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BELMONT VISION 21 IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE
The Belmont Vision 21 Implementation Committee was established by Town Meeting in April 2001, as a permanent committee of the town. The charge from the Board of Selectmen to the Committee is “to facilitate, enable, and help the Town to achieve the Working Vision for the Town of Belmont" (see "Vision" preceding Table of Contents). The following report covers activities of the Committee during the year 2002.
The committee met 31 times during the year and was chaired successively by Paul Solomon, Paul Emello, and Jennifer Page. On January 7, 2002, the Board of Selectmen approved a proposal that the Committee would initially focus its efforts in five areas: A more business-friendly environment, education, the environment, regional planning, and welcoming newcomers.
From January to March, as part of the Newcomers’ Initiative, the Committee developed a booklet for residents new to Belmont, “Welcome! An Information Guide to Belmont.” Town real estate businesses funded the publication, and 6000 booklets were printed. They are distributed to newcomers in Belmont through real estate offices, the Town Clerk’s office, the schools, the library, and other appropriate town offices.
Focusing next on helping Belmont develop a more business-friendly environment, the Committee met informally with a few businessmen in Town who confirmed the view that Belmont, known as a “town of homes,” has been anti-business in sentiment and in practice. The Committee determined that it should hold a series of three forums for business owners in order to gain a better understanding of the problems and issues they face in Belmont. Three forums for business owners and one for residents were held in September and October. The forums elicited vibrant discussion, clear articulation of the problems, and suggestions for addressing them. From the data, the Committee developed a report, which included eight sets of recommendations for the Selectmen; the Selectmen will receive the report in February
2003.
During the late summer and early fall, the Selectmen decided to pilot a new model of planning, in which the Vision Committee would organize and facilitate planning groups, following membership guidelines and mandate from the Selectmen. At this writing one such group, the Business and Economic Development Planning Group (BEDPG), is fully up and running. It consists of fifteen members, about half of whom are from the Belmont business community; others represent relevant Town committees and boards or the general public. The group’s mandate is to develop recommendations for facilitating the opening of new businesses, attracting desirable new businesses, and preserving and enhancing current businesses. A second planning group to be organized under the Selectmen’s directive will focus on Public Information and Communication and
will be launched shortly. In addition, plans are under way to organize a work group to develop recommendations for helping Belmont become a more welcoming community.
It has been a busy year. The Committee is challenged by and dedicated to the task of helping the Town implement the Vision Statement. The Vision came from the people of this town, and we are committed to the principle that it is the people of Belmont who will implement it – with help, of course, from us.
We are especially grateful to the staff support provided us by the Senior Planner, Timothy Higgins, and by Sandra Curro, Committees and Commissions Coordinator in the Office of the Selectmen.
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Page, Chair
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