Wilton’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) covered a lot of ground at its Wednesday, Oct. 22 meeting, exploring a wide variety of potential efforts to support Wilton’s businesses community and residents. The list of strategies includes a major signage initiative, a new cultural guide showcasing Wilton’s many attractions, career seminars for Wilton High School students, restaurant and wellness weeks, and more.
Signage
EDC Chair Joe Favarolo, who is spearheading the EDC’s effort to add new signage on major roads such as Rtes. 7 and 33 to help support businesses located in Wilton Center, updated the commission on his meeting the previous night with the Board of Selectmen (BOS).
Favarolo’s presentation to the BOS emphasized that “directional and way-finding signage in Wilton is insufficient, inconsistent and in some locations nearly invisible, creating tangible barriers to economic growth, business viability and community engagement.” He told EDC commissioners his presentation was “very well received” by the selectmen.
While the selectmen strongly agreed with the need to improve signage, they also felt “a little more homework” was needed on the conceptual framework Favarolo presented.
Commissioners asked for clarity on the next steps to keep the project moving. Commissioner Andrew Warren, in particular, seemed concerned about the process potentially being slowed by the selectmen’s desire to obtain public input on design concepts before making any decisions.
“The problem is… we don’t resolve anything, and we just kick it down the road,” Warren said. “I guess they [BOS] don’t want to make a decision, even though we voted for them to make decisions.”
Editor’s note: Warren is a candidate running for Board of Selectmen in the current municipal elections.
Favarolo assured the commission he intended to get results.
“We’re going to drive it,” he said. “Definitely, the EDC should ensure that this moves forward, or you know what’s gonna happen — the 20- or 30-year problem is going to become a 40-year problem.”
Favarolo further clarified that the next steps would be working with Wilton’s Department of Public Works Director Frank Smeriglio and Police Department Lt. David Hartman (Wilton’s designated Local Traffic Authority) to pinpoint sign locations, as well as to refine design concepts and develop rough costs.
Commissioner Donna Peterson volunteered to assist Favarolo, who has been taking the lead on the initiative.
… And More Initiatives
Building on the findings from a business satisfaction survey the EDC completed last year, the EDC is pursuing a number of initiatives that respond directly to the needs expressed by the Wilton business community, including more visibility, events, recruiting, training, and more.
The EDC has already rolled out several projects, including a business directory and a job board on its Instagram account. Commissioner Philip Fitzgerald reported that job board had six Wilton job postings. Commissioner Lana Giancarli is expected to report on the business directory activity at the EDC’s next meeting.
But the EDC is not stopping there. Several more initiatives are in the early stages of consideration.
Cultural Guide
Commissioner Tom Shimko informed the EDC that First Selectman Toni Boucher had approached him to ask the EDC to consider creating a new promotional guide for Wilton modeled after New Canaan’s “Guide to Local Culture“.
New Canaan’s guide was developed by that town’s Tourism and Economic Development Advisory Committee, which was established by the New Canaan Board of Selectmen in 2018.
Shimko said the objective would be to create a “visually engaging, high-quality” guide in both digital and print forms that would highlight Wilton’s arts, history, recreation and community life.
Commissioners discussed potential similarities to “40 Things We Love About Wilton” — a marketing tool targeted to Wilton visitors and newcomers — and agreed to continue discussion about what content to include in a new guide and whether outside creative or production services would be needed. Shimko noted that Boucher believed funding from a “third party” could be obtained.
Career Seminars
Commissioner Marty Avallone discussed a fledgling idea about career learning seminars for Wilton High School students, with an emphasis on alternatives to four-year colleges and white-collar professions.
Avallone discussed the changing job market in the advent of AI, the “angst” among students and parents about college and career paths, and the “stigma” that is sometimes associated with trades or manufacturing.
With so much emphasis on four-year colleges, Avallone says there should be more information about alternative paths to rewarding careers.
“Kids may not know what kind of opportunities are out there,” Avallone said. “Should we [EDC] be doing more? Should we be putting on more of that type of education to get kids [and parents] at least thinking about that there’s more than just working down on Wall Street.”
Commissioners agreed to further refine the idea, while weighing whether it would be closely aligned with EDC priorities.
Theme Weeks
The EDC picked up previous discussions about how it might proceed with organizing events to support key business sectors in Wilton, such as a restaurant week.
They briefly discussed similar activities in other towns, including the Westport-Weston Restaurant Week, a two-week event sponsored by the Westport-Weston
Chamber of Commerce.
While Favarolo said he thought a Wilton restaurant week could be organized fairly soon, his fellow commissioners felt planning for January or February would be more appropriate. They also agreed they would need to be careful to avoid any potential interference with Wilton Chamber of Commerce events or perhaps approach the Chamber about partnering on an event that would include Chamber members and non-members.
Commissioners also explored the idea of a “wellness week” to support Wilton’s many businesses related to health, fitness and overall wellbeing.
Favarolo indicated he would summarize action steps in an email to the commissioners with the goal of continuing to move the concepts forward at the next meeting.
The EDC’s next meeting is Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add information that was previously omitted due to an editing error.