1. BREMEN COMMUNITY FORUM REPORT

2. Bremen Hometown Collaboration Initiative
Bremen Hometown Collaboration Initiative
In the winter of 2016, the Town of Bremen was selected to be part of the Hometown Collaboration Initiative (HCI) program offered through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs for communities of 25,000 people or less. As a part of the initiative, the Bremen team conducted a community forum at Bremen Public High School on July 27, About 90 community members participated.
The purpose of the forum was to share survey results and capture ideas on how to build on the placemaking, economic and leadership assets of the community.
During the forum, attendees participated in three rounds of discussions, where they were asked about placemaking ideas to make the community an attractive place to live in the future, strategies to retain and support existing business and grow new businesses and approaches to cultivating leadership and collaboration within the community.
Our Team
The Bremen HCI team consists of a diverse set of community members interested in fostering collaboration to make Bremen even better. The team has been meeting since March preparing to select a building block on which to focus. These include developing a new generation of leaders, growing small business and entrepreneurs and enhancing community design and public spaces.
In addition to the forum, the HCI team surveyed local community members with over 900 responses.
Stay Informed!
Find the latest HCI information, meeting minutes, and reports at
Hometown Collaboration Initiative Community Forum
Bremen, Indiana 2017

3. Placemaking
During the Placemaking round, community members were asked if they agreed with the top three placemaking priorities from the community survey, and if not, what they felt the community should prioritize. Each table picked a placemaking priority and then gave 2-3 strategies to improve this priority in the community. Forum participants voted individually for their top two strategies.
Strategies Reported
Votes
Downtown 35
Downtown beautification 21
Apartment improvements in downtown 4
Public plaza downtown
Incentives to renovate second floor apartments 3
Downtown parking 2
Downtown crosswalks 1
Town Pride-Care of Property 33
Incentives for homeowners to improve their yards 31
Renovating empty businesses
Streetscapes and Wayfinding
Gateway improvements 13
Evergreens by Bremen Casting
Connectivity with sidewalks
Underground power lines
Signage
Street - entrance improvements
Parks, Trails and Public Spaces 16
Bike trails connect to other places
Provide Wi-Fi in public spaces
Common gathering spaces/public space
Involve adults/kids in cleaning park
Other
Incentives for new businesses 7
Retail pop-up opportunities
Recruit comp. business
Family events
Local Foods 12
Local access to food-restaurants 11
Taking farmer’s market further
Hometown Collaboration Initiative Community Forum
Bremen, Indiana 2017

4. Economy Top Economic Development Strategies Campaign for Buy Local 38
Economy
During the Economy round, community members were asked:
How can we support existing businesses in our community?
What can we do to help people who want to start a business in our community?
As a table, participants decided and reported on the top 2-3 economy-related strategies from their discussion. Participants then voted individually on their top two strategies.
Top Economic Development Strategies
Campaign for Buy Local 38
Incentives for new businesses 24
Mentorship training 18
Promote Bremen as a place to grow your family 9
Add Industrial property 8
Group education for businesses
Shortage of housing 7
Marketing campaign for businesses
Have businesses do cross-promotion 6
Promote uniqueness 5
Reach out to youth (shadowing) 3
Variety in Bremen 2
People aware of what businesses have to offer
Target businesses new to Bremen
Use Facebook as a resource
Other responses from the forum
Develop, grow and retain workforce
Pop up retail locations
Capitalize on school sport conference
Survey local business needs
Promote local businesses through town website
Target businesses for youth workers
Collaboration among businesses
Business networking opportunities
Chamber of Commerce shifts focus to businesses surviving
Website dedicated to business of the community
Hometown Collaboration Initiative Community Forum
Bremen, Indiana 2017

5. Leadership Provide Leadership skills training to youth
Leadership
During the Leadership round, community members brainstormed strategies for each of the top four leadership items survey respondents felt the community should improve. The top 4-5 strategies were chosen by the tables and reported out during the forum.
Provide Leadership skills training to youth
Build skills of emerging leaders to take on new roles
Provide apprenticeship, internship, mentor, and volunteer opportunities
Provide diverse mentors/mentorships
Involve class officers in town government
Include youth members on local boards
Create “Come Back to Bremen” campaign targeting college graduates
Intentional outreach, personal and one-on-one
Consider ways to avoid leadership/volunteer burnout
Hold workshops and trainings advertising them on social media
Form leadership networks and opportunities for leaders to interact
Expand awareness and appreciation of diversity in our community
Hold 7 am or lunch meetings for local business owners with rotating hosts at local businesses
Involve ministerial association to sponsor businesses
Annual leadership forum
Reinvigorate civic organizations and Chamber of Commerce
Youth representation on community boards and town council
Advertise and expand English as a Second Language program
Plan ethnic festivals
Provide language education/opportunities for community
Create a public calendar
Hometown Collaboration Initiative Community Forum
Bremen, Indiana 2017