NBMC Shelby, Montana, USA

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Photo- On Right, Julie Burk
(Surprised by our camera)

Julie Burk, from the Montana Department of Commerce, met with: elected officials; the press; business owners and citizens last night to present and discuss ways that small communities can improve their business and social standing. The meeting was held at the Shelby City Hall from 5 PM to 8 PM with pizza and refreshments. Julie made her presentation with a laptop and a projection TV, helping the audience see the important data in images as she read. This meeting was a part of the National Trust Main St Center which was started in 1980 and which Montana joined in 2005. The organization works to promote ideas that really work for smaller communities rather than allowing those ideas that do not work to continue. One such example is the pedestrian mall concept. The mall is generally a section of a business street that has been closed off from part or all vehicle traffic. This is to make a walking and sitting area free of traffic with the thought that shoppers will gather and spend more time shopping. Julie explained that pedestrian malls have been shown to not work very well and most fail. Helena, Montana has one such pedestrian mall that struggles. A few shops there do well but most do not. Some of the key points made by Burk were: 1. organizing your community and businesses; 2. marketing them; 3. designing to appeal to shoppers and 4. working on economic restructuring. Mayor Larry Bonderud was keen on the economic restructuring part and made many statements about how Shelby is working on that issue. Those included the new local public bus terminal to be built in the old Hannah and Holems building to the west of Albertsons. When the floor was opened for comments most were about needing more Shelby shoppers. The issue of area citizens traveling to Great Falls to buy rather than shopping in Shelby was a large part of the discussion. Shelby Glass and Office Supply said that they have to sell at higher prices since they cannot compete with the big box stores. Another business person said that they would special order items for customers, if they would be patient for the item to arrive. Also discussed were: the need to get the word out about what all Shelby already has to offer: business building upgrades that do not cost a lot; appealing signs for businesses; being more neighborly to customers; a possible general Shelby business logo; more community volunteerism and business grants. Many other ideas were circulated and notes were taken.

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