Apr 3 Mtg Recap and Community Magazine Update

Key Points/ TLDR:

• At the Apr 3rd meeting, the Village Board approved a $75k grant from the CDA to help North Shore Wellness Collective develop 159 E Silver Spring into their main location. Great business for our street. Read about their vision here.

• The Village Board had robust discussion about the value of community and economic development. It was agreed that there needs to be a discussion and clarification of what our vision for Silver Spring is. What do we want for our Main St and other business locations in the village? If you’re like me, you want to see more amenities for families, more destinations for date night. Achieving these goals may mean changing the way Village operates. If this topic matters to you, the May 1 village board meeting will be an important one to make! The Village Board will be continuing strategic discussions at that time.

• I’m continuing to work on a community magazine model. I believe it will be something all residents will look forward to receiving and will want to save. I believe it will fill a gap in communication between local organizations and residents. I believe it will improve the visibility of our small businesses. I believe it will harness the journalistic and creative talent we have right here in WFB and serve as a connecter between residents. In order to see this vision to reality, we need funding support. The School Board has opted out- supporting this vision does not align with their mission and model of communication. That means, in order to have a magazine that is more content than ads, that we’ll need support from the Village Board, the BID Board, the Civic Foundation, and the Education Foundation. If this topic matters to you, the May 1 village board meeting will be an important one to make! (are you sensing a theme?) The Village Board will be considering support of this initiative at that time.