Economic Development Commission - Regular Meeting

Okay.

Okay. Like to call to order the September meeting for the Old Line Econom Economic Development Commission. Um all to order at 5:35 p.m. So, welcome everyone. I hope you all had a nice Labor Day weekend and end of summer. Um tonight's agenda, uh I think primary purpose is to go through reports, but really go through the strategic plan. So for roll call, uh co-chair Canyon is not here tonight. He has an excused absence. Uh I'm Commissioner Jeff Hartman. We're joined by Commissioner Wzinski, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Blair, and Commissioner Cwell. So, with that,

trying to turn it down. Yeah, we're good. With that, I'll ask for any public comment. Does anyone out there has anything or questions or public comment?

A hearing none, we'll close the public comment period. Um, next on our agenda is the approval of the minutes of August 6th. Uh, they were they were issued. Any edits, comments all on the minutes? All right. I guess I'll call for ask for a motion approval of the minutes of August 6th, 2025. So moved. Second. A second.

Any final edits, comments? Hearing none. Um, call for approval. I have to recuse myself. I was not there. So calling for the approval. All in favor say I. I. Opposed. Okay, thank you. All right, so moving on to the E EDC strategic plan. So, um, the way that the document was put together, we have 37 pages of the redline edits. I will pass it around. I think Mona, you commented, Jean, you commented, Cheryl, you helped me pull this together. So, thank you very much. So, I have distributed kind of a clean draft of where we are uh today. you know, I apologize for the vision statement and the mission was kind of tweaked from what we approved. So, I apologize for that. But, um, you know, where we are now is this is the kind of what I'll call the clean the cleanest version that that we put together. Cheryl, again, thank you for helping me do that. And you know we have starts out with our mission statement, our vision statement and then we go through on starting on page we go to page four our our first initiative motion and market and we have the seven initiative. So I guess I would like some feedback from the group. How do you want to go through this? You want to flip page by page. We are not going to ask for a vote to approve it tonight since Joe is not here. I won't wait. You know, Joe and I decided I think it would be appropriate for him to be here in the file. So, um this is kind of another working session on this document. Look, I took a lot of your guidance that there was just too many things for a sixperson uh commission to do. So, you know, Sean and I are trying to look to your comments. Um Jean Mona, your your comment about not having the appropriate document put

in that was that's reflecting the change. And so, How would you like to go through this document? Well, I would like to bring something up that I think I might be alone in feeling this way, but when we went through and we did the SWAT analysis, I really thought that we were going to be looking at all of the different business districts and really doing a little bit more with looking at all of them before moving on to this, which seemed to focus on only two business areas in town. So, I felt a little bit of a disconnect when we went from what we were working on and what I thought we were doing through our SWAT analysis and then all of a sudden we switched gears. And I feel like I've been trying to play catch-up ever since because I didn't really understand the transition from our SWAT analysis to this when it only focused on Paul's Road and potentially Sound View. And like we weren't we had originally discussed talking about or so I thought last summer looking at all of the different business districts and then um I had put together the taxes that revenue that was coming from each of them and

and then we didn't really we didn't really do anything with that or this or the or the SWAT and in my opinion and a lot of times when other groups were giving us their feedback on our swats. We just kind of swiftly moved them into the minutes and kept on moving on. And I, you know, I know it's crazy to bring this up six months later, but I feel as a town we were a bit distracted with all of the Halls Road stuff. It took us on a curveball and we really in my opinion didn't really look at all of the different areas and from an economic standpoint of you know these are all of our commercial areas putting together all of the strengths and weaknesses and following through with that. Like I thought we were going to be putting that on the website or making up a plan or or something. I thought we were going to be doing something where as an organization if people reached out to us looking for ways to invest in old lime, we would be I guess more knowledgeable as a group on the different areas, the strengths and weaknesses of all the areas. That's where I thought we were going and then turned into this strategic plan that was a little bit different. So, cool. PBS some feedback. And so we did the swivel and some of the things were specific I think to Sound View and to Hulse Road, but some of promote our businesses. I think in initiative one I think you know maybe I strike but that would be promote whole townwide. So it's looking at the industrial section. It's looking at all areas of the town and promote it across town. So rather than have specific we're going to do this for the industrial district we and this for

the other area and this for the third area we came up with with the initiatives. Now you know one of the things we could do is to this document you know we could add the strengths and weaknesses um as an exhibit. you know, once this gets approved, it will go townwide and you know, some people will agree with the strengths and weaknesses and some people disagree. I think the thought process was rather than to get into the individual, well, that's not really a weakness. That's, you know, this is the plan and to keep that away. But I I I respect, you know, what you're saying and have the process and

and if you want to go down and talk about doing a different route, we could discuss it with the group. Well, then I just want to say when when we we've been discussing initiative one, you all know how I felt about us going after this marketing plan about our businesses when that was something previously in economic development. We did not specifically advertise for any particular business. And so I didn't, you know, I just see promotion and marketing. There was a lot of talk about social media and LinkedIn in our conversations. And so I didn't really think that we were doing anything with the business overall because to me that was a different I I do I guess I just didn't see how we were still promoting all of the businesses because we got sidetracked with this conversation about promoting some of the businesses which I didn't agree with for two reasons. one is I think undertaking an aggressive social media marketing campaign wasn't really under economic development to begin with and two I just think it's a lot of work for a volunteer committee to to start and not necessarily be able to follow through with. I think one of the things we're going to end up talking about tonight are is that some of these items are things that we can only do with a paid staff person, which we chose not to pursue this year. Um, so when I first put together the marketing items, it was maybe January, February, I don't know the exact month, but it was when I was kind of, you know, lobbying with a small L for a paid professional. Um, so I think some of that some of those items I totally agree with you, we can't cover as a commission without a director. Um,

so we will probably talk about that tonight. In addition, when we're marketing businesses, it's not I I agree. We're not promoting one business over another. We're promoting buy local. There, you know, here is a list of all the retail stores in town or here, I don't know, we could have any number of lists, but by local would be one. Um, eat locally. What? Yes. is that would be here's a summer day that let's promote everybody in line.

I just wasn't getting that sense from our from our interactions and and I ag I I disagree with us having a staff person paid to do economic development. I think that this town has used a commission for a very long time and I think they could we could still continue in that route. Okay. So I would also say one other initiative three the title business location resources does a few of those other things about making sure that you know support property owners in attracting businesses that will thrive in their location. So

pulling together some of that information I think includes some of what you were saying about how we did some of the SWAT analysis as well. And there was a step in the SWAT analysis when we put all the how many ever regions we had, five or six alto together. We put them on one big Excel sheet I think together and then we talked about okay what are our most important priorities in all of this? What are our biggest opportunities? I think is what we focused on. That may have been that was a number of months ago. So um and I believe that drove a lot of what was here.

I think we tried to whittle down between what's the priority and how many initiatives can we do at one time. So it was a culling of all the you know should we focus on the strengths, what are their weaknesses. So I think the process was to try here's top seven where there's biggest upside. So um maybe it was what's I guess what's the biggest bang for our time and effort as a volunteer group and where are the gaps that we should address? So hopefully this seven initiatives reflect that.

Okay. So, when we're going through this tonight, should we be looking and crossing out items that we can't accomplish without professional help?

I think we're not going to get to a we I think we have to roll up our sleeves and, you know, if we don't mind going through and say, "Okay, we can do this. We can't do that without a paid person. We can do this." And remember, this plan in theory is for three, you know, a multi-year period. It's not what we're going to accomplish in the next 12 months. It's a multi-year uh aspirational strategic plan. Um so maybe it's an ambitious plan, but um has a few stretch go, you know, stretch ideas in there, but it's over multiple periods of time. And and in the back, you know, we would always refresh it in the February to April, I believe it says time frame. So as a new board gets seated they look at the plan and say okay have an opportunity to adjust this. Um so this is kind of the the final dart document under the uh we came in part of the regime I guess right you started it and and Joe and I are trying to take it over the finish line so I guess

is it okay if we flip pages? I think that's a great idea. We do help incribe with the additives. Okay.

Well, I'll take them as well and we'll compare notes. Yeah. All right. So, um, uh, Cheryl updated the mission statement on page one. I mean, not she gave me the approved mission statement, the vision statement. So, I that's layered in phase ones in page one. Um and then at the top of the next page, the three visions support the three visions with three categories of effort. That's what we approved in 2024. This is a list of the commissioners on page two who worked on it. I want to save page three. Let's just add it at the end. So I didn't make any changes. We'll just come back to that at the end. So the first first initiative motion to mark on the town's economic strength promote online is a great place to live visit and work just jump in if you want me to you know disagree stop change our task and actions build our story of place utilize placemaking communication strategies research and share concept of placemaking story of place. So telling about online the best practices for online success. Um we had that down as working on that in 2026. You know research audiences through print online and digital presence the website management updates regularly renew and update visit cct.com as needed. Explore update explore online website is needed. So Chelle, you pre you probably currently still doing.

Yeah, this is all what we're already doing, right? So how often do you update the website? Um it's really as needed. So before Midsummer Festival Joe and I should be doing that off. Um Oh no, no. Um so this is in that's in partnership with the Old Lime Arts District. So, um, we have a blog to put on there, but it's meant to be evergreen. Um, if there's a business opening or closing that's, uh, part of um, shop, eat, stay, um, I up I update those as I know about them.

Okay. All right. So, print marketing materials update explore line brochure annually in July and August time frame. Apparently there's 12 copies. Um you have to have updates ready by May 10. So it's really done by around Memorial Day. Yeah, that first bullet instead of July August. I missed that. That should be May June. So that we have it prior to the summer activities. And then big E is in September. And we can send about 500 up to the big E. So we finally know what we what we spend on this one. So the costs are not really TBD. So

I don't have that here but it was very low using what did we use? C print company the company that works with um the municipal municipal like I don't know I can't remember either that out of New Haven. Right. Okay. So um so we'll figure that out. Next thing is uh photography and video content. Do you have any video on the website? I'm sorry, I went down too far. Um, I have photography, but I I I basically don't have video. I have one little video of the boat going out on Black Hall River.

But we have ARPA money that we need to spend in the next six months or so. So we should plan to and it is earmarked for um photography which I think could include video. So much you have I think it's like $1,000 or something. Get a great video on video for less than nine. Okay. All right. Develop social media strategy for multiple platforms. Social media calendar content. create social media explor calendar and buy local campaigning content. Um have a social media calendar by October. So

let's talk about this. Is this something we want to do or not want to do? What if I'm going to make a suggestion instead of develop social media strategy for multiple platforms? Um what if we say instead of develop utilize social media to promote the old line economy or something like that. Sounds and that is basically the town's Facebook page. So just you know putting a post on there the holiday no explore old line Facebook page.

Yeah. Nope. There's an arts district Facebook page and there's the town of old line Facebook page. When EDC does things like um celebrating new businesses, do we just rely on Limeline to get the word out on those?

So um we send a press release to Limeline to CT Examiner, but they won't they as a policy they don't do press releases. they will print a letter to the editor if I put it in that format and I send it to the day. Then in addition, it goes on the town website as an alert on that homepage. Um, and it will go in Martha's newsletter and then it will go on the town of Old Line Facebook page and I will share it to people of O line community forum whatever that's called community forum of O line women of Lime and O line. Do we have that process written in here anywhere? Like is that something? Because I mean if that's a regular thing that we're doing, is it in here? See?

No, I know it's not in there. Well, but we talk about um supporting Yeah. businesses. Um,

so you could say you could insert something like d you know posts to um so it's under it's on page five business milestone support businesses having anniversaries openings ownership changes we could say and I think we're trying to move toward providing getting businesses information on how they can get the word out rather than us putting the word out. Um, join the chamber

with um promotion. So on the on we're we're going to propose a change to utilize strategy to promote online businesses from develop social media strategy. Are we okay with that? You don't see all these edits. So we're not going to we'll what was the what was the new title there

on number page four at the bottom? Utilize social media to promote old line the old line economy. And that way it doesn't sound like we're promoting one business over another. Um should um I don't think we need to have a blog post calendar. That's good. And I think we can just say post. Yeah. post once monthly on town Facebook page following a planned calendar.

We already have a calendar that we've used before. I mean, I probably could go back four years in my book here and write because at one point we had every month written down and everything that we did in that month. Do you remember I know it's kind of old, but um tell me more like what would be on it? Well, it was the stuff that we would be doing like just for example like Midsummer, you know, like um the music. Yeah. And we had that at one point. Yeah. It would be easy to to recreate, you know. Yeah.

November, December by local, January winter fun, you know, we could come up with themes every month. Well, and there were there are events that we're probably we probably because we never had it down and we didn't have a strategy. We I mean you always hit it, but what if you're not there, right? Exactly. Then nobody can reproduce it. You auto schedule events posting because that's what you do do that, you know, auto. Yeah, I can work with Katie on that. You know, at the beginning of the month, here's the calendar for the month. You can auto schedule when it releases. Okay. So, we should probably insert something.

Uh, and then just a thought too, if there's, you know, the the weekly news that goes out to anybody who's subscribed to the news, wouldn't that be a place too where we could periodically post something? Yes. Yeah. Okay. So, I'll work that in there as well. the Lechman newsletter on Fridays. Right.

Right. So, continuing I think we pulled over it's page five. Pursue marketing ideas to attract visitors increase spending and then outreach and presence EDC presence make music day midsummer festival like business materials timing June interesting. preparation, participation. You know, that's kind of a what we do now, right? Yeah. I'm gonna add the biggie to this because they have a um You're going to add what?

The big E because in the Connecticut building, they have any rack card promoting tourism. So, um, I ordered extra brochures this year to include the biggie business milestone support businesses having anniversaries, openings, ownership changes. So, we should probably have um on anniversaries because that could get rather burdensome. So, some significant anniversary like like we did for the carousel,

right? So suggest we add that. So this new business welcome page is that something that we can implement on the on the site? Yeah, we could do that. I think that's a good thing to feel like that's something we've talked about for years. We've talked about how difficult it is for people to know where to even start, right?

But we've never taken the time to assemble the tools or the links or the resources for them. But of course now we can just send them to the chamber of commerce in old Sabbrook which we do have a page on explore online with um resources for businesses and that's everything. If you're an artist here are resources for you. If you're a food establishment here are links to resources but this would be on the town website on the ED EDC web page and it would just sort of be a a cover page um telling them about the land use office. So we gave ourselves seven months to get get that together. I think we can probably do that. All right. Tourism business support

encourage tourism business related to ctvvisit.com pages. Email instructions to all tourism related businesses. That's very doable. Business promote. Next one is business promotion of explore online. encourage use of explored online window stickers with QR codes. Not everybody has Windows, so we have to figure out something like that. They could probably put that on, you know, is there something they could post on their website? Yes, they can have a link to explore online. Flow Grizz does that now and we get a lot of traffic from that website.

So that's something we probably want to keep. So again that's we'll circulate all the red line that he's added. So that's kind of basically initiative one wavefinding goal to improve the visitor experience of old line working live stakeholders pursue a unified branded way finding strategy and we listed all our stakeholders. Um, do you think we we capture everybody as stakeholders in the wayfinding process? So, anybody's missing?

I think that's a good list at least for now.

So, under task and actions research and planning phase, do some research on municipal best practices. you know, meet with representatives from towns with branded way finding signs. Do that in January through March of 2026. Um, turn the stakeholder organizations, determine the key stakeholders, and create subcommittee. I think that's a probably a good best practice to do. Um, create uh subcommittee 2026. The next thing should stay implementation planning. So scope development uh you know using a subcommittee determine the sign locations to be covered probably the major access points into the town. I think that's what we were thinking and then have community input sessions. Um, and the timing would probably be January 2027, not 2025, right? We start in April and do this. It wouldn't be probably till 2027.

Also, um, it is signs coming into the town, but it's also signs. If you look at Sybrook, their um transfer station has a branded sign up front. Their parks and recck parks have a branded sign up like it all is unified. So, um Sabre Point has a sign. So, I mean, you know, they'd have to look at the financial scope of the project, but um it would include,

right? Because, you know, once you design the signs, you get everybody to buy off the signs. We'd have to send it out to get, you know, what's the design production cost? What is the budget? All right. So it's probably a

So is the timing January to May or is it of 26 or is it broader than that? So probably if we start the subcommittee in April 26 the timing probably is a May through some period of time of next year summit right probably will start if you organize a committee in April you probably have your first meeting in May and it probably will run May June July maybe. Yeah. So, community input fall of 2026 once they know what they want to collect from the community.

Yes. and 37 grand opportunities probably in in the fall of 26. You'll you'll have your sessions, you'll go out and get prices and then see how how are we going to pay for it. So grants are probably fiscal year begins in June 1st, right?

July 1st. July 1st. So it's probably a fiscal year 27 grant application. Uh and the timing would be 2027. with implementation plan the secure code and mobile integration always part of the design process on the previous page. So maybe we could fold that into the

sort of rotate. Yeah, that can be a subset of the design.

So, grant opportunities and comprehensive grant research. I would actually would move that comprehensive grant research on the modeling page seven. I would move that up under grant opportunities and kind of push that together. Yep. We did this draft when it's not draft. So on wayf finding number two. Any other additives, comments or suggestions? Yeah, we'll give you a red line draft.

I my only comment would be that I I but there's room to add more stakeholders in here. I I think that there would probably be other people interested in this project. So why don't Yeah. So what if we Oops, I lost the page. What if we say I'm a public members? You could just Well, no. I mean like to to put like Sound View Commission. Well, they're not the only beach community, you know, and it's like I mean there might be other people that are interested too, you know. Yeah, that was more thinking about the business district there. But we can say stakeholders include but are not limited to are not limited to.

So you were thinking of this as a way making wayf finding strategy for the business districts business districts parks um you know those other beach associations are private associations so we're not really pointing people in that direction. Um, yeah, that's a tricky one because they are private beach associations. So, even if they might be interested in some of the signs, they're not going to be for the public to find them. So, it would be town facilities

and business locations. So like you would have a sign like this way towards Laysville or something or Yeah. Laysville district. Yeah. And then Padets Hill and Yeah. the dump go through too. There may be an approval process at the town. There is. So we will make sure we we we're an inclusive group and we we will follow. They're not going to let you put a sign anywhere. No. Make sure we follow whatever the rules are exist. Most towns have specific regulations on where you can put signs. Yeah. In the historic district. I just know that from working for a town,

right? We're going to talk to towns like that. All that stuff. So, it's part of the design. Yeah. Yeah. So, we maybe we should have a compliance section for this that that will ensure compliance with all applicable rules and regulations. Well, this is EDC collaborating with the town to make the way making strategy because in other towns who's doing it. Well, it would be sometimes economic development does it if they have a department,

you know, um Sher Cody, who's to be on this commission, when she worked for Guilford and Madison as their economic development director, um she led that process for those two towns. And if you like right now, Hannes has a sign. Um, Sound View I I don't know if they don't call it a historic Sound View District, I think they call it. That has a sign, but it's they're all different graphics and different looks and it would be a way of unifying everything in a in addition to doing wayfinding. Yeah. I don't think the town like would object to doing it. It's where it's placed like right, you know. Mhm.

So, it's uniform. It's not blocking a view of a corner, right? Yeah. Snow plows, all that stuff. And there's coordination with the state, but there are some of the state rows we have to make. So compliance section, I think that that uh drags it out if you have to do a state approval, but yeah.

All right. So we'll be we'll strive to be inclusive. Um number so if not there's any further cons conversation on number two we'll move to number three business location resources. So the goal is to support property owners in attracting businesses that will thrive in their location great online materials and resources to help businesses choose the right location. So you know we had um commercial space information system upto-date commercial space investigate plugins for online time website. So I think this was um you know there's free commercial real estate like and other things that that you could have connection and you could go in plug in the lime and it'll show what's available. So, so we said we would investigate the possibilities this fall. Is that still doable?

I think so. You signed up. Had you signed up for that? Yes. Yeah. All right. Next section was process clarification documentation application and permit process documentation. Clarify processes with online flowcharts and visuals. work with land use office to document sharable processes make processes more efficient for potential businesses and we wanted to start that in November.

I I think that's I think the process is doable. I think we need to check with land use to see how far in the weeds they are with the zoning process because they may not um be available for us in November 2025. they might be getting into the um thick of it with their other process, right? Begin sometimes question begin um how can we word that start is um timing in line with timing. Yeah, timing dependent upon land use office.

All right. Also before we go on on the top of the page, business location resources, can we just call that business resources or something like that?

Okay, I need to land office. So next thing we had comprehensive business guide doing business and online guide um work with advanced CT draft document that they had and photography text layout design create searchable online version of a printed guide I don't think we should print in a guide it's too should create it and post it on the website in PDF and let people print it so no printing Next thing we had was commercial real estate market analysis. You know track quarterly vacancy rates and we used to get a report a nice report from MJ and me you know was more of an ad hoc report but it was a good report. Um um guess we could figure out is there a digital source figure out so we can have some source on it. Maybe we have to do a little work on that one candidate.

We can do some research on it where we get the data from. Yeah. And we'll have some new um commissioners coming on. So perhaps someone can help with that. Right. New business mentorship program. Next page on page nine. I think I may have messed this one up. Sorry. I'll let you take over this.

So um the suggestion was a new business mentorship program. My comment was that um there's already the mentoring core. I'm not familiar with how active they are right now, but they were very active last year. Um, and then of course there's also SCORE. So I think rather than leading something, we can promote what other groups are doing. So could you help me draft that, please? Yes.

All right, we'll give this. So essentially we're going to be providing access to resources, providing them with other resources that are already doing these. Um we are going to promote to new businesses. There's a mentoring core, there's SCORE. Um so there are essentially some additional business resources available. Yeah. Especially for new businesses or businesses that need help. Right. Okay. So would that go in just in a different category where we have I think we're still under business resources so that works out fine.

That would stay under initiative three but Cheryl's going to do a nice reddraft and she she has a strong command of what's available so she'll rewrite that and circulate that to us. Okay.

All right. So that was uh a review of initiative three. Any further comments or can we move on to number four? All right. Land use land use leaison and economic development integration initiative fourth goal was to provide economic development perspective and land use decision making and assigned DC commissioners act as our zoning laz to track commercial activity going before the land use commissions as well as to organize EDC participation in upcoming regulation review process. So, you know, we we we've already kind of done that. We've we've implemented that in the last year or two, supporting some people who businesses that have asked for our support, you know, the um land use review um the regulation process, you know, do do we want to do that? Yes, I think um

as a group. So what and what form would that take place? Would that form when the land use review document comes out would we provide comments to it? How would we how would we do that? Mona, you had said that you would um serve in that capacity. How do have you thought about like how do you want to kind of monitor what's going on with zoning? Are you going to track agendas or

kind of thought about it? I mean, I've been going on and just checking out their minutes and stuff, but I probably really should have conversations with the people that are on the commission and let them know what what we're up to and what we're thinking about and how you want to partner with them because I think then it would be more beneficial because they're they're meetings are really long. They're like, "Yes, they are six hours."

And I'm sure they could just give me a summary.

So, I would suggest starting with Eric Knap, the land use coordinator, because there are some um rules and regulations around how the zoning commission can what they can and can't talk about outside of the meeting. and I'm not proficient in that. So, I think Eric can give you an understanding of like sometimes I'll send an email to the chair of the zone chair of zoning and he will bounce it over to Eric right away like so there are certain things Eric answers and certain things the chair answers. So, um, and I don't know how early. I'm sure we can easily find out how early they it might be 30 days, you know, it might be at an April zoning meeting, they decide, okay, yeah, at the next meeting we're we're going to have a public hearing and that's really when we want to be ready to support a business. Um assuming

I think we also want to monitor them because it could be that a new business is coming to town and we don't even know about it yet because they're now putting a zoning application in to put a building up or you know so that's probably the first question Mona is to find out from Eric how can we track applications coming in commercial applications coming in so right because we have here track commercial development applications model all commercial applications submitted to probably should say zoning, right? Not planning, right? Yeah. So, is it is it just

you know they're public documents so they can just forward them to us, right? And some summary or you know maybe the application page was typically you fill out page pay and then all the supporting documents. So if you got the top page, you fill out the signage, that's all we would need. So we knew what was going on. So we need to find out if they're willing to do that. Yeah.

Do they have a clerk that works for the town? I think they have a new a brand new clerk. I could be wrong, but someone change just changed up there. Yeah, there were a couple of changes I feel like in in I don't want to use names in the meeting, but um there's been a very good clerk in land use and I don't know if he's still here. So because I haven't been so we'll leave this as stated for this next draft and and you'll look at it and talk to folks and see okay see if you have any changes to this. Okay.

Okay. Build intercom commission relationships. I'm sorry. Participate in regular regulation review process. Um, so again, we just talked about that. So build intercom commission relationships. So regular communication to land use commission chair. Chair, right? Not chair. She's a chair. 10 relevant land use meetings. Commercial items are discussed. great feedback mechanism for EDC input on commercial applications. I don't know. Do we do we want to get involved and get feedback or we just want you know we

I don't know if we can outside of public hearings. I think I might write that one last one at the bottom. Mona that Greg Benady is the land use technician and he's very helpful. He works for ER with Eric. For Eric? Okay. Page 10. Craig. Right. Craig. Yeah. Did I say right? Craig. I don't know. Craig with a C. Right. Page 10. We're making great progress. Can I just What are I need to check against your red lines on that one. So, we're taking out participate. Oh, just the last one.

Yeah. We're taking out create feedback mechanics. Okay. point and orient zoning leaison. So I think we oriented you so you're you're deputized to do that. Okay. Okay. All right. Thank you. So great point.

All right. Develop application tracking system. Okay. your criteria for econom not sure we should do this yeah I think that's too much let's write this section the develop tracking system yes

schedule regular land use coordination meeting land use coordinator attend monthly zoning meetings with commercial items on agenda bring to EDC request for public comment by applicant is, you know, since this is your section, I'll let you comment on this. Do you have any I feel like Cheryl will always beat me to the punch. She's probably always going to know what's going on before. No, I've really stepped back since I'm no longer chair. I Well, we're going to rely on you.

We're going to rely on you. So is this something that as our liaison are these

well Cheryl are when you were providing us as an EDC with information were do you feel like these are the things that you were regularly doing? I was definitely checking the agendas to see if there were any commercial um applicants coming forward and then sometimes we would get emails to the EDC email address. So that would be Joe forwarding things to you. Um trying to think how else I would know. Those are really the big ones. Yeah. There's some redundancy there.

Yes, there's in in in the next one. Yeah. Yeah. So, wrapping up four. Any other comments on for initiative four? Not for now, but yeah, maybe next month.

Okay. Development process improvement initiative five. build environment that encourages supports businesses and property owners and online work to improve existing development process. So I think it's got has pointed out some dupes here. Let's just look at let's just read this. Um analyze current regulations how they support to or deter economic development adherence with the plan of conservation and development. work with a land use office to consider ways to streamline and clarify processes for new businesses and/or property owners. Develop communication tools and other mechanisms creating a support supportive system for business growth. So the under actions behind take out all our comments here conduct competence comprehensive regulatory review analysis. Yeah, I you really want to

I think we should take that out. I think we should do that. I think that stepping on the toes of other people are doing that. I think that's a Does everybody agree with that? Yep. Great business development process guide. Yes. This is a I think we can we can collapse this with with the other initiative. Wait, there's only one thing going back. I mean the sentence that says identify regulatory barriers to business development that we just said. Where is that? On the top of page 11.

So reviewing zoning, right? That's the whole section you just said to scratch that. Yeah, because they're they're That's what zoning's doing. Yeah. Yeah. But are they thinking about things about how they provide barriers to business development? Okay, good point. So, we are the EDC should be in the plan is for the EDC as well as planning and other commissions to be invited into the process at some point um to give our feedback. So maybe I was too quick to say um that this is

duplication behind you. So we'll maybe we'll clean this up a little bit. Not completely because if they change the zoning laws in such a way that it makes it even harder for businesses, then that's not good for us. Yeah. So we we can reword it to something like ensure the um draft zoning regulations align with the EDC's mission um mission

our mission is pretty much what we do our actions our vision are the POCD vision um do not second one collaborate other commissions and constituents to foster a business environment in a way that preserves the charm and charact by strengthening its economic stability, growth and diversification. So your zoning zoning laws have How about ensure draft regulatory changes do not create barriers to business development? Okay, wait. I just have an idea. What if initiative five and initiative four were combined together? They're very similar.

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Because Yeah. For example, in initiative five under the goal second down and task work with land use office that is already under initiative 4. Okay. I think that's a

and then it actually could just be or could be development process improvement and then land use could be a subcategory under because the plan of conservation and development alone is a big part that EDC contributes to. So you can't you know in the development like that you have already right here under development process and the tasks. So right Cheryl because you contribute on behalf of economic development to that right program. So that has to stay somewhere. I'm sorry we're combining four and five.

I I don't know. I think you throw it out. I had heard five and six and that's I'm just clarifying four and five and and this on page 11 the second one which is create business development process guide that's actually the same as one of the tasks in initiative three yeah we're we're yes we flagged that you're correct and even the sec the next one business concierge program I mean that's kind of the same thing too right develop those are kind of the same as on page eight. Is that what you're talking about? Doing business in a line.

All right. So, maybe we only need six initial. Are we taking out? Makes it sound so much easier. We established the business concierge program. That's just now the guide. That's not a real program. What what page is that on? 11 third bullet under above. I think Jean thought maybe create business development process guide and established business concier could be com somehow in the show. They just talk they both just talk about develop business doing business in old line guide. Right. Both of them talk about that which is talked about in initiative three on page eight.

Right. Yeah. Yeah, you can either delete them, make sure everything, you know, clean up three this Okay. You could get rid of five and just move some to three, some to four, and you're done. Okay. Yeah. Like take five and combine it with four and three. Yeah. Right. Maybe just retitle five. It could still be development process improvement and have land use and economic development in

category. So number four actually becomes development process improvement. Well, force your lays on ro, right? That'll fall under development process improvement. I think maybe

because the development process improvement goal is to build an environment that encourages and support business and property owners and old line work to improve existing development process. So then number four initiative working economic development working with land use would be a subcategory of doesn't have to be a separate category. Right. Right. Right. So liaison is a subcategory. Yes. Okay. It could be one of the tasks, right?

But like a long task, primary task. Yeah. I think because how often do you have to work on the plan of conservation and development? Every 10 years. But then in the meantime, we all should always have a good understanding of the current plan that we're working under. Mhm.

All right. Big clean up in four five. Okay. Moving right along. Initiative six, Falls Road commercial district support ensure the long-term viability of Old Life's primary commercial district support businesses and property owners investment in Halls road.

So, should we make this change this back to all our little commercial zones and change this back and and move off of Paul's Road and just make it back to all our zones? I that works for me. Um I I don't know what's going to happen while this will be a lightning rod that people will you know the people who want this or focus on this. So, you know, to your point earlier, Mona, you started the meeting saying, "I thought we were going to talk about all the districts. Maybe we can, this is where we kind of pivot back to that." Well, we just say commercial district support and not identify.

Yes. Well, plus I mean, realistically, commercial districts can change all of the time. I mean it might take a long time but just in the last 10 years look at the changes on Main Street. It really used to have a lot of commercial stuff. You would go and you would shop you know and now all of those opportunities are gone. So if it is just commercial district support then it will right. So the goal over time, excuse me, I'm sorry. That's good.

So the goal was to change it to ensure the long-term viability of Old Lime's commercial districts, support businesses and property owners investment in Old Lime. Yeah. So T would be create an actual plan to encourage responsible economic investment in online and online. But I would say, aren't all these other actions doing that? You know, the doing business in Old Lime and marketing support and promotion and well maybe then that's no maybe commercial district support becomes number one

or I think it's our I think it's number one in our mission statement. It's the first thing we do and all of those initiatives really support that goal. Well, be a contrarian. So, if you wanted to keep this commercial district under task, you could adjust it to make its company wild. And then under actions, I would strike also business directed, but I would adjust create grant funding or or commercial district improvements. maybe adjust that, you know.

Or what if number one and number five or I sorry, I reumbered it to number five, but it's really number six. What if one and six were combined? Promotion and marketing and commercial district support.

They're very very similar. Yeah. To support the town's economic strength, Old Lime is a great place to live, visit, and work, and to ensure the long-term viability of Old Lime's commercial district, support business and property owners investment in Old Line. They're kind of similar. Yeah, that initiative six goal, we're doing that by supporting them at zoning meetings, by doing promotion, all the things we're talking about in the in the other initiatives or the other act. Yeah, I was want to combine it. So I'm I'm hearing support to combine six into one. I think

anything that you feel is of value in six that should be a task and an actionable item. All right. We'll we'll we'll do that. I but I think Okay. So the first action in six the business directory that's a that's a heavy lift. I think that's a scratch. Yeah. I think that's bigger than our Yeah. commission. I mean we have it for shop. So would they create business directory

with more? Let me think about that. So one of the challenges is like where the information even if you go like on the state secretary of state there's a lot of businesses there but it's unclear if they're active and yeah or they're just a fan they're a family or not a family trust but a trust to manage family assets. Um that's so I got it today. Yeah. All right. I was going to send it to you. There's like 10 new businesses just in August, but look like they're all homebased.

And the other thing is how how do we create a comprehensive list when there are a lot of home businesses and it's always changing? So, it would be constantly monitoring who's opening, who's closing. Yeah. Out. Yeah. I scratch I think. So, it's something we've talked about for a long time and it's just a really heavy lift.

All right. So pursue grant funding for district improvements. So something for uh Shoreline, Holmes Road, Laysville. I think you should kind of adjust this but keep this because we want to pursue grants to improve our town and business community. We we'll make it generic that it it's all well and something that we already sometimes have information for like Wendy provides us with some of the grants that people can apply. So it's not something that we're not already doing. Um

in which initiative if we're getting rid of six does it fit under? It's not really marketing. It's where where where are we with the business resources, right? Is was that and this is less about telling our businesses, you know, telling our tourism assets about tourism grants. It's more about maybe it would be under initiative three, business resources. Yeah. Yeah. Because there are more than just tourism grants. I just saw one today for womenowned businesses from the state womenowned women business development commission. But I think this is about the town going and that Yes. So that's also

this is Joe's um right the grant well the grant for that we supported for the sidewalks right something like that right so all right so we I'm hearing consensus to move it to three yes

all right we're entering the home stretch here number seven gateway revitalization to improve property values and reinvigorate the Shorland Gateway area. Work with Shorland Gateway Committee, Sound View Commission, relevant land use commissions to preserve this important historical historical area while positioning it for future generations to enjoy. As we're going to support the Shoreline Gateway Committee, uh the Shoreline Gateway uh lays on which is Joe. We're we're doing that the actions. Can I can I just go back to the task? I think um

they're seeking solutions for blight and condemned buildings. That's just one thing that they're doing. So I think we should say support the shoreline gateway committee in uh achieving its goal or something. Yes. Yes. Mickey. establish. I'm sorry. Can we pause for one second? Sure.

Going back to the this one on page 11, the Halls Road commercial district one, like this task where like before you redline all of the tasks, read them because they could go under other things. So, the last one, create an actionable plan to encourage responsible economic investment in Old Lime area following any updated district regulations by zoning. That could still stay. Oh, yeah. Yeah. just in the other section, right? Four. Yeah. Like, so don't delete every line. Okay. Thank you.

Page 13. Establish EC gateway leaison. I think we've done that. Joe is doing that. Develop gateway blade remediation strategy. So I would suggest that everything after the established EDC gateway leison on position these are all things that the gateway commission is doing not us.

It might be a little overreach. I agree with you. So we're going to take out develop gateway area delay remediation strategy. We're going to delete the section create gateway area redevelopment vision plan. Pursue funding for gateway improvements. We're going to strike that market gateway investment opportunities. Yeah, they're doing all that. So, we're just going to have a leazison on is going to report to us. Yeah. Going to support him and if we need to provide support, it'll be based on reported.

I think the beauty of the document is, you know, coming up, we'll update it. Something changes, we'll update it in February. All right. So, I wonder if that means that we can put initiative 7 under another initiative somehow. Maybe not. Maybe it's its own thing. Let's just keep it. Okay. All right. But it's now probably initiative five because we combined. Yes, we're probably down to five. Um, yeah, we're always five.

All right. So 14 is basically kind of the wrap-up plan review and update schedule. You know, annual strategic plan review. Like I said, we'll review it. I I had March and April. Maybe we should do it in February, March, but the new commissioners will be seated by them. So maybe they usually get seated in February. February. So we'll do it March and April. Okay.

They all get renewed. quarterly progress reviews. Um yeah, I always think it's good to just see where we are benchmarking um you know what will be triggers to update the plan you know economic conditions change opportunities or threats that require a pivot major initiatives are completed ahead um town prior and regional conditions substantially change federal state economic development programs become available And then what is our success metrics? I mean commercial vacancy rates by district website traffic, tourism data, business retention and expansion activity and grant funding secured projects completed. So I think we should all think about this. What are success metrics before the next meeting? So we we could think about rather than um that. So

I do agree with the five that you have. It's hard to kind of think right now off the top of my head what else. So the process is you know this is good process. Thank you. We'll uh Cheryl and I will we'll redline it. We'll send it to Joe and then we'll let Joe send the red line out and I think um hopefully we can call for a vote um sometime soon before the end of the year. So maybe one more time just reviewing it in October, but you know we'll let you decide on. Thank you. All right. All right.

So um we now have our update section of our agenda. Um uh the first one is grant funding status new and pending. I do not have an update on that. Um real estate is does anyone have a you know anything to say on the local real estate? Okay, businesses. We love our businesses. Um

can we have um have the minutes reflect? We wish the owners, the Kelly family of Old Line Landscape a wonderful retirement after many, many years of serving our town. Yeah, it was kind of sad to see that go. All right. Uh, marketing and outreach efforts.

Okay. Um, I would like to report that at a recent meeting of the Old Lime Arts District LA the last several years they've had Light Up Old Lime and they've tried to do everything on one day which I think last year was the second Saturday of December encouraging businesses to have um you know special sales or whatever and the tree lighting and that sort of thing. um this year instead it's going to be old lines holiday happenings and we're going to ask all organizations and businesses to submit um probably by midocctober October 30th or something with their what was the name of it

old lines holiday happenings so um in basically we're going to create a calendar of everything happening throughout the holiday season Um, and that way small businesses aren't trying to create something just for that one day. They're going they have more leverage and um the ability to do what makes sense for them as a small business. Um, so anyway, we'll ask all the organizations and businesses to submit, you know, little blurs um that we will write up on explore online. That's fine.

Yeah. Um and I think that's it for Oh, and just America 250 that is starting um that committee is putting together their list of events and activities. Um and things like Midsummer Festival will have a you know semiquincentennial twist to it. Um so, uh stay tuned for that. That the state's America 250 commission. They're very focused on this should drive tourism to towns. So, there's going to be a his um America 250 trail, you know, like the pizza trail or the whatever trail. They're having a historic trail. So, this committee is looking at what do we have in town that can we can submit and suggest goes on the Connecticut trail. There's a passport that's going to happen locally. So there's lots of interesting ideas to drive traffic to old line.

That's it. Thank you. Okay. So, um, Shoreline Gateway Commission, since Joe is out tonight, we do not have an update, but now from the Chamber of Commerce, we have a special guest, a new director, Andrew Surprise. Thank you. Was waiting so patiently. You come to the table once you feel like you're back on city council.

Thank you. So, well, um, thank you for having me tonight. Um, reason I came is I just want to kind of give you an update of what the chamber is looking at doing. Um, there's no solid plans yet. These are things that we're discussing as a board and um, but potentially, uh, it's something that we want to engage the towns around us on. Um, because we're not just Old Sabbrooks Chamber, we are the greater Old Sabbrook Chamber and we know that we need to do better reaching out to the communities around us. Um, so we've been talking to Main Street Center, which I believe um, you are a member of, and uh, we're looking at potentially partnering with them to hire a part-time a Main Street manager who would work part-time for the different communities around us to help us to help those communities um, develop their main streets. Um,

what is the organization? Main Street Center, Connecticut Main Street Center. I think that's the regional economic development commission is a member of that which Connecticut mean yeah

and so uh with that we're also talking with Rivercog to be involved as an advisory board with that um so with that it would have a part-time main street manager or a full-time main street manager that would be an employee of the chamber but that would work for our foundation which would serve as a main street organization for many in the communities around us potentially if uh those communities want to sign up with it. Um we would probably be looking for a little funding to help support that employee or employees. Um it's I think right now the communities that are associated with Main Street are Old Lime, Lime, Deep River, Westbrook, and Clinton as well as Old Saber. We we aren't paying into Main Street, but as a Jean can speak to this as a member of

the the Rivercog has a regional economic development commission which I'm with old limes rep to and we did have we do have a regional membership but I don't believe the town All right. Yeah, because Michelle, you know, Michelle, um, I came from Main Street Center, um, she, um, is the executive director and she had said she came to our board meeting and I believe she said mine was was a member. She may have been referring to the regional membership because I believe RiverCod just joined. Yes, Deep River was already a member. They were already as well.

Yeah. And there might be a couple other rivercogged groups that or towns that are, but

um so in that regard, yeah, you know, that's something that we're developing. It's we're putting together a proposal um and we're just having initial discussions on this. So it's not a solid plan yet, but I did want to start getting feedback and just kind of letting the towns know that what we're thinking about doing to gauge your interest in being involved. uh because I think that that gateway or that uh main street manager could potentially serve a lot of the roles that you were looking to fill and potent with marketing and outreach. Um one of the reasons I was appointed is because I formerly ran a regional chamber and one of the things that I recognized is it's very difficult to market a town by itself, but if you market a region, it's a lot easier because every town has something to offer, but it may not be enough to be an attraction in and of itself. So if you mark it as a region

um and that's a big difficulty with the Middle Sex region because u it's the funding goes to certain trails that are really just a list of businesses whereas in Eastern um which I've talked to both chambers or the tourism districts they have a grant program and uh they would they said that greater old Sbrook would be able to apply for grants to help potentially do a regional tourism guide which I think you would want to be a part of. Um, and we would potentially be looking to have EDC partner with uh in applying for that grant and I believe up to $10,000 towards that toward that each project. Um, education. I saw further down in the agenda that you have career technical education. Another one of the reasons I was appointed is because I've initiated previously in another chamber uh a uh school to career program with u technical education system and we would like to reach out to all of the regional schools around us that host those programs to uh try to put together a program like that. And that's more of a long-term goal. That's more of a two-year goal. Um but we do want to start addressing it. do want to start reaching out to those those schools. Um, and the one that I've implemented previously included uh job shadowing, work site visits, career uh speaker bureau, uh, mentorships and internships. And we really just want to act as a pass through. We want to connect and that's the goal of a chamber, which should be as a connector. And so that's what we want to do is connect you with businesses or your school system. Um, and then commercial real estate, you did talk about, um, we were potentially looking at putting a, um, talking to all the towns around us and putting a section on the website to promote commercial real estate.

So, just an extra way to get the word out about what you're looking for so we could plug into your site. Right.

Right. Um, and then one thing I did want to mention, listening to your uh collapsing some of the different sections of the STR of your uh strategic plan together. And number six, uh, with support, business, general business support. One thing you want to be cognizant of is general business support can also mean promoting infrastructure needed for a district. And I don't think that's covered under was it one, which is really just marketing. So, you just wanted to be sure that infrastructure gets addressed whether it's through that or another other another other section of the plan. Um, and that's that's really all I had to add. I look forward to working with you. Thank you for having me.

Thank you. Great information. Oh, and we are looking for new board members. So, yeah, referrals. We would love to have board members. They they do have to be a member of the chain. Okay. It would be great to have an old say old line person on the board. We've been looking. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Um guess Jean, you want to update River?

Uh sure. The Regional Economic Development Commission normally would be meeting next Tuesday. However, for September, there's a joint meeting with the Regional Housing Commission on September 23rd at 2:30 p.m. The focus there is on Brownfield redevelopment, which I'm not sure has much application in Old Line.

So, um then so the next regular meeting won't be until October. Um the latest um I did mention there was an note about um the women's business development centers. There's several in I think there's three or four in Connecticut, but they have an Ignite grant program for womenowned small businesses with grants of 2500 to 10,000 for projects that drive growth and profitability. So, um the applicants must have invested at least 2500 in their business in the last year to to be eligible.

How much are the maximum grants? 10,000. And it funds cannot be used for operating expenses, construction, past purchases, or debt repayment. So, you have to be working on future growth, I believe, is the focus of the grants. Um, I can send that information to include in the minutes. The deadline, of course, is September 16th, so pretty quick, but those types of things come out pretty regularly. So, so is that something that would get posted to the old lime EDC website that you know grant you know is that something?

Yeah. So, the question is how would we get that out to any womenowned small businesses that we don't even know about? I think in some aren't the newsletter thing. Yeah, I was thinking same thing. Okay. Well, I can send it to her or I can send it to you to send to her as the chair. Well, if you want to send a director, the secretary of state, you know, when you have to renew your business now, they they have emails in there. So, yes, if you pull that data, you'll have emails associated with every business and online. We have to fix our email list. You can send it out with an email blast, you know. Yeah. And people unsubscribe if they want to. I think we have to fix

We have to fix our email list. It's it's in Outlook. it's in the town, you know, the EDC at old line-ct. So, we do occasional email blasts. Um, and we get a lot of bouncebacks. So, it's just something that has to be cleaned up and we can add those emails. I'll pull the data and I'll send it to you. Everybody can see it. Okay. Thank you, Jean. Yeah. So the last item we have under report force is retention of in town in town talent school of the career. Um again I believe that was Joe's

initiative. So we'll pass on this month. So we're moving into new and other business section of the agenda. Any new business? Okay. Well before we adjourn I want to thank you. I know it's that it's been a long and lengthy process and um I appreciate everyone's feedback tonight. Thought that was really good session with everybody. So, thank you. Thank you. All right. So, call a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:01 p.m. I'll make a motion. Second. I'll second. All right. All in favor? I post. Thank you, everybody. Thank