To create a diversified economy that provides full employment with wages that are competitive nationally.

The Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation and Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission have added their endorsement to a regional guide for sustained economic health.

The Central Vermont Economic Action Plan emerged in 2000 after a year long process of public input and document revision. It focuses on 14 issues that are vital to commerce and employment in the years ahead. The Planning & Development Committee of the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce coordinated the effort, and the Chamber board endorsed the plan in September. The Barre Area Development Corporation had done the same shortly thereafter.

The mission statement is: "Create a diversified economy that provides full employment with wages that are competitive nationally."

Although similar to a previous long-range plan developed in 1994, the plan addresses new technologies and has greater emphasis on employee training.

"It parallel's the earlier plan, but it really evolved from scratch," said Bob Sayers, Chamber president at the time. "The similarity indicates that the core issues for the region's economic health are pretty clear."

Sayers credited Chamber vice president Paul Hutchins of Rock of Ages who led a committee of a dozen through months of public input, reports, other economic planning documents, and numerous rewrites to create a document with widespread support.

Hutchins said the regional summary of economic issues helps focus and coordinates the efforts of many local and regional groups that view nurturing the economy as an important part of their organizational responsibility.

Sayers pointed out that endorsement does not imply agreement with every statement or every line in a plan that has 20 pages of text. The Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission emphasized the same point before voting it's formal endorsement.

It was noted that individual commissioners held a variety of opinions on each section and some segments probably would not have received majority support as a stand-alone issue. "Taken as a whole, however, the commission sees the plan as a positive approach to increased commerce and prosperity," said the commission chair.

The plan emphasizes that it is a guide that has no legal standing. It is a reference document that communities and organizations can use to help refine their own action plans.

Vermont is currently enjoying strong employment, but wages remain well below national averages. They are particularly poor in comparison to other New England states. Higher wages come from better-skilled employees, more efficient companies, and reduced operating costs. These issues and more are addressed in some detail in the document.

Other topics include travel industry and manufacturing growth, technology, infrastructure, downtowns and growth centers, education, transportation and state policies.

Copies of the plan have been provided to area legislators..

The Plan can be viewed with free Acrobat Reader software. If you do not already have this software, Click here NOW for a free copy of Acrobat Reader...

Reflecting on the 1994 Economic Plan

Seeking To Better Use Resources

Recognizing that old approaches would not be sufficient in the future, a regionwide strategy for job creation has been developed and supported by nine local and regional organizations that share an interest in the economy. In the years since its inception, the economic program was formally endorsed by 14 of the 23 municipalities in Central Vermont.

The logic behind a common strategy for cooperative effort is that the region's human and financial resources are too limited to allow for the inefficiencies of duplication or unnecessary conflict. It will also be difficult to foster new jobs if there are gaps in the support services available to existing businessses or prospective employers.

Only by working together and making the most of the resources available can the region's public and private bodies hope to meet the challenge. The 1994 Central Vermont Economic Development Plan had no magic formulas. The strategy was a simple, straight forward approach to job creation with just 12 elements ­p; the most important of which is the involvement, cooperation and participation of the region's key players.

Others included data collection, economic planning, identification of suitable commercial sites, fostering local participation, marketing the region, promoting tourism and retail sales, providing loans and technical assistance to small companies, better business-education partnerships, and improvements to the transportation system.

Participants included the economic development corporation, chambers of commerce, community action, employment & training, and local development groups in Montpelier, Barre, Northfield, and Waterbury.

Endorsing towns included Barre City, Barre Town, Berlin, Duxbury, East Montpelier, Montpelier, Moretown, Northfield, Orange, Roxbury, Waitsfield, Washington, Waterbury, and Williamstown.
Success depended on both the individual efforts of participating towns and organizations as well as the ability of the implementation council to coordinate and market these individual efforts in a regional package.

The implementation council was comprised of two dozen community leaders from endorsing organizations and municipalities. Six years later, the results have been outstanding.

Successful implementation of a regional economic program was heavily dependent on local action. While there were important leadership and supporting roles implemented by regional organizations, the key issues were addressed by local groups and local governments. Local officials were supportive of commercial growth and new jobs in their communities ­p; and/or in neighboring communities. Local groups served as the municipal liaison with employers ­p; current and prospective.

Such groups actively participating in the region's economic initiative include:

Barre Area Development Corporation, an advocate for Barre City and Barre Town, that sometimes owns or improves commercial sites. The organization recently hired a development specialist to assist volunteer efforts.

Vermont Department of Employment & Training's Barre Office.

Montpelier Roundtable, composed of community leaders who counsel elected officials and work closely with the city's planning and development office. Sugarbush chamber of Commerce, an organization with staff and volunteers to market tourism and advocate jobs in the southwestern portion of the region.

Sugarbush Chamber of Commerce, marketing and development association for the Mad River Valley area.

Northfield business & Professional Association serving the Northfield area.

Waterbury Community Development Committee aiding commercial enterprise in Waterbury and Waterbury Center.

These groups and others are a vital link between the regional economic strategy and local policies and actions. They also represent contact with local firms that are a prime source of new jobs.

The region's economic success begins with sound economic planning. That planning must be followed by a combination of local initiatives and support from regional organizations.

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