GOOD MORNING, MASON!!
LANSING CIVIC EVENTS
August 24, 2016
By Chuck Krafft
As my manager, Brent Forsberg, from T.A. Forsberg, Inc. was
this month’s sponsor and was doing a presentation during the meeting, I visited
the Mason Chamber of Commerce Good Morning, Mason monthly meeting. I had attended one a couple years ago and
found it really interesting, both because of the people and the well-controlled
format.
Jon Grocki from Dart Bank got the proceedings to an
efficient start by warning everyone who was networking that the meeting needed
to start in two minutes. After the
attendees all introduced themselves, Brent Forsberg gave a five minute talk on
the future of housing.
He pointed out that fewer millennials are driving and prefer
to live in developments that are walkable.
He explained that many millennials prefer to live in urban areas where
there is a mix of houses, shops and businesses as opposed to the residential
suburbs of today which do not have these features.
“Walk scores” are being developed to measure the walkability
and will soon be used by the government in deciding how to allocate financing
for residential projects.
Brent also pointed out the many millennials are “renters by
choice” because they prefer the flexibility that permits them to move around
the country more easily to pursue opportunities. He defined the term, “placemaking” which is
the process of planning an entire living experience in a community.
He pointed out that good signage is essential to making a
community more walkable and will increase an area’s walk score. Of course, in the future residential market,
a high walk score will be essential for developers who want to fill their
developments! This was a really
informative talk on the future of real estate investment.
The meeting moved on as Doug Klein, the Mason Chamber
Executive Director, informed the assembled businesspeople about opportunities
to help staff the Visitor Center Booth during chamber events as well as other
opportunities. He was also enthused that
it was the first day of Lansing Community College’s Fall Semester.
The Ingham County Fair’s attendance suffered a bit this year
because of the hot fall temperatures, but was still pretty strong.
Mike Waltz, the Mayor of Mason, reported that it has been a
quiet summer and is looking to reduce costs by holding fewer council meetings
if the city charter will permit it.
Don Waskiewicz reported for both the Building Twenty-One and
the Annual Raffle organizations. This
year, they are hoping to sell at least 3000 raffle tickets.
Elaine Ferris from the Mason Farmers Market Association
reported that they are planning a Saturday morning firehouse breakfast
fundraiser.
It was time for the New Member Spotlights. Jae Burnham from U-Save moving and storage
told us of his business that has operated eight years in Holt and provides
storage was well as a full moving service.
Kristy Caretti from Tye-Dye Party Rentals told us of their community
oriented approach to sales of their items they rent out for parties.
In the New Contact Spotlight, Alicia Goodman, from
Staybridge Suites in Okemos told of their All-Suite hotel featuring fully
equipped kitchens in each room as well as a pool, exercise room, daily
breakfast buffet and a dinner service three nights per week.
They then had some announcements from the people in the
audience. They announced the fifty-fifty
drawing winner. In a tragic development,
someone other than me won the prize. The
efficiently-run meeting closed only a few minutes after the scheduled time.
These meetings are a great format that other organizations
of this type could hold. Doug Klein held
a buzzing contraption that was there to let people know if they were exceeding
their two minute time limit and only had to zap one person.
The Good Morning Mason monthly mixer is an extremely
efficient and effective event for business people who wish to work in the Mason
Area. If you have not been to this
mixer, you owe it to yourself and your business to check it out!!
