Organization to concentrate on two key issues

By Gordon Anderson

According to the town website, the purpose of Norfolk’s Economic Development Commission is “to grow business revenues and to promote a wide variety of investment in the community. To achieve these goals, the Commission develops initiatives and encourages other governmental and volunteer groups to participate.”

At its January meeting, the EDC discussed the major issues they intend to concentrate on this coming year. In a recent interview, the co-chairs of the commission, Libbie Borden and Bill Brown, reported that these issues were the potential impact of a fiber-optic network for the town and planning for the future direction of Weekend in Norfolk.

Brown has high hopes for the future of Norfolk if a new communications network is completed. He offered several examples of the positive effects of an upgrade of broadband technology, saying that he believed that adding a fiber-optic network to Norfolk’s infrastructure was fundamental to the town’s future because of the possibilities for growth it offers, with minimal ecological disruption. He sees virtual commerce, with less need for brick and mortar ventures, as key to a positive economic climate. 

The EDC is homing in on the basic aspects of moving this idea to reality. The commission will create four focus groups of local citizens to gain a deeper understanding of the community’s requirements and expectations. Brown spoke with excitement about increased Internet speeds and the importance of access to powerful digital services for streaming, telecommuting and synchronous communication. Brown would like to see Norfolk become the first small town in Connecticut to offer a universal access fiber-optic network to its residents. 

Borden discussed the increasingly dynamic approach the EDC is taking toward Weekend in Norfolk events. Offering their thoughts on the future of WIN, she and Brown both said they were looking to expand the concept from two Weekends in Norfolk a year to every weekend. Norfolk is a town filled with a variety of diverse activities, from local artisans and artists, to musicians, concerts and writers. It is possible to swim, hike, ski, snowshoe, bike, wander and go for lunch in the early part of the day, and then visit the Historical Society, see the stained glass windows of the Congregational Church, catch an art show at the library, and attend a concert in the afternoon over the course of one day in Norfolk, and the EDC wants to showcase this broad appeal. Borden and Brown envision WIN becoming an ongoing celebration of all that is Norfolk.

The EDC also serves as a liaison for local nonprofits. Brown emphasized the commission’s role as facilitator between the community and services, and he invited any local agencies to contact the office for support and resources. An initiative is underway to improve the town website’s accessibility and design, and the EDC is looking forward to more involvement from community residents at the virtual level.

Borden is working on creating a database for sharing town information with the community. She hopes to update contact details for residents in order to communicate any townwide alerts (road conditions, school closings, emergency updates) as well as events of general interest (elections, town meetings, special occasions). She envisions a basic subscription to the Town of Norfolk website, which would allow people to choose which level of information they’d like to receive. Stay tuned for more information regarding adding your email address to the EDC database.

Both Borden and Brown encourage townspeople to reach out to the EDC with concerns, questions and comments. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at 5 p.m. at Town Hall and are open to the public.