Oregon Dry Cleaners Assoication
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From the Editor's Laptop... Last year at this time I told you how much I loved March. It's not that I love March so much; it's that I really hate February. February is the last month of many in a long dark and rainy winter. It's the month I make my annual pilgrimage to my tax preparer. It's the month dry cleaners prepare their DEQ reports and write that check. It's the month many of my customers play "Snow Bird" and head for sunnier climates. It is also the month that many of my customers without the luxury of a winter home cut back on expenses as they recover from the holiday season.
But March, well, that's entirely different. The sun comes out. The flowers start to bloom and trees begin sprout new leaves. In March, the world is much more optimistic. The optimism in my neighborhood is booming. While the rest of the country is obsessed with the housing slump, the rising number of foreclosures and inflation, Portland is number two on a list of three cities enjoying what is called "year-over-year" increases in housing prices. The area around my shop in Multnomah Village is seeing a tremendous surge in new construction of one and two bedroom condos, townhouses and flats. Three apartment complexes, within walking distance, were renovated and converted to condos this past year. There are now almost 200 new units available or soon to be available. Many have asked, "Who's going to buy these?" and that's easy to answer. They are the very people who can no longer afford to live downtown. With only a five to ten minute commute from the Village and prices ranging from $150,000 to $3000.00, the young, professional singles and couples who once would have considered a $500,000 plus apartment downtown now have a very attractive option. Adding to that attraction is the evolution of the Village itself. Gone are the antique and junk shops, replaced with boutiques and trendy shops. Those who will buy these homes are the very people who appreciate and seek out the services a good garment care professional can offer. I have been very fortunate in that the last thirty eight months have shown a slow and steady growth in sales at my cleaners. It's taken a lot of hard work but it has been worth it and the future looks even better. I am very much aware that I need to be very attentive to my business right now because as we all know, the only certain in an election year is "uncertainty". Here's wishing you a great March and an even better year and don't forget to change your clocks next week!
Contact Brian
Olson
at
bolson@oregondrycleaners.org.
Brian Olson CED, Director, District 1 - Newsletter Editor
The year is in full swing and I am sure that most of you are ready for the weather to change and hopefully kick start what has been a real slow month for dry cleaners nationwide. This month I will touch on several subjects that are important to our industry. You will recall that last month I talked about the City of Portland's transportation ordinance. This would have assessed a fee to every business for road repairs. After several business associations let their feelings known, the City Council killed the ordinance and referred it to the November ballot for the citizens to decide. For once our City officials have listened. As a reminder to all, your DEQ Reports are due March 3rd. Let us remember that this program is important to all dry cleaners and provides us protection from past legal practices. This shields us from costly lawsuits and cleanup costs that were not caused by current operators, but from previous owners. This program is invaluable to all dry cleaners in Oregon. We might not like writing that check every year but is is better than facing a large cleanup bill and losing your business and your personal assets. Thanks to the foresight of this organization, we enjoy one of the best Dry Cleaner Programs in the United States. We all should be aware that it doesn't matter what cleaning method you use, Perc, Hydrocarbon, GreenEarth, DrySolv, C02, Rynex, Solvair, or even water based methods, we all have a responsibility to handle and use them in a safe manner to protect our environment. Hopefully we will leave it in better condition for our children, grandchildren and their children. It does not take a big effort on our part to do this and earn a decent living. On the national front, our major industry associations continue to fight for dry cleaners. Rather than regulate with a practical program like the one we enjoy here in Oregon, New Jersey is looking to go the way of California with an outright ban on Perc. Hopefully we will not have to face that here but until our governor appoints a new director for DEQ we will not know what direction they will be taking in regards to environmental controls that might affect us. Several environmental organizations in the state have complained that DEQ is under funded and does not enforce the rules that it makes. We have to be aware at all times what actions are being taken that might affect our ability to operate. This is the single most important function the ODCA provides to it's membership. Until next month.
Contact Scott
McClure
at
smcclure@oregondrycleaners.org.
It used to be that any company with 25 or more employees needed to have a safety committee and hold safety meetings once a month. A law was passed in 2007 and became effective as of January 1, 2008. (The rules are still being written at this point so clarification will be forthcoming. HB2222) "All employers are affected by this new rule because it applies to every public and private employer operating in the state of Oregon subject to OR-OSHA jurisdiction." It's no longer just the big boys, but all employers, no matter what size, that need to hold a half hour safety meeting once each month. If you are an employer with eleven or more employees you must have a safety committee. If you are an employer of ten or fewer employees, you do not need to have a "formal" safety committee but you will still be required to hold a monthly safety meeting and document it even if you are the only employee. The meeting commitment and goal is to reduce to zero workplace hazards that are capable of causing significant injury or illness. The goal will be accomplished by walk-through inspections, active participation in hazard identification by employees and management while performing work, prompt corrective action, monitoring trends, applying available resources to prevent injury. The mission is to foster a spirit of open communication, cooperation and decision making in resolving all issues that pertain to employee safety, health and welfare. All available employees must participate and a management representative must attend. All employees are expected to perform work in accordance with all policies. And they are responsible for reporting any safety, health or welfare concerns. Notes must be taken at these meetings and posted on a bulletin, board or some other manner, to all employees. Notes must also be kept on file for one year and be available for the next meeting. We had our first safety meeting in conjunction with our staff meeting and talked about defensive driving. I assigned one employee to keep notes and gave her a notebook to keep them in. Then the employees decided who was going to talk next month and what the subject would be. Material Safety Data Sheets was the choice. So when is your safety meeting?
Contact Claire
Anchick, District 5 Director at
canchick@oregondrycleaners.org.
URGENT! All Dry Cleaners in Oregon are required to submit an Annual Hazardous Waste and Air Quality Compliance report and pay fees to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Dry Cleaner Program. Your 2007 report and fees are due Monday March 3rd. You may be subject to additional fees and penalties for failure to meet the deadline. Be sure to include the appropriate forms, your check made out to Department of Environmental Quality and a copy of one month's log from your compliance calendar. If you need assistance or have questions, contact Ed Patnode, OR DEQ at 503-229-6783 or call toll-free in Oregon at 1-800-452-4011.
It's just over a week away. Daylight Savings Time begins at 2am, Sunday March 9. Don't forget to set your clocks one hour ahead. Why does DST come earlier now? Find out more here: National Institute of Standards and Technology Find out about the energy saving benefits here: Saving Time, Saving Energy
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Return to Top This page revised 12 August 2009
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