The Cape Elizabeth Business Summit held on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at Town Hall was well attended by local business owners and prospective business owners.  Paul Johnson of GPCOG, one of four summit facilitators, said the number of attendees should be considered a success. “I can’t tell you how overwhelming this turnout has been and the phone calls and surveys that we have had. You should be really proud of your community for the number of people who have turned out.”

The summit featured a round-robin format where groups spent 15 minutes at one of four stations providing feedback on the key themes that emerged from preliminary discussions Johnson held with local business owners before the summit.  Each station had a facilitator with knowledge and expertise in economic development and planning.  Facilitators collected input and helped delve deeper into issues and suggestions.  Key takeaways from the round-robin sessions were shared with the entire group, and attendees were asked for suggestions on what’s next.

The themes and facilitators included:

1.  Navigating town ordinances, processes, and procedures as a Cape Elizabeth business owner

Facilitator: Christian Roadman, Senior Planner, GPCOG

2.  Exploring Cape Elizabeth’s need for dedicated staff hours/expertise to assist the business community

Facilitator: Karen Martin, Economic Development Director, Scarborough

3.  Encouraging the business community to participate in creating/amending ordinances and other council decisions

Facilitator: Eamonn Dundon, Director of Advocacy, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce

4.  Defining the Cape Elizabeth brand

Facilitator:  Paul Johnson, Economic Development Director, GPCOG

Themes, input, and suggestions will be included in a report for the Town Council by mid-January. Following the report, Johnson stated that the next step will be to hold a Solutions Summit in February, where approximately four to five potential solutions will be identified.

Business owners who were unable to attend or who have not yet conversed with Johnson may still reach out via email to Johnson or Town Councilor Stephanie Anderson: pjohnson@gpcog.org or stephanie.anderson@capeelizabeth.org.