Letter: Fostering a sense of community helps all of Palm Beach thrive
The Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce concluded its seasonal breakfast meetings June 1. What began as a rather tentative return to business as usual turned into a very abundant year for the town and its business community.
We emphasize the word “community” since it is more than houses, infrastructure and public safety. It entails people, neighborhoods, diversity, engagement, unity. Polly Earl, who served as the first president of the Preservation Foundation, told the Town Council that without a public school, there is no community. This likewise goes for the commercial aspect of an area. Without a full complement of elements, houses only make for gated enclaves.
Goods and services are located as a convenience, a reflection of the community’s identity and lifestyle. The retail centers in town provide a variety of necessities, whether on Main Street and its surrounds with a grocer, shoe repair, stationer, pharmacies and restaurants; or, in the center of town with a bookstore, salons, cafes and a gas station. Worth Avenue is residential and yet caters to the tastes of luxury products that reflect the town’s legacy as a resort community.
Why does the chamber care about the greater community? As its mission statement shows, the free enterprise system is very much a part of Palm Beach and its people. The chamber supports this system through education, advocacy and programming — not only for its members, but also the community at large.
Over the past two decades, the chamber has addressed issues such as parking, traffic, alternative transportation, business workshops in partnership with the town, outdoor dining advocacy, along with town regulations regarding empty storefronts. It has brought property owners and town official together to talk about empty or under-utilized space. It has brought council members to the table to discuss relevant issues that involve the residents and the commercial districts that make up this community. We gathered members from across the membership to meet with Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to discuss the needs of businesses and nonprofits to better understand how government works.
While not every business or resident is a chamber member, the focus is on the whole community, businesses and residents alike. Individuals have been encouraged to join as community leaders to learn about pertinent issues that impact the entire town and growth across the bridges that cannot help but benefit everyone. It involves a spirit of cooperation that highlights the good for all. The diversity of goods and services, much like the diversity of the population, requires a shared sense of responsibility and spirit of unity that creates a community that can be proud of its heritage and supportive of its future.
The chamber is a community, focusing on the well-being of the entire town. Just as it’s hoped the residents will support the businesses, likewise we encourage the businesses to recognize the vital importance of the year-round residents who can make the ‘'season’' a 12-month experience rather than focusing only on the tourists for four or five months.
Marketing is a key component of the chamber. From street index maps, the annual guide and the landmarks touring map created in partnership with the Preservation Society to the shop locally campaign, all are designed to promote to residents and visitors alike.
Dynamic changes are being made daily all around the island. By working together as a community, we can preserve what is most valued while reaping the benefits of these very changes to enjoy life in paradise.
Laurel Baker
CEO, Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Chamber letter: Residents, businesses make up a community
