HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Economic Development Committee - 09/12/2023
South Burlington Economic Development Committee
Room #301 at 180 Market St
South Burlington, VT 05403
MINUTES of the Committee meeting on September 12, 2023, in Room 301 of City Hall, 180
Market Street, South Burlington, in person and remotely.
Members present: Tom Bailey, Ken Linge, Michael Biama, John Burton and Mike Scanlan
attended in person.
Members absent: Sriram Srinivasan and Charlie Johnson
Others in attendance: Ilona Blanchard, City Development Director and Tim Barritt, City
Counselor, attended in person. Frank Cioffi, President of Greater Burlington Development
Corporation (GBIC) was in attendance as a guest.
Tom Bailey called the meeting to order at 5:32 PM and proceeded to address the items on the
agenda.
1. Welcome, agenda review and approval: The agenda was adjusted so that Items 4 and 5 were moved up ahead of the rest of the items. 2. (formerly Item 4) Welcome of Guest: Frank Cioffi introduced himself followed by
introductions of all the members of the Committee along with Tim Barritt and Ilona
Blanchard.
3. (formerly Item 5) Discussion with Guest: Interacting with the Committee members,
Frank’s comments are summarized as follows:
The GBIC has long served and continues to create and foster business growth in the
county and northwestern Vermont region.
• GBIC recruits and fosters good businesses and business growth that provide good
jobs. Dollar importer and service exporter.
• GBIC supports business growth by incentivizing infrastructure development,
creating business parks and encouraging employment support. However, the
region is running out of developable business and manufacturing parks that are
supported by needed infrastructure.
• GBIC sustains itself with some municipal contributions and through Cynosure,
Inc., a non-profit development company.
• GBIC was important in developing and adoption of TIFF legislation and program
and in the creation of the Vermont Center For Emerging Technologies, an every
level support network for knowledge based businesses.
Employers and employees currently face obstacles that restrain business growth.
• Employers struggle to recruit and retain qualified employees because they are
often unable to find housing in the region or suitable childcare. As an example,
Frank described the trials of two of his employees in attempting to find housing:
His 23 year old staffer looked six months before finding a studio apartment for
$1600/mo. while a 72 year old finally found a one bedroom in Colchester for
$2000/mo. Said Frank: “Housing is essential!”
• Uncertainty in the development and permitting process and lack of commercially
developable land are constraints. Creating certainty in the process is a vital.
South Burlington should address a strategic economic development plan by thoroughly
understanding the current economy, business environment and development constraints.
• South Burlington should ask itself: Who are your employers? And, who do you
want to be?
• For an economic development plan the City should start by taking inventory of its
infrastructure (water and sewer, transportation) and assets (for example, the
airport) as well as current employers and businesses, and how to interact with the
region.
4. (formerly Item 2) Public Comments on items not on the agenda: There were no public
comments.
5. (former Item 3) Approval of minutes of August 8, 2023 meeting: The minutes were
approved unanimously after some additions suggested by Mike Scanlan.
6. (former Item 7) Staff Report by Ilona Blanchard, Community Development Director:
Ilona called attention to the Planning Commission public hearing on 9/26 and the Energy
Festival activities scheduled for 9/30 for which volunteers are needed. She also reminded
the members that the City Council will be discussing ARPA funding at the 9/18 meeting.
7. Member Reports: Tom and John reported that they are working on child care programs.
Mike Scanlan described his work so far with the GMT board.
8. Committee Work Plan: Tom indicated that there would be guests at the October meeting
to discuss electronic grids and microgrids, and asked if this format of having guests
worked well for the committee. Mike Biama expressed concern that guests in meetings
left little time for committee work on its goals. Tom responded that he hoped work could
be done in small groups outside the meetings and presented when progress had been
made. It was suggested that meeting times could expand to two hours, and it was agreed
that, beginning with the October meeting, the meetings shall be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
There followed a discussion about the strategic economic development plan on the
committee’s work plan and it appeared that two or three members were making plans for
an informal discussion later in the month.
9. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 7:10 PM.