October 28th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

The days of the large smoke stack industries are gone;  and the population in the area has dropped more than 7% in the past ten years. Faced with those challenges, city officials are being encouraged to focus on small business as the best way to go to revitalize the local economy.  RKG Associates, the consulting firm in the process of updating Cumberland’s economic development strategic plan, presented an overview to the City Council during a Wednesday afternoon work session at City Hall. The original plan encouraged the pursuit of more health care and social service business opportunities while promoting a work-from-home employee base. It also encouraged investment and redevelopment of the opportunity sites while expanding residential housing, particularly around the downtown. The updated version, presented by RKG vice president Kyle Talente, emphasized small business development…