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Economic development in small rural towns requires a unique approach which is somewhat different from the approach in larger cities and towns, and in Westfield’s case different from our neighboring towns of Jamestown and Dunkirk. The resources we have, to a large extent, revolve around people, our human capital, as opposed to other communities that rely more heavily on county and state support.
We are blessed with excellent services such as a local hospital, school, library, YWCA, and cultural organizations such as the McClurg museum which provide an asset base, but at the end of the day it is our people that represent our strongest asset.
The economic model in Westfield is analogous to the typical three legged stool often used to describe organizations. In Westfield’s case the three legs of our economic development stool are represented by Local Government, Westfield Development Corporation, and Westfield Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.
Local Government
The Westfield community with a population of approximately 5000 has stayed relevant, despite economic downturns and the loss of key businesses such as Welch Foods and Belknap Business Forms, because of its ability to entice and retain human capital. This has shown itself by having continuous active government visionaries drawn from this pool of capital and a continuous volunteer mentality within the community.
Some examples of where government has played its part can be seen in the following initiatives:
- The “Westfield/Ripley Lakefront Opportunity Plan” initiated by the Town to promote Tourism along our lakefront and in the Barcelona Harbor area.
- In 1997 the development of a Comprehensive Plan that provided an assessment and roadmap for development of Westfield.
- One of a number of implementations of the plan by developing “Westfield Connections” which provided strategies for landscape enhancements in the Village and Town of Westfield.
- Funding and support for the Westfield Development Corporation, a largely volunteer organization dedicated to increasing the prosperity of the Westfield Community through economic development.
These are some of the steps that have been taken by government that can be specifically connected to generating an atmosphere conducive with economic development. Although we have two local governments representing the Town and the Village, increased cooperation and teamwork between them over recent years has resulted in more of a total community focus than perhaps was not as strong in earlier times when separate identities were stronger.
Chamber of Commerce
Mission - To make Westfield and Barcelona better places to live and do business.
Goals
- Provide Value to Local Business Community.
- Improve Business Relationships.
- Good Stewardship of Chamber Fundamentals.
We have been able to maintain an active local Chamber of Commerce which over recent years has reengaged our businesses by demonstrating to them the value of having a local Chamber. This has been reinforced by very successful events which have brought people into our downtown area and positively impacted Main Street retail businesses. Some examples of this are given below:
- Establishment of a farmers Market every Saturday throughout the summer.
- Tagging to the Farmers Market other events such as the “Food Heroes Cook Off” and “Wine Tasting” using local businesses.
- Establishing a “First Fridays” when businesses are encouraged to stay open late and use the sidewalks to display their products and services.
- Establish a “Celebrate Westfield” day during Alumni week when past Westfield residents return to the village in which they were raised.
One of the driving forces behind these Chamber initiatives has come largely from human capital in the form of new residents who have moved into our community for its quality of life advantages, and have volunteered their time to inject additional progressiveness and energy.
Westfield Development Corporation
The third leg of our economic development stool is the Westfield Development Corporation (WDC), which was incorporated in 1962 as a Not-for-Profit Corporation run primarily on a volunteer basis until it obtained financial backing from the Town and Village Governments in 1994. We are very fortunate to have an economic development organization in a community of our size, which differentiates Westfield from many of the small communities in the County.
One role the WDC plays is as a facilitator between businesses, government, County IDA, and local entities such as the Chamber, and brings them together with economic development as a focus. A lot of strategic planning has taken place within the WDC over the last two years to develop a Mission and Goals.
Mission - To increase the prosperity of the Westfield Community, yet preserve its quality of life.
Goals
- Business Park Development.
- Small Business and Residential Growth.
- Tourism Industry Development.
In order to achieve these goals, the first order of business was to develop tools that could be used to help achieve the goals, and during the last two years the following tools have been put in place in this effort.
1. Development of a web site, www.westfieldny.com that displayed the assets of the Westfield Community in a personal way, with an emphasis on our major asset, an outstanding opportunity to achieve a superior quality of life.
2. Designation of a Business Park Area with support information. This has now been adopted by the County IDA as part of the new County Comprehensive Plan in the form of a visionary design by Randall Arendt, an internationally recognized conservational planner.
3. Development of a promotional DVD which captures the essence of our community as an ideal place to live, do business and as a tourism destination.
4. The formation of an Ambassador Program to assist and nurture new and prospective residents.
5. Last but not least the WDC has made big strides in bringing all the entities within our community to the table to develop a focused approach, and provide a synergy which could not be achieved by all entities working independently.
In conclusion, many of the achievements attained within the Westfield Community are the results of dedicated volunteers, human capital, and government leadership, without which less fortunate small communities struggle. It is not easy in this very competitive environment to attract people and businesses into these small communities particularly when you are surrounded by larger towns and cities where the need for economic development is perceived to be more necessary. Also being a village close to the
Pennsylvania border presents a challenge in that we have cross border assets to overcome when attracting residents and businesses.
Moving forward it is essential that we nurture our volunteer and entrepreneurial spirit and we provide an atmosphere that allows new ideas to be accepted within the community.
