Opinion: A Step toward South Berwick’s Future
The Economic Development Committee is launching an initiative that will allow residents to weigh in on the future of economic development in South Berwick. A process to get citizen input will help shape recommendations for economic development proposals for the town to pursue. The process will be led by Planning Decisions, a southern Maine based planning consultancy, which has led similar dialogues in other Maine towns.
This effort is a breath of fresh air for South Berwick. Citizens will be involved from the earliest stages of planning, dialogue will allow multiple alternatives to be explored, and we will have the opportunity to come to consensus on economic development initiatives that will have broad support. Kudos to Interim Town Manager Roberta Orsini, the Economic Development Committee, and the Town Council for taking this forward thinking step toward moving South Berwick forward.
Town leaders are doing their part, now it’s time for us citizens to do our part. Too often in the past the dialogue between Town government and citizens and among citizens has been marked by unwillingness to listen, defending of positions at all cost, and divisive tactics. This kind of destructive politics has resulted in failed initiatives, bad feelings, and a lot of wasted time, effort and money that none of us have to spare. This time we can choose to do it differently so we have a chance to move ahead as a community. Will we be open minded and willing to hear all the alternatives? Will we be willing to imagine the best for South Berwick? Will we be open to new ideas? Will we be willing to work together to come to a consensus about how to move ahead? It’s our choice.
–Molly Colman
Read the Foster’s Daily Democrat article about the economic development discussions:
Planning firm to facilitate development discussions in South Berwick
The town’s Economic Development Committee on Monday signed a contract with a southern Maine-based planning firm to facilitate a grassroots economic development research initiative, marking a shift in the way the economic development process has been handled in recent…
Tags: Economic Development