01-22-18 City Council Agenda Packet

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FOSTERING A CREATIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FEDERAL PRIORITIES We urge the Oregon delegation to support: Continue to fund the TIGER grant program and maintain set aside allocations for projects in rural areas. Continuing opportunities for competitive grants across all Federal Agencies with preference given to the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) designation awarded to the region's Pacific Northwest Manufacturing Partnership. This includes funding for the U.S. Department of Commerce manufacturing communities grant opportunities that emphasize industry, and demand - driven workforce training. Codifying the IMCP designees so that the officially recognized partnerships will continue to benefit from federal support and funding during the current Administration (support HR. 2264, HR. 1672 and S.701). Passage of the Timber Innovation Act and subsequent funding for the U. S. Department of Agriculture to ensure the promise offered by the Act will be realized. The TallWood Design Institute, a partnership between the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, is uniquely poised to play a key role in the development of mass timber technologies, within urban developments across the US. Programs and goals of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, a bipartisan successor to the America COMPETES Acts of 2007 and 2010, which became law in December 2016 and supports STEM education, research, technology, and collaboration between community colleges, universities and technical schools. Maintaining and expanding the availability of incentive programs such as "Enterprise Zones" and "E -Commerce Zones" to encourage investment in plans that combine strategic visions for change with community- based partnerships, job growth, and sustainable community development for distressed communities. Sustainable funding for the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Energy's Office of Science. This research funding brings millions of dollars into the local economy and functions as a long-term economic engine within the community. Federal partnerships and support for major higher education research facilities like the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and the TallWood Design Institute, which specializes in the testing and promotion of advanced timber products. Funding for the Workforce Investment programs authorized in the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act. As infrastructure development legislation evolves, ensure fiber deployment is defined as critical community infrastructure.