30 day Public Comment Period Opens for 2024 Southern Vermont CEDS
SOUTHERN VERMONT — The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) and Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) are pleased to announce that a draft of the 2024 Southern Vermont Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is now available and open for a 30-day public comment period. Along with the Southern Vermont CEDS Committee, BDCC and BCRC invite Southern Vermont businesses, community organizations, municipalities, and residents to provide feedback on this five-year strategic framework for regional economic growth and resilience.
Comments can be provided via the link at www.sovermontzone.com/ceds, where you can also find the full document for review. The public comment period will remain open through Wednesday December 4th.
The 2024 CEDS represents an updated vision for Southern Vermont’s future, incorporating the collaborative efforts of regional stakeholders, town officials, nonprofits, and businesses. Work was completed over the past 9 months according to a planning process prescribed by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and led by Camoin Associates CEO Rachel Selsky.
The CEDS, which is built on extensive analysis of data on economic, demographic, and resilience factors impacting the region, relies heavily on public input and includes comprehensive review of regional documents including town plans, housing needs assessments, statewide policies, and existing and prior economic strategies.
Initial public input sessions were held at the Southern Vermont Economy Summit in May, followed by focus groups, a town survey, and stakeholder interviews. Six public meetings to receive feedback on the proposed draft strategy framework took place around the region in September.
The draft 2024 SoVermont Zone CEDS addresses both progress made since the 2019 CEDS and new challenges that underscore the need for adaptation in a rapidly changing world.
BDCC Executive Director Adam Grinold emphasized the importance of community involvement in finalizing the 2024 CEDS, stating that public feedback is essential to ensuring that the strategy meets the diverse needs of Southern Vermont’s residents, businesses, and municipalities. “This draft represents a collective vision for a resilient economic future, one that builds on our unique strengths while tackling the critical issues facing our communities,” Grinold said. “Our region has a rich history of addressing major changes by adapting, and this strategy aims to continue that legacy.”
Bill Colvin, Executive Director of the BCRC, added, “The draft CEDS is a significant step forward for Southern Vermont. It reflects the hard work and insights of our communities, aiming to leverage our strengths while addressing the challenges that lie ahead. By fostering collaboration among all stakeholders, we can create a more resilient and inclusive Southern Vermont that benefits everyone.”
Since 2019, Southern Vermont has made notable strides in workforce development, broadband infrastructure expansion, housing solutions, and diversity initiatives. However, key findings from the 2024 CEDS indicate that challenges persist as demographic shifts, rising costs, job losses and workforce shortages continue to impact the region. The 2024 CEDS outlines targeted strategies to address these issues, including investing in community infrastructure, transforming healthcare, and restructuring the educational system.
This CEDS serves as a guiding document to promote a sustainable, inclusive economic future. It is a critical resource for towns, nonprofits, and businesses in Southern Vermont, enabling them to pursue new opportunities, build resilience, and respond to future disruptions.
For help or questions about accessing the CEDS document or feedback form, contact Jonathan Cooper at BCRC (jcooper@bcrcvt.org or 802-442-0713 x4) or Meg Staloff at BDCC (mstaloff@brattleborodevelopment.com or (802)257-7731 xt 222).
About the Southern Vermont Economic Zone
The Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone was created by act of the Vermont Assembly during the 2015 legislative session as a result of continued population and tax receipt decline. It comprises the geographic areas served by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation and the Bennington County Regional Commission. Work has been ongoing since 2015 with a Zone Committee report chaired by Wayne Granquist of Weston, the annual Southern Vermont Economy Summit held each May, and the USDA-funded Southern Vermont Economy Project sponsoring training sessions across Windham and Bennington counties for economic and workforce development entities. In 2019 the first SoVermont CEDS was completed and approved by the EDA. A proposal for federal designation of the zone as an EDA Economic Development District is underway.
About the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
A CEDS is a federally prescribed process for creating a strategy-driven plan for regional economic development. A CEDS brings together public and private sectors to analyze the regional economy, establish regional goals and objectives, and to identify investment priorities and funding resources. In addition, many federal and state granting programs look to a region’s CEDS when considering funding. The Windham Region’s federally approved CEDS was completed in 2014 by SeVEDS and is being implemented by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) and other regional partners. The 2019 5-year update also includes Bennington County and all of the towns in the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone. For more information or to review ongoing CEDS project submissions please visit: https://www.sovermontzone.com/ceds
About Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) is a private, nonprofit economic development organization with the mission of investing in the drivers of the regional economy so that people, businesses, and communities in Southern Vermont can thrive. BDCC serves as the State of Vermont’s certified Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for the greater Windham County area (including Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, Winhall and Weston). BDCC is one of 12 RDCs throughout Vermont. BDCC activity is made possible in part by a grant from the State of Vermont through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. For more information visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/
About Bennington County Regional Commission
The mission of the Bennington County Regional Commission is to build strong, resilient, and sustainable communities that are home to economic prosperity and a high quality of life for the residents of seventeen municipalities in southwestern Vermont. It is one of two organizations in the state that functions as both a regional planning commission (RPC) and regional development corporation (RDC). BCRC accomplishes its mission by providing planning, economic development, and project management services to municipalities, businesses, and community organizations in our service region, as defined by 24 V.S.A. Section 4341. For more information visit: http://www.bcrcvt.org/
