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:

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.

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.

**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.