Chamber Listens – Other people’s ideas
Topic: All
I believe that as an extension of the Chamber trail push, we should consider helping to make downtown Billings more Bike friendly. We could work with the city to place Trailhead-branded bicycle racks throughout Downtown. There are some at the core areas like near Wendy's or on 28th, but there are many spots where you are forced to use a tree, fence or light pole. This looks tacky and clutters the sidewalk.
Create a one month mini-series on Leadership Billings topics, offering a few hours each week.
Mini-Leadership Billings - introduce each topic in a one-day program with 1-2 hours on each subject.
Orchestrate or offer niche educational workshops and seminars that are affordable for small business owners to offer to employees.
I've always thought Main Street has and still has a lot of potential. The confrere divider is an eyesore. Trees from airport to pemberton would work wonders
incorporate SCORE (Senior Corps of Retired Executives), a Resource Center under the SBA, into the Chamber committee structure and Chamber activities. This is a small business advocacy group commonly referred to as "Counselors to America's Small Business".
Laurel Road between I-90 and Montana Avenue is a disgrace as a gateway entry to the community. The wide medians are a prime opportunity to provide some landscape enhancements. Get rid of the outdated, cold COBRA lights and replace with tall, black LED decorative style lighting. We need to convince Billings MDT that Complete Streets is desired. We deserve enhancements like Western Montana cities have.
This is a fantastic idea and I am glad the Chamber has this site! I look at the city through the eyes of a tourist and a transplant. I travel all over the world for work and moved here 5 years ago. The airport's fake garden under fluorescent lights has got to go! This isn't the 70's anymore. It's the first thing people see when they arrive in Billings. Really, we can do better than fake plants. They aren't even one's that are native to Montana. It wouldn't take much money at all to replace with : 1. An artful display of local artists work 2. A large painted wall map of the city and surrounding areas (we are the gateway!) Or for a bit more $ 3. A fish tank similar to the one in Cabela's, showing off the native fish species that Montana is so famous for.
I have been into anime,manga and comic books for quite some time. I noticed that it has become a little more popular than it was 5 years ago. I see that some cities do conventions. They get a lot of tourism. I really think that if we had a convention. It brings in people from all over even from Japan. So, I honestly think this would bring in lots of tourism.
Public art downtown along major thoroughfares. More connected bike paths - too fragmented at present. Establish better greenspace regulations for future business and residential development.