This year we have 90 delegates and a waiting list. What does Portland’s mystique mean to us here in Minneapolis-Saint Paul? Our communities seem to envy Portland, but why?

Portland has a reputation as a green, sustainable city with a high quality of life. Their transit system is accessible, user-friendly and is a proven successful economic driver in the community.

But wait. Three years ago the civic leaders from Portland came to Minneapolis & Saint Paul. They were amazed that our region is home to 19 Fortune 500 companies. (Portland has 1) They were jealous of our park system and the integration of our lakes and trails.

This summer Portland’s unemployment rate was 9.5% while the Minnesota Metropolitan region was at 6.9%. The city of Portland has a homeless population estimated around 15,000, while the estimated number in the entire state of Minnesota is 13,000. They have an annual precipitation around 40 inches and we have a mere 34 inches annually.

High unemployment? Significant homeless population, less sun, more rain….let’s move to Portland! Maybe those of us who live in Minnesota prefer the myth of Portland to the reality of their numbers.

The ICLV agenda includes a bike tour through Portland, a look at their South Waterfront development and a study of the streetcar system effects on neighborhood commercial renaissance. The delegation will also discuss PSU’s role in Portland: “knowledge to serve the city”, public/private collaboration for education reform and Business Leadership in Economic Development Planning and Policy.  In addition, the entire program will be conducted using public transit.

When we return, the delegation hopes to dispel Portland’s myths, embrace the legends, and start making their success stories a reality back here in Minneapolis-Saint Paul.

Austin always tops the lists of great places to live for young/creative people. The city markets itself with “Keep Austin Weird” or “Live Music Capital of the World”. What is Minnesota’s brand?

A few weeks ago the Star Tribune published an editorial urging Minnesota to tell our story more effectively. The article was written after national site selectors visited Minneapolis-Saint Paul and praised several civic efforts.

How can we connect our community to Austin, Texas? The Minneapolis Regional and Saint Paul Area Chambers of Commerce intend to find out. They will host the 9th annual InterCity Leadership Visit in November. By invitation only, the civic leadership of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, will travel to Austin with a delegation of 75 community/regional representatives. The first trip was to Denver in 2001 and the ICLV has since traveled to Seattle, Boston, Dallas, San Diego, Toronto, Atlanta and Charlotte to learn about city and regional best practices.

This trip has two objectives. First is to introduce the delegation to Austin’s innovative ideas, programs and initiatives. The second, though initially less tangible, is far reaching. Relationships will develop during this shared educational experience. We will return with a more cohesive team of civic leaders working on behalf of our community. The ICLV enhances the dynamics of community vision and problem solving.

Who knows, come December, you may see some “Texas swagger” right here in Minnesota.

Learn more about Austin’s very cool brand at http://www.downtownaustintv.org.  What would be a cool brand for the Twin Cities?

Transit for Livable Communities, an effective regional advocacy organization that is pushing for more transit and transportation options, recently released a map of bike route projects through Bike Walk Twin Cities.  http://bikewalktwincities.org/sites/default/files/Project_map_Sept_2009.pdf

It’s a great list of projects but when I take a look at my neighborhood in St. Paul, plus the surrounding area that makes up the whole central area, we are cut off from accessing any of the routes or biking amenities (e.g. Summit Ave, River Road, Lake Como) that can safely connect the neighborhood to some of the greatest assets of the city.  Sure, there are plenty of streets, but you take your life in your own hands when you attempt to find a route that crosses University Avenue or I-94; the only options are Snelling, Lexington, Hamline, Dale, etc.—all major arteries that are really only made for cars.  (I’ll concede Victoria and Prior as two “ok” options.)

I can’t believe that neighborhoods and communities around the metro aren’t facing some of the same challenges.  What’s most frustrating to me is that the bike route conversation seems divorced from the transit conversation, which is divorced from how pedestrians use streets and sidewalks, and so on.  In addition, we don’t seem to ever make connections between how we design and use roads for cars with how our roads could be redesigned for other modes, whether they be multi-modal or repurposed for specific modes (e.g. dedicated bus routes, bike routes).  I’m no expert on the subject but I’m afraid the richness of this type of discussion has only been relegated to the professionals.

Example #2:  Yesterday, I heard a Hennepin County Commissioner, and longtime champion of effective public transit, describe himself as an “infrastructure determinist,” which recognizes that what and where we invest in as infrastructure today will have huge implications and repercussions for how neighborhoods, cities, and the region function in the future.  With the growing interest in using more efficient forms of transportation or options that reduce our carbon footprint, lines like the Northstar Commuter rail and the new Central Corridor light rail are often profiled for the localized benefit or conflict they command.  These lines are part of a much larger, regional system that must be (and hopefully will be) developed.  However, the development of this system is not just about transportation.  It will influence the future competitiveness of our region, as talent and capital seeks accessible and livable communities.  It will also influence how well parts of the region—whether be by core urban neighborhoods or suburban communities—stay connected to the prosperity of the whole.

We’re living witnesses to what happens as a result of infrastructure investments be they perceived as positive, like the design of robust public park and parkway systems nearly 100 years ago, to those perceived as negative—e.g. the removal of whole neighborhoods for highway construction.  Perhaps our forefathers weren’t necessarily thinking in whole systems for these infrastructure investments but we have the chance to do it now.  What will be our regional legacy?

With the departure of the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce (SPACC) president, Kristofer Johnson, this is an opportunity to explore uniting these two business associations.

I am a director of the InterCity Leadership Visit, a program sponsored collaboratively by both the Minneapolis Regional Chamber (MRCC) and Saint Paul Area Chambers of Commerce. In this role, I’ve researched business and economic development associations in such cities as Denver, Seattle, Boston, Dallas, San Diego, Atlanta and Charlotte. I am also a former MRCC employee.

Both chambers work at increasing their value to member companies who struggle to keep chamber dues in their budget. In a community where there are 35+ chambers in the 7-county metro area, this is not easy to do. Larger member companies such as Target, Wells Fargo and Xcel Energy are expected to join each and every one of these chambers.

Using the word “larger” to describe companies starts the size debate. It builds apprehension and has prohibited a real, candid conversation about a chamber merger. What will happen to the “small” business owner? Will all the money and attention be diverted to the “larger” city? If done effectively and collaboratively, no.

Many people worry that in a merger the smaller businesses would lose their voice. To avoid this, the regional chamber with city-specific councils should be considered. This model provides each council with a board and programs that fit their individual community need. Small businesses get the necessary networking opportunities plus the support of the larger companies’ financial assistance for economic development and policy influence. While the plan has flaws it does take advantage of each chamber’s efficiencies while keeping local contact around community issues.

“Local” means different things to different businesses. That is why the council model works. Minneapolis and Saint Paul would each maintain an office, dedicated staff and volunteer committees focused on the needs of their community. For instance, a Saint Paul Council would continue to successfully advocate for Central Corridor. Concurrently the Regional Chamber moves forward a regional transportation plan, ensures Minnesota remains a Delta Airlines hub, leads the region’s economic development efforts, and supports local and state policies important to ensuring an attractive business climate.

The MRCC and SPACC work diligently to maintain a full slate of programming and meet a variety of needs. Each chamber has a leadership program, an emerging leader curriculum, networking groups, annual meetings, policy-focused committees and golf tournaments. Both chambers find sponsorships and participants for each event. Simultaneously, the same few large members sponsor these events at both chambers. These sponsors are challenged to fully utilize their investment and find the appropriate and available employees to represent them at so many different occasions.

What if there was only one large, metro-wide annual member meeting? Attendees would have much wider audience for promotion of their business. The regional chamber could update the entire metro area on significant issues. The sponsoring member gets more for their investment, and metro business people have just one date on their calendar. The councils would still have monthly meetings available for local issues, information and connections.

Besides the InterCity Leadership Visit, the MRCC and SPACC already successfully collaborate on annual events to celebrate the Minnesota Twins, The Timberwolves, The Vikings and The Wild. When attending these events, you don’t find people segregated with Minneapolitans on one side and Saint Paulites on the other. There is energy, pleasant chatter and lots of business cards exchanged. This friendly banter could become a focused, collective voice on regional business issues.

Beyond networking, is further opportunity for both chambers. Imagine one regional economic development proposal! What if there was only one organization that built a strategic, mutually agreed upon plan that was implemented and supported by all businesses, metro-wide. At the end of the day we shouldn’t be worried about a company relocating to Plymouth or White Bear Lake, rather if a business is going to choose the state of Minnesota or Washington.

Economic realities have produced creative collaboration for public-private partnerships and combined government services. Both chambers could take baby-steps in working closer together. Merging back office operations might be an easy place for both to start. In addition to the InterCity Leadership Visit they could consider additional programming to benefit their organizations and their members.

The United Way did it. Catholic Charities did it. The YMCAs did it. I think the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Chambers should consider it too.

I am a former MRCC employee and my business partner, Ellen Watters worked for the SPACC.  Both organizations have struggled to be relevant to their member companies while businesses cut back on their association fees.  In a community where there are 35+ chambers in the 7-county metro area, this is not easy to do.  Larger member companies such as Target, Wells Fargo and Xcel Energy are expected to join each and every one of these chambers.

As the director of the InterCity Leadership Visit (a program sponsored collaboratively by both the MRCC and SPACC) I’ve researched business and economic development associations in such cities as Denver, Seattle, Boston, Dallas, San Diego, Atlanta and Charlotte.  The communities that have seen the best successes are cities that have built and supported one regional organization.

In Atlanta, the chamber is the “go to” organization for business support, policy making and professional development/retention of employees.  When the public schools were close to losing their talented superintendent, the chamber stepped in and worked in a public forum to produce much-needed reform on their school board.  This resulted in a renewed interest in businesses supporting the public schools and also inspired qualified and dedicated business people to run, and win seats on the school board.

What could the MRCC and SPACC  do together?

Many people argue that the smaller businesses would lose their “street level” support if the chambers merged.  The model to consider gives each city their own “council” and their own board with programs that fit their individual community need.  Those small businesses get networking opportunities plus the support of the larger companies’ financial assistance for economic development and policy influence.

The MRCC and SPACC spent the last few years trying to maintain their current offerings.  Each chamber has a leadership program, an emerging leader curriculum, small business awards, annual meetings and golf tournaments.  Both chambers struggle to find sponsorships and participants for each event and program, while the larger members are challenged to find the right attendees to represent them at so many different occasions.  What if there was one large, well-attended regional annual chamber meeting.  The metro area networking benefits everyone.

Imagine if there was one regional Leadership program.  The applicants would compete for a spot rather than be assigned by their company to attend.  Immediately the alumni of each program would double their professional connections by achieving access to others from “across the river” who participated in past programs.  Community issues from Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Bloomington, St. Louis Park could be looked at collectively by engaged business and nonprofit leaders and benefit from a regional dialog about solutions.

Beyond networking, is further opportunity for both chambers.  Imagine one regional economic development proposal!  What if there was only one organization that built a strategic, mutually agreed upon plan that was implemented and supported by all businesses, metro-wide.  At the end of the day we shouldn’t be worried about a company relocating to Plymouth or White Bear Lake, but if a business is going to choose Minnesota or Seattle.

Economic realities have produced creative collaboration for public-private partnerships and combined government services.  Both chambers could take baby-steps in working closer together.  Merging back office operations might be an easy place for both to start.  In addition to the InterCity Leadership Visit they could consider additional programming to benefit their organizations and their members.

The United Way did it.  Catholic Charities did it.  The YMCAs did it.  Why can’t the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Chambers do it?  I think they can, and they should.  What do you think?