June Business Newsletter
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Annual Town Meeting - 4 June at 7pm
The Annual Town Meeting (ATM) and a Special Town Meeting (STM) will be held on June 4th at Tantasqua Regional High School starting at 7:00pm. The following are the warrant articles up for discussion. You can also view the full Warrant online by clicking here or by visiting the Town Clerks office.
| Special Town Meeting Articles | Annual Town Meeting Articles |
|---|---|
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Permitting Software
In an effort to make the permitting process easier for applicants, the Town of Sturbridge is currently under contract with a vendor to develop a digital permitting process. This project involves the Planning Department, Building Department, Board of Health, Conservation Commission, Assessor, Town Administrator and others.
This is still a few months away as the building of the digital applications takes time. However Town Staff are working hard to ensure that the process is smooth and that it will reduce the workload for applicants.
Keep checking in with the monthly business newsletter to find out more about the new permitting software. In the interim, please check out our online permitting guidebook that can answer all of your permitting questions.
Property Taxes
Property tax bills were due on May 1st. If you have missed the bill or want more information regarding it, please contact the Finance Department at (508) 347-2509 as soon as possible.
The next due date for property taxes is Thursday, November 1st.
Business Breakfast - June 12th at 8am
The next quarterly Business Breakfast will be held at the Holiday Inn Express on June 12th from 8 - 9:30am. For more information check out the initial announcement by clicking here.
Marketing Sturbridge
The Sturbridge Tourist Association recently published two new pieces of marketing material to help promote Sturbridge to visitors and businesses alike.
The first is our annual Visitor Guide (click here to see). This annual publication promotes local business and is distributed in Massachusetts and Connecticut. It is also available online on our website: town.sturbridge.ma.us/for-visitors. Ad space for Sturbridge businesses was subsidized by the STA to make it more affordable for all to participate. If you are interested in advertising in the 2019 edition of the Visitor Guide, or if you would like to have some in your store to distribute to your patrons, please contact the Economic Development and Tourism Coordinator Kevin Filchak for more information.
The other marketing material that was procured was new marketing folders produced by Weathervane Enterprises, the publisher of Your Hometown Shopper and a local Sturbridge business. The STA would like to thank Weathervane for their hard work in publishing these folders. These will be use to market the community to visitors and potential conferences, weddings, conventions, etc. If you are working with patrons who are looking for promotional materials like this, please contact the Economic Development and Tourism Coordinator Kevin Filchak for more information.
Sturbridge Farmers Market
The Town of Sturbridge is excited to announce that starting on June 24th and running through September 30th a Farmers Market will be held on the Town Commons every Sunday from 10am - 2pm. At the time of posting, there are 24 vendors who have been approved to participate in the Market.
In addition to the vendors, the Farmers Market will also be offering a Community Table where local boards/committees, nonprofits, etc. can promote their mission to the patrons of the Market. Finally for those patrons with children, there will be a Children's Tent with activities at the Market where they can play while the parents shop.
For those who are interested in participating in the Market, please contact the Farmers Market Planning Committee at sturbridgefarmersmkt@gmail.com or check out their Facebook page by clicking here.
Rick Hoyt Sturbridge Half Marathon
Planning for the Half Marathon is well underway as are registrations. For anyone interested in participating in the race as a runner please click here.
The proceeds from this race are all going to support the wonderful missions of Team Hoyt and Venture Community Services, two groups that have provided so much to the communities that they serve and support. If you and your business are interested in supporting the Half Marathon and by extension these organizations, please click here to find out about becoming a sponsor for the race.
Upcoming Events
| Event | Date | Location | Sponsor | Registration Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four keys to doubling your income | Friday, June 22nd, 7:15am - 8:30am | The Barn at Wight Farm, 420 Main Street | Chamber of Central MA South Referral group | Contact Dennis McCurdy at 508-347-9343 or mccurdydennis@gmail.com |
| 29th Annual Legislative Breakfast | Tuesday, June 12th, 8:30am | College of the Holy Cross, Hogan Campus Center | Center of Hope Foundation | RSVP: 508-764-4085 - Pauline or to pdavis@thecenterofhope.org |
Board/Committee Meetings
| Committee | Day | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board of Health | Tuesday | 6/19 | 5:30pm | Center Office Building |
| Board of Selectmen | Mondays | 6/18 | 6:30pm | Town Hall |
| Conservation Committee | Thursdays | 6/7 & 6/21 | 6pm | Center Office Building |
| Design Review Committee | Monday | TBD | 1:30pm | Center Office Building |
| Farmers Market Planning Committee | Mondays | 6/5, 6/11, 6/18, & 6/25 | 5pm | Center Office Building |
| Planning Board | Tuesdays | 6/12 & 6/26 | 6:30pm | Center Office Building |
| Special Events Committee | Tuesdays | TBD | 6pm | Town Hall |
| Sturbridge Tourist Association | Wednesdays | TBD | 6pm | Center Office Building |
| Zoning Board of Appeals | Wednesdays | 6/27 | 6:30pm | Center Office Building |