EDC Minutes

December 3, 2007

Selectmen’s Conference Room

Town Hall

Call to Order

Chairman Lou Bachetti called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.

Attendance

Members present were Louis Bachetti, Ron Elliott, Richard Cheney, Maura Gardiner and David Reed. Robert Schmidt was absent.

Approval of Minutes

Motion by Richard Cheney and seconded by Maura Gardiner that the minutes of the previous meeting be approved without change. All members present voted in favor of the motion.

Correspondence

Chairman Bachetti distributed an article on mix use property recently published in USA TODAY entitled “What business owners say.”

Economic development seminar report

David Reed provided a recap of the seminar entitled “Marketing on a Shoestring Budget” that he and the chairman had attended on November 27 in Berlin, Ct. In addition the committee voted on a motion to ratify reimbursement of $100 to the chairman and co chairman to cover the registration cost for this seminar. The members present approved the motion.

Somers Business Association

Ron Elliott updated the group concerning the activities of the Somers business steering committee. The committee had scheduled a Business and Merchant Expo which was to be held on December 3, 2007 at the Somersville Grammar School. However with the inclement weather the expo was postponed and will be rescheduled in January.

Status of the of Somersville Mill

David Reed provided an update on this project with the most notable item being the issue of current ownership of the mill and the various ramifications this has had on the development status. Following lengthy discussion, a motion on behalf of the EDC was made by Richard Cheney and seconded by Maura Gardiner requesting a meeting with the selectmen to get a briefing on the mill status and the associated progress of the Somersville Streetscape project.

Work Session

a) The 2008 meeting date calendar was reviewed and approved and the chairman will forward same to the town clerk.

b) EDC 2008 Goals were brainstormed discussed in length and a list was developed. The commission will prioritize the list at the next scheduled meeting.

c) Business Questionnaire – The chairman presented working draft 2 of a questionnaire that will be sent to the business community asking for their input on various items that the commission is involved with.

Updating EDC website

David Reed provided an update on the town’s plan for a web site and discussion followed as to what EDC would like to see. David will bring a copy of the web page to the next meeting for further discussion.

Chairman updates

Reported that two new businesses had opened in town; Compurepair on School St. and Spaulding’s on Hall Hill. The medical Center on Main St is now operational. Property on Springfield Rd is being discussed with town officials as to its limitations and restrictions. The property currently owned by Dzen’s at the corner of Maple and Main is being marketed by the owner.

New Business

The topic of business cards for members of the commission was discussed. Business Cards would enhance the professionalism of the group when meeting with the various businesses in the community or when meeting with outside interest who may be considering moving to the community. It was then agreed to that the commission would approve the request and would authorize an amount not to exceed an acceptable level.

Adjournment

Motion to adjourn was made by Maura Gardiner seconded by David Reed and was approved by the members present. The meeting was officially adjourned at 9:05 p. m.

Respectfully submitted by,

Ronald L. Elliott, Secretary for the EDC

Minutes are not official until approved at a subsequent meeting.