Municipal Services
The MetroHartford Alliance provides a variety of economic development services to its member towns throughout Hartford and Tolland Counties that work to sustain economic growth in the Region.
In this Section
Business Visitation Program | top
The Alliance encourages all municipalities to keep in touch with their local businesses through visitations. This will help to identify their opportunities for, as well as impediments to, future growth. Alliance staff is available to accompany town representatives or we can individually visit targeted businesses at the town’s request. Assistance and training is also available to help develop or expand your visitation program.
Regional Labor Force | top
As a result of personal interviews with local businesses, we are collaborating with our corporate community to better recruit talent to our region and to retain them once they are here. We have a leadership role in the Graduate Retention Project, a collaborative effort put forth by 18 organizations that form the Hartford-Springfield Economic Partnership, which seeks to keep a larger number of our college graduates in the region upon graduation. Our 32 colleges and universities throughout the Hartford-Springfield region, also known as New England's Knowledge Corridor, produce nearly 26,000 annual graduates. Various initiatives like InternHere.com, a summer corporate intern program, college career fairs, and the creation of the Hartford: Make it Your Own DVD have helped to recruit and retain a talent base for your local businesses.
Brownfields Assessment Grants | top
The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) and the Alliance were awarded two $200,000 grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will enable us to inventory petroleum and hazardous contaminated sites in the region and to provide grants for Phase I & II Environmental Assessments for sites located within our member towns. Cleaning up contaminated sites allows them to be recycled into new economic opportunities for companies expanding or relocating to the area. The increased value of these properties will bring additional revenue to our municipalities, help revitalize communities, and provide alternatives to Greenfield development.
The Regional Economic Development Forum (REDF) | top
This bi-monthly meeting allows our member towns to come together and collaborate on important economic development issues facing our region. Funding and program resources are presented by invited speakers who inform town staff and their local businesses of beneficial resources available to them. The Alliance also provides an information exchange and circulates requests for information amongst the group. The REDF also participates in recommending items for inclusion in the Alliance’s legislative agenda. We strongly encourage member towns to be represented at these discussions to maximize their investment.
Economic Development for Public Officials (EDPO) | top
Economic Development for Public Officials (EDPO) is a two-hour program designed to provide public leaders with information that will expand their understanding, knowledge and skills in the area of community economic development. Elected officials, town boards, commissions and staff are invited to discuss the current state of the regional and local economy, which often serves as a springboard for discussing local economic development issues.
Scholarships | top
It is important for our local officials and economic development professionals to take advantage of economic development educational and professional development opportunities, especially during fiscally tight years. Scholarships are available on an annual basis for town officials, economic development commission members and town staff of up to $500 per town.
On-going Technical Assistance to Municipalities | top
A major role of the Alliance’s Economic Development team is to advise and assist towns on issues affecting economic development. Assistance includes research of best practices, meeting with local Economic Development Commissions, coordinating and participating in local events, providing guidance in the creation of local economic development policies, programs and initiatives, and assistance in identifying funding and technical resources for local projects.
Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) | top
The Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA), created through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources and Conservation Service, and now offered to Alliance and CRCOG member towns, will provide continued economic development education to local officials. LULA is a unique program designed to put needed land use tools and negotiation skills in the hands of local leaders. These decision makers create the land use patterns that determine the quality of life, the economy, and the environment within your communities. A four-day training program is held to teach participants how to use the land use law, comprehensive planning and dispute resolution techniques to build sustainable communities.
CONTACT | top
Our work plan has been designed to not only provide specific services to member towns but to ensure that region wide issues affecting economic development are addressed. For information on how to take advantage of these services or become an Alliance Member Town,
please contact Jeff Vose, jvose@metrohartford.com vice president and manager, Municipal Services at 860.728.2283.
top