Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council 334 NE Hawthorne Avenue Bend, OR 97701

I joined the COIC board in Janu-ary of 2013 as a repre-sentative of the

Prineville City Council and served as board chair in 2014. Transit has certainly been a top priority as the board and staff look for ways to create a sustainable transit system that meets the growing demands of employment and population growth, while making sure our rural areas stay connected to our larger communities for access to educa-tion, healthcare, and work.

But COIC is much more than a tran-

sit provider. The organization helps with industrial land development, economic development, manages a business loan department, and provides critical services for work-force development — including support for the employees laid off at Woodgrain Millwork in Prineville after the unfortunate roof collapse late last year.

The COIC board is made up of elect-ed representatives from all cities and counties in the tri-county area, including other community and business leaders. We have many challenges and opportunities ahead in 2015 as growth returns and un-employment remains high in some areas. But we look forward to sup-porting our cities and counties in their quest for economic success.

An annual report’s purpose is to celebrate an organization’s ac-complishments over the past year. As you read on you will see that the 2014 COIC annual report does just that — we have much to be proud of. The committed leadership of board members and our dedicated, hard work-ing staff have produced amazing outcomes. But for me, 2014 was

about less visible, more foundational steps that prepare us for 2015 and beyond. Before I explain further, it’s helpful to recall COIC’s origins.

COIC was created in 1971 by the region’s city and county gov-ernments. Governor Tom McCall had prompted the formation of Councils of Government by establishing 14 service districts statewide, intending for regions to jointly identify priorities and plan for the future. Then, as now, infrastructure needs far outstripped resources and economic issues were increasingly regional in scale, so collaboration was necessary. COIC was cre-ated for area-wide planning and priority setting, for accessing funding, and for realizing economies of scale on projects and services.

So back to 2015. The region is growing, but our economy has not recovered fully from the downturn. We face complex natu-ral resource and land management challenges. People struggle to find good jobs, access transportation, and secure adequate, affordable housing. Businesses need reliable, skilled workers. Regional scale challenges, common across communities. Limit-ed resources. The need to collaborate and jointly address issues and problems remains as relevant now as in 1971.

So how did 2014 better position COIC to meet regional needs? A few things:

Setting a strategic direction: Transit is important to our region-al economy — providing access to jobs and education, while meeting basic mobility needs. A “CET Funding Committee” composed of 20 regional leaders built a strategy to strengthen CET including securing voter-approved local funding within

3-5 years. It stresses better communicating CET’s value to the public and building stronger partnerships with communities and stakeholders. With the COIC board’s approval in 2014, the strategy now guides our efforts to better meet regional mobil-ity needs.

Additionally, the COIC Board launched an organizational strate-gic plan process in 2014. The plan will result in a revised mission and vision, and will set goals and priorities to direct COIC’s work over the next several years.

New initiatives: COIC expanded transit services in Jefferson County by taking on Warm Springs transit and integrating it into the regional CET system. We began discussions with part-ners to prioritize service expansion improvements for the Bend system; we plan to roll out enhanced Bend CET services in 2015.

COIC launched a volunteer ride program as a means to provide more mobility options for Central Oregonians in need. We also hired a CET outreach staffer to better communicate CET ser-vices and our vision for the future. And, we are seeking legisla-tive changes to state statute to allow COIC to directly pursue funding for the CET system.

Building upon the foundation: While we look ahead to new challenges, we also remember to build upon our strengths - in-cluding a COIC culture based on collaboration and action. We have been a ‘go to’ organization for many years; when regional action is needed, leaders often look to COIC to get it done. We must continue our excellent performance in delivering trans-portation, workforce and community development services, maintain openness and accountability in our financial systems, and continue to develop our skilled professional staff. This is the base on which our future success will be built.

COIC Annual Report | 2014

Message from Andrew Spreadborough, Executive Director

COIC Board 2014 Mike McCabe, Crook County Alan Unger, Deschutes County John Hatfield, Jefferson County Victor Chudowsky, City of Bend Andy Byrd, City of Culver Ken Mulenex, City of La Pine Jim Leach, City of Madras Bill Reynolds, City of Metolius Jason Carr, City of PrinevilleJay Patrick, City of Redmond David Asson, City of Sisters Lonny Macy, Confed. Tribes of Warm Springs Chris Bellusci, GeoEngineers Tim Casey, Bend Chamber of Commerce David Dona, COCC Jim Kirkbride, St. Charles John McLeod, Hayden Homes Jim Wilson, JTS Animal Bedding

COIC OFFERS PROGRAMS ACROSS CENTRAL OREGONFUN FACT: Since COIC’s inception in 1971, we have grown from one employee in a basement office in the Deschutes County Courthouse to 130 employees in 12 locations across 7 cities and 5 counties.

MESSAGE FROM JASON CARR, BOARD CHAIR

did you know that ?

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Pilot program with Klamath Community College: Four days per week beginning January 2015, Worksource staff from COIC and OED will be on KCC’s campus, to provide job placement services to graduating students in degree and certificate programs and assist the college in tracking employment outcomes for their students.

FEDERAL GRANTS 39%

LOCAL GOVERNMENT25%

STATE GRANTS AND CONTRACTS

24%

BUS FARES 6%

PRIVATE GRANTSAND PROJECT INCOME

6%

TRANSPORTATION49%

EDUCATION AND TRAINING35%

ADMINISTRATION8%

CED4%

LOANS4%

Check us Out!

COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - P. 3The CED Department provides two types of services: coordination, con-vening and planning to meet regional and community needs; and delivering programs aimed at developing family-wage jobs in industries that support lo-cal quality of life.

LOANS - P. 3 COIC’s Loans Department offers financ-ing for new or expanding businesses to purchase or build a new facility, to purchase equipment, or for working capital. COIC works with your bank to provide a complete financing package for your business.

CASCADES EAST TRANSIT - P. 4-5CET helps Central Oregonians get where they need to go as the regional provider of Cascades East Transit (CET).

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING - P. 6-7COIC offers alternative high school education and work-education for students aged 14-21, and helps job seekers of all ages and experience with a variety of services and resources, including education and training.

Fiscal & Administrative Services14 Consecutive Years of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

(CAFR) from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Adult Employment and TrainingCOIC optimizes job search efforts by offering many resources, with office locations in Bend, La Pine, Madras, Prinev-ille, and Redmond in Central Oregon, as well as Klamath Falls and Lakeview in South Central Oregon. Available tools include:

• Training Resources• Computer labs• Job-skills assessments and workshops• One-on-one employment counseling• On-the-Job-Training opportunities

COIC is a primarily grant-funded organization, with most contracts having a life-cycle of one to two years before a new application for funding. Fiscal and Administrative services is agile and entrepreneurial in pursuit of new opportunities and effectively manages quality pro-grams for our communities.

Woodgrain Mill Layoffs: COIC, along with other WorkSource partners, joined together to provide Rapid Response services to the 225 employees laid off by Woodgrain Mill in Prineville, providing discussions on signing up for insurance, assistance in job searching and the

possibility of training options. COIC also applied (application pending) for a National Emergency Grant to continue assisting these displaced workers in 2015 with retraining, On-the-Job-Training opportunities, and re-employment services.

July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014Operating Budget: $14,655,378

Total Revenue

Total Expenses

In 2014... 16,343 people accessed job search assistance and/or training services, including on the job train-ing, vocational training, workshops, and employ-ment counseling 11,039 people became employed through voca-tional training, employer-based training opportuni-ties, and other skill enhancement and job search assistance

0

20

40

60

80

100

COIC Actual Outcome - South Central Oregon

COIC Actual Outcome - Central Oregon

Federal Performance Standard

Employment Retention Rates -

Dislocated Workers

Employment Retention Rates -

Adults

Entered Employment Rates - Disclocated Workers

Entered Employment Rates -

Adult

80%

50%

45.9%

57.8% 55.6%

45.5%

58.5% 56.5%

65.9%

83.3% 82.4%

66.7%

83.5% 83%

SPOTLIGHT Viviana, a 43 year old single mother, was laid off from her seasonal receptionist position at a local potato shed once harvest season ended. She was receiv-ing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits from DHS to help care for her family, but was unable to find employment and had exhausted her small unemployment claim. She was referred to COIC to participate in the DHS JOBS program, which provides employment services to TANF clients. Vivi-ana’s work history was limited, but her COIC employ-ment counselor was able to assist her in finding an On-the-job-Training position in the accounts payable department at one of Klamath’s largest employers. She is working full-time, making $12.77 per hour and receiving employer-paid health care benefits for

herself and her children for the first time.

Performance Outcomes Program Year 2013 - 2014

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COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTIn 2014, COIC’s partnership with the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project celebrated the half-way point of a 10-year Collaborative For-est Landscape Restoration Act (CFLRA) project. COIC is the coordinat-ing agency for the collaborative group, which provides proposals for the management of the 257,850 acre Deschutes Skyline Landscape on Bend’s doorstep. COIC has helped the Collaborative achieve:

• Consensus on restoration treatments;

• Development of treatment implementation plans;

• Outcomes monitoring for adaptive management;

• Outreach and engagement with the community and other stakeholders.

This year, CED also celebrated the completion of a 3-year Meyer Memo-rial Trust Grant supporting community food system projects. Including:

• Support for community gardens who donated over 10,000 lbs of food to food banks;

• Technical and marketing support to over 100 food and farm busi-nesses;

• Published third annual Food & Farm Directory, delivered to 70,000 Central Oregon households.

Cowboy Dinner Tree, Silver Lake

Years ago, ranchers driving their cattle through the Sycan trail stopped at a chuck wagon under a juniper tree for some buckaroo beans and biscuits about five miles south of Silver Lake, Oregon. In 1995, a restaurant was born in a shack under the original juniper tree. Angel and Jamie Roscoe officially took ownership of The Cowboy Dinner Tree from Angel’s parents in November 2012. They approached COIC to refinance and provide permanent financing to replace a temporary seller’s note. COIC worked in cooperation with Mid Or-egon Credit Union to refinance the seller’s note through the USDA Intermediary Lending Program.

Sunriver Brewing Company

Father-son business owners Marc and Brian Cameron opened The Sunriver Brewhouse restaurant in the Village at Sunriver on July 4, 2012. The restaurant quickly became one of the busiest in Central Oregon, and demand for their four craft beers, Sunriver Pale Ale, IPA, Stout and Amber nearly immediately outstripped supply and production capacity of their contract brewer. The Oregon Business Development Corporation, under contract with COIC, used the SBA Intermediary Lending Pilot (ILP) program in cooperation with Bank of the Cascades to lend for the acquisition of a building to house brewing operations and the purchase of brewing equipment.

LOANS

SPOTLIGHT 17 year old Cody, a senior at Lakeview High School, was in danger of not being able to graduate after falling behind. His dream of enlisting in the US Army after graduation was getting farther away. His high school counselor referred him to COIC’s Lakeview alternative school, where he enrolled in credit recovery classes and participated in school-work crew. He earned the credits he needed, a little spending money, and also valuable work skills and employer expectations. He graduated on time with his class in June 2014 and enlisted that August. He is proudly serving in the US Army and is currently stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.

COIC’s alternative high school education allows students aged 14-21 to make up credits and return to their regular classrooms, or to earn a state high school diploma or GED.

The COIC Loan Department approved 10 loans in 2014, for a total of $2.57 million. These loans were part of projects totaling $6.96 million and are expected to create 73 new job opportunities.

In 2014...909 Youth students were served 1,803 High School half credits were earned 154 GEDs were earned95 High School Diplomas were earned

Youth Education and Training

Students may also participate in Work-Education, a work-experience program that combines classroom credits with community service and natural resource projects.

In 2014, 20,101 total hours were worked on community service and natural resource projects, like restoring walking trails, campsites and firepits to improve streamside habitat, as well as creating safe enjoy-able trails in various parts of the Deschutes National Forest.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

COIC Actual Outcome - South Central Oregon

COIC Actual Outcome - Central Oregon

Federal Performance Standard

Attainment of Degree or Certi�cate

Placement in Employment or Education

Literacy/Numeracy*Rate

49.9%

80%

50% 58.4%

61.7% 60.5%

52.7%

59.7%

73.7%

Performance Outcomes Program Year 2013 - 2014

Community and Economic Development (CED) focus areas include forestry, natural resources management, and community food systems, in addition to a host of other programs.

Photo by Judith O’Keefe

Photo by Ally Steinmetz

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CET FUNDING STRATEGY APPROVED BY COIC BOARD BEND TRANSIT SERVICE EXPANSION PLANNING BEGINS

INCREASED SOCIAL MEDIA PRES-ENCE

ADA BUS-STOP IMPROVEMENTS BEGAN IMPLEMENTING REAL-TIME DATA ON BUSES FINISHED IMPROVEMENTS TO ROUTE 2 ALIGNED ROUTES 5-6 AND 6-5 TO RETURN THEM BACK TO THE PULSE BEGAN ADDING 3 SPACE BIKE RACKS ON BUSES AWARDED FEDERAL GRANTS FUNDS FOR BUS PURCHASES MEISSNER SNO-PARK STOP ADDED TO MOUNTAIN SERVICE OFFERED FREE RIDES ON TRANSIT TUESDAY STARTED VOLUNTEER DRIVER PRO-GRAM

Big strides in public transit occurred over 2014. Most importantly, transit began a concerted effort to secure service in years to come. In the beginning of the year, CET wrapped up a six-month funding strategy process. Charged by the COIC Board of Di-rectors to develop recommendations on local public funding options and to exam-ine the current state of transit, a commit-tee of twenty regional leaders delved into an assessment of recommended service levels and how to sustain funding.

The CET Funding Committee developed a multi-phased approach to leverage a larger base of support for public funding, involving shorter and longer range goals. The Funding Committee concluded their work with recommendations — focusing on building partnerships, expanding out-reach to communities, and securing local dedicated funding — for COIC to consider moving transit forward.

The CET Funding Committee was made up of local elected officials, members from the private sector, transportation officials, and other community members represent-ing organizations with a vested interest in public transit.

On the heels of the COIC Board’s adoption of the strategy, a full time Outreach and En-gagement Administrator position was cre-ated to allow CET to position itself across a wider audience and to educate the public about the benefits of transit. The strategy also led to the formation of the Bend Tran-sit Expansion Committee, a group of part-ners who began meeting in 2014 to iden-tify opportunities to better meet mobility needs in Bend. This group will continue to meet over 2015, with a goal of implement-ing expanded CET service in 2015.

Cascades East Transit

In 2014 COIC came to the community with several questions about transit. “Envisioning a Better Future: Transit Visioning Pub-lic Forum” was held in July to gain a sense of the community’s opinion on a transit vision, communication, obstacles, and solu-tions. In addition to the public forum, professional workshops and stakeholder interviews were conducted by Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute.

What will result from this work is a visionary transit plan that will help Central Oregon envision transit for the next 30 - 40 years.

The Victoria Transport Policy Institute is an independent re-search organization dedicated to developing innovative and practical solutions to transportation problems.

Setting a new vision

Regional transit sees steady growth of ridership

MILESTONES

“Transit is important to me because it shows my

independence. I don’t have to depend on someone for

getting to work and shopping. Transit is a vital part of

society.” - Jordan Ohlde, Public Transit Advisory

Committee

COLLEGEOR SCHOOL

44%

WORK OR WORKRELATED

33%

SHOPPING, ERRANDSOR PERSONAL BUSINESS

11%

RECREATION ORSOCIAL VISIT

5%

MEDICAL/DENTAL APPOINTMENT

5%

OTHER2%TRIP DESTINATION

In 2012, COIC conducted an onboard rider survey to assess perception and behaviors for transit among the public in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties and existing transit riders.

When riders on Community Connector shuttles were asked their destination, over 44% of transit trips were made for the purpose of attending school or college. Many of the school trips are to COCC in Bend and Redmond.

Less than a quarter of trips serve purposes other than work or school travel, including shopping, personal business, and recreation/social visits, or combi-nations of trip purposes.

575,320 Trips Taken on CET in 2014

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