Dan is a fan of regional economic development, but here in Maine we are a pretty hyper-local with communities needing to invest in themselves to attract private investment. Good economic development thinks about places and spaces for the long term, just not the next 10-20 years.  Good economic development is not haphazard. There are lots of people with lots of ideas, some good, others not so much, but all ideas need to be looked at against the whole. In the end, the public sector needs to move at the speed of business to drive needed change.

 

Areas to address include business recruitment and expansion, and workforce development. We need to look at each sector of our economy and figure out the issues in each sector so policy can make any changes needed. Complicating matters, we have the oldest population in the US so prospecting is needed to recruit and develop an adequate workforce. As a community, we need to work together collaboratively to send a unified message to current and prospective businesses. Organizations that can help with that include Rotary, Kiwanis, Discover Downtown Westbrook, Arts & Culture and the City itself.  To measure effectiveness of programs and efforts, we need an inventory of all commercial properties in the City to establish a baseline from which we can measure growth.

 

Projects “in the hopper” include a façade program and parking management. A façade program considers what the downtown area looks like and creates a matching grant program to allow the City to work with business owners to improve the look of their building and frontage. Parking management is not just about what we have today, but what is likely to come.  Measure what we have, improve absorption rates (usage), then determine need. Parking garages are often proposed as a solution, but they cost roughly $20K per space to build plus ongoing maintenance, so any payback is long and they need to be subsidized.

 

Look for a complete renovation of Blue Note Park (aka Westbrook Commons) in the near term. Several local groups are working together to secure funding to make this area more welcoming.  A lot of people commute through Westbrook.  We want to create an attractive and vibrant environment that will encourage people to stop and patronize our local businesses.

 

L-R: Phil Spiller, Dan Stevenson, Pres Bill Chadwick

 

She talks with the police department every day to identify any follow up that may be needed. They work together to identify houses with a high number of calls, often called “disorderly houses”, and attempt to turn such situations around.  She is hands, feet and ears on the ground to help improve quality of life in the neighborhood.  Since her office is located right in the neighborhood, people come to her to talk about what is bothering them. This could be anything from concern about safety of a sidewalk to concern for a neighbor.

 

Megan keeps her office stocked with a variety of supplies. She has school supplies, baby kits that include power outlet covers, pill boxes that lock, gun locks, healthy snacks, books, and stuffed animals.  She also has a supply of food items provided by the food pantry.

 

The Community Policing Coordinator position was initially funded by a community block grant. The role has proven its value with reduced calls for service for fights, juvenile issues, disorderly houses, and even traffic issues. The position is now fully funded by the City.  The office space on Brown St is paid for by two private foundations. Chief Roberts brought this idea to Westbrook based on her experience with community policing centers in Portland.

 

L-R: Phil Spiller, Megan Perry, Pres Bill Chadwick,

WPD Chief Janine Roberts