City Council OKs $70,000 For Economic Development

July 21, 2011

ELLSWORTH — The city of Ellsworth is betting on a new economic development endeavor.

The City Council Monday approved a contract with Bangor-based Eaton Peabody Consulting Group and CWS Consulting Group of Newton Highlands, Mass., to spend an amount not to exceed $70,000.

CWS is based in Newton Highlands. The firm offers “location strategies for business and economic development.”

City Manager Michelle Beal explained that John Holden, Eaton Peabody’s economic development consultant, and Chris Steele of CWS will determine what Ellsworth needs to develop and where its weaknesses are.

Beal said the city needs to expand Ellsworth’s tax base to pay for increasingly higher education costs and reduced state subsidies.

The vote was unanimous.

Councilor Stephen Beathem said, “I’ll support this. It looks like we may go somewhere.”

“All everybody wants to do is study you and say this is what you should have for an economic development plan,” Beathem said. “This looks more like it’s putting it into action more than just planning.

“We’ve done most of our planning and it should be very easy to move into the doing aspect of things.”

Courtesy of the Ellsworth American

Written by Jennifer Osborn