Joey: I'm here with Jake Mangus, the President and CEO of the Redding Chamber of Commerce. Going to tell us a little bit today about some of the great things the Chamber is doing and some good stuff that's going on in the city.

Jake: That's right. Joey, thanks for having me on. First of all, this is really.

Joey: Thanks for coming, man.

Jake: I'm flattered that you would think of me to be the first guest in the second season of the All Redding spotlights that you've been doing. This podcast has been great. I've enjoyed following it. The Chamber itself is an epicenter of positive change for our community. We do so many things that help businesses and our community, and we believe those two things are intertwined.

Joey: I know that you're definitely promoting business.

Jake: True.

Joey: And the community, but like, what are the main tenets of the Chamber of Commerce?

Jake: I'm glad that you asked. That's a good place to start. We are abiding by what we call the three Cs. It's being a convener of leaders and influencers, a catalyst for business growth, and a champion for a stronger community. It opposes what Chambers has fallen into over time, which is more of the three Ps: parties, parades, and pageants. One way that I.

Joey: Which are always nice.

Jake: We are. We want to be nice, but one of the things that I think about is, do you want to be known for your golf tournament? Do you want to be known for that ribbon cutting you did last week? Or do you want to be known as the organization that was able to be at the epicenter of affecting the positive change for the business community and our community as a whole to move Redding forward? To me, that gets me out of bed in the morning. I'm ready to go and fight every day for my community. And I've realized that, at the core, it's business. We know that you hear the term business, and sometimes, on a national level, it gets painted negatively, like these fat cats that are grossly taking advantage of the working man and profiting on all of this stuff. And the tax breaks that are robbing the poor and giving to the rich and all the stuff that's painted. But, when we talk about business, it's the mom-and-pop shops around downtown Redding or other parts of the city.

Jake: The typical Chamber member business is five or fewer employees. And so, to me, it speaks to human nature to want to root for the underdog. And starting a small business in this community, in this country. These are underdog stories that we want to help become champion businesses. And that's the way that we operate at the Chamber. It inspires me every day to do that. Small businesses see the Chamber as an extension of their business because they don't have the human resources department, the marketing department, and all of that stuff. So they call us, and they ask us for help. And the Chamber staff, we're very capable of helping when we can. But the beauty of the Chamber is we have more than 800 members, so we've got institutional knowledge. I can connect these folks with three options in whatever field they're looking for help and get them connected. So we do help ourselves in that way, help one another to be successful.

Joey: It seems like there's a fundamental argument that's going on in America right now, and maybe it's been going on for a really long time. I'm just akin to it is that it's like, hey, the government can solve all ills or no, small business, entrepreneurs, individuals rising, that's what will actually—the middle class and the rise all tide. So when you talk about, like, hey, this is local businesses, us trying to support them, that kind of goes with that second group of saying, no, it's not the government, it's not this huge entity. And there is a big pushback on business, too. But I think rightfully so. I think corporations have been a. Large corporations have been able to be a shield for people to do things they shouldn't do. And instead of you getting a person's name, it's this corporate entity.

Jake: Sure.

Joey: And so, but that's not what we're talking about.

Jake: Yeah. No, it's very personal. When you get to the local level, people that we see at the grocery store, certainly everywhere I go these days, want to talk about what's happening in Redding. All roads pass through the Chamber at some point or another. We tend to dive into all of the issues that are happening, and all of the opportunities that people see. They want to visit with us about their dreams for our community, the things they're struggling with, things that are troubling to them, and things they're excited about. Examples would be, that we've got quality of life challenges that we face head-on in the community right now. And the Chamber is at the table when it comes to how we help to ensure that our police force has the resources that it needs.

Joey: Oh wow.

Jake: How do we make sure that we look at the criminal justice system as a supply chain and say, you know we could add some more officers, but if you arrest more people, then that means the district attorney is going to have to prosecute more folks, and they're already backlogged because they're short-staffed, and so there's that bottleneck right there. We know that we have a jail that is undersized for the population of Shasta County itself, and compared to other counties, we did add 102 additional beds recently, which is a big help. But what can we do there in terms of funding the Sheriff's office to send more inmates out of county to open additional capacity in our jail so there's that bottleneck that's alleviated? And it's just. And then you get into the social side where we've been at the table for the last year and a half on the Navigation Center, otherwise known as a low-barrier homeless shelter.

Jake: And that's all been wrapped around litigation that came about. There was a court decision. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Idaho ruled that it's cruel and unusual punishment for local law enforcement to force people who are camping in public spaces and forcing them to move if there is no low-barrier shelter alternative for them. So Redding has been going through this diving in the city of Redding itself, and our city attorney has been looking at what constitutes a low-barrier shelter. Does the Good News Rescue Mission consider it? Does that qualify as a low-barrier shelter? And they have come to a recent determination that it does because, contrary to popular belief, you do not have to subscribe to some sort of a religious program to be a part of the Good News Rescue Mission. That's not the case.

Joey: I never thought that was the case. I just thought it was a Christian-based organization helping anybody in need. So I never thought that.

Jake: And there was also, there's been a recent question about capacity there. Is there room at the end of the mission? And Jonathan Anderson, their Executive Director, has assured local officials, the Chamber, and so on that they've never reached capacity. So they will not turn someone away unless there are things that disqualify that person from being qualified for shelter there at the mission itself. Having a dog is one of the barriers to shelter right now for those we see out on the streets. And the mission does not.

Joey: If you have a dog, you're not allowed to come in the mission there?

Jake: They don't have a place for pets. And we know that often that's the companion animal that goes along with the person that's out there on the streets. Also, just looking at the overall umbrella of what is homelessness? What are we talking about? Underneath that umbrella, there are all these other subcategories. What's a transient? What's the drug-addicted person? Who are those people?

Joey: Schizophrenia.

Jake: Yeah. The mentally ill or those who are dealing with mental health issues. And so then you realize that there isn't that silver bullet that's going to solve any of these problems. I don't even use the term solution anymore when I talk about this stuff. Instead, you've got to take a comprehensive approach to what's a very complex scenario right now in our state and our city. We don't give up. We're there every day trying to chip away at this and make positive progress, I would say, would be the approach. Because we know why the Chamber of Commerce would be involved in a low-barrier shelter, homeless issues, and all these kinds of stuff? I thought you were about business, and answering my question would be yes, we are about business, and that's exactly why we're there because these are the topics. These are the points of struggle for the business community and Redding.

Joey: It's all interwoven.

Jake: It really is.

Joey: When you started talking, you started with the Chamber and the three Cs, and a few minutes later, we went through law enforcement and homelessness and what court is ruling, and the cost of. It just gives you an idea of how this stuff is all interconnected, and that's why these little sound bite solutions or answers or these quips that everybody likes to meet, today's memes or something like that. It's like that's, it skews how important each of these issues is and how they're all connected because everyone's just like, it's like a quick joke or a quick snippet, and then we're like, "Oh, why don't you just do this?" It's like, that's a rippling effect because we are a community. One of the things I was thinking about when you were talking was you had mentioned the supply side, and I thought if you.

Joey: It's funny to me, a couple of points were, number one, if you start to build this large infrastructure, so you're building the supply side, are you going to attract that thing that you're like, wait, I thought we were trying to. We're trying to get the homeless off the streets and get them into a place that's humane and helps them, doesn't interfere with just day-to-day. It's not just business. It's my wife who goes to the store and when she's nervous. She's not nervous when I go with her, but when she goes there, and she doesn't know, she doesn't know if that's a perfectly harmless homeless person, or hey, that's a couple of large imposing male figures, a little bit scary looking.

Jake: Sure. What's going to happen here?

Joey: Exactly. And so it's all this chain of events. And I wonder how a court and a judge in Idaho can affect a community.

Jake: Isn't that bizarre? What you come to realize is that those who engage in the available services are not those who are troubling us in this community. It's the people that are obstinate in doing so. For whatever reason, they don't want to plug into all of the available services. So that's where you've got to blend the opportunity for people to better themselves with accountability for those who choose not to because we just.

Joey: I think you have to measure capacity in there too because I think a lot of the people that I see on the street they're not in charge of their faculties. You know what I mean? And so, just like, "Hey, why doesn't he just do this or that?" Guys, if he could do that, he wouldn't be in the alley. You know what I mean?

Jake: Yeah. We always think about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and you go like, we could yell at somebody, "Get a job," but when they're trying to figure out where they're going to sleep, what are they going to eat?

Joey: Or if they're hearing voices.

Jake: Hearing Voices.

Joey: Seeing things that you and I don't see, whether it's drug-induced or whether it's genetics or something that happened, I think if anything, the drug-induced one might be the easiest because it's like, oh, the influence versus mental health, like deeper mental health, that can't be a quick solution.

Jake: And I throw in a couple of other I guess steps in the right direction would be Shasta Regional Medical Centre entered into a contract with the county of Shasta to provide 20 mental health beds. And what ends up happening is somebody is out on the streets, and they're in a 5150 situation, danger to themselves or others. Law enforcement picks them up, and they realize that this is a mental health issue. They take them to SRMC, and there's a mandatory 72-hour stay for that individual to get them back on their meds and in a state of mind where they're safe again for themselves and our community, and then they're re-released. So that's a positive because you don't want people like that perhaps occupying the jail cell.

Joey: No.

Jake: And we don't want them certainly out on the streets and causing problems. So here's a place where they can get the help they need. Also, Hill Country Clinic, if you've heard of that organization.

Joey: I have.

Jake: Pretty phenomenal what they've been able to do.

Joey: Is Joe Campbell tied to that?

Jake: Joe Campbell.

Joey: That's right. Okay. That's where I've heard it.

Jake: Yep. So Joe came to visit with me, and she encouraged the Chamber to, if we see somebody who looks like they're not a criminal, maybe they're not on drugs, but they just look like they're having an off day. And rather than troubling law enforcement with that call, call the mobile mental health crisis team.

Joey: Do we have a number for that or do we have one?

Jake: There is a number that I don't have off the top of my head, but I did call it a few weeks ago, and it was amazing. I didn't say, "This is Jake with the Chamber of Commerce." I just said, "I'm calling. "

Joey: "Do you know who I am? Do you know who's calling you?"

Jake: And I know. Well, what I saw was very impressive. They responded within five minutes, they connected with the individual. And the biggest point of it is that just like any of our businesses, the Chamber is a business too, and we have this person that was in front of our door that was having a hard time. And rather than troubling law enforcement and rather than having the person remain loitering in front of our storefront, we were able to get the person to a place where he could get help, and we were good to continue to run our business for the rest of the day. And that's a magic formula I think for a lot of our businesses, is they just want to know, what do I do about this person? I don't want just to say, "Get the heck outta here." It comes to that point because they just don't know where to send them or what to do. So there are resources that have been developed recently to respond to what's been a very rapidly changing scenario for us here.

Joey: We'll get that number and we'll post it. We'll have it in the description when we post this on YouTube.

Jake: That'll be great.

Joey: So people will call, but definitely. When you were talking about this, I was thinking about your interaction because it starts off talking about the Chamber and interactions with business, but very quickly, it's interaction with government agencies.

Jake: That's right.

Joey: What about the City Council? Are you working with them on any of these projects?

Jake: We are very close with the City Council as well as the Shasta County Board of Supervisors. And we do a little bit in the state government as well, and nationally as well as federal because of the Chamber's connection with the California Chamber of Commerce as well as the United States Chamber of Commerce. So it goes US Chamber, Cal Chamber, and our local Chamber. It's a nice hierarchy there, I would suppose. So, we do chime in on things related to business on the state and the federal level. Still, locally with the City Council, that would be the elected board that we work with most often because of the Chamber is located in Redding, whereas the Shasta County Board of Supervisors focuses on a larger area, often related. So anyway, we do our best as a Chamber to carry the voice of the majority of our members on any topic of controversy, and to speak on behalf of the Chamber's business community at City Council meetings.

Jake: The one that came up recently dives into park development impact fees, and I met with the City Council members in advance of the meeting itself and spoke from the perspective of business saying, "Don't make it harder for us to develop projects in this community, because remember, these are development impact fees. So, development has to occur for those fees to be realized. And we just want you to take that into account. Raising the fees or creating a new fee for non-residential construction for parks doesn't necessarily mean the revenue's going to follow if the development is stifled." The ultimate decision by three out of the five City Council members was to go with the other perspective to say, "In spite of increasing costs on the development community, we are going to raise the development impact fees for parks, and we're going to create a new fee for non-residential construction to fund future parks, trails, and open space in our community."

Jake: And so what I have to realize, and what we do is that we're not going always to agree, it's not going always to go our way, but we're going to fight the good fight on behalf of our constituents. And that is the business community in Redding. It doesn't mean that we are opposed to parks, trails, and open space. We know that they are very important and tied into the identity of Redding, which gets us into another topic perhaps in a moment. But I would say that it's a really healthy experience for myself professionally, but also I think for us as a community to know that we can have a dialogue where we don't always agree, but that the.

Joey: They have to.

Jake: Perspectives are they're aware of where we're coming from. It's not an absolute Chamber that doesn't like parks. No, that's not the case. We just want you to consider from the perspective of dollars and cents. If it doesn't pencil out, the development is not going to occur. So you can do whatever you want with those fees. So anyway, that's just one example. The current one, this week's opportunity, the city of Redding has been issuing letters to businesses that do not comply with the city's ordinance related to temporary signs and banners.

Joey: Temporary?

Jake: Temporary signs and banners has been the focus. And this is.

Joey: What are we talking about?

Jake: This is from code enforcement. So, for example.

Joey: A sandwich board out front type thing? Okay.

Jake: A sandwich board out front outside of downtown Redding is not allowed in our city.

Joey: Really?

Jake: Yes. And if you have something out on the sidewalk, like, I think a gun shop in town had the little spinning signs.

Joey: I know what you're talking about.

Jake: Saying open seven days a week, gun store or whatever it says. And so there are two sides to this one predominantly. And one is the city is saying, "Hey, we've got standards that we need to uphold, and if we don't uphold these standards, then it becomes this sign and banner of anarchy out in the community." And I say it.

Joey: It's a slippery slope, Jake.

Jake: Yeah, it is. I say it.

Joey: Next thing you know, your kids are hanging out in a pool hall, smoking cigarettes. Okay? I've seen this. I watched this play when I was a kid.

Jake: It all started with that sign that was going like this and then.

Joey: Yeah.

Jake: Yeah. But so.

Joey: Does this include the guys spinning the sandwich shop signs too?

Jake: I don't know. I haven't dived that deep into it.

Joey: That's a temporary sign. Okay.

Jake: But I do know that, so that's the one side is code enforcement doing their job. And the other side would be, so we already have the deck stacked against us as a business in California, let alone in Redding, California. As far as history goes with our economy, we're very boom and bust in this community over time. So don't make it harder on me. I'm just trying to make sure people know where I am. We've got all these online pressures that are taking business away and so on. And I'm in a little photography studio on Hilltop, and I'm set back from the streets, and nobody can see me. So I put a sandwich board out so people who drive by can know that that's where I exist. So you can see those sides.

Jake: And then plus they will throw in. Some of the email responses I've received recently from this are when all of these social challenges exist in our community that seem to be much more important than going after me because my sign is not in compliance. I don't understand why they're doing this now. So where we are currently is the city. I met with Larry Vaupel, who runs the development services department and is in charge of code enforcement planning and building at the city, and he agreed that their approach is probably too broad a stroke. So, they will be considering a revision to that particular sign and banner ordinance at the Redding Planning Commission meeting on April 9th at 4 o'clock. So I've been letting everyone know that if they can be there to voice their concerns, they can, if they're working because, during work hours, we'll do it.

Joey: April 9th, 4 o'clock, where?

Jake: At the Redding Planning Commission meeting.

Joey: Where's that?

Jake: That's located within City Council chambers at 777 Cypress Avenue.

Joey: Okay. So the big city hall, and that's the one when you pull up to it, it's to the left?

Jake: Correct.

Joey: And it's. Okay.

Jake: Yep.

Joey: So April 9th, 4:00 PM, if you want to have a voice in regards to signage enforcement. That's what that one is about?

Jake: Yep. And the beauty of the chamber one of the beauties of the chamber is that you can send me emailed information at jake@reddingchamber.com. I'll take that into account when we visit with our political action committee and board about taking a position on that, so I can speak on your behalf. And that's one of the big benefits of being a part of the Chamber.

Joey: I was going to ask you earlier when you were talking about when you go to represent business, how do you know what the business is. So with the, we'll use the parks, impact fees. Do you poll your members and say, "Hey guys, this is an issue. Can I get some feedback?" Or how do you know that this is what the businesses want? Is it just like common? Hey, business wants this.

Jake: Well, one of the pillars, and sometimes there are pillars of Chambers. Just as a rule, increasing the cost of doing business is bad.

Joey: More taxes.

Jake: Yeah.

Joey: That's what business wants. More taxation.

Jake: And you hit a real, that's a hot button topic right now as we keep going back to sales tax as an opportunity for making change in a positive way in our city, and are we ready to invest in Redding? So that's kind of the way that was painted recently in the newspaper anyway. But we have an elected board of directors, and those are the folks that ultimately make the decision as to the position that I reflect in the community.

Joey: Got it.

Jake: Those are elected by our members. So they're elected to.

Joey: And they are members, right?

Jake: Yes, and they are members. They're elected to represent the overall membership. So when we bring topics like the park fee discussion to a board meeting, there's that healthy discussion and debate within that board, and then there's a vote. And if we've got that majority on one side, then the entire board reflects that position, even if they don't feel that it's the right position. But that's the process we have in place. And then I go out and represent that side in the community. So, yep, that's the way we do it.

Joey: So you were bringing up the parks and recreation around town. I love. This morning, I was walking Turtle Bay, and I remember when they would bring the bridge. There were many people against that, and they're like, "Oh, that's such a. " You're always at first off, someone's always going to oppose, no matter what idea you come up with, they're going to oppose it.

Jake: You got that right.

Joey: So you can't. I noticed that the media likes to do these clickbait titles where it's like people are against and it's like, no, not people, three guys.

Jake: Yeah, exactly.

Joey: Three guys over here, and you're acting as if 49% of the population voted against feeding babies. And you're like.

Jake: Yeah, exactly.

Joey: "People opposed feeding babies." No, three guys that. So you're always going to have people against it.

Jake: It's a good point.

Joey: But I love it. It's beautiful, walking in, and I remember people saying, "Oh, that's. Couldn't we spend the money better?" It's like, look at the attraction that's become, look at all that's built around that.

Jake: You hit a really good segue for me, which is in my gut why I want. Why I'm grateful to be in this position is that I believe that we need to raise our expectations as to what's possible in our community and that Redding, California, can be better than any place. We don't have to play second fiddle to any city, including the one that's in the Eastern part of Oregon that I don't want to talk about because we always talk about it.

Joey: Boston? Geography was my weak point in school, so maybe it might be a little West of.

Jake: Bend, Oregon. Anyway.

Joey: Bend, Oregon.

Jake: But why do we always talk about Bend? It's because we see a place that's not so unlike us, and they had an entire natural resources-based economy that they've been able to redefine themselves. They've got a river that runs through their town, they have a mountain that they're in the shadow of, all these kinds of things, and they're geographically isolated like we are to an extent. So, when you look at the Sundial Bridge, that's excellent. It's a sign of excellence. It attracts people from out of the community to take a look at us, but it's also a source of civic pride like that's part of my city. So now has been the perfect time, certainly following the Carr fire, for us to look at how we can improve the image and reputation of Redding. And how about if we focus on three key areas: improving the experiences, aesthetics, and messaging around Redding, California? So, we launched a project called the Redding City Identity Project. It's more than that. It isn't a tagline in a logo on a flag. That's not what we're.

Joey: Although it sounds like all those things.

Jake: That's not what we're doing. What we're trying to do is we're trying, if those things are the tip of the iceberg, we're trying to get below the water and see where everything else exists. And I guess it dives into, the way I've been putting it, rediscovering the gold in our community already. Sometimes, we can get down on ourselves or think we have to travel somewhere to see something amazing when we've got it here. So, let's play to our strengths. And who else will do it if we don't start balancing the negative stories and mantra that can be out there, online and stuff? We've got to do it.

Jake: So we raised $500,000 for this effort, and we asked the community, first, we asked for a survey to be filled out, and we had 2,500 survey responses come back to us in our city, which I think is a great sign of engagement. People were saying, "We want to see downtown Redding continue to move in the right direction. We want to see a farmer's market come back. We want to see our waterfront on Park Marina Drive developed into something amazing." So those were some of the key themes, but we also said, "Give us your idea." We got a thousand ideas that were sent to us.

Joey: Any of them any good?

Jake: And we think that we've got the top 20 selected. So, there was a subcommittee assembled representing a cross-section of our community. They were the ones who had to do the yeoman's task of narrowing down a thousand ideas into a top 40 for us to consider as a board. And then, our board selected the top 20 ideas from that. We've only released the first 10 publicly but selected all 20 now. And I can just talk about examples like.

Joey: Please.

Jake: These umbrella alleys that you'll see where there are cables that are strung across alleyways in communities, and then there are brightly colored umbrellas that hang from them. It creates this visual interest. It provides some shade from the sun and makes people's journey from point A to point B more interesting, brings in more flavor and improves aesthetics and experiences. So that one's an easy win for us. It's a $5,000 project. We're going to be able to fund it fully, and you're going to see it well on its way if not completed by the end of this year. And then you've got larger projects like the Riverfront Amphitheatre. That's the one that's located next to the Sundial Bridge on the, it's the South side of the river. It's just a little concrete block with a little grass bowl. And they've done some thinning of the vegetation behind the stage so you can see the water behind it. But this would be a $150,000 project to provide a more elaborate stage with better sound system capabilities.

Jake: And you could see Shakespeare in the park there, you could see a jazz festival. They do reggae there right now, I know, different performances and bringing people out. There's a trail system improvement that's happening there, too, so it's great timing. And we will give $35,000 toward that effort through this Redding City identity project. The 20 ideas are either completely funded by the project, or they are being catalyzed by the resources we're giving to it. And the Chamber needs to lead the way on all 20 ideas. Instead, we identify organizations or individuals well-equipped to take it to the finish line. Because ideas are the easy part, but the execution piece is the most important, so people can see that, oh yeah, remember that identity project? Well, they did something. So an example, one last example is the old neon signage that we've seen around downtown Redding that's been recently removed. The Chamber of Commerce building used to be the Greyhound bus station, right?

Joey: Oh, yeah.

Jake: So those Greyhound bus neon signs that are just, they're porcelain, they're neon, they're awesome. Those are currently in the back 40 of a local sign shop in town. The Redding owns them. Oh, sorry, by the Shasta Historical Society, as is the former Clover Club neon sign and a few others. So, one of the ideas that was selected was to refurbish and reinstall those signs in some place in our community that allows the residents and visitors to Redding to see them. And they're not only glowing at night and providing some light and ambiance, but they're also telling a story of the history of Redding. So the Shasta Historical Society is the organization we've tapped to say, "We'd like you to lead this one." And they said, "Absolutely, very excited about it." We've got McHale Sign Company that has agreed to pay for, or their in-kind contributions to the refurbishment of those neon signs and the installation. So it's just neat to see these partners come forward. Signarama has also stepped forward, and they've identified at least one project they'd like to donate. The bucket truck and the manpower, the umbrella alley to install that, for example.

Joey: So when you were talking, there were two things that hit me. One was that I was thinking about for, I don't know why, but Disneyland, outside of Disneyland, there's that downtown where there's all the restaurants. Are you familiar with it?

Jake: Yes, I was just down there. Yeah.

Joey: And I was thinking when you said the signs and my mind keeps going back to the project downtown that's going on right now with the old Dicker's building and I kind of walk by and I know that something is going on there, but I'm not clear on that. I bet you are very familiar with that project.

Jake: Absolutely.

Joey: And the second thing was Frank Drebin, "When I see 12 men in togas stabbing a man to death in the park, I shoot first and ask questions later."

Joey: That was Shakespeare in the park. Those were actors. 12 good ones, too. Sorry.

Jake: The Naked Gun, man. That is one of the best movies ever made.

Joey: I'm here for levity.

Jake: And I watched that movie at the drive-in theater on North Market Street.

Joey: Oh, very nice.

Jake: Yeah. My parents took us to it when we were way too young to watch it, let's say. But it had baseball in it, so my dad thought it would be okay. I mean, OJ Simpson was in it and all that, too. That was. Anyway, okay.

Joey: And he's a solid guy.

Jake: Yeah. Sorry, mom and dad. Anyway. So when we uprooted the Chamber from its former location down on Auditorium Drive next to Channel 7 and moved it to downtown Redding, strategically, in the place where it is on the corner of Pine and Butte Street because I see that as a gateway to the new downtown Redding. And one of the big reasons we think that's the case is the project you mentioned, and that's the K2 project where the Dicker's department store once stood. So that's well underway. It's been funded by a $20 million grant from California.

Joey: Nice.

Jake: They call it the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities Fund. It's a fund that comes from the cap and trade program where companies will pave because of the pollution they cause. And so the funds can be used for green projects, things that will reduce carbon emissions. So, this particular project is high-density housing. You've got more than 80 apartments on the top three floors of this four-story building. So they're one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. I asked Daniel Knott of K2, "So what do you think the occupancy is going to be in this building when it's completely complete when it's done and filled?" And he said, "You can count on 200 human beings in that building." When you think about that, 200 people living next door all of a sudden in this neighborhood, downstairs you're going to have retail, restaurants, coffee shops, whatever it might be, whatever the market bears. But these people will be walking around, riding their bikes, wanting to buy things and eat things and see things. And so it's going to be a game changer. Viva Downtown has been a part of the renaissance of downtown Redding and has wanted to see that happen for decades.

Jake: And so when I was at the wrecking ball party that we hosted with Viva Downtown for this particular project, we heard from Larry Morgan, one of their board members who's been along for the ride, and he said, "This is the big one. This is the one we've been waiting for. This is the game changer for us." So then what happens right after that? K2 and the McConnell Foundation said, "Let's put the pedal down on this grant money from the state. We did a great job getting that $20 million before, so let's see if we can do it again." And they did. So there's a subsequent project called the Block 7 Project, essentially demolishing the current parking garage in downtown Redding that's coming to the end of its useful life. And then in its place, seeing more of these mixed use spaces. Because the key to creating that vitality in this part of our city in downtown is to make sure that people are living downtown. It creates, it kind of transforms it from a nine hour intersection into a 24 hour city.

Jake: That's kind of the way that I look at it, that live, work and play trifecta that's so important. So McConnell Foundation itself made a decision a year or so ago that downtown Redding would be its strategic focus for at least the next 10 years. So when you've got an organization like that bringing its resources to the table, that's a great sign. So we've got a lot of entities that are coming together right now around downtown. So they received a $20 million grant, similar grant to the one for the K2 project for this Block 7 project, and an additional $4 million grant for an infill four story parking garage that will help to offset some of the lost parking capacity.

Joey: I was going to say if you get rid of that parking, we. Parking's already a premium down here.

Jake: Correct.

Joey: So then hopefully, there's. Somebody is thinking this one through. Okay, good. So that's good.

Jake: Yep.

Joey: This sparks other projects like Todd Franklin and the Resners.

Jake: Yes.

Joey: With the food truck. I love that project. Also, you've got Jamie Lynn around the corner who is spearheading that project where, I don't know how.

Jake: The old Americana motel?

Joey: Yeah. I don't know, honestly. I know it's looking a lot better, I don't know if that's going to be condos or are you familiar with that project?

Jake: Yeah, they've kind of gone back and forth. It sounds like a hybrid of a boutique motel type of scenario with like outdoor gas fire pits and things like that in the heart of our city along with some student housing. So they're going to test it and see if it works and if it doesn't, they're going to pivot. But either way, we took a decrepit, flea bug motel that was.

Joey: And there's a few more to go.

Jake: Much maligned. Exactly. And the city said, "You guys are not operating a clean house here, we're going to take it away." And they did. And so then the private sector saw it as an opportunity to make the investment and turn it into something wonderful, and that's what we're seeing.

Joey: Well, I was talking to some friends about this kind of stuff and I said, if you've been to Oakland in the last few years versus when I was growing up and you go to Oakland, Oakland was a bit dangerous. Like, you go to the A's game, but you wanted to go to a day game.

Jake: Roll them up kids. Yeah.

Joey: Yeah. And somebody's like, "Hey, you want to go to a concert?" Like where in the Oakland? No.

Jake: No, not really.

Joey: But you go down there now, they have completely changed it, revitalized it, development is coming and it just, it begets it. So soon as somebody invests in one, then and it spreads out.

Jake: Sure.

Joey: And to see the change in that, I'm not familiar with their zoning or anything, but it sounds very similar to what you're talking about, where the first floor is retail, restaurants, that kind of thing. And then housing second and third floor. And so you get, because parking is a premium down there as well. And so you're getting kind of maybe that New York style where people walk.

Jake: Sure.

Joey: Where all of the resources are within a walking distance so you're going to have a lighter carbon footprint and revitalize it. It's just.

Jake: You're right.

Joey: And we won't even get into the fact of the taxation because they're, "Hey, let's stack this." But the point is that's a great way to turn things around. So there's a few more projects around here that I've. I mean, we're going to have Adam McElvain on again, last time.

Jake: Oh good.

Joey: Yeah, he's got some great stuff about, he was really pushing the high bandwidth inner.

Jake: Yes.

Joey: And the impact that that would have.

Jake: I'm looking forward to hearing the updates because I know he's got good news. It sounds like it's.

Joey: Oh, he's got some really good news.

Jake: Really, really progressing.

Joey: Yeah. It's such a no-brainer project, it's such a no-brainer. The people that oppose it.

Jake: Yeah. Maybe just don't quite understand why they are doing that.

Joey: Well, from what I understand, North Korea is against it. I think that's a clear. And Syria and ISIS have all come out and said that they are against this project.

Jake: Yeah. So people are against it.

Joey: Yeah. So there is a group of people, there are people. So I will make my clickbait title of people are against this project.

Jake: Well, if you said, yeah, North Korea is in opposition of downtown Redding high speed internet, that would get some clicks, I think, so.

Joey: That will. I will, hey, make a note of that Brandon.

Jake: Yeah, the title of this podcast, no.

Joey: Yeah. The title of this podcast is Jake versus Kim Jong Un.

Jake: Yeah. Yeah. The interview part two, yeah.

Joey: So back to the. I know that you're involved in a lot of charitable organizations, so we're talking about business development.

Jake: Sure.

Joey: But can you tell me about some of the ones you're involved in? Because I see your name associated a lot with like, "Hey, let's. " You said something earlier about, like, it can't just be golf tournament,s but that is a way that.

Jake: That's true.

Joey: People get out and say, "Hey, this money goes to a good cause. "

Jake: You're right.

Joey: "And we can have a good time." It doesn't have to be just write a check and leave.

Jake: And it can't be all serious business and diving into the important issue, there's got to be fun and fellowship involved too. So we make sure there's still a blend of that at the Chamber. And in my role, I'm involved in a lot of things and ask to be involved in a lot of things. And so I've got a lot of associations with other non-profit boards. So I'm the chairman of the board for college options locally, which to me, industry and education need to be linked. They need to be a lot closer together. You got to go downstream and see what the market needs and what it's going to need in the future. And then you go back to the education community and say, we've got to guide curriculum for our local market.

Joey: That's a big discussion going on right now nationally.

Jake: Absolutely.

Joey: With the over.

Jake: Prioritization of college versus trade schools and technicals and things like that. Right?

Joey: And not just you and, but I want to count, I was having a debate with a good friend of mine. And we were, because he's very much, "Hey man, college has been oversold," and I completely agree, but I would say, I don't think it's just college has been oversold, I think it's a subset of college has been oversold. And what I mean is, you still need doctors, you still need engineers, but I think spending $180,000 to get a degree in history, no offense to anybody who got a degree in history, but $180,000, if your name's not Rockefeller, you might want to rethink that one. But I think that's where the big problem lies, that somebody's not thinking ahead of what will be your, not just your personal impact, right? It's not just how much is your income, but like, how you are going to impact the group? Because that's kind of how income is, in more of a philosophical direction is, your value to the group, why do doctors get paid so much? Because when you're sick, they're the ones that, "Hey, I know how to help you."

Jake: Sure.

Joey: And now we're seeing that the trades are like that now. Where everyone's like, "Hey man, I'm having an issue at my house and I called and he said he'll come out in four weeks," and then when they give you a bid, they go, "I can get to you in nine more weeks." And you're just like, "What?" So it's, I think to me, more of that thinking ahead and looking at trends and saying, what do we need? What do we need in 10 years? What do we need in 20 years? So the college option was the one where you had the kids that were signing that were going in the military.

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Jake: Correct. That's really cool that you.

Joey: Okay.

Jake: Okay. So.

Joey: Because I thought that was really cool when I heard about that.

Jake: That was called the Shasta County College and Career Signing Day. And we are going to be doing that again this year on May 16th at the Cascade Theater. It's free and open to the public.

Joey: Nice.

Jake: And we really want to see the business community turn out to celebrate with these students, and you hit it right on the head. It's not only recognizing the 4.3 GPA student with all the extracurricular activities who's got scholarships stacking up to whatever university, we want to also get the middle of the road student that maybe isn't getting the same recognition, so that we as a community can continue to embrace, acknowledge, celebrate academic choice like we would do for athletic choice. So that's why we make it a signing day because we have two step and repeat banners set up on the stage at the Cascade with two tables and a couple of chairs so that the students, after they're acknowledged, and they hold up the banner of whatever school or organization they're going to go to, if it's a trade school or whatever, they sit down at the table and they actually sign, so it's really significant. You got friends and family in the audience, along with the community at large celebrating them for doing that. And we want to keep that culture going forward.

Joey: So when is it, it's in May?

Jake: May 16th, and I think it's at.

Joey: At the Cascade Theater.

Jake: At 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

Joey: Again, 4 o'clock, man, recurring theme here.

Jake: That you could slip out early and get over there, but I think it was more mindful of the school schedule day to make sure that the students have time to get over after school to be a part of this.

Joey: So do you work at all with the, it's the trade school, which is I think.

Jake: Absolutely.

Joey: Run by Shasta Builders Exchange?

Jake: Yep.

Joey: We talked to Joe Chimenti, I talked about the programs that they offer, everything from a one day get certified to be a flagger all the way to like, they have four year programs, but you're working, I mean.

Jake: Yep.

Joey: They're four-year programs. The students are usually getting paid at some point way more than it costs to get through the program because there's such a demand for those.

Jake: Sure.

Joey: So there are college options, beyond the signing what else, what are some of the things they do?

Jake: Okay. So, the Chamber is very involved in working with what we call our complimentary partners in local economic development. So that would be the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association, which is known as the Redding Convention and Visitors Bureau, also known as Visit Redding. Okay, so the tourism entity in town is driving resources and people into our community. So that's a positive. The Economic Development Corporation, the Shasta EDC, is what it's known as. Tony Giovaniello and Todd Jones, and then Todd is also on the board of the Chamber and heading up the entrepreneurial program there. He's also a part of a new organization called Startup Redding, It's very exciting to see that being nurtured, the Startup.

Joey: Are they the ones that are doing kind of like the Shark Tank, the local Shark Tank thing?

Jake: Correct. Yes. And they will be launching that venture conference in May this year, and the Redding City Identity Project actually is going to be funding a portion of that event to get it kickstarted.

Joey: So that's where local people come up with, they walk into the Shark Tank thing, they say, "Here's my idea." They pitch it, and then some of them get funded.

Jake: Correct.

Joey: And it's the local investors that are funding this?

Jake: That's right.

Joey: Okay.

Jake: There's a local Shasta Angels group, but in addition to that, the winner of that venture conference will receive $10,000 that they don't have to pay back.

Joey: Oh, nice.

Jake: So that's.

Joey: I got a couple of ideas.

Jake: They don't have to give away any part of their company like we see on Shark Tank debated. So there's that and then the Builders Exchange itself and the trade school, we have lots of partners, you think about the SBDC, the Superior California Economic Development organization, gosh, it just kind of goes on and on. Shasta College's Workforce Development College or Program, we work really closely with them as well.

Joey: Now, how does the left hand know what the right hand's doing? Because you've mentioned a lot of acronyms.

Jake: That's a lot.

Joey: A lot of different organizations.

Jake: Yeah.

Joey: And it feels like.

Jake: And how do we fit in there, and how are we not duplicating what each other is trying to do and all that too.

Joey: Or get synergy.

Jake: Yeah, exactly. I know, synergy, I like that, one plus one equals three. We like that, not one and a half.

Joey: Are you the common glue, is the board the piece that brings these guys together and tries to coordinate?

Jake: The Chamber as that convener, we tend to see ourselves as that, that it's the bringing together of organizations to the table to talk about how we can collectively have a greater impact. So we did launch something recently called the Upstate California Economic Development Partnership, it's a long name but it brings those folks to the table, to the same table, so we can realize what each other is doing and make sure that we're not duplicative, but instead complimenting each other.

Joey: Because it feels like, that there's more than enough resources of people and capital and ideas, and that if we can get some kind of concerted effort, we're going to move a lot further.

Jake: Yep.

Joey: Because there's a lot going on and I know a little bit. I know just enough to ask you about certain things I've heard, maybe I'm not plugged in to the message, but I feel like the information, the details and how can people get involved and exactly. Because what happens is, and not to get this, not to derail the conversation.

Jake: That's okay, yeah.

Joey: Just the current way we're consuming media and our evolutionary biology, we're tuned to look out for negative. We're tuned to look for danger. Like I've said, we're the descendants that saw the wolf before the apple tree.

Jake: That's right.

Joey: The ones that saw the apple tree first, they're gone. So what happens is somebody comes out and says, "Oh, there's economic development." And then overwhelmingly people have all this opinion, and it's those same three guys, Kim Jong-Un, Isis and the president of Syria.

Jake: Oh yeah. That's right.

Joey: Same three guys over and over. They'll say something and they spin it, and then pretty soon, like that can't possibly be what's really going on. What's really going on if people are putting, and investing money in the local area? We need to get that message out and the details.

Jake: Well, I think that it's important that we realize that things are changing and have changed. The EDC for example, has admitted in recent times that perhaps the days of going after large companies to relocate to the North state, maybe those days have passed us. That right now, maybe they'll come back again, but right now we need to focus on other things as well, which would be helping our current businesses to grow. Because if you think about how that is much easier, rather than having to try to convince somebody to move their company to a new state, especially when it's California, or to move from somewhere within the state to Redding, why not continue to foster growth within those companies that exist here? Help them add employees, help them grow. So, that's a big piece of the puzzle, I think. But also, it's in the day and age when people can be so mobile as to where they work, the company doesn't have to exist in Redding, but the employee could exist in Redding and that payroll comes from the distant land of wherever that company is located into our community and is put to work in Redding.

Jake: So how can we focus on making sure that Redding is a place that people want to live? And I think that was something that was really healthy that has come out of the park fees discussion that we talked about earlier. Those who think that it's right for us to raise those fees are making the argument that people choose where they want to live first and where they work second. Especially the young generations that are, the millennial generation, the Gen Z now that we're hearing about a lot. So, that is an important thing to consider. I know that our quality of life and the natural beauty of the area and all of that, are huge selling points for Redding. But our love for those things doesn't necessarily pay the rent. You've got to have. You have to be gainfully employed to be able to support yourself, to be able to live in a place to enjoy all of those accouterments or whatever you want to say. But what is it about our community that we can really sell that's going to attract that workforce and retain the workforce that exists here?

Jake: I met with Leadership High School when I first started in 2016, and that's a group of kinda cream of the crop high school students in the county. And I asked them what they liked most about our area. And all of it was about the people being so friendly, the lake, the river, it's pretty close to the Bay Area, I can come back after going down there for a day, all that kinda stuff. But they never said, "I'm really excited about starting a business or working here in this community." And maybe I shouldn't have expected them to say that, but I think that we want to make sure that there's a balance in funding the things that we value, but at the same time, not I guess, biting the hand that feeds us too as far as encouraging development to happen and jobs to be created. Do we have to have brick-and-mortar locations to create jobs? We don't. So, as I'm just going through this crazy mind-bender right now with myself, focusing on making sure that part of our focus is also on those that can telecommute I think is really important.

Joey: Which goes back to that project that Adam's been pushing, and the high-speed internet.

Jake: Yeah.

Joey: And no, it all feeds itself. It's a very intricate set of variables that comes together. But you're right, I agree with the parks and recreation to an extent. The thing I was thinking about when you were talking was that it's people will talk about certain things as if they're absolutes. And it's like, no, if this place looks like downtown Commerce, California, people are not going to want to move here. So, it does need to be beautiful, it does need to have an attraction. What is our attraction? Obviously, it's very nature-centric.

Jake: Sure.

Joey: It's because we don't have a giant theme park in the middle of the town. You also, I think, the cost of living compared to other parts of California.

Jake: Yeah. That's a big opportunity, I think.

Joey: Yeah. You can buy a house here for $250,000. Okay? You can't rent a Porta-John in San Francisco for $250,000.

Jake: Well, what about the cost of the leases that we hear about in this community right now going through, I was talking to Haedrich & Company recently, and Chris Haedrich was sharing with me that people are paying a dollar 10, a dollar 15 a square foot by and large across this community. We're not even seeing $2 a square foot around town, which kinda speaks to maybe the lack of demand for those spaces right now. But also just the affordability that exists and the opportunity for people to say, "You mean I could get 1000 square feet in Redding for 1200 bucks a month? I'm in, that works a lot better for me than where I'm currently leasing in another location in the state, so."

Joey: Because I totally agree in that telework. I think, I'm very technologically driven, and so I might be more attuned to it than the average person. But you're seeing a huge. That's happening more and more, definitely with the technological jobs. So I know that like high speed internet, the impact that that could have, and there's a bunch of spinoff to that. Maybe you'll attract businesses that have, maybe not Amazon headquarters but you're going to attract companies that have like 15 or 20 startup employees and they're, right now, like you said, they're paying, what are they paying in downtown San Francisco somewhere, like $25 a square foot?

Jake: Exactly.

Joey: They're paying engineers $125,000, and they have to, three of them have to share an apartment. So if you can get a business like that attracted to come up here because of the high-speed internet, suddenly all those engineers, they're paying, they're buying locally, they're buying houses locally, et cetera, it spins off. So I agree with the, I think days of attracting IBM's call center, or Blue Shield's call center, I think that's kind of like old school thinking. And trying to get local businesses to be fostered. I was thinking about two books when you were talking. One was the World Is Flat. I think it's either Thomas Friedman or Thomas Friedman?

Jake: Okay. Yeah, I've heard of that book. Yeah.

Joey: He wrote it like 15, 16 years ago. He just talked about the impact of technology and that people will not have to migrate to these super-large cities, right? That's a bi-product.

Jake: Sure. You're leveling the playing field.

Joey: Yeah. That's their access to each other and their ability to communicate, and tools are rising up. And the second one though, and this has to do, I think, with the Chamber and how the Chamber can help a lot, is E-Myth Demystified. And it's a book talking about the person that's a really good plumber isn't necessarily good at running a plumbing company because the skill of running a company, there's so much involved and it's such a wise. It's accounting, finance, sales, and marketing, before you even get into production. For whatever you're doing, whether you're a plumber or a roofer, a doctor, whatever, it's before you even get to the production part of the business, you have to wear all those hats. And I would say that's one of the big benefits of the Chamber is that if you are that person and you're good at what you do and you're like overwhelmed, it's like, "Oh my goodness."

Jake: I've got a great example of a success story out of the Chamber. And it's a local pest control company. And this particular company started with us around the time I started in 2016, and they had one employee and one truck. And then this person has come to me a number of times along the way and said, "We just bought another truck. We got another truck. We're up to four now." And then today he mentioned to me that they just acquired a competitor. So he is growing big time and it's really exciting because I know we played a significant role in the beginnings of his business and getting him off on the right foot and connecting him with those experts in those fields that you mentioned. So we can wear those hats for him.

Joey: So that would be a big reason to hey, contact the chamber.

Jake: Correct.

Joey: They can connect those things. I also want to come to another big attraction for Redding, and that's Bethel.

Jake: Oh, yes. Sure.

Joey: Bethel is clearly a huge attraction. And one of the things that I've. Now, I've never been to Bethel, so I don't have any connection. But what I noticed was I started seeing young entrepreneurs. And, "Oh hey, where are you from?" "I moved here from Iowa, I moved here from wherever." "What brought you here?" "Bethel." And there's several small businesses, a group of young people, man, just my own, how old I really am just kicked in when I was like, "These young whipper snappers."

Jake: Yeah.

Joey: "Really, no more tomfoolery."

Jake: "You're like half my age."

Joey: Yeah. "No more ballyhoo."

Joey: They came in, and they're starting businesses and running businesses and moving here. And generating revenue and, overwhelmingly like, "I came here because of Bethel." "Yeah, and I came here because of Bethel." So I don't know if. But they're involved in the community quite a bit.

Jake: We've seen an amazingly positive impact on the success of Bethel Church and not just the church itself, but also the other entities connected with the church. I mean, you look at Bethel Media, Bethel Music. Bethel Music receives all of these awards that are the equivalent of the Grammys but for Christian music and they're right here.

Joey: Oh, they're world famous. World famous.

Jake: They actually were up for a Grammy and I don't know how that ended up going. I hadn't heard, but just Grammy nominated and produced out of an outfit out of Redding is really exciting. I mean, it's put Redding on the map across the world. And drawing in this talent, it seems to me that a lot of the people that are choosing to either attend the School of Ministry or to attend the church, they consider it a pilgrimage. They're coming to Redding, California where this special place is. And they believe that it's God's will for us to be successful. So I do not attend that church either. But when you've got that mindset, it's really a positive thing for our city as a whole, I believe. And we're seeing that, "Well, I graduated from the ministry school, but what is that going to do for me in terms of bringing in an income? What am I going to do now?" Well, some of them end up starting businesses here. And so we see lots of spin-offs that come as a result of that initial.

Jake: Because people come to Redding from the far reaches of the country and the world, and they fall in love with our city. They see it from a different perspective than those of us who have been here for a long time. They marvel at the sites of Mount Shasta, they walk through downtown and they think, "You guys actually have something going on here. Don't be so down on yourselves." So I think there's a lot of really great lessons to learn from people who are new to the community. And it's been exciting for me at the Chamber to be kind of on the ground floor where we'll have folks come in with all of this optimism and enthusiasm, and they're ready to start their business. One example would be Taste and See Creamery, his name is Jake Hornaday, the owner. And he came in and saw us. And I went over and visited with him there. They've got the location at the mall, they have the location downtown. They just bought Cinders Pizza as well next door and.

Joey: I didn't know that.

Jake: Continuing to grow. So it also sheds light on that it's not always tech companies. There are the brick and mortar retail locations that we're seeing pop up too, and bringing a different perspective into town. Generationally too, I think that there's a transition happening in our city. I mean, if you just look at it. I'm kind of that transition personified where my predecessor who we just lost actually passed away was Frank Strazzarino. Frank Strazzarino equaled Redding Chamber of Commerce for nearly my entire life. And so when he reached out to me and said, "I'm going to be retiring and I'd like for you to consider being my successor," I was really flattered by that. And whether or not I'm ready for it or I was ready for it, I went for it. And I had this, what do they say? Some men are great and others have greatness thrust upon them. I felt like the opportunity was thrust upon me and now what do I do with it? I was 35 years old and 38 now, and I'm in a position of influence in this community. Looking at things through my generation from my perspective I see others from around my same age, my peer group also in these positions.

Jake: I mean, you could look at Adam McElvain and Erin Resner on the City Council, two folks that are really close to the same age as I am and they're now able to affect change in the community from their perspectives. So we're seeing this happening across the city. It's a change in mindset and approach. We acknowledge and respect those that are in positions or who have been in positions of influence and who have come before us. And we want to plug into what they've got, their knowledge and wisdom around things, so we don't want to make the same mistakes again. "Tell me what I need to know," that's been really helpful as well. But we also have this great opportunity to say, "It's our time to do the best that we can right now for our city. And then at some point down the road, we'll be able to pass the torch again." But it's very exciting to know that right now, this is it. This is prime time. "You get out there and you do what you need to do right now, Jake." That's what I think about. And I'm really. I'm proud to be in this position at this time.

Joey: Right on. So are there any projects that are coming up in the next few months that you want to get out there? Something like, hey, this is time-sensitive.

Jake: Well.

Joey: You know what I mean? Like something that's going to happen. I mean, obviously we've got the college options signing in May. We had a discussion with the Parks and Recreation. That's April 9th at 4:00 PM.

Jake: Actually, that one's the signing banners one that.

Joey: Signing banner. Sorry.

Jake: Yeah. The park fees were already decided.

Joey: Oh, it's done. That's a done deal?

Jake: Yeah, that one's done. That's in the rearview mirror now.

Joey: Okay. So do you guys publish something for the public that says, "Hey, look guys, here arere some important dates and times," so that people.

Jake: We do have.

Joey: How do people find out?

Jake: Well, the public can always follow us on Facebook or Instagram and see what's going on at the Chamber of Commerce. That's a really great way to see. Also, they can subscribe to our e-newsletter, which goes out every Tuesday and gives an up-to-date look at events in the community, events at the Chamber of Commerce and also new things that you should know that we're working on and we want your engagement. So you don't have to be a member to be a part of our e-news list.

Joey: No, perfect.

Jake: That's a positive too. And so things that are coming up new in the future, I would say Chamber-wise, the big deal that's coming up for us is our annual Crown Motors' Kool April Nites Mixer. That's one where we want to plug in with what I consider to be the largest event that we have as a community every year that brings in outside folks into Redding.

Joey: Kool April Nites?

Jake: Yeah. And, of course, it's followed by the rodeo, so you go from horsepower to horsepower, you know?

Joey: I'm not supposed to hit the table, but I want to.

Jake: Yes. And it's a really fun time. Spring is great in Redding.

Joey: When does that take place this year? What are dates on that, do you know?

Jake: Gosh, it's in. Well, we know it's in April and it's usually, oh gosh, around the third week in April.

Joey: Okay. We'll try to get those dates and put them in the description.

Jake: Yep. And so our Mixer itself is really fun. It's like 12.

Joey: Where does it take place?

Jake: At Crown Motors itself. We have local restaurants that are part of the Chamber that provide food at tasting stations. So round table pizzas giving out slices of pizza, Sublime has got cupcakes, and all these different things like that. And we have a cocktail bar and also beer and wine from local craft breweries and distributors, and that's really fun, live music. And then between 90 and 100 classic cars. So, the folks from out of town, I went to every one of them last year just to say, "Hi and thank you for being a part of it." Because they pay to have their car in our Show & Shine and they say that it's the one that they look forward to the most during the week just because of the way that it's all set up. So we had about 1200 people attend last year. It's a big deal, really fun. And this year, it's from 5:00 to 8:00 PM and I've got to, the date itself, we'll have to share later.

Joey: Is it going to be like a Friday or a Saturday? Is it.

Jake: I believe we have it on a Thursday.

Joey: Thursday. I missed it. I was that close, man.

Jake: Yep. Pretty close, pretty close.

Joey: I was so close.

Jake: Yep. So that's been a long standing event of the Chamber of Commerce ever since Kool April Nites started in Redding in the '90s, so pretty exciting. One of the things I get to do is, I didn't know this till I was part of the Chamber as the CEO is, I get to pick an award winner, the Chamber of Commerce award winner at the car show itself. So I always bring my son Kobe who is now eight years old, and he helps me to pick the winner.

Joey: What won last year? Do you remember?

Jake: He wanted one that had hydraulics. So like, you could flip the switches and you would go. And we found one and I think it must have been.

Joey: An Impala?

Jake: An Impala or something like that.

Joey: Has to be, yeah. Classic.

Jake: Yeah. So we flipped the switches and did all of that. And that was really fun.

Joey: Well, right on.

Jake: That's what he was looking for. We always have lots of other things happening. I mean, just development in general in Redding, we have physical transformation occurring in our city. My daughter is in kindergarten. I'm taking them to school and she goes, "Daddy, we live in a construction city." And that's like music to the ears of a Chamber president. Right?

Joey: Of course.

Jake: So you see all of the stuff happening at the Mount Shasta Mall. We've got the new Bethel Campus expansion project that's a $100 million-plus privately invested thing.

Joey: Crazy, it's huge.

Jake: All the stuff happening in downtown. $300 million in projects in downtown Redding easily because you've got the courthouse, which is a $173 million project itself, then those others that I mentioned. And then, as you mentioned earlier, Joey, the smaller investment that's happening as a result of these larger investments, that's been really neat to see too.

Joey: That's what naturally. That's the natural byproduct, naturally trickles down.

Jake: Yeah. You look at it, and you're like, okay, so this neighborhood, if you consider downtown a neighborhood, is on its way up. Now's the time to invest in this part of our city because we're creating big-time transformation. So my wish as Chamber, Jake, is that the physical transformation will lead to other forms of transformation in the people of our city as well. We develop this belief that we can do anything here, that we're worthy of great things and that the world is going to be watching us and how we have come back from the Carr fire, and we're going to be able to tell a great story.

Joey: We didn't even get to talk about the Carr fire. I was thinking a rising tide floats all boats.

Jake: The Carr fire happened, and as I'm laying in my bed not able to sleep at all, safe over in East Redding and looking out my window at the orange glow of destruction to the West. And of course, I'm thinking about the safety of my friends and family, praying for their property, their homes going to be saved and all that stuff, and then it dawned on me that I'm the Chamber of Commerce president and this is going to create some responsibility. What am I going to do to help these businesses that are going to be affected by everything that's going on with this fire? So our team assembled on the Monday following the fire, which you remember, I think it was a Thursday that things were really going badly in West Redding and we were smoked out on Friday itself. But we were back to work on Monday, and we said we're going to call every one of our businesses and do a well check and just see what's going on with them. So we created this list, and we had 511 Enterprises, does a lot of calling professionally.

Jake: So they reached out to us and volunteered to help. So we were able to call all of our businesses within like three days. It would've been a lot longer of a process to call 850 members. So we have this spreadsheet, and it indicated that like 75 to 100 of those businesses said that they were suffering as a result of the fire. That they were closed all weekend and they operate on such a narrow margin that it was close to putting them out of business and what do we do? So the SBA, the Small Business Administration offers low interest disaster loans, not only for physical damage, but for economic injury. So saying that we had a slowdown in business as a result of this fire. So I'm pleased to share that as a result of our efforts and teaming up with others like Superior California Economic Development and the SBDC and so on, 43 businesses have received two and a half million dollars in low interest disaster loans that are designed to bridge them from the fire itself to recovering. And I think that's a big note.

Joey: It's huge.

Jake: That we're going to, we're seeing all of that money influx into our community as well as all of the insurance claims that have been filed and the dollars that have flowed in as a result of that. And I think it's actually given us probably a net gain of some sort in Redding. But it's created a lot of challenges for our business community as well. A lot of the industry that's related to tourism suffered during the summer of smoke in that slowdown and people outside of the area thought, "I'm going to rent the houseboat for a week in August." And then they see the news showing fire and devastation and smoke and everything, and they cancel, so it was that kind of a thing. And then they're not eating in the restaurants and fueling up when they go through and all that stuff that happens and snowballs on us, so to speak. But we're very hopeful that this is going to be a great summer with all the rain that we've had and the snowpack that exists. I know that Matt Doyle, who's Shasta Caverns, Matt Doyle, he's the head of the Shasta Lake Business Association up there, and he said that they are anticipating a great year this summer, a great season. He said that their February was actually the second-best on record.

Joey: Oh, wow.

Jake: At Lake Shasta Cavern. So that's a really good sign.

Joey: Yeah, absolutely.

Jake: Yep, that we're going to come back.

Joey: It's been. You know what? Redding's had a. The last 12 months, it's seen a lot. I mean, the fire obviously and the fire is the delta and then of course the camp, I mean, it's all in the area. But then you got the snowfall which shut the city down.

Jake: Yeah. Snowmageddon 2019.

Joey: Snowmageddon.

Jake: It was crazy to see all of that.

Joey: The world kind of one man again.

Jake: Yes. Here it is.

Joey: Here we go again, again. And then the rains were pretty tough and I don't know if we're out of that. It's sunny right now, but I think the rains are going to come back.

Jake: Correct.

Joey: This morning when I walked Turtle Bay, the river's wide.

Jake: Yes.

Joey: And the river is wide and deep. And so a couple of years ago I remember, this just, that's 12 months of hammering home. So it's, I'm glad to hear that money's coming in and that there's opportunities. So if anybody is any business owner or someone starting a business, the first thing they should do is contact you, and find out what resources you can connect them with at the chamber.

Jake: Exactly. Because there is still time between now and early May for businesses to submit an application for consideration of a low-interest disaster loan. And these are, this is amazingly cheap money. I think the average loan that I heard from the SBDC, oh gosh, it's something like $15,000, something like that. So it doesn't have to be a lot of money, but it's something that can really, really help you make payroll that month or take care of this other thing that you got to deal with.

Joey: Keep the business going.

Jake: That's right. And then there are so many things, we have so many resources we can connect businesses with. Just the other day we were visiting with Redding Electric Utility, and they have created a new catalog that details all of the commercial rebates that exist for things from ice machines to thermostats and things like that. So it's free money that helps to offset some of that investment to go green.

Joey: More efficient.

Jake: Or more efficient anyway within your business.

Joey: I'd be very interested in that because I haven't. All I've ever heard is that there's a small amount of them and they're gone like the third week of January because people are on it.

Jake: And some of them that are really specific to maybe, I think there were solar rebates at one year that disappeared right away. There are many other rebates that exist and RU has resources that are dedicated to those rebates.

Joey: Is there a contact over there at RU people should reach out to?

Jake: Yeah. Dan Beans is their director, so I think that would be a really good one. And I think about others. Let's see. Nick Zettel is another person that I would recommend to them.

Joey: With RU?

Jake: Yep. Matt Madison is the key accounts manager. So he's the one that's dealing with the top 100 energy consumers in Redding Electric Utilities area of service. So you see a lot of the stuff that comes through where you think, "Man, that's great." So what we're going to do is we're going to be sharing all that information too at the Chamber with all of our social media and digital outreach that we do.

Joey: Sounds good.

Jake: So that'll be great. Yeah.

Joey: Well, I'm really grateful that you came on.

Jake: And we just started, you know?

Joey: And we just started. Well, we're going to have Alex Jones on after you. And so I don't want to cut into his time because he can be. He's a talker.

Jake: Yeah.

Joey: No.

Jake: Yeah, those talkers. Geez.

Joey: But, I want to have you back.

Jake: Okay. That would be great.

Joey: So I'm so grateful you came on.

Jake: We can even be item specific if you want. So, yeah.

Joey: Well the big thing is that there is just as much positive, if not more, than there is of the negative. But for the way that we're built, it's just the negative gets the spotlight. And it's not a matter of, I think there's a ton of programs, a ton of people doing good things that people had. I had no idea, like the loans. There's a. I'm sure somebody's going to hear this and go, "I had no idea. Yeah, I could use a low interest loan to try to get through payroll, whatever, acquisition," something like that.

Jake: That's right.

Joey: That's the kind of stuff that I feel like it just doesn't get enough of the spotlight. The way it's wired is it looks like it's 2% of the message and it's like, it's at least 50%, at least.

Jake: And new cycle so quickly that we've moved on to the next thing, whatever it might be. So we've got to realize that the recovery process is going to be an ongoing thing. I was, I'm a part of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation Board and, it's pretty exciting to see the projects that are underway right now as a result of all the generosity that went to that Carr Fire Relief Fund. They shared with us that they've been focusing on the town of Kennett and. I'm sorry, not Kennett, Keswick. Kennett is underwater. Yeah, they've got plenty of water of there, so they're fine. But the water system in Keswick needing assistance with making sure that you got the infrastructure needs like power poles, you've got septic tanks that need to be reinstalled, and just stuff that the underinsured or uninsured are not able to pay for.

Joey: I've heard some horror stories of the uninsured people that paid off stuff and that's sad.

Jake: Yes. Absolutely.

Joey: Very sad.

Jake: So, and there may be the, what do we say? The cavalry may be coming as far as volunteers coming to Redding to help build new homes for people that are in those Shasta County areas. So it would be a stay tuned tease on that one.

Joey: Really? So you'll bring that information?

Jake: Yes.

Joey: I'd love specific.

Jake: I heard some very encouraging information yesterday about that.

Joey: My biggest things that I. Because everybody's got their own focus, but my biggest thing is around downtown development because I feel like it's such a catalyst for the city.

Jake: It is. It's they.

Joey: And I'm big in the, I don't want to pay extra taxes. Okay? But the parks and recreation, I think that is the attraction. When I meet people outside of Redding, usually there's two things. Turtle Bay and Bethel. Like the people that, "I heard of Redding." It used to be, I remember years ago it was like, "Oh, North I-5 before you get in the mountain," that was it.

Jake: Yeah, it's really hot there or whatever it is.

Joey: Yeah.

Jake: "Redding, California, it's really hot there." I think we should go with that.

Joey: Yeah, that's sales point. But the, it's starting to shift and you're seeing like the Turtle Bay bridge. And I like what you said at the very beginning of the talk, you were talking about the, I can't remember how you worded it, but it was the something like, we can shape how the city is perceived, right? And it's going to be based on choices we make. You mentioned Bend, Oregon. I know.

Jake: Sure.

Joey: He who shall not be named or Voldemort. But that they were in a very similar situation.

Jake: Yes.

Joey: I mean, like, if you sat and you didn't write the city name and you wrote, "Hey, this is an older industry that's gone away," and this, and they're that. You could, you didn't know if you were talking about Bend or Redding and Bend has seen an investment in a certain direction.

Jake: Correct.

Joey: And this incredible revitalization. And they're very famous and it's the rising tide. I mean, housing prices, the economic boom, they're booming. And so it's like, hey guys, there's somebody that's got an economic model that you can look at and study from. Instead of it being like, well, it's just guesswork, let's get into a philosophical debate on how engine economics. It's like, no, you have somebody that's walked the line.

Jake: I admit I have a lot to learn.

Joey: Oh, everybody does. But it's like, there's a model to learn from. And that's what they've done. They've invested in that path versus, like I said, turning this into Commerce, California.

Jake: Yeah.

Joey: Something else, okay. So next time you come on, I would also. You brought up something, you dropped a hint in there and it was the Park Marina area.

Jake: Yes.

Joey: Like that's a big one.

Jake: Absolutely. That is a huge one. It was the most common comment we received when we asked our community for ideas, "What do you want to see in the future of Redding? What are our opportunities?" And it was that right there. It was the waterfront redevelopment along Park Marina Drive. And things have been attempted in the past and there's been sort of a, what do you call it?

Joey: You're about to open.

Jake: The Pandora's Box is opening right now. But let's just say that it's a very timely discussion right now as a lot of that property has been tied up in long-term leases that are expiring very soon.

Joey: That's blight, honestly.

Jake: My opinion is that it should open up a community discussion and engage the property owners, which are by and large the Kutras family. And that would be Chris Kutras and his sister, Demetria. And to make sure that we acknowledge where they are coming from. And when you talk to Chris, when I've talked to Chris, I said, "You got to feel a lot of pressure because you know how everyone values that piece of property down there and how important it is to the community's future but also how important it is to your family's legacy and its heritage. So we've got to be able to, is there a solution that honors all of those things?"

Joey: Has to be.

Jake: There has to be.

Joey: Multiple ones that do that.

Jake: And that's what. I mean, I've got goosebumps right now just talking about it because that is.

Joey: Well, I have to give a disclaimer. I got an A in Chris Kutras's class at Shasta College 30 years ago.

Jake: I did too. Yeah.

Joey: So I'm biased.

Jake: I was thinking about the Polly Psy class which was like the rite of passage at Shasta College.

Joey: Yep. So I got an A, so I'm biased.

Jake: 8 o'clock in the morning after morning workouts for baseball I remember going in there and. "Oh yeah, Socrates, got it. Yes, absolutely." So anyway.

Joey: So you've talked to him and he has, there's some direction?

Jake: He absolutely has given indication that. Well, so I said, I go, "So what do you want me to tell people?" And he goes, "Just tell them that Chris has got a plan and he's working on it."

Joey: Okay.

Jake: So that's what I'm sharing is that there's hope there and.

Joey: Hey, Chris, come on All Redding.

Jake: Yeah.

Joey: And share the plan, bud.

Jake: Exactly.

Joey: You know? Yeah.

Jake: Yep.

Joey: We'd love to hear it. Get the community behind it.

Jake: That's right.

Joey: So, because I live in that area and so we walk down to the lot and it's like, it's just this like diamond sitting in the, you're just sitting there like, "This is such a beautiful. "

Jake: You go, "All I see is potential, everywhere I look."

Joey: Yeah. This is, it's a gorgeous area, and I know there's a lot of politics, and I really don't. There's a balance. Like when I talk about.

Jake: I haven't been involved in it. So that's the beauty, is that we, there's the fighting the good fight for years and never getting anywhere. Well, that's not us, we're ready to give it a shot again, so.

Joey: Yeah. Sometimes when you talk about like the positive, you have to address the negative. I don't like to steep in it and I don't like to. You know, but it's like, hey look, how did this problem arise? Because to be able to solve a problem, you have to truly be able to identify the problem and the factors that cause the problem. And so saying like, "Hey, this is why it got to the point it's at." because it's not in a good position. I mean, the River Inn, or I can't remember the name of that.

Jake: You're right, the River Inn. Yeah.

Joey: I'm like, that is like, are you talking prime? That could be, they're building a super million dollar across the street Sheraton. You're like, "What are you going to do with this?" And just some of the older buildings down, it's just, it's like I said, incredible potential. So what needs to be done?

Jake: You look over there on the, from the ridge top looking across the river and you see the Sundial Bridge all the way over to the Cypress Avenue Bridge. And I think about it as that beautiful crescent along the river and what's that going to look like in the future? So to me it seems like it's got to be something that balances the natural beauty with the economic opportunity it presents too. And when you talk to Chris, he said, "What I want to be sure that we see there is something that is right for all of this community." So he really put emphasis on that, that he doesn't want it to just cater to one group in our community but instead to be something that's right for Redding.

Joey: Well, I want to hear it. I'm all ears.

Jake: I know, I am too. So it's just defining what does that actually look like?

Joey: I think of, I'm sure you've, I've heard people talk about it, but I've been to San Antonio on the River Walk.

Jake: Yes. Sure.

Joey: And that's the one that gets brought up a lot when we talk about the river because it's, you have this huge amount of commerce built around the river and the Alamos right there and everything like that. And so you think like, "Okay, there's some solution that's similar to that."

Jake: Sure.

Joey: Where you have just like, it's the same type of stuff you're talking about downtown, where you combine, instead of it being, it's a 24-hour, what did you say? It's not a nine hour.

Jake: Nine hour intersection into a 24-hour city.

Joey: Yeah.

Jake: Yeah. And you could naturally see from the Turtle Bay Sheraton complex, this extension of the Sacramento River Trail along Park Marina Drive that leads tourists and residents into that area where they can get something to eat, have coffee, craft beer, enjoy the river. There's open space and green areas where you're throwing the Frisbee around. Who knows what it is, right?

Joey: Yeah.

Jake: But something that's got to fit really well into that. And when you see water rise like it does, it also makes you think, "So we got to account for high water situations." So that means the building has to be a certain way. And does that mean you set the road back a piece? Does that get reshaped? All of those things will have to be considered. And because it's California and being developed on a waterway, you know it's going to take a long time to get to the point where you can develop it. So that's why we've got to be doing it now. We have to be talking about it.

Joey: It's going to have challenges, of course, but there are, I guarantee, multiple solutions involved, and we just need to move forward.

Jake: Yeah, it's worth it. So anyway.

Joey: Well, thank you sir.

Jake: Yeah.

Joey: I appreciate it.

Jake: Absolutely. Thank you.

Joey: I'm going to fist bump you because my hands are cold and clammy.

Jake: Oh no, that's fine. And I'm really proud to represent all of Redding as well as WebDrvn. So, thank you for having me on.

Joey: Thanks for the plug.

Jake: Yeah, you got it.

Joey: Okay. See you next time.