Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (Seveds)

ACCD annual Report /
Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) /
July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013 /
Laura Sibilia /
7/3/2013 /

SeVEDS FY 13 Performance Measures for ACCD Contract

SeVEDS will ensure majority private industry membership of the following task force efforts:
Workforce – 2 private sector by January 2013 – achieved 6
Angela Timm – Commonwealth Dairy
Ann Andreosatos – New Chapter
Barbara Sondag – Town of Brattleboro
Becca Balint – Writer, former educator
Colby Dix – Vermont Geeks
David Altstadt – Windham Workforce Investment Board
Jeff Lewis BDCC – Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
Norm Schneeberger – G.S. Precision
Robinson, Andrew – Vermont Department of Labor
Roger Allbee – retiree, former Secretary of Agriculture
Ross Gibson – School for International Training
Stephan Morse – retiree – Chair Vermont Board of Education
Jeff Corrigan – Brattleboro Retreat
Communication - 2 private sector by January 2013 – achieved 3
Julia Sorensen – Brattleboro Retreat
Lisa Sullivan – Bartleby’s Books
Colby Dix – Vermont Geeks
Development - 2 private sector by January 2013 – achieved 1
Martin Langeveld – Strolling of the Heifers
Barb Sondag – Town of Brattleboro
Jeff Lewis – Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
SeVEDS will submit a CEDS to EDA by July 1, 2013
SeVEDS received its planning grant from EDA to do a CEDS in September, later than anticipated. We conducted an RFP for consultants to guide CEDS development, receiving 9 proposals. SeVEDS chose ViTAL Economies, Inc. as its consultant to guide development of the CEDS. Our revised timeline has SeVEDS presenting the Windham region with a Draft CEDS in October for a 30 day comment period.
Documents attached are:
Semiannual update to EDA for CEDS grant from December 2012
SeVEDS RFP for CEDS development
ViTAL Economy, Inc Letter of Agreement with timetables
Semiannual update to EDA for CEDS grant June 30, 2013

SeVEDS will ensure the SeVEDS Workforce Coordinator (SWC), focused on achieving SeVEDS Objective 2, is hired by December 1, 2012
SeVEDS initially had funding to hire a .6 workforce coordinator and planned to do so in the fall. The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, SeVEDS affiliate who provides staffing and is SeVEDS fiscal agent, was charged with hiring the .6 position. After posting the job description, the few applicants were lacking in skills and experience needed. The search continued. At its November 20th meeting, the SeVEDS WF committee voted to recommend to the SeVEDS board that they extend the hiring timeline till January 31. However on December 18th, BDCC announced it had hired Pat Moulton Powden as Workforce Coordinator and eventual Executive Director for BDCC when Jeff Lewis retires in late 2013. Moulton Powden began as SWC in mid-February.
Since March, the Workforce Committee has developed an ambitious workplan and begun to develop a relocation packet for prospective new employees. They are currently planning on conducting a 5 year hiring inventory for the top 25 employers this summer. When Pat Moulton Powden assumes the Executive Director position, SeVEDS intends to rehire the workforce development coordinator position.

The SWC will:

(1) Identify and meet with the top 20 Employers in the Windham Region and congregate their needs – below are the Top 20 and whether or not Pat has met with them, if they are on the Workforce Committee and if they have participated in the CEDS process. If they are shaded in gray, attempts to set up separate meetings have been unsuccessful to date, or have not been made.

Meeting w/WFC / WF Comm / CEDS Focus grp
Brattleboro Retreat / x / x / x
Windham Southeast Supervisory Union / x / x
Entergy Vermont Yankee
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital / x / x
C&S Wholesale Grocers
GS Precision, Inc / x / x / x
Stratton Mountain Resort / x / x
Windham Northeast Supervisory Union / x / x
Mount Snow / x / x
Landmark College / x / x
World Learning / x / x / x
Windham Central Supervisory Union
Grace Cottage Hospital / x / x
Windham Southwest Supervisory Union
Putney Paper
New Chapter / x / x / x
Sonnax / x / x / x
Commonwealth Dairy / x / x / x
Marlboro College / x / x / x
The Richards Group / x / x / x

(2) Identify and meet with all secondary, post-secondary, Adult Learning and training institutions and congregate their opportunities.
All secondary and post-secondary institutions have met together several times with Pat and Jeff. Mapping of their opportunities is planned for this summer due to delayed hire of SWC.
(3) The SEVEDS Workforce Coordinator (SWC) will produce a list of needs, opportunities and training that exist and opportunities and training that do not exist
This list will be created as a product of the hiring inventory that will be undergone this summer and was delayed due to delayed hire of SWC.

SeVEDS will hold an annual meeting open to the public with official representation from at least 6 municipalities and 20 employers in September 2012
SeVEDS first Public Annual Meeting was held on September. A total of 10 municipalities and 20 employers RSVP’d – total attendance was over 100.
Attendee list attached
SeVEDS will make requests to attend 16 selectboards meetings to update on their efforts, and in writing ask for their financial support by January 1, 2012
SeVEDs mailed a request to all 27 towns in the region to appear on their selectboard agenda and asked for financial support of based on population size. We were invited to meet with 17. The towns in general were supportive and interested in what we are doing. Many towns had petitioning requirements for funding requests and we were only able to successfully petition in Marlboro. We were funded by the Towns of Brattleboro, Rockingham, Newfane, Dover, Vernon, Marlboro and Wilmington.
Letter to towns attached
Municipal fundraising status worksheet attached
WIFM – “What’s in it for my town” attached

June 30, 2013

Ms. Tonia R. Williams, CEcD
Area Director
United States Department of Commerce
Economic Development Administration
The Curtis Center, Suite 140S
601 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3323

Investment No.: 01-87-14181

Dear Ms. Williams,

Enclosed, please find our semi-annual progress report for the Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategy. Our first semi-annual report was submitted in December of 2012. This current report builds off of that December 2012 report. All updates since December 2012 are in bold text.

Our second round of public engagement meetings was just completed on June 28th. The scheduling of these meetings will be including in this report, but due to the due date of this report, further analysis and feedback from these meetings will be submitted in our semi-annual report.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Lewis
Executive Director

CC: Mr. Willie Taylor
Mr. Matthew Suchodolski

In August of 2012, we received word that our request for a $75,000 Short Term Planning Grant from the Economic Development Administration had been approved. The purpose of the grant is to develop a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the Southeastern Vermont Region. The applicant for the grant is the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC). BDCC is the fiscal and staffing agent for its affiliate, Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS).

Consultant selection and work:
On August 29th BDCC on behalf of its affiliate SeVEDS issued a request for proposals for development of a CEDS for Southeastern Vermont. All response submissions were to be received by October 1, 2012.

On October 1, 2012 BDCC was in receipt of nine (9) responses to our request for proposal. The consultants who submitted proposals were:

Mullin & Associates
Camoin Associates
ViTAL Economy, Inc.
Peter Kwass
Angelou Economics
Ice Miller Whiteboard, LLC
TIP Strategies
The Community Land Use and Economics Group, LLC
Harvey International

On October 12th, the proposal selection sub-committee met. This subcommittee was comprised of four Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) board members:

Lisa Sullivan, Bartleby’s Books, Wilmington, VT
Patrick Moreland, Assistant Town Manager, Brattleboro, VT
Tim Cullenen, Town Manager, Rockingham, VT
Jenna Pugliese, Planning Director Stratton Resort, Stratton, VT
and Laura Sibilia, Director of Economic Development for BDCC

The proposals were evaluated using the following weighted measures:

Weight / Max
Qualifications & Experience with Studies of Similar Scope & Size / 4 / 5
Demonstrated Knowledge of Economic Development Knowledge and Trends / 3 / 5
Sufficient Staff for All Required Work / 3 / 5
History of Successful Performance on Similar projects / 5 / 5
Proposed Cost of the Study / 3 / 5
Demonstration of Commitment for Meeting the Project Schedule / 5 / 5

The top scoring three proposals were selected for reference checks and phone interviews with the subcommittee: Mullin & Associates, Camoin Associates and ViTAL Economy, Inc. References were checked by Laura Sibilia and phone interviews with the entire subcommittee were held with each of the consultant groups on October 16th.

On October 18th, the subcommittee made a recommendation to the SeVEDS board for ViTAL Economy, Inc. to be contracted to develop the CEDS for Southeastern Vermont. Jeff Lewis, Executive Director for BDCC and a SeVEDS board member was asked to develop and sign a contract with ViTAL Economy, Inc.

On November 30th a Letter of Agreement was signed between ViTAL Economy, Inc. and BDCC. The LOA indicates that a CEDS will be presented for 30 day public comment on September 19th, 2013.
On January 18th the SeVEDS Board met with Frank Knott from ViTAL Economy in person and Mark Madsen via Webex for a 5 hour training session. *materials attached. The agenda for the training session:

1. Introductions and overview
2. Review objectives (why are we doing a CEDS)
3. Changing EDA requirements
4. Best Practice CEDS examples
5. CEDS Committee's roles and responsibilities
6. CEDS Process including:

regional profile
community meetings
final document
adoption of final document

On February 14th the SeVEDS Board met with Frank Knott and Mark Madsen of ViTAL Economies in person and approved the following CEDS committee membership:

July 2, 2013: SeVEDSannual Progress Report to ACCD

SeVEDS Board PLUS
Connie Snow – Windham Windsor Housing
Andy Robinson – Department of Labor
Rachel Selsky – Camoin Associates
Stephanie Huestis – Peoples Bank
Dutch Walsh – Town of Rockingham
Gail Nunziato – Latchis
Chris Moore – Lawyer
Bill Anton – Dover School Principal
Oliver Olsen – Oracle
Roger Albee– former Secretary of Agriculture

July 2, 2013: SeVEDSannual Progress Report to ACCD

On February 14th the CEDS Committee met with Frank Knott and Mark Madsen of ViTAL Economies in person with the following agenda:

Introductions
Review official CEDS Committee membership confirmed by SeVEDS Board action (17 public, 7 non-profit, 5 public total of 59% private)
Review CEDS subcommittees and purpose
Event Planning –schedule for regional meetings
Communications
CEDS development task force
Review & Discuss updated Issues of Challenge and Opportunity and Presentation for February 15th public meeting *materials attached

Public Engagement:
On September 13th, SeVEDS held its first annual public meeting in Bellows Falls. A public presentation on the regional economy and plans for the coming years was delivered to approximately 100 attendees. A request was made to be invited to speak to all 27 towns in the region. Speakers included:

Ted Brady, Senator Leahy’s office
Secretary Lawrence Miller, Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development
Shap Smith, Vermont Speaker of the House
Jeff Lewis, Executive Director BDCC
Barb Sondag, Brattleboro Town Manager
Lisa Sullivan, Chair SeVEDS Board

On October 15th, all 27 towns in the region were mailed a hardcopy request to appear on their select board agendas to update the boards on SeVEDS and the upcoming CEDS process. The mailing also included the SeVEDS FY 13 work plan.

As of December 18th, Laura Sibilia and a total of eight SeVEDS board members have spoken at 15 different town select board meetings.

On February 15th SeVEDS and the Windham Region CEDS Committee sponsored the CEDS public kick off meeting at the Brattleboro Retreat Education Conference Room from 8:30-11:30. The public was invited to attend the meeting through press releases published in the regional newspaper the Brattleboro Reformer, the weekly Deerfield Valley News, WTIC and WKVT FM radio stations located in Brattleboro, Vermont Public Radio and an emailed newsletter including invitation to all 27 towns selectboard and planning commission chairs, the Windham County state legislative delegation, the Windham regions top 50 largest employers, all Windham Region chambers of Commerce. Approximately 65 participants attended the meeting. That meeting was videotaped and posted to . The meeting was reported in The Commons, The Brattleboro Reformer and on Vermont Public Radio. At the kick off meeting, a small vocal segment of community activists suggested that improving the economy was not the right thing to do, rather the region should concentrate on learning to do more with less. The phrase “Windham County is ahead because it is behind” was spoken. Some employers and Young Professionals spoke to contradict that notion during the second half of the meeting.

Two sets of four regional public input meetings in Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Londonderry and Wilmington were publicized. The dates for these two sets of four regional public meetings were in March and May. The scheduling of these meetings in March and May was done to intentionally to miss common region vacation times in April and June.

On Sunday March 17th a decision was made to reschedule the two sets of four regional public meetings in March and May due to an impending significant series of snow forecasts likely to impact both the travel of the ViTAL Economy team and the attendance at at least two of the region meetings. The two sets of four regional public meetings were rescheduled for April and June.

During the week of April 22nd, Frank Knott from ViTAL Economy conducted 4 regional sessions, managed input from 8 focus groups, updated the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation board and trustees on CEDS at their semiannual meeting and conducted a CEDS readiness assessment with the CEDS committee and met with over 270 regional representatives and members of the public. The meetings were as follows:

Tuesday, April 23:
8:30 to 11:30 am: Regional Meeting, Lower Theater, BF Town Office (27 participants)
Noon to 1:30: Round table discussions, Lower Theater, Lunch provided
Group 1: Manufacturing (7 participants)
Group 2: Tourism/Hospitality (4 participants)
4pm: BDCC Semi Annual Meeting Brat Retreat (50 participants)
Wednesday, April 24:
8:30 am to 11:30 am: Wilmington Regional Meeting (41 participants)
1:30: Round Table Discussions, Hannah C. and Brattleboro Selectboard rooms, refreshments
Group 1: Working Lands: Agriculture and Forestry (12 participants)
Group 2: Professional, Scientific, Technical, IT, Creative Economy (10 participants)
6pm to 8:30 pm: Londonderry Regional Meeting (19 participants)
Thursday, April 25:
8:30am to 10am: Roundtable discussions:
Group 1: Heath Care: Brattleboro Select board meeting room (10 participants)
Group 2: Higher Education: Hanna Cosman meeting room (8 participants)
10:30 to noon: Roundtable discussions
Group 1: Workforce, Brattleboro Select board meeting room (10 participants)
Group 2: Finance, Insurance, Real Estate: Hanna Cosman (15 participants)
2pm to 4:30pm: SeVEDS Board and Exec. Committee: Readiness assessment
6pm to 8:30 pm: Brattleboro Regional meeting, Select board meeting room (50 participants)

Highlights from the April focus groups:

A series of eight focus groups were held in April 2013 as part of the process to create a regional economic development strategy for SE Vermont. Below are the top leverageable assets that were identified by those groups (in green) and the top opportunities for strategy development (in blue). Following this list are summaries of each focus group with challenges and obstacles to growth also included.

Manufacturing:

Advantages to being located in Windham County include access to the interstate system and rent costs which are less than Chittenden County.
Bus service was cited as an asset
Proximity to the political and governmental organizations. You can reach officials on the phone. Business in VT is very personal.
Most important factor in recruitment are school quality and proximity to quality healthcare.
Additional incubators needed for startups.
UMass has active medical device entrepreneurial program. Initiative that focuses on that would be good.

Colleges:

Need internship opportunities.
All agree that colleges must collaborate to work with ski resorts to optimize opps.
Need a seamless way to take credits from diff colleges and make a seamless, valid degree.

Finance, Insurance, Real Estate (FIRE)

We need more help for people assembling finance and assistance on real estate.
We have a lot of job openings we need 35-40 year olds with experience, technology skills updated
People with children looking to come here (schools).

Tourism

Vermont brand is strong, and the scale of Vermont is advantageous. We have good proximity to market of affluent clientele (drive market) who enjoy the cultural experience and the quality of life
Snowmaking is superior, a game changer over Western - Why? – Because we have to have it.
South American economy rise is a huge opportunity for Vermont ski areas - “We should own this”
“There is a misalignment of objectives of economic development and regulation”
Transportation coordination for out of state visitors would be helpful (i.e. busses w/Amtrak schedule)

Workforce

Need to survey what are the skill levels that need to be replaced?
What is the expectation of the skills levels of that future workforce that is supplied?

Working Lands

A great wood shed here in NE.

Exceptional resource in large diameter timber.
VT brand is helpful, should be a state priority.
Supply chain is less robust here (decrease in this). I have to go further out for farm parts.
More foresters are needed to serve needs of private landowners who are committed and have questions for professionals.
We need a list of and network of brokers and distribution yards for timber.
Is there opp to create a sustainable market building niche here? Want/need: a knowledge hub and manufacturing hub here.

Professional, IT, Scientific

Snowboarding at Stratton
proximity to New York and Boston
People in this focus group experience “the arts” in a feeling that community is alive, creative people, music venues, Gallery Walk, little bit of underground art scene “tasteful graffiti – Woodstock, VT is old people art – enough of raw edge here in Brattleboro to attract young people.
Members of this focus group felt if the state is successful with single payer – small business will flock here and they consider Vermont incubator for social ideas (basically) – healthcare, gay marriage, public education, and abolition of slavery – feel that story can help attract entrepreneurs.
Quality ofschools systems is a big deal
Bandwidth need over a meg a second.
first town in with new technology gets massive tourism influx.
Need more Co working space and part time office space.

Healthcare