EDC to explore a move to non-profit status
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
I don’t often make it to Economic Development Commission (EDC) meetings, but when the Planning and Zoning Commission cancelled it's meeting (freeing up an extra night this week), and I saw the EDC agenda, I decided it was time to check in. Some of the faces have changed, but the meetings are still open discussions with whoever shows up chiming in throughout the meetings. And while the commission made a few motions, and those motions were seconded, no actual votes were taken, which, technically, means nothing was officially decided.
Still, there was plenty of discussion on action items that the commission seems to be moving forward with.
Let’s start with the biggest one: creating a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit. EDC Chair Jacob Long said that in its current form the EDC has “no budget and no authority” making them “glorified cheerleaders.” He also noted he had found other towns had followed this route, and that it would allow the commission to raise funds and apply for grants.
There’s nothing currently stopping the EDC or any commission from raising funds. The Arts Commission established this process some years ago, and were able to collect donations at events to help fund their projects. It simply requires setting up a separate fund in the budget so that any money a commission raises can be set aside specifically for its use. The EDC was, however, created via a town ordinance. Any change to that ordinance has to be approved at a Town Meeting. So, the EDC does not have the authority to single-handedly change how the commission operates, though, nothing is stopping its members from creating an entirely separate organization like a Chamber of Commerce or Putnam’s Business Association.
Commission members did raise a few questions Ethan Biggs said he would like to hear from other towns who have pursued the non-profit route. Tracey Deleston said he would like there to be a succession plan in place. Long motioned to further investigate the idea, and it was seconded, but no official vote was taken.
Long also said he admires the Rotary Club;s ability to get things done that benefit the Stafford community. The EDC has also been discussing holding quarterly networking opportunities for businesses in town, and Long motioned to invite the Rotary to partner with the EDC on this event. Again, there was a second on the motion but no vote.
After this, the meeting moved into an open discussion, which included a staple of most EDC meetings: complaints that the building department is making it hard for businesses to open in town. Commission member Aaron Eberhard said he has asked for people to contact him with specifics if they have had trouble dealing with the building department—and according to him, no one has reached out. (For what it’s worth, the Stafford Free Press talked with the building inspector and zoning enforcement officer about “How to Build in Stafford” quite some time ago and there may be some helpful tips there.)
Marnie Hoffman, who was in the audience, suggested Lots & More had trouble with the building department. Donald Passardi, also in the audience, said that Lots & More had actually cleared all the initial hurdles—which is why it’s been open for several seasons before this year—such as ADA compliance. Lori Fortuna, a commission member who joined via Facetime, said she had spoken to a manager at the South WIndsor Lots & More location who indicated staffing was an issue and therefore the Stafford location would not be open this year.
Ethan Biggs brought the discussion back around to the board’s priorities and introduced his father, Chris Biggs, who happens to work for a market research firm. Chris Biggs noted that the last time he attended a Stafford EDC meeting, there was “ a lot of opinion” but not enough facts to base data driven decisions on. He suggested the EDC consider doing a survey of business owners to learn more about how local businesses are doing and what their challenges may be.
Discussion ranged from how to best execute such a survey to how to get his school students involved in helping to distribute it—though Chris Biggs indicated that it would be a digital survey.
From there the conversation careened between whether or not the EDC needs its own Facebook page, how the town can attract an urgent care facility, and whether an H&R Block, Edward Jones Financial Advisor location, or a “neighborhood Walmart” could survive in Stafford.
It seems the EDC may also be designing its own logo, though, as a part of the Town of Stafford, it’s unclear whether it can even have its own logo as other boards and commissions do not have separate logos.
