Bucksport looks to residents for economic development ideas
The town of Bucksport has begun a broad-based process to develop strategies for future development with help from a $24,000 grant from the Shelburne, Vt.-based Orton Family Foundation and a $15,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation.
The town, which wants a wide base of citizen participation, is also investing in the expected two-year effort by charging its new community and economic development director, Rich Rotella, to spend 75% of his time on the project, the Bangor Daily News reported.
Orton’s program is called Community Heart & Soul. According to Orton’s website, the method assists residents of small cities and towns through a “barn-raising approach to community planning and development designed to increase participation in local decision-making and empower residents to shape the future of their communities in a way that upholds the unique character of each place.” Biddeford, Damariscotta and Gardiner have also used the process.
Lyman Orton and Noel Fritzinger established the Orton Family Foundation in 1995 as a resource for small cities and towns grappling with change and searching for solutions. Orton “saw that many communities around the state were unprepared for growth and lacking the information and tools needed to steer the change toward a vibrant, sustainable future,” the website says.
The planning process comes in the wake of the closure in 2014 of the Bucksport mill owned by Verso Paper Corp.
Bucksport’s comprehensive plan committee is also planning for the future. Calling itself Bucksport NEXT, the goal is “to identify the town's strengths, weaknesses and what needs to be done to ensure that Bucksport will remain an attractive place to live, work and visit for the NEXT 10 years,” according to a recent update on the committee’s website.
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