Area business owners, corporate leaders, organization representatives and local leaders came to North Branford April 21 for a State of the State event that was steeped in rustic charm at the stunning, new Millpond Gatherings. 

Nearly 100 gathered to hear from keynote speaker David Lehman, CT Dept. Of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Commissioner and others; and to celebrate the success of Millpond Gatherings owner Andy Bozzuto in his bid to preserve area history while also creating one of the state's most notable venue spaces with a local, farm-to-table mission.

Bozzuto, who received a standing ovation during the event, which was held in the Venue at Millpond Gatherings, talked about his family's efforts to revive the history of the site and the innovations which came out of it in the 19th century, including several patents. Bozzuto also described the ingenuity of the site's Maltby and Fowler families, two of the more prominent families in the Northford area in the 1800's, as a hallmark of the spirit he wanted to support by creating this operation in his native community. 

With ingredients including those supplied by Bozzuto's Northford-based, ethically raised, GMO free and antibiotic-free cattle and organic produce grown in adjacent fields, Millpond Gatherings is more than just a farm-to-table, venue --"it's the table at the farm," said Bozzuto.

The April 21 event was co-hosted by the Town of North Branford Economic Development Commission (EDC) and Shoreline Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and sponsored by corporate sponsor Guilford Savings Bank with venue sponsor Millpond Gatherings.

The night was capped off by a surprise announcement that North Branford has been named a Silver Certified Community by CT's Economic Development Association (CEDA). Representatives of CEDA's Best Practices Committee made the announcement at the April 21 event.  The selection, which carries a 3-year certification, is based on review of North Branford's application outlining municipal policies, plans and partnerships to identify North Branford's successful implementation of efficient and effective land use planning and economic development strategies.

Keynotes

In his keynote State of the State discussion on April 21, Lehman said he wanted to share some important data "...in terms of where the state is, in terms of jobs, in terms of economic growth-- where we've come over the past few years in particular with the pandemic, and a bit about the future."

Currently, the state's labor force is roughly 97 percent of where it was pre-pandemic. Lehmen noted CT's economy is picking up roughly 5,000 jobs per month, with full recovery anticipated to be gained in less than a year. While that's a bit slow compared to average of 99 percent recovery in the U.S., CT's 97 percent rate is in line with the region (Massachusetts and Rhode Island) and a bit ahead of New York.

CT's unemployment rate, which has seen recent improvement, now stands at 4.6 percent vs. U.S. average of 3.6 percent, said Lehman.

"The real issue, from a jobs perspective, is actually the labor force," he said. "Connecticut has labor force participation right now around 64 percent, which is still down roughly 250 basis points from where it was pre-pandemic. We're still above the country, but you haven't seen a lot of folks re-enter the labor force...and we really need that, to fill the 100,000 jobs that are out there."

He said he felt a lot of the long-term economic growth for the state will lie in attracting new residents to that state, which is aging, in order to raise labor force participation.

"These things are not easy to turn back on; but ultimately that will be the key to our success," said Lehman.

Many other State of the State details were shared by Lehman and appear in a presentation shared with Zip06/The Sound (see State of the State below).  The presentation also outlined DECD's vision to improve CT's reputation for starting and growing businesses; to support and generate inclusive growth within CT's most innovative industries, and to attract and retain work-from-anywhere talent by investing in vibrant and affordable communities. To accomplish this vision, the DECD is working to improve CT's business environment through branding, marketing, tourism and jobs; by driving innovation and investing in communities (see related story "Additional State, DECD Details Shared in North Branford")

In North Branford

North Branford Economic Development Coordinator Roger Salway said the successful event on April 21 accomplished several things; including helping the EDC promote tourism here, "which is part of what we do for all businesses," said Salway. 

Salway said he hoped visiting leaders from surrounding communities are now excited and informed about Millpond Gathering's "investment, and attraction," and will hopefully share news with their communities.

As noted at Millpond Gatherings website, in 2018, the 14-acre site located at 1565 Middletown Ave. was purchased by ASD properties, LLC, a company owned by Bozzuto and his brothers, Steven and Dennis Bozzuto. The brothers are owners of several local businesses including John's Refuse, BRS Carting and 3B Ranch, a fully operational cattle ranch and organic farm. The farm's 4,000 square foot outdoor banquet facility has been accommodating guests for over 10 years.

The newly completed, first phase of the Millpond Gathering facility includes an addition of over 10,000 square-feet; housing Millpond Steakhouse restaurant, Millpond Tavern restaurant, and its 200-person Venue event room and retail market place (to come). An additional 21,000 square feet is planned to accommodate an inn at the complex.

Salway said another intention of the evening was "... to invite people like David Lehman back, to share with us what is going on at the state level that maybe we wouldn't otherwise hear of, and to also have him hear from us," said Salway.

Salway said the collaborative effort to develop this event created an opportunity for local businesses, larger corporate groups, town government officials, volunteer commissions and committee members and non-profit organization members to share in the event and learn from it.

During the April 21 event, Chamber president Dee Jacob introduced three pillars of SCC's Economic Boost program. The first pillar, to provide professional coaches to assist small businesses in focusing on solutions to revive their company post-pandemic, is seeking financial support from towns willing to provide some ARPA funds to SCC to underwrite those coaches; with Guilford already committed. Branford and North Branford are also towns served by the Chamber. The second pillar Jacob shared will be the launching of a 5-part video series this summer, linked on YouTube, sharing specific business how-to's to help boost economic drivers. As the third pillar, SCC will be offering experts help to businesses so they can find funding and/or grant money to invest in post-pandemic solution sets.

The April 21 event also promoted North Branford EDC's investment in the new North Branford Community Page as part of an outside commercial enterprise, localisgood.net   The company's QR-code based internet site allows Smartphone users to scan a QR code that will be prominently posted at businesses and other areas around town; to find a stream of updating posts sharing news of North Branford-based goinga-on; including community, charitable and business events, promotions, sales and more.

Additionally, the EDC unveiled its updated North Branford-Northford Farm & Trail Guide. The guide maps out locations of agritourism-enticing farm stands, shops, brewery/winery businesses, venues and recreation options as well as information on North Branford Land Conservation Trust trails.

State of the State

The following details are provided by the DECD:

CT closed the 2021 fiscal year with a surplus of over $480 million; marking the third consecutive year with a budget surplus; CT's 2-year, $46 billion bipartisan budget passed with no major tax increases; fiscal year 2022 has a projected operating surplus of $1.76 billion (8.5 percent of the General Fund); CT's Rainy Day Fund is projected to reach $5.8 billion (28.2 percent of General Fund); the state has $2.7 billion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support recovery; a $1.62 billion supplemental payment towards unfunded pension liabilities; received an increased bond rating from Moody's (March 2021), the first increase in over years; and a total of four credit rating upgrades in the first quarter of the fiscal year.

Impacts of the Pandemic/Economic Recovery:

Connecticut lost 289,400 jobs from February to April 2020. As of February, 80.5% of the jobs lost from February to April 2020 have been recovered. However, CT's Connecticut's overall employment drop compared to the Feb. 2020 high was less than neighboring states, and the recovery was stronger. Statewide, business applications considered "high propensity" (those with a high propensity of turning into businesses with a payroll) are climbing, after a decade of little growth. Connecticut had 47,820 new business starts from June 2020 to May 2021 vs 33,812 during same time in the previous year, according to CT Secretary of State data.

Impacts of the Pandemic/State Budget:

Connecticut's strong financial governance and early decision" placed the state in a better position to deal with the pandemic's economic downturn, compared to other states. Budget adjustments for fiscal year 2023 include avenues to provide tax relief totaling $335.7 million. Lehman also made note of the 2023 budget's $190.9 million in strategic investment in broadband and technology, investing in providing workforce/career opportunity pathways/skills and rebuilding the state's infrastructure. Find more specifics in "Additional Details from DECD" below.

The Connecticut Difference/Connecticut Impact

CT's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides over $4 billion for highway and bridge replacement and repairs and $1.3 billion for public transportation improvements.

The state is set to receive an estimated $6 billion over 5 years, with over half going to highway programs, bridge replacement and repairs; with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for cyclists and pedestrians. CT has over $675 million planned for additional investments including expansion of its electric vehicle charging network, improvements to broadband coverage, wildfire and cybersecurity protection, drinking water infrastructure and airport development projects.

CT's areas of "new momentum, new investment and new energy" include East Haven's Tweed Airport $100 million expansion, New Haven's 101 College: State-of-the-Art Life Sciences Building in Downtown Crossing, and The Village in Stamford, a new waterfront indoor/outdoor work-play destination.