Combined meeting of
MAIN STREET REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE & ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE
Minutes of May 22, 2013
The Main Street Revitalization Committee and the Economic development committee met together to discuss the goals of both committees.
Marlene Freyler, Marilyn Gordon, Felicia Starr, John Pfeifle, Sonny Harris, John Bibbo, Sherry Hill, Marcia Keller, Mel Pfeifle, Chris Way, Walter Royal, John Mock, Bob Lincoln, Clare James, Nikki Dubaere & Randy Hinman attended the combined meeting.
• To make it easier for potential businesses to open in Bradford, the rules can’t change in the process of application. The boards and committees need to have consistency with the rules and regulations. They also need to be known and available to everyone easily.
• Chris Way offered to have someone from the state come out to meet with us to discuss what Bradford is missing.
• We need to attract businesses & what do people want?
• The State came and designed plans for developing Bradford, Marlene Fryler has those and will bring to the next Main Street Revitalization committee.
• We need to get positive news to the press so people can see Bradford in a positive way, which will help bring businesses to town.
• We need to identify the assets of the residents and get those people to volunteer to help build up our town. For example: website designers, someone to facilitate to get through the planning board process.
• We need to take care of the businesses we already have. What do they need? What can we do to help? How do you hire?
• We need to update our website – add a “click here for businesses” area with processes to get the forms, which board do you need to see to do…, create another area on the web site for people to find the businesses in Bradford – we need to make it easy for everyone to find information that they need.
• The selectmen will visit the businesses we already have.
• The revolving loan fund needs to be geared towards small businesses. That fund needs to be looked at and see what can be done to make it small business friendly. They need to look at the terms & interest rates.
• Maybe tax credits for businesses will help the ones we already have and give some incentive to the prospective businesses.
• It was asked of the selectmen, what they think the goal of the Main Street Revitalization committee is and they want to revitalize business and homes.
• John Mock was asked what he thought of the Sanborn Property on Main Street, He replied by saying it would be good for the town to have because it abuts Brown Shattuck Field.
• People in Bradford need to get along and work together. It was mentioned the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can get involved in taking care of the flags for the town and help with plants. If we cleaned out the contents of the Sanborn Property, The Town Hall Restoration Committee can sell it as a fund raiser for the town hall. Some of the plants can be dug up and sold as well to benefit another organization. These activities and other ideas will help bring people together, but also help with positive thoughts about Bradford.
• The committees will meet separately during the time tonight and then elect a chairperson and secretary and decide on meeting dates.
MAIN STREET REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE
Marlene Freyler, Marilyn Gordon, Felicia Starr, Sonny Harris, Marcia Keller, Bob Lincoln, Clare James, & Nikki Dubaere
• The Main Street Revitalization Committee chose Marilyn Gordon for the chairperson and Felicia Starr for the secretary and will meet on the first and third Tuesday of every month at the BACC at 7pm.
• Sonny Harris will look into the Sanborn property and the process so we can figure out what our options are for cleaning it up. He will have this for the next meeting.
• Map of Main Street
• Also discussed grouping off of the core committee to do some projects on Main St.