“The goal is to kick off of a new conversation regarding the vibrancy of our local economy,” explained Brenda Schallberger, the DCA’s new program coordinator. Aimee Sukol of Portland is the organization’s new marketing and development consultant.
“We really want to see the downtown core be a thriving area for commerce,” she added. “We would like all citizens to be aware of downtown, to consider it the core of their city and to do business and recreate there regularly. That doesn’t happen yet.”
Schallberger identified a number of areas where she said the DCA is positioned to take action. For instance, she said the organization is working to promote the benefits of investing locally.
“I’d like to open up the conversation to residents who could invest locally with their own funds, taking them from Wall Street to a real main street, so to speak,” she said.
In addition to increasing local investment, Schallberger said the DCA is working to:
• Establish a new membership, fellowship program
• Develop business recruitment packages that include incentives for things like build-outs
• Increase citizen participation on local committees
• Create and/or develop strong relationships with city officials, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and Downtown’s Vancouver Association
• Set up internship programs with Camas Schools
• Develop a new “vibe” for the city of Camas through public art projects
• Create a Downtown Camas walking tour
• Increase awareness of the Main Street B&O Tax Credit Incentive Program. This allows Washington state business owners to donate to a Main Street organization (like the DCA) and receive a 75 percent B&O tax credit.
“If they donate $1,000 they will receive a $750 credit in the next year against whatever B&O they have to pay,” explained Schallberger, expanding on the tax credit program. “Plus, in the current year they get to write off that donation. So we think it’s strategically in their advantage to be able to invest locally like that. It just puts money back into our community and helps our own local people.”
With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit world, Schallberger is no stranger to working with slim budgets. She said stable funding from local investments would help the organization “recruit businesses, number one.”
“There are entrepreneurs out there looking for good, solid space and we have a beautiful downtown area,” Schallberger said. “We need to put together materials to be able to recruit people for exactly what they’re looking for.”
To learn more about the Downtown Camas Association, visit www.downtowncamas.com.
