The consultant contract is effective as of Monday, April 29. As we move into the real meat of this Growth and Renewal effort, now is a good time to step back and look at the forest rather than the trees. I want us to remind ourselves why we are doing this and what is at stake.
The development of a growth and renewal plan for the town and adjacent areas, hopefully with broad community input, is the goal. But within that goal lies the real promise of this effort. It is under the plan that future grant opportunities await. The foundations and trusts, as well as governmental grant programs, offer the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of dollars for business and community development in both the short term and over the long haul. Other communities are leveraging these opportunities and Chatham cannot afford to be left behind. The charitable organizations have money to give, they have annual objectives for spending the funds entrusted to them. If we do not get our share, someone else will. It is just that simple.
This effort is volunteer driven and is costing the local taxpayers nothing. It is an opportunity that our community cannot allow to slip by. As a recipient of this bulletin mailing, you have indicated an interest in helping to make our community better for now and the future. By mid-May, there will be an opportunity to attend the first public input session to meet the consultants, learn more, and start sharing your thoughts on how we can collectively begin shaping the vision for Chatham’s coming years.
Joe Rogers
Chairman, Steering Committee — Reimagine Chatham