THE BEDFORD BANNER  

                                                                                                December  2016

 

In This Issue
Great Road Market Study
Chamber Holiday Celebration
Federal Overtime Change Update
Holiday Walk About
Business Development
What the Chmaber did in November?
Chamber Connections
Chamber Calendar
Follow us on Facebook
Great Road Market Study Presentation

In May 2016, the Town of Bedford requested assistance through the Massachusetts Community Compact Initiative and received $17,000 in funding to conduct a comprehensive business district assessment and market study of Bedford's main retail corridor, the Great Road. Fine Point Associates, a Massachusetts-based economic development consulting firm, was retained to conduct the study. Economic Development Coordinator Alyssa Sandoval managed the project, collected business data, oversaw the consultant's work on the project, and conducted survey outreach. A working group comprised of Town staff and community representatives provided important input to the project.

As part of the assessment, from September 26 to October 26, 2016, an online survey of Bedford area residents and employees of area businesses was conducted to assess consumer behavior that might point to market opportunities as well as the satisfaction level with current offerings and conditions.
With over 900 responses from residents and employees in the area, it is clear that Great Road is a place that the community cares deeply about. Fine Point Associates will present study results at the December 6, 2016 Planning Board meeting at 7:30 pm in the Selectmen's Room of Town Hall.

The study report will be helpful in developing a marketing program to encourage desired businesses to locate on Bedford's Great Road, as well as other economic development initiatives to maintain the vibrancy of Great Road. The results of the study will also help to inform the Planning Board's Great Road Zoning Initiative currently underway. A pdf of the study can be viewed here: Great Road Business District Assessment
 
If you have any questions, please contact Alyssa Sandoval at 781-275-1111, or asandoval@bedfordma.gov.

 Chamber Holiday Celebration 
It's time to celebrate 2016 and the holiday season. Join us on December 19th, 5-7 PM at Red Heat Tavern for some yu m my a ppetizers and good cheer. Please RSVP by 12/15 by clicking here.
Federal Overtime Change Update
 
Federal Overtime change that was to go into effect January 1, it has been delayed. Here is a summary:

Tuesday afternoon, a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on the Department of Labor's new overtime rules, which were slated to go into effect on December 1, 2016. The judge ruled that the Department of Labor (DOL) likely overstepped its rule making authority by raising the salary threshold as high as it did and by implementing the automatic increase every three years.
What this means now:
  1. The effective date of the rules has been delayed indefinitely.
  2. Employers may choose not to implement the changes they had planned for Dec. 1 compliance.
  3. The new rules have not been thrown out or invalidated - at least not yet.
 
The judge has not made a final ruling in the case, but the fact that he issued the injunction suggests that he is leaning in favor of the groups that want to stop the rule changes. It is also possible that his final decision will allow some parts of the rule to stand but not others. The DOL has indicated that in the meantime they are considering their legal options with respect to the preliminary injunction.
   
Employers are obviously wondering whether they should move forward with the changes they have been planning. Unfortunately, this is a difficult question to answer and ultimately a business decision, which is much harder than a compliance decision. Although employers are not required to make changes, they may want to consider the following:
  • Will it hurt the bottom line to make the changes? If so, how much?
  • Will it be difficult to undo changes that have already been made?
  • How will employees feel about the decision? Did they like the changes? Hate the changes?
  • Is the new pay structure better than what is in place now?
  • If the changes aren't implemented now, will it be possible to make them on short notice in the future?
At this point, we do not know how long the injunction will be in place or if the rules will be thrown out entirely. We will be keeping an extremely close eye on this case and will issue further e-Alerts when actionable information is made available.
 

2nd Annual Holiday Walk About
Shop Local Event
 
The 2nd Annual Holiday Walk about will be happening on Saturday, December 3rd on and around the town common. The Chamber will be holding a shop local event at Old Town Hall which will run from 3:00 - 6:00 PM.
 

 
 Business Development Updates
 
1. Bedford Walkabout
Set for this Saturday December 3rd. Expecting about the same number of merchants as last year. From the business perspective, success will be measured by the amount of foot traffic as well as exposure to new customers.

2. Great Road Market Survey Results
Alyssa provided an overview of the Great Road Market Study Presentation. Major takeaways included strong interest in more restaurants, public art and entertainment options. The study also included a Business District Assessment & Market Analysis.
There will be a presentation made by the Marketing Consultants on Tuesday December 6th at 7:30pm in Town Hall. The group recommends that Bedford businesses attend the meeting to provide additional feedback.

3. Bedford Marketplace.
It appears the Marketplace is up for sale. Details are expected in the next month or two.

4. Earth Day
There was a brief discussion about the DPW being involved with Earth Day. There has been interest from several Bedford companies to provide volunteers for Earth Day related events (i.e. Litter Cleanup, Path Clearing, etc...). It was recommended that Earth Day become "Earth Month" to provide more opportunities for companies to get involved. It was agreed that having companies get involved in these type of activities would likely lead to additional participation in the Bedford Business Community resulting in a stronger voice on economic development issues. Alyssa Sandoval to provide feedback to the DPW and Adam Schwartz  to have the Chamber reach out to companies about volunteering for Earth Day related activities.

5. Planning Board
It is expect that there will soon be an open seat on the planning board. The Chamber to notify members about this open seat. More information can be found http://www.bedfordma.gov/planning

6. Stuff a Truck
Karen Kenny mentioned the program on October 1st went very well and received positive feedback from local charities. As a result she is looking to expend the program to other dates. Karen to distribute the note from the local charity (be great to see how people benefited from due to the donation of items to this program).



What the Chamber did in November
How many of these events did you attend ? 


Flavors of Bedford

Board of Directors

Two New Members

Leadership Luncheon 
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CHAMBER CONNECTIONS 

 
 
_________________________________________________________________
CHAMBER CALENDAR

December 3
Tree Lighting & Walk
About
Town Common
3-6 PM

December 6
Great Road Market Study Presentation
Planning Board Meeting
Town Hall
7:30 PM  

December 8
Board of Directors
Town Center
7:30 AM

 December 19
Chamber Holiday
Celebration
Red Heat Tavern
5-7 PM
Click here to register

 
Welcome Our New Chamber Members

Extend Barre Burlington
62 2nd Ave
Burlington, MA
781-365-0476

Gorgeous.Etal
7104 Avalon Dr.
 Bedford, MA
781-275-0523



 
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