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Suamico trims realtor recruitment language, leans on chamber and state programs to support businesses
Summary
Planners reframed economic development goals to prioritize growing existing businesses and fostering new local startups, agreed to rely on the Green Bay Chamber and state programs (WEDC, DOA) for assistance, and removed a proposed partnership with local commercial realtors citing limited available land.
At a meeting to review the village comprehensive plan, Suamico planning members agreed to prioritize growing existing businesses and fostering new local establishments over actively recruiting companies from other communities.
Speaker 1 proposed deleting the phrase that prioritized recruiting from other communities and instead emphasized supporting local businesses first. Several participants, including Speaker 7, described the practical pathway: the village connects interested businesses to the Green Bay Chamber, which helps navigate programs offered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Administration. "I'll connect them with the right person with the Green Bay Chamber," Speaker 7 said.
The board discussed outreach tools. Speaker 3 suggested periodic or social engagement events for business owners (a semiannual appreciation/social hour) rather than individual outreach; others noted the Howard‑Suamico Business and Professional Association (referred to in the transcript as HSPPA) already runs many member events. The group favored leveraging existing association efforts and agreed to reframe plan language to reflect that involvement.
A separate proposal to "partner with local commercial realtors for business recruitment" was discussed at length and ultimately removed. Speakers said partnering with brokers is effective only when the municipality controls land to market. "It becomes kind of a moot point because we don't have that land," Speaker 1 said, and the board confirmed striking the realtor‑partnership bullet from the goals.
Housing and infrastructure were discussed in the same session. Speaker 3 said new water and sewer service (including a proposed water tower and well) implies a significant upcoming investment and asked who would pay the costs; speakers discussed impact fees and developer contributions as options but left financing details for future work. Speaker 3 also noted a small number of available residential lots in the new sewer area (speakers referenced two to four possible buildable lots). The planning group agreed to address housing and infrastructure in the next meeting, beginning with the housing goals and objectives on the referenced plan pages.
The meeting produced plan language decisions and next steps, but no formal adoption of new policy or budget for business recruitment or infrastructure.
