No Quorum, No Problem: EDC Hears from CMSC

If the first meeting of the renewed Economic Development Commission (EDC) was defined by enthusiasm, the second meeting, on September 16, 2025, had some worried that the commission is falling back into its old ways. With just four members in attendance, the EDC did not muster a quorum and could not have an official meeting. Those members in attendance – Aaron Eberhard, Chuck Alfano, Rob Corona, and Lori Fortuna – had a guest speaker lined up. As they say, “the show must go on,” even if the meeting is unofficial. 

Connecticut Main Street Center’s (CMSC) Field Services Director Carl Rosa, attended via Zoom to discuss what CMSC offers member towns and answer a few questions. Monthly educational webinars, an accelerator program offering grant opportunities, a placemaking program, and advocacy for policy issues are among the benefits. Perhaps the most significant takeaway that Stafford can expect from its potential membership is a yearly assessment of more than 80 data points to help guide and benchmark its downtown revitalization efforts. 

As you may recall, at last month’s EDC meeting, the commission voted to join the Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC), though where it will get the $1,000 membership fee is up for debate. At this week’s meeting, the present members seemed to lean toward letting absent members Larry Vaughn and Scott Nigro pay for the membership, as they offered to do at the last meeting.

Rosa mentioned that CMSC has some regional members, as some of Connecticut’s Councils of Governments (COGs) have joined CSMC. Stafford belongs to the Capitol Regional Council of Government (CRCOG), the largest of these regional groups. It has not yet joined, but First Selectman Bill Morrison asked why Stafford would join individually if CRCOG may join. Rosa explained that Stafford may not receive the same level of benefits, as ultimately the COG gets to determine the level of service and which towns receive them. Most notably, there would be no guarantee that Stafford would receive that all-important assessment. 

After the presentation was over, Alfano expressed concern that just two meetings into the renewed EDC’s schedule, they were already failing to muster the necessary quorum. Many have questioned the wisdom of retaining existing members who have a history of not attending meetings. Corona called the lack of attendance “growing pains.” Morrison reminded the commissioners that the Board of Selectmen (BOS) voted to allow four alternates for the EDC. At its next meeting, the BOS should be able to appoint those alternates, hopefully avoiding the ongoing issue that has plagued the EDC through multiple iterations. 

How revitalization works

During Rosa’s presentation, he detailed the steps towns must take to revitalize their downtowns successfully. The outline, however, seems like a promising approach for the EDC to take for almost any project. So here are those steps:

1. Understand your market

2. Develop a vision

3. SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)

4. Goal Setting

5. Work planning 

6. Implementation and communication