January Business Newsletter
2018 Business Licenses
During the week of December 25th Town Officials will be hand delivering all licenses for the upcoming 2018 year for businesses who have met all of their renewal requirements.
If your businesses does not receive a packet this week, it means we are still missing information from you and you should contact the Town immediately. Once the correct information is received you can arrange pick up of licenses from the Building Department, 301 Main Street, 1st floor from 9am - 3pm Monday - Friday until January 5th.
If the Town has not heard from you by January 5th, then a Notice of Non-Compliance will be sent to the Board of Selectmen and/or Board of Health for appropriate action to be taken in order to bring your business back into compliance.
There is a detailed letter from the Town Administrator explaining this process and all businesses are encouraged to read it. Click here to read the letter. Any questions can be directed to the Town at 508-347-2500.
Special Town Meeting - February 26th
The Board of Selectmen voted on December 11th to have a Special Town Meeting on February 26th starting at 7pm to be held at Tantasqua Regional High School. A formal announcement of the meeting is forthcoming along with warrant articles. Please check the Town website for more information in the coming month.
Route 15 - Sturbridge Brokers and Business Breakfast
The Town of Sturbridge is pleased to announce a Brokers Breakfast for interested commercial, industrial, and other brokers; real estate developers; and others who might be interested in future business opportunities in Sturbridge, especially the Route 15 corridor.
The Route 15 corridor has long been the subject of study regarding development opportunity and the Town would like to give the real estate community an opportunity to become familiar with the area, learn about the regulatory framework in place; and share with us your ideas and thoughts about what the market thinks about the area and what could be done to make it more attractive to development and investment. We would also like the opportunity to hear from property owners along the corridor and listen to your thoughts for Route 15's future. The Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) will be making a brief presentation about the Route 15 corridor and then we will open the floor for discussion.
Please join us and CMRPC staff in the Pineapple Room of the Publick House on January 25, 2018 from 8:45 to 10:00 am for pastries, coffee, and good discussion. Please RSVP by January 11th by clicking here so we can make sure there is enough coffee! We look forward to seeing you there.
This was initially announced on the Town website on December 18th. You can read the initial announcement here. Any questions about the event can be directed to the Economic Development & Tourism Coordinator.
Sturbridge Farmers Market
This past month the newly created Special Events Committee in Sturbridge reviewed the results of a survey it conducted at the Harvest Festival on what events residents would like to see in Sturbridge. The results of that survey overwhelmingly showed that residents are in favor of a Sturbridge Farmers Market.
With these results, the Special Events Committee has called for volunteers to serve on the first ever Sturbridge Farmers Market Planning Committee (click here for initial announcement). At this time there are several volunteers who have stepped forward and they will begin meeting this January to begin the planning process. If you are interested in volunteering for the committee and/or know a vendor who may wish to participate in the farmers market, please contact the Economic Development and Tourism Coordinator for more information.
Sturbridge Tourist Association Vacancy
There currently is a vacancy on the Sturbridge Tourist Association (STA) for a Sturbridge resident. The goals of the STA are as follows:
(1) Aid and support Sturbridge businesses directly involved in the Sturbridge tourism industry.
(2) Promote, expand and facilitate tourism in Sturbridge keeping in mind the general character of the Town and its natural resources.
(3) In order to fulfill its obligations to the tourism industry and businesses in Sturbridge, it may, as necessary, request and conduct studies to understand the tourist climate, request/submit articles for review and inclusion in the Town Meeting Warrant with relation to its mandated purpose, and approach Town Boards for permits necessary to implement its events/promotions and products.
(4) Develop goals and a vision for tourism in Sturbridge keeping in mind the general character of the Town and its natural resources, the Commercial Tourist and Historical Commercial Zones and the best interest of Sturbridge tourist-related businesses.
If you are interested in serving as a member of the STA, please contact Leon Gaumond at lgaumond@town.sturbridge.ma.us or call the Office of the Board of Selectmen at 508-347-2500.
Wayfinding Signs
The Town is excited to announce that the new wayfinding signs are being installed across the community. You may well have seen one of these signs on Route 20 or 131; above is a picture of one of the welcome signs on Route 20. More will be coming over the next year. If you have questions about the signs, please feel free to contact the Town.
Sturbridge-Southbridge Business Breakfast - December 5th
On December 5th the towns of Sturbridge and Southbridge held a joint business breakfast that discussed a variety of topics. A summary of the meeting along with other highlights can be read by clicking here.
The next breakfast will be held in Sturbridge in March. Stay tuned for more information.
Upcoming Meetings
All Town Committee/Board meetings are listed on the Town website here. All meetings are legally required to be posted no less than 48 hours in advance of a meeting. All meetings are subject to change. Please consult the website or the Town Clerk for the latest agenda, minutes, etc.
Please note some meetings may be affected by winter weather events so please consult the Town website.
Board of Selectmen
Monday, January 2nd & 16th at 6:30pm in the Town Hall
Conservation Commission
Thursday, January 4th and 18th at 6pm in the Center Office Building
Finance Committee
Thursday, January 4th at 7pm in the Town Hall, Veterans Hall
Planning Board
Tuesday, January 9th at 6:30pm in the Town Hall, Veterans Hall
Sturbridge Tourist Association
Wednesday, January 10th at 5pm in the Center Office Building