As Colorado works to sustain its strong economy and growth, there are challenges that must be addressed, such as the hospital provider fee and how that impacts investment for transportation and schools, Gov. John Hickenlooper told 550 business and civic leaders at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s State of the State luncheon this afternoon.
In particular, he alluded to the failure of the legislature to move the provider fee into an enterprise fund. As a result, funding for roads, bridges and schools will be impacted.
“The bottom line is if we’re going to keep this success and this growth we can’t take our foot off the pedal,” Hickenlooper said. “As we see challenges—and I think transportation is going to be a big one and I think making sure we have sufficient funding for our education system is another big one—that as we see these challenges we create the lines of communication, the ability to come together, find what the right solution is and do it.”
Chamber President and CEO Kelly Brough shared the outcomes of the legislative session for business—in particular the challenges faced to move the needle on issues crucial to the business community. Brough echoed the governor’s concerns of transportation funding, particularly because it was a priority for both houses of the legislature.
“Frankly, transportation wasn’t the only place we didn’t get what Colorado needs or what we’d hoped for. We also didn’t get solutions in a number of areas,” Brough said. “If we cannot find middle ground on real issues that matter we will see our state’s enviable economic position falter.”
In addition to discussing the legislative session, a panel discussed how technology and collaboration among public and private organizations can improve traffic across the state.
“In Colorado we have a transportation crisis on our hands,” said Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shailen Bhatt. “The question for us is how do we make our lives better by getting technology on board?”
Bhatt was joined on the panel with Cisco Systems, Inc. Director of Information Technology Maryanne Flynn and MapQuest Head of Product Nate Abbott.
Finally, the Chamber recognized AAA Building Maintenance CEO and Founder Kyle Grivette with its second Robert Blankenship Heart Award, named in memory of Blankenship, the former chief operating officer of the Chamber and a steward of the business community.
Sara Crocker is the communications manager for the Chamber.