8984-R2_NewGloucester_2023-2024_AnnualReport_Web

Economic Development Committee (EDC) The Economic Development Committee (EDC) worked on helping local business owners connect with each other and the community. They continued to work on keeping the business directory current, looking for ways to support local businesses, and finding new ways to support both business owners and the New Gloucester community. The EDC started exploring age friendly initiatives to help New Gloucester Residents successfully age in place in their own community. This resulted in New Gloucester becoming designated by AARP as age-friendly. This allows New Gloucester to tap into grant funding for age friendly projects. In the majority of these grant opportunities, there is no cost to the Town. During this reporting period, the committee suffered the devastating loss of the Chair Lado Lodoka. The EDC recognized Lado Lodoka for his service to this committee and to the New Gloucester community at their January 10, 2024, meeting. It took several months for the committee to move forward from this tragedy. Thank you to all who served during FY24: Karen Asselin, Belinda Desmond, Connie Justice, Lado Lodoka, Anne Maurice. I would also like to thank all the Select Board committee liaisons for their help and support. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Tombarelli, Town Planner

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