(Woodstock, VT)— The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) (on behalf of the Consortium for a Sustainable East Central Vermont) will hold a public meeting to discuss the recently drafted economic development action plan. The meeting will be held at the Hotel Coolidge, White River Junction, at 9:30 a.m. on October 21, 2014.
Born from eight public forums and workshops held around the region, and a year’s worth of thoughtful work by staff and a volunteer group comprised of a cross-section of community, business and non-profit leaders, a new draft set of regional economic development strategies rooted in our assets, strengths, and character is now out for discussion. The six core strategies—Business Support, Entrepreneurial Development, Downtown Development, Infrastructure Development, Local/Regional Tourism, and Value-Added Products/Arts—should be no surprise, but these are not just vague strategies. Each strategy has a set of actions and agencies, and some actions are already underway.
Kevin Geiger, Senior Planner at TRORC, stated, “Planning for economic development is really planning for the place we want to be – not just a plan to get any kind of jobs we can so we can be any place. It is a plan to get the jobs we want, mainly using our local talents and businesses, all while valuing the place that we all love.”
This economic development action plan is the final plan element of a three-year planning effort, called “East Central Vermont: What We Want,” that is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development (HUD), under HUD’s Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program.
Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission is one of eleven regional planning commissions in the state of Vermont. TRORC’s mission is to advocate for the needs of our member towns and to articulate a vision and carry out actions that build a thriving regional economy while enhancing the quality of life for its citizens.
For more information about this meeting or the project in general, contact Loralee Morrow at 802-457-3188 or via email at [email protected].
Download the official press release here: ECV Public Meeting Press Release