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Redmond’s business costs compared to the Western U.S. region
is extremely competitive. The following sections provide a
concise overview of factors of doing business in Central Oregon
and Oregon including:
Utilities
Workforce
Incentives - Enterprise Zone
Utilities
Water & Sewer
Redmond's municipal water system supplies a minimum of 2
million gallons of domestic water daily (mgd), a maximum of
12.8 mgd and has a peak usage of 10.7 mgd with an average
daily summer use of 5.5 mgd for a total of 2.1 mgd of current
excess capacity. There are 7,200 water service connections,
of which 80% are domestic households. All of the system's
sources are subsurface from deep wells.
Water
The monthly rate includes a fixed charge based on meter size,
plus a volume charge that is applied to the monthly usage
in hundred cubic feet (ccf). The rates are as follows:
The rates are as follows:
|
Meter Size
|
Monthly Fixed
Rate
|
Volume Rate
(/ccf)
|
|
5/8"
|
$9.95
|
$0.81
|
|
3/4"
|
$12.84
|
$0.81
|
|
1"
|
$18.62
|
$0.81
|
|
1 1/2"
|
$33.05
|
$0.81
|
|
2"
|
$50.79
|
$0.81
|
|
3"
|
$96.58
|
$0.81
|
|
4"
|
$148.56
|
$0.81
|
|
6"
|
$292.91
|
$0.81
|
|
Sewer
Commercial and industrial accounts pay a base fee per month,
plus a volume charge per ccf of water usage above the winter
months average water usage (December through April). Base
sewer charges for commercial customers includes up to 7 ccf
of water usage. The volume charge is based on the City's cost
or treating the accounts' strength of sewage.
|
Classification
|
Fixed Monthly
Rate
|
Volume Rate
(/ccf)
|
|
Low
|
$25.26
|
$2.21
|
|
Medium
|
$25.26
|
$2.73
|
|
High
|
$25.26
|
$3.24
|
|
Very High
|
$25.26
|
$3.76
|
|
Natural Gas
The Redmond area is served by a 36" and a 42" high pressure
(900#) natural gas pipeline operated by Gas Transmission Northwest
Corporation. All locally distributed natural gas service in
Central Oregon is provided by Cascade Natural Gas. The utility
serves more than 20,000 customers, both industrial/commercial
and residential. Cascade Natural Gas can be reached at (541)
382-6464.
Power
As part of the Northwest electric grid, several high capacity
electric transmission lines provide bulk electricity to the
Redmond area. Redmond is locally served by Pacific
Power (888) 221-7070 and Central
Electric Cooperative (541) 548-2144, which is headquartered
in the city. Both power companies have ample capacity to serve
large and small users.
Solid Waste & Recycling
High County Disposal provides solid waste and recycling services
for Redmond. They also operate a drop-off station for cardboard,
newspaper, clear glass, tin cans, aluminum cans and plastic
milk jugs for recycling. For more information contact them
at (541) 548-4984.
Telecommunications
Redmond is one of the Northwest's most technologically advanced
communities for telecommunications - largely because much
of the city has developed over the past decade and a half.
During this time, the best infrastructure available was used,
resulting in an overall system that is much more modern than
most cities its size or even larger metro areas. High speed
access exists in most places via DSL, IDSN, Cable Modem and
for greater volumes via frame relay, point-to-point, T-1,
T-3 and OC-3 through OC-48 lines via self-healing, ringed
networks. Uniquely, the region has three major fiber cables
running through it. The telecom system is self-healing and
route diverse in the case of a cut of the main trunk. The
new system will instantaneously re-route telecom traffic if
the line is ever disconnected anywhere within the system.
All switches in Redmond are digital and extended services
are available.
Workforce
Redmond’s workforce dynamic has changed significantly over
the past few decades. The region has transformed itself from
a sleepy agriculture and lumber community to a booming tourism
and destination resort hub that also has a healthy mix of
manufacturing and high technology. People have moved to the
region in record numbers as they visit Central Oregon and
discover what the region has to offer. The Redmond population
has grown by over 140% from 7,163 in 1990 to 17,450 in 2003.
In addition to people moving to the area, two related factors
– unemployment and underemployment – are also key to the region’s
competitive workforce advantage.
Unemployment
Unemployment in the region will remain higher than Oregon
and U.S. as a result of 1) rapid population growth (rather
than economic stagnation) and 2) ongoing industry and trend
shifts in the wood products industry.
Underemployment
Because there are more people looking for employment than
there are jobs available, many Central Oregonians work less
than full-time or must settle for lower skill, lower wage
jobs. The total number of people who are underemployed in
the region is difficult to quantify because this trend is
not currently being tracked. Anecdotal evidence suggests,
however, that underemployment is prevalent in Central Oregon.
Average Wages
The region’s cost of labor has remained relatively flat throughout
the past decade (see table above). The average wage for all
industries increased by 3.14% from 2001 – 2002 for Central
Oregon’s compared to an increase of 1.45% for the state as
a whole. Many of Central Oregon wages are significantly lower
than state averages.
|
AVERAGE WAGES
OFFERED FOR SELECTED OCCUPATIONS, 2003
|
|
|
Central Oregon**
|
Oregon**
|
WA*
|
CA*
|
| TRADE |
| Truck Driver, Heavy |
$16.01
|
$16.38
|
$17.21
|
$17.12
|
| Secretary |
$12.95
|
$13.14
|
$14.45
|
$14.88
|
| Receptionist |
$10.61
|
$10.92
|
$11.13
|
$11.55
|
| Customer Service Representative |
$12.86
|
$12.91
|
$14.63
|
$15.41
|
| Machinist |
$17.62
|
$18.16
|
$18.80
|
$16.62
|
| COMPUTER & TECHNICAL |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators |
$22.62
|
$24.24
|
$27.55
|
$29.68
|
| Computer Support Specialist |
$15.21
|
$17.02
|
$21.58
|
$22.78
|
| Database Administrators |
$27.84
|
$25.98
|
$29.73
|
$30.28
|
| Graphic Designers |
$15.35
|
$17.72
|
$21.58
|
$21.74
|
| PROFESSIONAL |
| Marketing Manager |
$36.37
|
$40.55
|
$45.33
|
$47.85
|
| Sales Manager |
$31.72
|
$42.24
|
$45.34
|
$47.84
|
| Industrial Production Managers |
$31.50
|
$35.86
|
$37.26
|
$38.54
|
| General and Operations Manager |
$40.38
|
$40.04
|
$51.47
|
$49.51
|
|
**Oregon Employment Department, 2003 stats
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2002 stats
Enterprise Zone
Redmond is one of Central Oregon's few communities that are
part of the Oregon Enterprise Zones. This non-bureaucratic
program is administered by the two participating municipalities
and is designed to assist new manufacturing firms with expansion
through 100% property tax exemptions on qualified investment
(new buildings, remodels, and equipment) during the first
3 to 5 years of that investment. After the exemption expires,
the building and/or equipment is picked up on the tax rolls
at the depreciated rate.
For
detailed information on the Redmond Enterprise Zone, click
here.
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