Economic Development Commission - Regular Meeting

to approve the minutes for November 18th. And thank you, Rebecca, for being up to date now. That's uh we're everything is in order. Motion to approve. So move. Second. Second. Second. Okay. Any additions, deletions, or comments? Okay. Hearing none, all those in favor of approving the minutes of November 18th, 2025, indicate by saying I. I. Okay. Nay. All right. Hi Trish. All we did was just approve the minutes. Sorry. I just want to get a couple guys have to end at 9:30. So I wanted to move it along a little bit. But welcome. Okay. Any old business?

Uh Linda, I'm assuming that that John is not attending today. Is that right? That's correct. He should be back in the office tomorrow. We had a bug that hit the office. All right. The season for that, too. Yeah.

Okay. Let's go on to new business then. Um, this is something that I've been talking about for a while now and um, I wanted to discuss it with the with the EDC. Um, I'm talking to a lot of small business people in the Graanby Street area. I've also had a a conversation with a gentleman who was um aropacle snow plowing paving and basically um infrastructure person for about 30 years and he's had um some questions and what I'm trying to to do is to find a way to provide a either a template or at least a way to easily explain to people what they have to do after Linda your department tells them what to do because the the feedback I keep on getting is well you know they told me that then they left me alone and I don't know what to do and I have to pay my rent and years ago um both the chamber and the EDC were seen as um business representatives chamber I think perhaps maybe is not as interested right now but I would like to have a conversation with the EDC if they have uh any desire to take on as a role as a representative and a spokesperson and a conduit for small entrepreneurs. Very often startup businesses who really have never been through the the process of of legitimately getting approved to open their business. And I'm just gonna Can you tell me how I elevate Andrew? Rebecca or can you do it for you?

Oh, thank you. Okay, why don't you bring him on? It'll be easier so I don't forget about it later.

Andrew is going to discuss a very interesting um concept that we have for the Graby Street area, but that's for later. So, I'm I don't have a real structure at this point. What I had talked about for a while is being provided with a list of what um forms have to be filled out, what agencies have to be dis talked to, and what the time frame is and who the people are because I also honestly don't know who all the players are in the TBC office any longer. So, I'm I'm open this up to conversation. I'd like to hear from anyone that has any comments on it. Uh yeah. Well, first of all, does is this a topic of interest the commission at all and this is sort of we're not there yet, you know, we're just having a conversation about whether this is something we'd like to pursue.

Bonnie, um uh are you proposing that the EDC help form a checklist or are you proposing that we be guides through the process? If it's developing a check, sorry, it's okay.

I don't have much voice first thing in the morning. If it's uh preparing a checklist and helping overall generally, I would say we could do that. If it's turning the EDC into guides, holding someone's hand to get through the process, I don't think we're equipped to do that. One man's opinion. Okay, Denise, do you have some type of a template that you have available for these small business people?

What we have is a um a small business packet that has um how to write a business plan in it, step-by-step guide. It has contacts for within the town. It has links to various websites that help and support small businesses, whether they're state or federal agencies. And Dave, I'm forgetting the last piece of it, but that's a package that we update frequently. For instance, um right now I'm working with a woman who is starting up actually two businesses in town. Um she's starting up a business that does offers CPR training and AED training um to like daycarees, things like that. And she's also starting up a um uh last mile uh delivery service.

Okay. Okay. So with her, what I have done is sat down with her. We do one-on ones with them. So I sat down with her, had coffee with her. We go through what she's looking to do, what she's already done. Um, and now we're at the point where I'm helping her write her business plan. She took the first stab at it and I will take the next step. Um, I've also arranged meetings with her because she needs some funding. So, we've set up with one of the credit unions in town for her to go in and talk to them so she can get her seed money.

I mean, that's exactly what I was was looking for. Um, and so it sounds like that's somewhat in place, but what I'm curious about is how did did you find her? Did she find you? How was the contact made? It's you. Well, it they come in different ways. Sometimes they're word of mouth. Um, this one actually came through and they a lot of them do come through one of the council people. Okay. They come through Linda, they come through John. Um, they come through just in conversations that we've had. Dave has passed some over. I'll pass the large larger businesses over to Dave um for those that are looking to come into town. So, there is a process in place. Um but

I'm sorry. Go ahead. The It's we we get them so that their business can be established. In other words, yes, that's exactly where I want this taken. Yeah.

But if someone and Linda, this is a question you can answer for me just so I understand what happens. I mean, anecdotally, I keep on hearing the same thing, which tells me that it may not it may be an it maybe it's an issue on the side of the um entrepreneur who's trying to start out, but they keep on saying, you know, I go into town planning and they give me a whole bunch of forms and I don't know what to do and I got to pay my rent and I got to get open. So, I'm trying to figure out how to how to take how to handle that. And I'm wondering if Janice, do you have these packets available? They're all are they all online? Are they printed? How are they how are they available?

They can be done both. When I go to meet with somebody, I usually print them out, a whole package to go with them, but um John and Linda have them. We update and send the the the new ones. We also have a Bloomfield Means Business uh trifold brochure that can be emailed or that can be printed out. Um how big's the packet, Denise? The packet I believe is four or five sheets.

Oh, yeah. It's very small. It's easier to do it if I what I will do is I'll give it to them and then I'll email it to them because they can actually click on the links if they're looking to um say look into different types of loans that the Connecticut um version of um small business association. It'll take them directly to the sites that they need. Um and then the lists for the different departments in town with the main phone numbers. We don't get down to people that's, you know, with so many people changing and whatnot. Yeah. You're just to have the departments. So, it has the the departments that they need within town. And how about permitting, which might not be town, it might be

um we don't usually go into that. That's something that we usually Linda or um John's department is is handling. Okay. So, Linda, let me ask you that question. Is that where the where the problems coming with a lot of these small people that it's not that they don't know how to open up a business in town? They don't either don't know or don't get Yeah. They're not familiar with the whole process of opening a business.

So, um it's really hard. They look at a location. Um normally um you know e even the property owners won't let them know you know what the certificate of occupancy for that specific location is. So the first thing we do is when someone comes in here and inquires about you know I'm looking at this location. Can I do this? Is this business allowed? we um look up the address, look at the file to see what was the last legal use, okay?

And then give them guidance accordingly. Um if the use is the same, they don't have to do anything different with the building department. There's no change of use, there's no building permit. Um so the guidance would be given. All you need is maybe a zoning uh administrative zoning permit if the use is the same. If it's a change of use, it all depends on the regulations. If a special permit is required, um, and again, we have to kind of assess the type of use because not all the requirements of the special permit would be applicable. So we had we have created um an application that states what's required and when they come in we kind of check off what you know floor plans um a site plan you know or revised site plan um you know specific things waste disposal plan you know show dumpster look it just all depends on the use um and then that's given to them it's very overwhelming for people who are very new um because they have a great idea but they just it's a lot to ask well how do I do you know what is a floor plan what you know what does that entail so it it really is holding their hand and taking the time to explain to them what that looks like um normally we give them you know this is what it looks like an example here in the office um you And and if the commission, you know, let's say it goes to commission um and they approve it, the condition of approval will let them know what else is needed. um you know all other appropriate license

um with the state of Connecticut if it's uh let's say a car repair used dealer um just other like the fire health you know depending massage parlor you know they they don't you know our ordinance um also applies you know they need to show the license the health district is also involved um So it it just again it's always a case by case because all the uses are are different. Um I am looking at the website and there is a small business resource page that we do have. Um I guide people through that. Some people do ask about funding on how to get there. Um we don't provide for that. So um you know I kind of give them other resources.

So um you know we do spend time with with individuals. I just think it's um again just a lack of their knowledge on how to where to start and how to start. How do we That's probably I think you're absolutely right and that's probably what I'm hearing when I'm walking around talking to people. How do we help them? How do we make them feel? Because because the you know they're frustrated and of course you know they always blame

the guy they're talking to. It's your fault because you didn't do this. How do we get them to a point where they can they can feel comfortable doing this? And and I'm going to ask Sadi's got his hand raised. So Sadique, why don't you unmute and just um give your comment then Linda if you don't mind responding. Sure. Unmute Sadik. Sadik, unmute, please.

Yes, thank you. Just quick question. Maybe Denise can answer or Linda can answer. Uh my my question is not to the starters of the business but the people who are already in business like uh our friend here Trish uh you know if they want to say expand something you know grow the business and have new project she did the you know the patio and and needs money. So are there sources um yes for that and you know reasonable rate and you know availability of funds.

Yeah. Um a lot of those the state funding programs like DEC has a great small business program. Um what you have to realize with programs like that you have to have been in business for like one year. So it's not really for startup businesses. um you know Dave when we have larger um businesses that want to expand Dave takes that over and talks them through and points them in the right direction to DEEC or wherever else they can go to get funding whether it's through manu the manufacturing branch or whatever. Um so there are venues but we have to know they're there and we have to be able to talk to them. What we find, and I will probably tell you over the last what, seven years that I've been doing this with Bloomfield with the small businesses, it's that a lot of them go into business without doing the business plan and realizing what they have to do and going through the steps. Before you can even go see Linda or anybody in her department, they should have a business plan in place. They should have looked at, can I do my business there? Um, for instance, the woman that's opening up the um the last mile distribution, you know, delivery service, she thought she could run it out of her house and park the vans at her house. You know, we do have a suitable other venue that she'll be able to use, but without talking to us and talking to Linda and John and and um the mayor, she wouldn't have known this and how to go about it the right way.

Yeah. I mean my my basic question was wi with an existing business you know a well-running business and they want to expand a little bit new project and it could be you know small project to larger project so so the funding is available there is it depends okay they have to be in good standings yeah yeah no that's

okay with any of that um especially with like any DEC funding they can't have back taxes even you know $20 in back taxes. You can't have that. They have to have all their business um permits and everything up tod date and in line. So, yes, and that's one thing that they do get talked through. Small business. Um Connecticut small business is great about working with small businesses that want to expand. They will either shoot them over to to places like Headco or or the um boost program. So, so they should, so they should approach Linda or you to to begin with the process.

I think um probably first line of contact is me because they're not going to be going to get their permits first. They're going to have to make sure that they need funding first and then they'll go through the stepby-step process that they need to get, you know, but they need it's kind of some of it will run simultaneously. Okay. Who's the person to contact, you know, to start the process? Yeah, I would have them probably contact me. Okay, that's good. Yeah, that's okay. For small businesses, for larger businesses, it's Dave. Yeah. Okay. One last question. Do you have some information? I'm sure it it keeps changing. What is the rate of interest or some, you know, the financial chart would be for this kind of loan?

Uh, for the boost program right now, I believe it's a 4% loan. Okay. So all right another term term could be in five years. I think it's a fiveyear term but don't quote me on that. It may have varying you know varying length of term. Well that's good. That's good. Thank you very much. You know it's good information. Maybe Trish can use it. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome.

Okay. Okay, I'm going to ask Linda to respond and then just so everyone if if anyone uh doesn't know Mark Castler. Mark um owns Geoquest. Um he's been in business what 30 years or so. Mark, resident of Bloomfield. And I asked him to come on uh because he has shown some interest in becoming a panelist. So I wanted him to meet us and us to meet him before we went any further. So Linda, do you mind if he answers the question? if he asks a question. Yeah, sure. It's fine. I just want to reiterate what Denise said though. A lot of these funding have strings attached to them because they're from, you know, the HUD, you know, it comes from the the bigger office.

Yeah. Um yeah, it becomes very challenging for people to even qualify um sometimes. But yeah, and one thing I do want to mention, um a lot of the banks have small business programs. Y um and they fund within their communities so they have a better rate. They also have um they have people on staff that focus on small businesses and getting them up and running too. So I had a great discussion the other day at the opening of Windsor Federal because they have a program just like that

and we've you know we've had people go in and discuss with them. We've had people go into Webster um to do that. So there they have specific funds that are earmarked for small business growth. It sounds like there's a lot of programs out there. It's just a question of how to get them to people, how to explain to them

the knowledge. Um one of the things we did, Bonnie, and this goes back to before COVID BC, we should say. um we ran a three-week financial program for small businesses and for um entrepreneurs who want to do startup businesses and that was very helpful because it walked them through the steps um you know but it's like not everybody at you know six months from now wants to start a business so you you know you can only service so many within that program I understand you know

good morning everyone I want to thank Bonnie for inviting me this morning. Um, and actually I apologize for being a few minutes late, but but I also have to comment this is amazingly apppropo and good timing this particular discussion. Um, yes, I started Geoquest in Bloomfield 32 years ago in basement of my house. Um, and but I'm also a property owner. I own this lovely building at two Barnard Lane where I'm sitting right now. And uh about a year and a half ago, I was approached by a a possible new tenant um who was starting a new business. And we went through every we I I assisted her in going through every aspect of uh starting a business and moving into into Bloomfield. She did it though. She did an amazing amount of research herself. Um because it was a change in use. The building was inspected. We had the fire marshall in here multiple times. She she made an application to the town. She appeared before planning and zoning. Planning and zoning was absolutely enthralled, thrilled with her proposal to move in move her new business into Bloomfield. Um it was going to require significant changes to the building which I was willing to do. Um and we she had actually f found a resource for funds to um assist. Everything was going great until we found out that there was a building code requirement um that we could not meet and and we actually applied to the state uh uh building department for an exemption which was denied. So this woman spent over a year almost two years of her life trying to do this and

significant resources and ultimately it failed and she has now moved on with her life and she is not going to open a business and she is not going to move into Bloomfield and and this could all have been avoided if the fire marshall had actually raised the issue from day one. He was in the build. There were actually we had two different fire marshals in the building at various times. It was a a it was a a fire code um uh requirement and an amazing amount of time, energy, and money could have been saved. Mark, what type of business was it? It was a small school. I do remember her. I did I spoke with her a couple times.

Yeah.

Yep. And um I spent a fair amount of money. She spent a lot of money and a lot of time was spent and she recently informed me that she has actually moved on from this idea of of she she had a she could not find any place in Bloomfield. She could not find anywhere. Um and um planning and zoning commission indicated that they were just thrilled that she was interested in this idea and it was an extraordinarily good repurposing of office space. Um of which there is a tremendous amount of vacant office space in Bloomfield and around Connecticut. Um, and I just pointed out that this is since you're discussing how to promote, you know, new businesses and and growth, um, this would have been a perfect opportunity and I assume that in fact there would have been other possibilities for similar businesses in Bloomfield um, gone.

I I completely understand. I think one of the um challenges that a lot of the uh new business owners or um you know startups have is um the fact that after land use approval um you know the requirements of the building that's why you know I always advise everyone that comes in to ensure that it would meet the code requirement for a specific change of use. That's why it's very important to do the homework prior. Um so that way they're not investing their time and funding and and money if it doesn't meet those requirements. Um one of the things too that um you know uh the fire marshall even the building official um they do um they will tell you what is required to submit but to go in there and point it out for you um prior to an application. it's not something they would normally do. Um, architectural plans at at times are required. Um, they'll review it and according to those plans, um, you know, they'll let you know whether or not it meets the requirement for specific uses. So, it it really is it gets challenging. It's very confusing. again. Um I think that um this all goes to just you know informing the new business owners um you know or startups on on what that process is. A lot of the bulk of the money is not the land use process. that's probably the easiest um you know especially for already you know lands that are developed um or existing locations when you're repurposing um I think that a lot of uh their time

and funding and monies that they're not aware that they need is with all the code requirements from the state of Connecticut and you know with fire and building John has his hand raised yeah on. You're muted. There you go.

Um oops. Good morning everyone. I've been monitoring this from the beginning. Um um still working from home trying to recover from whatever the hell I had. Um um you don't recover as quickly as you get older, those of us in this position know. But anyway, um Mark's um situation unfortunately was a in general was a rarity but unfortunately occurred and I and I think we all in land use and the TPZ and everyone uh were exceedingly disappointed that that um development reuse was not able to go forward. Uh but a couple observations I would like to make on this whole situation. Um, one, um, I sense that there's a misconception out there that, um, that town hall, um, is not responsive or or helpful to, um, particularly small businesses. I can tell you from from my experience over the many years both as an elected official and also now as a as a director and particularly at the land use department. Um we spend an enormous amount of handholding uh with um first timers and repeat um applicants in terms of trying to assist them through the process. Um, and I think the the stumbling block one is we don't have any money to offer them to help them. And that is a significant stumbling block. The second is that when all is said and done, um, zoning regulations and wetland

regulations and building regulations are ABCs to those of us in the building. They are not two people walking in,

right? and to try and get them. I mean, I have seen Linda work with an applicant for hours, multiple times, and they will leave and they will come back or they will move forward and they simply for whatever reason are unable or unwilling to to follow what were very clear um conditions or sequences that they needed to go through. The other complicating factor is that a lot of the permits that many of the uh small businesses require are not municipal. They are they are health district. They are state licensing requirements um that are equally um you know disquing for them. Uh, so I, you know, everything we can do to help, but I I would, you know, I'm not trying to defend the town and I'm not trying to defend our department, but I think that we, and I I watch it in the assessor's office and I watch it in the tax collector's office. There's a great deal of handholding that goes on. Um, and a lot of the frustrations for these folks is we don't have the money to provide it to them and we don't control often the majority of the permits that they are required to receive. Uh but any suggestions um uh that we can do to improve are obviously welcome and um I still feel the pain you not as directly that Marcus felt because that would have been a fabulous use at that location and it's unfortunate that that experience and basically um move the applicant completely off um the item over time and she is no longer pursuing it at all and that is a loss to all of

particularly to the children she would have served.

Thank you, John. Um I I'll just follow up my initial comment uh with now a lot of information we've been given. it seems and I'm not patting anyone in the back but there are a huge uh quantity uh you know uh library uh resource center of uh of information help uh everything necessary to get a business started rather than our uh having to reinvent something that really already exists. And I will just observe starting a business is tough. And um I don't want to give you the wrong impression, Mark. We would love for you to join us. I'm I'm normally labeled the uh the optimist or one of them on on our uh commission, but in observation uh they say um bankruptcy is God's way of letting you know that you should go out of business. This is the other end of it. If you can't get through all of these uh resources and parts and understand it and at the end you can't comply, then you shouldn't be going into business. Uh and I don't mean that to be pessimistic, but it's it's tough. I ran a business in in Bloomfield for a dozen years, and there's a lot you have to comply with. Uh we were fortunate in having some backing, but we had to We had to get resources all over the country to uh uh provide customer service and provide compliance with uh

withholding it's a tough it's a tough road and if uh someone can't get there then they can't they can't succeed in business. That's all I would say. the skill set, if you don't mind my saying, that you need to open up a business is not the skill set you need to be successful in running a business. And I think that's part of the problem here. Having having done having done what Denise does and and and Linda does and John does over the years with Copeko,

it is frustrating. It is um a time consuming. But I would just tell everybody that as much as the town is trying to make this work and Denise is trying to make this work for for a certain segment, it's just not working. I think part of it has to do with with the mean the fact that some of the permitting is not in in town. it state, but for whatever the reason, it I still feel that these small business startup people need a voice and they need somewhere to come and kind of vent to someone that actually understands what they're venting about, not just to somebody. So that's what that's what I kind of had in mind for for EDC. But now I'm thinking maybe maybe Linda Denise John I ought to sit down go over what exactly because I don't I don't understand this alphabet suit what you've got. I want to understand what's there. I want to understand how it's presented to people and then I want to see if there's a role that EDC has if they if we want to want to uh fulfill it. But EDC to me economic development, the core of economic development, it's twopronged. You we want the big businesses that bring in the dollars that bring in the employees. But the heart and soul of a community is this individual small entrepreneur who lives in town, who cares about the community, who supports the little league, who who who does the things that Trish has been doing ever since she came into town. That's what makes a small town and we are still a small town viable and attractive and and we don't we have a poor reputation amongst a segment of those who are either in business or trying to open up business. So as much as we've tried, we're missing something. So, I'm going to I'm going to take this off the table unless anyone disagrees and ask if we can have a meeting and

talk about this and see if there is any role that EDC can or should play in this or if there's any way that we can come up with some other way of approaching these people that just don't get it. But, but if you were if they opened up the if they could open up the business tomorrow, they' probably be very successful. Unfortunately, they've got to go through a bureaucracy that is just not in their DNA and they need help with it. Well, Bonnie, I I will tell you a lot of the small businesses that I've seen that don't come to fruition that I've met with, and Trish, you can relate to this, a lot of them are small restaurants that don't understand why why there's a need for an ancel system, why they have to go through all the inspections, you know, the sprinklers, why they have to be installed, you know. Um, so on that level, we're talking to them and we're telling them things that they need and they're saying, "Well, I I don't have the money to do that, you know, or I've seen so many even really good chefs that have opened restaurants that failed because they were not business people, you know. So, they have to have a blending of both. And I think the reality when we give them that stepbystep business plan, you know, you need startup costs. And I will go in to them saying, you don't just need six months worth of of operating costs. You need a year's worth of operating costs when you go in and open a small business. I mean, I've been there. I've done it. I have a, you know, a small business that's been in business for 40 years and being hopefully turned over to the next generation next month. So, you know, we get it. we know where it is. And I think for as many that as we see succeed, you see, you know, three-fold that don't get to succeed, become a business. But it's a learning process. And I think

what Linda does, what John does, when I call Justin into it, what Dave does, we're educating this people, these people. And sometimes it doesn't leave a good taste in their mouth if they can not bring their dreams to fruition, you know, but we're giving them all the resources that they need to do that if they're capable.

Okay. I I mean, I hear what everyone's saying. Um, this is just my it's sort of my my personal crusade in a way. And it has a lot of it has to do with with working the the tiff area right now. The Graanby Street, Toby Road, Mosy. I'm hearing so much from so many very small businesses. Um, there's they're struggling and I they just I think they need to talk to somebody who's not an elected official. I think they need to talk to somebody who's not a bureaucrat. I think they need to talk to another entrepreneur. Denise, you fulfill that role, but I think we also can fulfill that role. Bonnie, I think one of the things too, they don't realize how much marketing and branding their business means. They can't just open shop. Um, one pay the rent.

Yeah.

If you ever want to take a look at it, we did um a series and it was done for the um the creative economy up in Vermont. Um, we did a series of I think it's five or six marketing booklets that we did for small businesses that walk them through how to market their business and get the word out there. Um, so that's one portion of it. You know, we worked with a number of downtown small businesses in Massachusetts through COVID getting them up them up and running and establishing branding and whatever. So it we have the knowledge to talk them through it. And I think it's a matter of when they talk to you, it's as easy as you saying, you know what, I want to set up a meeting with Denise or I want to set up a meeting with Dave for you.

Well, this is what I need to know because I said, you know, when I go out there and I walk, I love it because, you know, I'm walking around taking pictures and people say, well, hello. Can I help you? I said, I'm nobody. I have no power. I have no authority. That makes it easier for them to talk to me. Yeah. And you know, we've done it. We we you know, we've gone out together, you and I, and talked to somebody. And I think, you know, that's what we're here for. We're we're a resource. If it involves bringing, you know, Linda has gone out with me and we've talked to the woman that opened the um or the bought the building. Now, they went ahead and bought a building, but didn't talk to us first. Yeah.

You know, um and that would have been helpful on the pre, you know. So, I'm gonna let Andrew Kaplan, who is one of the owners of 31 Toby Road and um is very aware of what I'm talking about with his the type of tenants he has. He has his hand up. I'm gonna No one minds. I'm going to allow him to um comment. Andrew,

hi. Good morning. Um, well, I was just, you know, I think what what I was initially going to say is kind of what Denise covered in that there's a lot of startup costs that people are just not aware of um and maybe just don't have access to and um, you know, the starting a business and you know, usually in I think people are ready to be paying like a security deposit and a month and maybe and a last month up front, but they're not, in my experience, they're not ever seeming to anticipate uh spending, you know, 3, six, or 12 months kind of not running their business, but paying rent, waiting for permits to happen. And, you know, that's because, like you're you're saying, they're they don't know. they show up and they don't know and it's sort of deflating for them or they you know disappear altogether and I wonder about um you know as you're discussing grants or loans or any kind of that stuff available to small businesses that so and you know what I've heard is that a lot of those are for you know businesses a year in or or later that there be some consideration for grants for startup costs such as uh rent while waiting for while going, you know, a lot of times they need an address, right, to be going through this process and so they need to start paying rent because they need the address basically, right? So there's not a there's sort of like a you know, how do you how do you do one without the other and can they afford to kind of float along for a few months without being able to operate a business? So maybe a grant that would help them cover rent while going while

learning the process, right, and going through it because it is a lot for a person who's not involved in it every day. And um you know, perhaps some of that also might be for them to hire an architect or a lawyer who understands, you know, the fire code. The fire code's complicated for for people who deal with it every day, right? I mean, we've all looked at it and you know, as a I'm a trained interior designer and and so I've gone, you know, do I do egress plans for buildings and it's complicated. There's a lot of code and if you're not looking at it constantly and you're not trained in it and you know you're you're want to open a barber shop like it's just not in your wheelhouse. So resources like that to be able to hire an architect who's experienced in that or you know an engineer or a lawyer whatever they need I think would help them a lot uh you know because those are the experts that they need and you know you can be an exp like I said you can be an expert at cutting hair right but you can't be an expert at everything just like I'm not an expert at like I I can't I wouldn't tell myself what haircut to get you like they need access, I guess, to experts that way, which is not obvious. Like, what I I, you know, I I'm going to start sending people to, you know, to Denise and Dave because I well, I just didn't I mean, we've been talking a long time, but I didn't realize to, you know, that you were available for that.

So, you know, I'm I'm happy to hear, you know, you know, and Linda and Johnny do a great job, too. and I and then we always send people over to you. So hopefully this you know can all be uh easy and you know but anyway that was just an idea I had this it's the startup cost for these small businesses these small local businesses they just don't have six months of rent like in their pocket waiting to you know ready to go. So that's all thank you. Thank you.

Any any other comments? I think this was a great conversation and um as I said I I would like to meet with Alinda and um Denise and John and just see what role if any we can play and maybe it's just that we as EDC have the same resources that if someone come if I'm walking down the street and walking down the street if I'm walking in an area and I'm meeting somebody and they say you know the goddamn TPZ and the they are I say, "Well, did did you get this?" "Oh, I didn't know I have that available." Well, let me have it sent to you. Sometimes you just need a shoulder to cry on, I think, and get it all out and then you want to then then you'll you'll sort of listen to what's going on. So, any other comments?

We'd be happy to meet. Great. Okay, we'll set that up soon. Thank you very much, Scott. I think it was a great conversation. Very, very helpful. Um, are there any commission member updates? Okay, I know I know uh Bob's commission is on hiatus for a little while. They've been pretty busy, so you get you get a chance to relax a little bit. Any comments on the GMAN and New York November report. Okay, quick recap from the town planner and then I'd like to get into a that conversation about uh Graanby Street um tips.

As we say at our senior staff meetings, NSTR, nothing significant to report.

Okay. Well, that was quick. All right. Um and I'm assuming our town manager is uh coming back uh in January. He um we he was on a video with us yesterday and um I would anticipate uh that in the next couple of weeks we'll be um he'll be more involved virtually um and God willing in proceeding he um will be back in person at the first of the year or thereabouts. I do not have any specific information to that regard. It's what he is indicating and um he's also indicated he's ahead of schedule and recovery which is which is a marvelous sign but we he looked uh he looked and sounded great yesterday.

Wonderful. Please send them from all of us our our good wishes and and for a speedy recovery. Can't wait to have him back in the group. We'll do.

Okay. Um now we're going to segue into the development um authority. Um, okay. I asked Andrew um Kaplan to be made a um uh a panelists because we've been talking about branding and we've been talking about branding. I know that the town is doing a townwide branding program, but we really been kind of talking about this tip district and in particular the 31 Toby Road building because um there is space and I think that there is a um a desire to do something with a artist district. One of the issues kind of minor but really major in a way is what do we call it? I keep on calling it grabby Toby Mosy Drive which really doesn't trip off the tongue. Andrew came up with a concept that I just want him to share with you specifically just for the district and probably to begin with just for 31 Toby Road. Andrew turning it over to you.

Yep. Yep.

Thanks, Bonnie. Uh but I was just thinking about uh like I like Bonnie said, how how to create a draw for the area that you know we've been talking about it and I looked a lot at um different kind of the these areas that have been sort of branding for neighborhoods and in new kind of neighborhoods to facilitate or draw a certain type of uh businesses or create a destination in a in a town. And one of the ideas that we had that I had thought about was, you know, a lot of places to go from this industrial kind of use towards an art use uh to create an art district. And if you called it the I'm saying it poorly, but uh the Bloomfield Arts District is very clear in setting up a a neighborhood, but it also has a a nice sort of acronym BAD B A that has a lot of branding uh uh energy I feel like behind it. And you could do a lot of really fun things um graphically and and with sort of advertising and billboards. It's a It's very quick and to the point, but it it has a sort of emotion behind it and some um vitality. I think you could do some really fun things to create a a neighborhood uh destination in town. Um,

and andrew, I I liked it because um because it is kind of a rundown area, you know, it isn't like high-end right now. So, calling it bad kind of um gives it an identity that's positive for the way it looks rather than negative for the way it looks, right?

We just wanted to share it. I wanted to have Andrew since it was his idea, I wanted him to share it with the commission. Um Denise and I are having a meeting with India and Brian tomorrow, Denise, correct? And uh Brian Wolf is in charge of um branding for the entire town. Um that's part of his job. I spoke with him and he said they really have not gotten too far with that yet. So I thought we would bring this to them as just a piece. This is not for the hotel. This is not for the branding. This is just again I'm trying to get some activity going. And now that Andrew and his dad Steve seem to be um on board with trying to get something happening in some empty an open space, they have to change their their tenant mix. I think that this is an opportunity to talk to the town if the town gives us their their blessing to just do a very small program, maybe privately funded um and just see what happens with it. And I'm just curious people's reaction to it to the idea. No reaction, huh?

Okay. Nobody. Do you think that we that we shouldn't get involved with this or do Bob? uh for for everyone's benefit, including you, Andrew, uh not to steal your thunder, but Bonnie told me about this last night.

My initial reaction was, "Oh, to say something's bad is uh is not good." Uh but actually, uh on reflection, it really does have a lot of uh potential. I just took a quick uh look on uh bad as slang and uh it has a lot of especially with much younger uh uh people uh college age uh it's it's kind of an oppositional bad is good. So it has some potential and uh it could be uh used as an interesting branding uh tool. you know, we're so bad uh that uh uh we're this or that. So, um uh I I think it has potential. Just that

you calling me? No, I'm calling Vivian. Okay. I wasn't sure if I heard my name. I was like, "Oh, wait. Let me not say anything just in case." Um yeah. No, I think it does have uh good potential. I think that um some of the the questions and um that I would have is like and I know that these have all been or in the process of being answered like you know who is this for? What's the goal? What kind of comparisons because I know West Hartford has some things that are different. Um so how can we stand out? But I think that there's a lot of potential there. Certainly I'm I'm interested and happy to be involved. And what do you think about the slogan, the logo?

I I I want to give it a little more thought. Okay. Okay. I was just curious. Okay. But as far as what this is specifically would start with 31 Toby Road, what would be for that district only? If indeed what we decide to do with it is to make it into a maker space and artist district. And that's what Denise and I have been working on. That's the concept. Is there um like a particular like um age demographic or is there you know whoever is a maker and who's ever interested?

Well, I'm assuming it's going to be younger rather than older, but that could just be my assumption. Um what I what I do think we bring to this space that very few other communities do is an ethnic diversity. And I think that that is the big one of the biggest strengths the town has that they don't capitalize on. You know, we're not a typical little New England town. We are very different. The other other than bigger communities, I don't know there an awful lot of small towns that have the diversity that we have and the creative diversity that we have. Right. Right. Anything else?

Nope. That was it. At some point I will catch I would love to catch up with you about it. So

I would love to. Oh, thank you. I think just a part of it in my mind is creating a personality for for a place that everything can sort of be guided by. Um and like Robert said or um you know more of in the oppositional sense a little bit pointing at how you know maybe it's it seems like bad now but bad can be obviously like something really cool or something exciting or something that's a little bit uh edgy and that is sort of where art really plays up. um I think can be really colorful and and cheeky maybe and just brings personality.

Cheeky is a great word for it. I think Sadik. Yeah. Uh I I don't want to leave without having a little more introduction to Andrew Kaplan. Pardon my ignorance. I did did not know um the gentleman. So can anybody introduce you? You actually met him, Sadique, because we when we took the tour of the district. Okay. So, he and his dad, Steve, are the owners of the big blue building, 31 Toby Road. Oh, okay. Yeah, I see. The the owners of that big place. Yeah. Okay.

And Andrew has design background. He also has been in Austin, Texas for quite a while. And I think that I got it. That reference is good enough. Thank you very much. Hi Andrew, thank you very much for your thoughts and uh we'll continue on that. So with that, I'll also beg your leave uh Bonnie. It's almost 9. Thank you Sadique. Thank you and see you next time. Okay. Happy holidays. Same to you. Everybody everybody happy holidays.

Oh, thank you Sadique. Anyone else have a comment before we go on? This was I said this was just an introduction to something. Bib, your your hand is still up. Are you still have a comment? No. Okay, now your hand's gone. Um, I'm I'm getting Oh, oh, she's leaving. That's what it was. Vivian had to leave early, too. Happy holiday, B. Um, okay.

Any public comment? I don't think anyone Oh, Gabe. Gail, anything you'd like to add? No. Okay. Um any updates? All righty. Uh and the next meeting is Tuesday, January 13th, and I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. So moved. Second. Second. Okay. All those in favor? Hi. Hi.

Well, whatever you will be celebrating during the next month or so, happy holidays to everyone. Be well, be happy, and see you in the new year. Bye. Happy holidays. Happy holidays, everyone. Everyone.