The annual State of the Town address with Cochrane Mayor Jeff Genung is set to return in June after a two-year absence.
The event is structured as an opportunity for business owners and community stakeholders to hear a report on the Town’s finances, in cooperation with the Cochrane and District Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s been remarkable in how our local economy has rebounded,” said Genung, referring to the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. “But I know that’s not the case for every single business and every single individual in the community. We’ve all just come through a real hard time over the last couple of years."
Having the opportunity to once again connect with the many individuals who drive Cochrane's economy is exciting after a two-year break, he added.
The mayor’s report will include updates on economic recovery efforts within the region, building permit trends, and news about ongoing infrastructure projects, among other things.
“There will be a little more detail on what we’ve been doing,” said Genung. “I think people really need to understand and hear from us about where the money’s going – so we’ll talk about pathways, road improvements, all those types of things.”
Some mentions may include the Highway 1A improvements project, which is set to finish this fall, the Highway 1A/22 interchange, and the opening of Cochrane’s Transit Hub, set for completion this summer.
“It’s really an update on how the Town’s doing financially – what a little bit of the stats are on growth and housing starts and some of the real metrics on the economy of Cochrane,” said the mayor.
Although many local businesses have been hard-hit by the pandemic and some municipal planning was disrupted, Genung noted there has also been a lot of unexpected growth – both in business and in development.
“The Town’s budget has really reflected how much growth we did realize with new housing and people completing renovations and additions to their homes,” he said. “There has been a lot of activity.”
Permit sales for new and renovated homes increased $647,000 in 2021, according to the Town’s fourth-quarter financial report. Cochrane saw the number of permits pulled for new dwellings hit 606, which is exactly double the number in 2020.
The Chamber of Commerce also issued 106 new business licenses for the year and welcomed 60 new members.
“Coming out of COVID, there’s been a huge turnover in business and a lot of businesses have closed,” said Chamber president Ozzie Sawicki. “But we’ve had a significant number of businesses that have opened during COVID, which was sort of a nice surprise to see people creating those opportunities for themselves.”
New business owners will be able to gain a better understanding of where they fit in the municipality’s strategic plan by attending the State of the Town address June 9, Sawicki added.
“It’s a nice chance as things start to open up for them to learn how the Town operates and ask those kinds of questions, especially from a fiscal consideration,” he said. “As we come out of the COVID window and things are starting to look more normal, we want to know how [the Town and the Chamber] can work together to make things better for the business community.”
The deadline to register for the event is June 2 and tickets are $35 to attend.
The two-hour event, starting at the RancheHouse at 6:30 p.m., will feature appetizers, a cash bar, a video presentation, engagement opportunities, and the mayor’s address.
