Chatham Borough’s Economic Development Advisory Committee Finds New Mission Amidst the COVID Crisis

Contributed by Chatham Borough Mayor's Office

When Chatham’s Economic Development Advisory Committee was formed last year, no one had even heard of COVID-19. The Committee, the brainchild of Mayor Thaddeus Kobylarz, was designed to help attract new businesses to Chatham.

Mayor Kobylarz’s vision was to help Chatham “pivot to the new economy” and bring in growth-oriented technology enterprises to foster a thriving downtown commercial zone, both along Main Street and in its industrial districts. This strategy would have the added benefit of spawning a secondary “support” economy catering to the newly flourishing commercial areas and residents more generally.

In the midst of the COVID shutdown, however, the EDAC has acquired a new purpose: help businesses navigate the financial challenges of restrictions and closures. Assistance has been wide ranging – from producing videos showcasing shops to helping with grant applications.

Initially, members focused on advising Borough businesses about government programs designed to help them survive the shutdown. One of the first moves was to advise them on the Federal Paycheck Protection Program, which provides small business loans to cover payroll and other expenses during the COVID emergency.

Mayor Kobylarz then invited the mayors of Chatham Township, Madison, and Morris Plains to join him in a webinar describing a multitude of Federal and State assistance programs.

While the EDAC was focusing on grants and education, two enterprising Chatham residents – and now EDAC members – were working directly with local restaurants and retailers to move them to a new model of operation, one based on Internet sales and carryout/delivery. E-commerce entrepreneur Michelle Lease created Keep Chatham Thriving! – a social media framework featuring Chatham businesses, and Internet marketing expert MJ Morgan compiled a directory of local restaurants offering carryout. These efforts became part of the EDAC’s COVID initiative as well.

EDAC members have also been working with individual businesses to promote alternative ways of selling their wares, including via videos airing on Facebook highlighting gifts for special events like Mother’s Day.

Most recently, the EDAC has formulated a program to showcase local businesses on the Borough’s cable TV channel, an underutilized resource.

The EDAC’s original mission, to attract technology firms to Chatham, has not been forgotten. Chatham has a strong partnership with the Morris County Economic Development Corporation and is working closely with it to market the Borough as a location for such companies under the Startup/Moveup Chatham program.

Despite an anticipated economic downturn, Mayor Kobylarz still sees Chatham as an attractive spot for technology firms, perhaps more so now as the COVID crisis exposes the downside of locating in high-density urban areas.

Revitalizing the Borough’s downtown economy while preserving the charm of its residential neighborhoods requires a “smart” approach to economic growth. To assist with this task, Mayor Kobylarz has enlisted “the best and brightest” from amongst Chatham’s residents. The ultimate goal is a flourishing Chatham Borough, both economically and socially. With the help of the EDAC, the mayor believes this can be achieved. Indeed, the Committee is already demonstrating its worth by helping Borough businesses weather the unexpected COVID storm.