Business leaders in the Berwick area are invited to an informal conversation discussing how to strengthen the community by strengthening large and small businesses. A Business Roundtable is being hosted in partnership by the Chamber and our Berwick Task Force, the Berwick Area United Way and the newly formed Berwick Area Marketing Committee. The Roundtable will be held Thursday, September 18th at 7:30 a.m. at the Eagles Building.

All are welcome to attend to help answer the following questions:
* What makes a strong business?
* How do strong businesses strengthen the community?
* How can we move Berwick into a strong business community?
Light refreshments will be provided.

Please invite your colleagues and neighbors. If you are not able to attend but would like to provide input, Fred Gaffney, Chamber President can be reached at 570-752-3601. Ginny Crake, Berwick Area United Way CEO, can be reached at 570-759-8203.

Free online computer training will be available for another five months through SEDA-COG’ s Online Broadband & Technology Training (OBTT) program. To date nearly 300 individuals have registered for classes, and SEDA-COG can register another 300.

In addition to the online training, for which there are 13 categories, registered users will also have access to Books 24×7, which includes thousands of short videos on various aspects of computer use. Those interested may register at www.paobtt.com. After the registration is processed, a temporary password will be e-mailed to them, a process which may take 24-48 hours. Once an individual is registered, they will have access to all the courses and videos.

Registered individuals may take as many courses as they would like. Several courses are divided into units, which may each take 20 or 30 minutes to complete. Although the program is due to conclude at year’s end, those who begin an OBTT class will be able to complete it, even if that extends beyond December 31.

Additional information is available from Jim Baker, who may be reached at 570-524-4491, e-mail jbaker@seda-cog.org.

Chamber members have access to a low-interest loan program that can provide up to $10,000 in funding. The interest rate is 3% for a maximum term of five years. Members have used the program to purchase inventory, renovate locations, or for other business investments.

The guidelines and application process are simple. Applications are reviewed by a three-person loan committee with recommendations made to the Chamber Board. Personal guarantees are required on all loans. For additional information, contact Fred Gaffney at the Chamber at fgaffney@columbiamontourchamber.com or 570-784-2522

As the debate on whether to increase the state’s minimum wage goes on, the Chamber joined a coalition of local chambers of commerce from across the Commonwealth and the PA Chamber in sending a letter last week to state lawmakers warning of the adverse effects on jobs and urging their opposition to a mandated wage hike. This is in addition to a letter the Chamber sent to our state and federal delegations last month opposing an increase at either level.

The letter was sent the same day that minimum wage proponents held a ‘Raise the Wage’ rally in the state Capitol. The PA Chamber continues to counter the minimum wage debate because those advocating for it aren’t considering the impact that a minimum wage hike would have on small business owners, who are the most common employers to pay minimum wage and would be most likely to halt hiring or cut jobs as a result of the wage hike.

In addition to the letter, the PA Chamber also issued a press release listing a myriad of problems that would likely arise for small business owners in the event of a wage increase. The release referenced a report by the Congressional Budget Office stating that a forced wage increase would jeopardize more than 500,000 jobs. Interestingly, the jobs that would be most at risk are held by the very people proponents of the wage hike claim they are aiming to help.

As a result of the hail storm that affected parts of Montour County last Thursday, the County’s Department of Emergency Services is collecting information about the extent of uninsured damages that took place in the area. The intent of this data collection effort is to assess whether there is eligibility for the County to be included in a federal “Small Business Administration Disaster Declaration.” This program COULD result in the availability of low interest loans to assist affected businesses and homeowners.
Although the name of the program seems to suggest it is for businesses, in reality there is possible eligibility for private individuals also. Eligible applicants are those business or persons who suffered greater than 40% UNINSURED LOSSES.

These losses are able to be calculated in one of two ways, against personal property, or against real estate.

Personal Property – Estimate the pre-disaster value or fair replacement value (whichever is lower) of all owned property (clothing, appliances, vehicle, etc.). Then, determine if the UNINSURED loss is at least 40% of the total value.

Structure – Provide fair market value estimate of the home/business structure. Then, determine if the UNINSURED loss is at least 40% of the value.
If either of the above scenarios is true, it is recommended that the person(s) so affected complete an SBA Survey Sheet. Persons who do not have uninsured losses of at least 40% are asked to NOT submit a survey as they would not be eligible for assistance and these submittals will simply serve to add to the volume of paperwork that must be reviewed.

The survey sheet can be downloaded here, or a hard copy can be obtained at the Montour County Commissioners Office in the Courthouse.
This form should be completed and returned in one of three ways:

1. Faxed or hand delivered to the Montour County Commissioners Office, 29 Mill Street,Danville, PA 17821. Fax 570-271-3088

2. Scanned and emailed to wpeters@montourema.org.

3. Alternate Fax 570-271-3078

The form must be submitted no later than close of business June 6, 2014.

If a declaration is warranted, further information will be provided through the Chamber and local media outlets.

While this winter’s record cold temperatures have unfortunately resulted in huge increases in electricity bills for homeowners on variable rate pricing programs, the ChamberChoice Residential Program has provided residential consumers with some of the lowest fixed residential rates offered in Pennsylvania. Residential consumers, who have taken advantage of the low rate program from ChamberChoice, have continued to lock in savings during the cold weather and avoid the huge bill increases being reported across the State of Pennsylvania.

Any Pennsylvania residential customers that is currently on a variable price program can switch and take advantage of ChamberChoice ‘s low fixed rate Electricity Program to lock in savings regardless of weather extremes. Join with over 25,000 ChamberChoice’s residential customers that have already saved millions of dollars to be protected from the next Arctic Cold Spike. Simply visit OnDemandEnergy.com, click the Residential Button and apply for your fixed low rate. Or call OnDemand Energy at 866-699-9968 to speak to a program representative.

“ChamberChoice proudly partners with Pennsylvania Chambers to provide employee benefits, business insurance and energy solutions to Chamber Members,” said Sam Weber, President of the Chambers of Commerce Service Corporation. “We are pleased to extend our successful energy program to residents throughout the communities in which our Chamber Partners serve. We have designed our Residential Program to deliver the lowest overall costs in Pennsylvania while minimizing market risk that is associated with our competitors variable pricing offers.”

The ChamberChoice Residential Program is managed by OnDemand Energy Solutions and supplied by FirstEnergy Solutions.

On Thursday, March 13th, the Senate approved a bill passed earlier in the House of Representatives which reverses some reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program passed in 2012 and slows down rate increases for homeowners.

House Resolution 3370, the “Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2013” emerged as the most popular reform package after months of discussion in Congress. This action is in response to reforms passed in 2012 to address the $25 billion deficit of the NFIP. The “Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012” resulted in premium increases of 25% per year for subsidized residential and commercial policy holders, affecting approximately 770 policies in Columbia and Montour counties. If a subsidized property was sold, the premium would increase to the full, actuarially-based rate immediately. Local insurance agents and lenders expressed concern that premium increases of 4x to as much as 10x the prior rates would result in properties becoming non-viable and abandoned.

This legislation, which the President is expected to sign, would repeal the property sales trigger for rate increases. Subsidized premiums could not be increased by FEMA above 15% per year for a certain class of residential properties and above 18% for most primary residence properties. Policyholders that overpaid would receive a refund from FEMA.

Commercial policyholders would not see any relief as a result of H.R. 3370. Premiums would continue to increase 25% per year to the actuarially-based rate for commercial and secondary residence policies. Additionally, to help pay for the more gradual increases in premiums, a $250 annual surcharge would be implemented for these properties. The surcharge for primary residential policies would be $25 annually.

Representative Lou Barletta and Senators Casey and Toomey voted in favor of H.R. 3370. The Chamber has been in communications with the offices of each of these legislators to discuss the implications of rate increases on local communities and to express disappointment that commercial policyholders would be unfairly burdened through this legislation due to the disparity in rate increases and surcharges. Long-term solutions for communities need to include mitigation planning and assistance from the Federal government.

FEMA would be required to complete an affordability study within two years of the bill becoming law and minimize the number of policies with annual premiums that exceed one percent of the total coverage provided by the policy.