What the Chamber Does For Businesses

The Chamber is a place for business owners to associate, network and communicate with each other. Commissioners look to the chamber as the sounding board when decisions are made that affect the greater Ocean Park area. Since the communities in the Ocean Park Area are all unincorporated, there is no local governing structure to deal with. This makes the Chamber the best organization for the county government to learn about business owners concerns.

Successful Community Projects

• Chamber members formed the North Peninsula Improvement Association to deal with Ocean Park Area flooding issues. After working with the county to solve flooding issues that organization went on to address junk cars, removing more than 3,000 junk cars. The NPIA went on to work with the county to form a PDA which bought the private water system and turned it in to a public water utility district owned by the citizens of Ocean Park.
  
• Upgrade power supply and water at Sheldon Field for festival use, little league, and community events.
  
• Procured $71,000 grant for first portion of Beach to Bay trail project.
  
• The Chamber was instrumental in getting the public bathrooms on the Beach Approach
  
• The sewer assessment study - The sewer study was done in partnership with the County to determine the adequacy of Ocean Park business sewer systems.
  
• Formed a committee updating the Ocean Park sign across from the Credit Union.
  
• Clamming regulations - We led local merchants in their ongoing struggles with the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife on the razor clam issues.
  
• The Chamber was the first organization to established free web pages for many Ocean Park Area businesses, as well as encouraging linking between the local sites
  
• Interdependency agreement meetings with other peninsula communities leading to approval of the 2% additional Lodging Tax
  
• Worked with county officials on designated parking and signage regulations.
  
• A Chamber Board member started “Not A Ban but A Better Plan” to address 4th of July celebration problems. They successfully stopped camping on the beach and reduced debris, fire works noise and fire dangers on the peninsula by working with local organizations and state, county and city government representatives
  

Past Chamber supported activities :

• Ocean Park School dedication (we were tour guides supporting this important community achievement)
  
• Past funding for a booth at the Portland, Puyallup and Seattle RV show to Showcase our area as an RV destination distributing Visitors Guides and Beach Vacation Planners and area brochures.
  
• Partnered with Cowlitz County to have a page in the Mt. St Helens Awesome brochure which was distributed up and down the I-5 corridor
  
• Brochure Exchange to encourage support between businesses.
  
• Marketing support for the Rod Run, Water Music Festival, and the Willapa bay Seafood Festival.
  
• Sponsoring Madeline Dickerson who was crowned 2006 Loyalty Day Queen
  
• Working with Long Beach and Ilwaco on a joint TV advertisement
  
• Arranged for presentations pertinent to businesses from knowledgeable speakers
  
• Coordinated and/or provided a Christmas tree in the center of town
  
• Loyalty Day Parade & Banquet (Participation to encourage recognition of the North End)
  
• Chamber was able to have input regarding changes being made in zoning laws.
  
• A place to communicate with political leaders
  
• Many, many Chamber member volunteer hours have gone into the different festivals that the Ocean Park area enjoys, as well as, designing websites, sending newsletters and advertising our area.

Festivals

• Garlic festival
  
• 4th of July Parade
  
• Christmas Tree Lighting and Santa’s Workshop.
  
• Safe Halloween Party for Kids

Area advertising and control of Lodging Tax spending

• Partnering with area businesses to produce area advertising with bulk purchasing savings and discounts going to members.
  
• Continuing to support the Beach to Bay Trail project
  
• Continuing support for the Rod Run, Water Music, Jazz and Oysters and Beach to Chowder Run
  
• Working to secure Lodging Tax Funds to promote tourism and ensure awareness of our local businesses and activities\.
  
• Additionally, the Chamber has lobbied for Lodging Tax Funds and uses those funds to Produce Visitor Guide ads in surrounding communities to promote our area. We have placed ads in the Astoria Visitor Guide, the Longview Daily News, the Awesome Brochure with Cowlitz County, the Coast Explorer (formerly the Pelican Post), the Long Beach Vacation Planner and other publications. We have also advertised local events, i.e. Garlic Festival, 4th of July, Jazz and Oysters, Water Music, etc.
  
• Every year we make web site upgrades and additions & links to area business sites. We are currently working to make the Chamber site cell phone friendly. The chamber web site continues to grow and improve
  
• We produce a “Things To Do” Guide to promote the local area.
  
• We produced Walking Tour Brochure.

Operation of a Chamber Office

• The Chamber office Work secures Lodging Tax Funds to promote tourism and ensure awareness of our local businesses and activities
  
• Provides a place to get information about the community and a place to send information from.
  
• Provides an organization to receive and apply for grants
  
• An organization to interface and represent us with the visitors bureau
  
• Organization to donate support to other organizations
  
• Representing our area at various community meetings and events.
  
• The Chamber office is now staffed four hours a day, 5 days a week to respond to requests for Relocation Packets, Lodging Information, Shopping, Activities, and the requests for many other Services available in our area.