EDC Minutes

May 5, 2008

Selectmen’s Conference Room

Town Hall

Call to Order

Chairman Lou Bachetti called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m.

Attendance

Members present were Louis Bachetti, Ron Elliott, David Reed and Robert Schmidt.

Approval of Minutes

Motion by David Reed and seconded by Robert Schmidt that the minutes of the April meeting be approved without change. All members present voted in favor of the motion.

Correspondence

The chairman announced that the special guest, Lisa Caswell, scheduled to meet with members had cancelled. It was also mentioned that the Somers Day of arts and crafts will be held along Main Street on Sunday August 31, from 10:00-4:00

Somers Business Association

Ron Elliott updated the group on the Somers Merchant and Business Expo which was held on May 3, at the Grammar School in Somersville. Although an official number of attendees were not available, the initial feedback from the retailers and business participants was positive. The EDC would like to acknowledge the Somers Business Association Steering Committee for their hard work and successful Expo.

In addition, the current co-chairs of the steering committee have announced that they will be stepping down and the need to fill the vacancies exists. Members of the Commission are encouraged to speak with those parties, which they know and who are members of the Somers Business Association, if they would be interested in the open positions.

Business Survey

The survey results, which were sent out on April 4, 2008, were not available for the meeting. The chairman said that he would collect the surveys from Rick Cheney and compile the results for the next meeting

Status of the of Somersville Mill

David Reed reported that an auction for the mill was held on April 30 and although there were bids in the $1.5 million range the bids were not accepted. It was also mentioned that the town may take a more proactive approach in regards to renovating the mill for an occupancy and retail use. There was lengthy discussion concerning the current owners and their intentions and the safety issues surrounding the mill. At the conclusion of the discussion it was decided that David was to research the archives for previous correspondence sent to the mill owners on safety and zoning issues and that he and Lou would put together a list of remediation demands and present them to the Selectmen for action.

Somerville Streetscape Update

David Reed reported that the Somersville Streetscape Committee is meeting regularly and that they currently working with a $580,000 budget for improvements. It was also mentioned that a representative from CRCOG will be at their next scheduled meeting to discuss further funding possibilities and how they may be able to assist the committee in planning and coordinating the improvements.

Other Business

None

Adjournment

Motion to adjourn was made by Robert Schmidt, seconded by David Reed and was approved. The meeting was officially adjourned at 8.13 p. m.

Respectfully submitted by,

Ronald L. Elliott, Secretary for the EDC

Minutes are not official until approved at a subsequent meeting.