Public Policy Committee

In 2006, the Chamber established the Public Policy Committee, which is responsible for identifying, selecting, then taking action on public policy issues that impact members, providing advocacy on their behalf by becoming the “voice” of the membership. The Shakopee Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors approved the Public Policy Committee guidelines, moving the organization from just being an agent of information exchange to becoming a strong provider of representation on public policy issues that impact business operation.

The purpose of this committee is, “To be a proactive voice for the business community on public policy issues that impact our members, to facilitate communication, inform Chamber membership and to make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding adopting a position or taking action on those issues.” The committee follows a process of 1) Identifying possible issues; 2) Selecting an issue; 3) Gathering information; 4) Making recommendations; and finally 5) Board action, which can include voicing our members’ position to the appropriate policy makers. While the Chamber can only accept feedback from member businesses, decisions have the potential to benefit all Shakopee businesses.

Issues that the committee addressed in 2006 included the following:

Vote YES Minnesota

On Election Day 2006, Minnesota voters were asked whether they approved a state Constitutional amendment that would permanently allocate revenues from the existing Minnesota vehicle sales tax (MVST) to transportation related expenses.  Currently, only 54% of the revenues from this tax are used for transportation.  The ballot asked whether voters approved dedicating at least 40% of these existing tax revenues to public transit funding and not more than 60% to highway funding.  In July, when asked whether the Chamber should support, remain neutral, or oppose this amendment, 68.5% of responding members said to support it, 14.8% said to oppose it, and 16.7% said remain neutral. The November election resulted in an overwhelming “vote yes” statewide.

Flying Cloud Airport Expansion

Flying Cloud Airport is one of six Metropolitan Airports Commission reliever sites serving the southwest metro and the Shakopee area. A request was being given to the Metropolitan Airports Commission to expand the runway from 3,900 to 5,000 feet. When surveyed in October as to whether the Chamber should support, remain neutral, or oppose this proposed expansion, 88% voted to support the expansion, 7% voted to oppose it, and 5% voted to remain neutral.

Shakopee Sign Ordinance

In November, the Chamber asked its members for their opinion on the Shakopee Sign Ordinance. The Chamber wanted to know how the ordinance affects members and their businesses and if there are ways the Chamber can help members better understand the ordinance and make the ordinance more user-friendly. The Chamber is currently still in the process of collecting data and deciding what kind of action it will take.