employer.
• The employer (or plan sponsor) may not offer a choice between ICHRA and group health coverage to any given class of employees – a class of employees (or all employees) may only be offered ICHRA coverage or
traditional group health coverage, but not both.
• The ICHRA must be offered in a nondiscriminatory manner to all members of the same class; members of the same class must receive the same benefits as other members under the same terms and conditions.
• ICHRA participants must be able to opt-out of the benefit at least once annually (to preserve eligibility and access to the Premium Tax Credit for individual coverage, if applicable.
• The employer (or plan sponsor) must notify employees of the ICHRA option at least 90 days before the beginning of the plan year.

Excepted Benefit HRA (EBHRA)

Effective Jan. 1, 2020, new regulations confirm that employers may offer EBHRAs to employees if the employer offers the given class of employees traditional group health insurance. Therefore, employees offered an ICHRA or QSEHRA may not participate in an EBHRA. Additional rules include:
• The individual covered by the EHBRA must be offered, but does not need to have enrolled in, traditional group health coverage
• The EBHRA must not be considered an integral part of the group health plan.
• The EBHRA’s maximum annual reimbursement is capped at $1,800 (this amount is indexed to inflation, so employers can expect it to rise in the future).
• Employers (or plan sponsors) must make the EBHRA available to similarly situated individuals under the same terms and conditions.
• Coverage must be limited to excepted benefits, including:
i. Accident only coverage
ii. Disability Income
iii. Limited Scope Dental & Vision Plans
iv. Long Term Care Plans
v. Certain Health FSAs

ICHRAs and EBHRAs open up a lot of new opportunities to employers and may offer a way to reduce overall healthcare spending. However, given that neither of these HRA categories currently exists, there is limited guidance on to what degree these will result in cost savings and what additional compliance issues could be raised by the actual implementation of either option.

*This article gives a basic overview of recent regulation as in effect on the date of the article. Please be aware that the determination of the requirements and the application of these rules to each employer may differ due to a number of variables. Nothing in this article should be construed as legal advice.

From Central Susquehanna Community Foundation

The Bloomsburg Area Community Foundation (BACF) recently awarded $9,600 to local nonprofits during its competitive grantround, which included grants to six different Chamber members. The awards were granted through the Bloomsburg Area Community Foundation Fund. The Foundation focused its funding on organizations that invest in community programs ad projects within Bloomsburg and surrounding areas. Grant recipients received the awards during the BACF annual luncheon on Sept. 5.

This year’s grant recipients include:

• AGAPE Love from Above to Our Community – (W.I.N.) Women in Need, $700
• Bloomsburg Fire Department – Thermal Infrared Camera, $700
• Central Susquehanna Sight Services, Inc. – 2019/2020 Preventing Blindness in Our Community Initiative, $500
• Coalition for Social Equity – Organization Support in Honor of Isabelle Tarr, $1,000
• Columbia Child Development Program – Increase STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Materials for 2-5-year old’s, $750
• Wesley United Methodist Church (Community Friendship Meal) – Restock the 2019 Emergency Pantry, $700
• Eos Therapeutic Riding Center – Purchase new Copier/Printer, $1,000
• Exchange Arts, d.b.a. The Exchange – Bringing the Blues to Bloomsburg Town Park, $500
• Friends of the Columbia County Traveling Library – Filling the Gaps: Updating the Children’s Book Collection at the Traveling Library, $550
• Orangeville Public Library – Expansion of the Orangeville Library for Children’s Room Addition, $1,000
• Pennsylvania Pets, Inc. – Bloomsburg Area Spay/Neuter Program, $700
• The Arc Susquehanna Valley – Social Recreation Programs for the Differently Abled in Bloomsburg, $500
• The Children’s Museum, Inc. – Outdoor Classroom Improvements, $300

The Bloomsburg Area Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, which helps administer BACF’s grant investments. Nonprofit organizations that provide programming in the Bloomsburg community and surrounding areas are encouraged to apply during the 2020 competitive grantround, which can be done online when the grantround is opened. 

2019 BACF board members included John Thompson, chair; Fred Gaffney; Paul Reichart; Rick Vanderpool; Kristin Austin; C. Cleveland Hummel, Lauren Martz, Fred Trump, Pam Young