Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone

Southern Vermont Timeline

EarlyCollaborations

•  Pre-floodcollaboration:MollyStark

•  FloodRecoveryEfforts•  CDBG-DR•  SoVermontMarketing

PlanningTogether

•  2015SouthernVermontZoneestdbylegislature

•  2015ZoneReportissued•  2017USDARCDISouthernVTEconomyProjectFunded

•  2017SouthernVTJointCEDSprocessapproved•  2018CEDSfundedbyEDA

CurrentCollaborations•  USDA RCDI funded SVEP – capacity building

including Economic Development Summit

•  2018 USDA RBEG SoVermont

•  2018 DOL Internship

•  2019 CEDS

•  2019 CEDS Project acceptance, review & ranking

•  SouthernVermontEconomicSummit

WHY?

SouthernVermontChallenges•  ShrinkingPopulation(FasterthanVermont)

•  ACCDProjection-down3.5%by2030(RestofVT-Downby.5%)•  AgingPopulation

•  ACCDProjection-30%ofPopulation>65by2030(2010Census-17.6%)

•  JobsUnfilled,YetPeopleLooking•  Dec2013-Dec2014VTJobLink7028positions-3805JobSeekers•  However,netemploymentonlyroseby500(+650Windham,-150Bennington)

•  TourismRevenuesReboundingMoreSlowlyThanNorthernVT•  Rooms&MealsTaxReceipts(NWVT-+35%;SouthernVT-+11%)•  RetailSales(NWVT+4%;SouthernVT-11%)

Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone Formed by VT Legislature

**SouthernVermontEconomicDevelopmentZone***

Sec.F.2.FINDINGSANDPURPOSE(a)TheGeneralAssemblyfinds:(1)theAgencyofCommerceandCommunityDevelopmentprojectsthatthe44VermonttownsservedbythetwomostSouthernregionaldevelopmentcorporationsandregionalplanningcommissionsinVermontwilllose3.5percentoftheirpopulationby2030andthatthetotalpopulationofofageinthiscombinedregionwillincreasefrom17percentin2010to30percentin2030;(2)thenumberofvisitorstotheSouthernVermontvisitorcenterhasdecreased25percentsince2006;(3)since2006,growthintheregion’sroomsandmealstaxis10percent,ascomparedto25percentintheChittendenCountyregion;(4)therateofresidentialconstructionintheregioniscurrentlyhalfoftheprerecessionlevel;(5)thetwoSouthernVermontregionshavecollaboratedonbusinessrecoveryprogrammingafterTropicalStormIrene,includingdevelopmentofindividualizeddowntownandvillagerevitalizationplansanddevelopmentoftheSouthernVermontSustainableMarketingprogram;and(6)thetworegions,havingalsoworkedtogetheronsomeworkforcedevelopmentandinternshipinitiatives,areseekingtoestablishamoreformalstructurefortheirworkforceandrecruitmentefforts.

(b)ThepurposesofSecs.F.3andF.4ofthisactare:(1)toestablishofficiallyaSouthernVermontEconomicDevelopmentZonecomprisingofthegeographicareasservedbytheBrattleboroDevelopmentCreditCorporationandtheBenningtonCountyIndustrialCorporation;and(2)toestablishastudycommitteethatwillassisttheGeneralAssembly,theGovernor,andpartnerswithintheZoneinestablishingareplicableframeworkforregionalcooperationbyandbetweenpublicsectorandprivatesectorpartnersconcerningeconomicdevelopmentinitiatives;workforcetraining,retention,andrecruitment;andsustainablebusinessinvestment.(c)(1)TheGeneralAssemblyacknowledgesthechallengesinSouthernVermontandintendsforthisformaldesignationtoaccelerateeconomicdevelopmentinitiativesthatareunderwayorareneededinthefuture.(2)TheGeneralAssemblydoesnotintendthattheZoneincurrentorfutureyearswillbearecipientofGeneralFundappropriations.Rather,theintentoftheZoneistocoordinatetargetedinvestmentthroughpublic-privatepartnershipsfromotherfundingsourcesifavailableandtofacilitateeconomicgrowththroughregionalcooperation.

Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone

CommitteeConvenedZoneCommitteemembers●Governor'sappointee:WayneGranquist,Weston(CommitteeChair);●Speaker’sappointees:○fromBenningtonCounty-MichaelKeane,Bennington;○fromWindhamCounty-LisaSullivan,Wilmington;●Senateappointees:○fromBenningtonCounty-Dr.MarikoSilver,BenningtonCollege;○fromWindhamCounty-TomCain,Brattleboro;○fromBrattleboroDevelopmentandCreditCorporation-AdamGrinold;○fromWindhamRegionalPlanningCommission-ChrisCampany;○fromBenningtonRegionalDevelopmentCorporation-PeterOdierna;○fromBenningtonRegionalPlanningCommission-BillColvin.

ReportIssuedDec2015

SoVermont Collaborations

Molly Stark Byway

Tropical Storm Irene Flood Recovery

•  TheCreationofBusinessResourceServiceCenters

• AssistancewithDowntownandVillageCenterRevitalizationPlanning

• DevelopmentofaSouthernVermontSustainableMarketingStrategy

• CDBG&EBAC

WindhamRegionalCommission(WRC)andBenningtonCountyRegionalCommission(BCRC),alongthecorrelatingRegionalDevelopmentCorporations,theBrattleboroDevelopmentCreditCorporation(BDCC)andtheBenningtonCountyIndustrialCorporation(BCIC)appliedforandreceivedfundingfromtheU.S.EconomicDevelopmentAdministrationDisasterRecoveryGrantprogram.inDecemberof2012.

Wilmington,VTduringTropicalStormIrene.Photo–BurlingtonFreePress

CDBG-DR Helping Small Businesses & Their Employees to Recover

CDBG-DR:AfterTropicalStormIrene,BDCC,withtheSpringfieldRegionalDevelopmentCorporation,administeredtheCDBG-DRBusinessAssistanceProgramtoWindhamandWindsorcountiestoaddressdocumentedunmetrecoveryneeds.Businessownersparticipatedinacompetitiveprocess.Over$2mmwasawardedto63businessesforfacility,equipmentandsiterepair,cleanupandrestorationneededtorestartdamagedbusinesses.Thiscombinedwithleveragedfundingfromcharities,businessowners,andregionalandstatepartnersbroughtover$8mmtoCDBG-DRefforts.Approximately2/3ofrecipientswereLow-to-ModerateIncome.

SoVermont: A Regional Marketing Campaign to Attract New Visitors & Residents Post-Disaster+

SecuredFundingtoDevelopFundamentals:

•  Brandlogo,lookandtagline•  Strategybuilding(web,print,billboardmarketing)

•  Research–whatis“SoVermont”?!

•  “Sustainable”collaborativeapproach(beingusedtoday)

USDA RCDI: Southern Vermont Economy Project

•  CapacityBuildingfortheregion,targetedtothemosteconomicchallengedcommunities:

•  Coreactivities:Specialconferences,webinars,trainings

SVEP In 2016 BDCC was awarded $230,000 from the USDA Rural Community Development Initiatives to increase economic development capacity in Windham and Bennington Counties, one of 23 RCDI awards nationally. BDCC provided training, webinars, small conferences and technical assistance, on a variety of topics. Its largest event, the SoVermont Economic Development Summit had over 200 attenders last year and won an international best practices award in 2018 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

SVEP Southern Vermont Economy Project

•  SmallConferences:•  FinancingtheWorkingLands•  Grantwriting•  ConnectivitySummitsI&II

•  DozensofWebinarsandtrainingsonline

•  TargetedtrainingsforTownOfficials

SVEP: Annual Economic

Development Summit

USDA RBEG SoVermont Marketing 2018-2019

SoVermontSustainableMarketing&RecruitmentProject•  Basedonusingsharedbrandandcross

connectionstoincreaseawareness,audienceandimpact.

•  OneexampleofanemployerusingthebrandandlinktoSoVermont.cominrecruitmentcommunications.

COLLABORATIVEMARKETINGPARTNERSBenningtonCollegeSouthwesternVermontHealthCare,BenningtonDorsetTheatreFestival,DorsetMSKEngineering&Design,BenningtonDaileyPrecast/PeckhamIndustries,ShaftsburyTPWRealEstate,ManchesterTownofBennington,BenningtonTheBankofBennington,BenningtonMegStreeterRealEstate,WilmingtonGreenRiverSoftware,Brattleboro

MondoMediaworks,BrattleboroNewChapter,BrattleboroMountSnow,DoverBartleby’sBooks,WilmingtonBrattleboroRetreat,BrattleboroWilmingtonWorks,WilmingtonNECCACircusArts,BrattleboroHermitThrushBrewery,BrattleboroCommonwealthDairy,BrattleboroMarlboroCollege

Vt DOL 2019 SoVermont Paid Internships

•  BDCChasamatureprogramwithdozensofparticipatingbusinessesandoutreachtoalmost30campusesandjobfairsannually

•  BCRC/BCIC&BDCCarenowworkingtogethertoimplementbestpracticesinBenningtonbasedonBDCC’sprogram,toraiseinternactivityacrossSouthernVermont

94 BDCCInternsdirectlyplacedlastyear25% offered&acceptedemploymentafterinternship

$55,000 earnedbyBDCCInternslastyear

EDA Joint CEDS (Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies)

•  15PublicMeetingsin

•  5locationsaroundtheZone

•  8SectorFocusGroups

CEDS Annual Project Submissions & Rankings

Why Work Together?

•  “SouthernVermont”isnotasingleentity,butratherabroadregionalcollaborationofRPC’s,RDC’ssimilartotheNorthernDistrictandtheWindsor/Centralregion.

• Weeachhaveuniqueneedsinourregionsthatneedlocalregionalfocusandtheindividualorgsstillhaverolesandresponsibilities

•  TheRDCswillstillusetoolslikeVTPandVEGItoexpandoureconomicimpact

•  Butwealsoseeopportunitiesthat,byworkingtogether,wecantakeadvantageofbecauseofourSCALEandCAPACITY.

•  TheZONEgivesusmoreTOOLS,andinruralregionaleconomicdevelopmentwehavesofew

What’s next for Southern Vermont?

NowthatwehaveaCEDSplanwehavemoreabilitytoaccessresources

usingourlargerscaleandcapacity,suchas

forminga

NorthernBordersLocalDevelopmentDistrict,whichcan

serveas

EDA-EDD(EconomicDevelopment

District)oncethat’sapproved