SHELBURNE FALLS — The group that has been promoting area businesses since the 1960s in one way or another has decided it’s time for a change, so it will reorganize and most likely rename itself before next spring.
Board member John Taylor of Blackmer Insurance Agency said the Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association has been “getting by” for a while. He said it has never been “flushed with cash,” but always held on and did its best. As it heads into the next decade, it is doing so with almost no money and very few volunteers.
Taylor said the association has seen fewer grants, events have raised less money, there has been a reduction in the number of people who volunteer and costs have increased. Located at 75 Bridge St., the Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association pays $100 a month in rent and has other fixed expenses that need to be paid on a regular basis. He said it had a municipal partnership with Shelburne and Buckland that has ended, which means any financial help it received from them has ended, as well.
“It all came to roost in 2019,” he said. “We’ve seen this happening for a while now, and we worked really hard this year to come up with ideas. I think we have to rewind 30 years and start from there.”
Taylor said he and the board think the association grew too much, welcoming members from “way outside” the area, hiring full- and part-time staff and more, and it wasn’t sustainable. He said it became too much for a small staff and board to run, but volunteers and others stepped back, thinking because there was paid staff, it was their responsibility to do everything.
Members say it became an “us and them” approach, as opposed to an “us and we.”
“The board woke up and realized it’s not viable to continue like that,” he said. “We can’t support everyone any longer. We have to start fresh with staffing, probably a part-time person, and we have to rely on help from volunteers, members, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.”
Board members say they see only three choices at this point: do nothing, restructure or dissolve. They and numerous members have voted to restructure, so between now and February, they will meet to discuss how the restructure will happen.
The board suggested the association have a president, treasurer and secretary who act as an “umbrella,” while a business group and an arts and culture group concentrate on their respective areas.
Members have suggested the association be renamed to reflect its focus back on Shelburne Falls. The association would promote businesses there, and then by extension, promote other businesses in the other member towns.
The board said it’s time to figure out what the association’s mission is and what type of association it wants to be, and then take steps to make that happen.
Everyone seems to agree that the Bridge of Flowers Road Race, Iron Bridge Dinner and Moonlight Magic should be not only maintained, but grown, but with volunteer help. When it appeared this year’s Moonlight Magic, which is the Friday after Thanksgiving, might not happen, the village’s businesses took it over with some assistance from the association.
Lisa Davol, marketing and membership manager at Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, and Amy Shapiro, business development director for the Franklin County Community Development Corp., said their organizations will help in any way they can so that services aren’t duplicated and so that Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association is supported like it should be.
Taylor said that through the rest of the month, the board will develop a list of people interested in becoming involved in the restructuring. In January, the board will meet with members, determine what the restructure will look like and revise the association’s bylaws, if necessary.
Then, in February, members will vote on revised bylaws and what the restructure will look like. After that is clearly detailed, Taylor said a budget will be voted in the spring.