APRIL 2021
From the Executive Director
The entire Cape Cod community has faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The timing of closures and reopening phases during the busy summer season, and the seasonality of many of our local businesses made them extremely vulnerable to the pandemic, resulting in significant financial losses. In the face of these challenges, we saw our communities persevere, develop new and innovative ways of operating within health and safety standards, respond as guidelines changed, and pursue resources and technical assistance necessary for continued success. We also saw our municipalities adapt to support businesses and organizations that are so critical to the economic vitality of our region. 

The Commission partnered with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and collected data from local businesses to better understand the evolution of COVID-19 impacts. This data is allowing us to provide targeted business technical assistance, foster collaborations with regional partners, and amplify our ability to support a resilient Cape Cod economy into the future.  

The Cape Cod COVID-19 Data Dashboard served as a resource to better understand impacts of the pandemic and will serve as the foundation for a new and updated Stats Cape Cod. This robust data center will allow for continued understanding and analysis of the demographics and economy of our region, and their evolution post-pandemic. 

While we are all looking forward to putting the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, we can leverage all that we learned over the course of the past year. As we head into summer 2021, we look forward to supporting the Cape community as we continue to navigate ongoing challenges .  

-Kristy Senatori, Cape Cod Commission Executive Director
Climate Action Plan released for public comment
The Cape Cod Commission released the region’s first-ever climate action plan for a 30-day public comment period. The Climate Action Plan is intended to foster collaborative, targeted action to address climate change in measurable ways.
Cape Cod business owners report the extent of pandemic-related impacts  
The Cape Cod Commission and Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce issued a trio of surveys in 2020 to collect information on the economic impacts to local businesses and non-profits. Survey results found significant impacts and helped inform a strategy for recovery. 
COVID-19 and a changing Cape Cod
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to the way we live and work. To better understand potential population shifts that may have resulted from the pandemic, the Cape Cod Commission looked at a wide range of data sources. 
What does it mean to be an Economic Development District?
Cape Cod’s designation as an Economic Development District by the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Agency makes Barnstable County municipalities eligible for funding for infrastructure and planning.
COVID License Plate Grant Fund recipients report on project outcomes  
In August 2020, the Barnstable County Economic Development Council awarded six grants through the License Plant Grant Program to address COVID-19 driven economic needs in the region.
  
Examining the economic impacts of climate change 
As part of the work to create the Cape Cod Climate Action Plan, the Cape Cod Commission engaged with Eastern Research Group (ERG) and Synapse Energy Economics (Synapse) to examine the economic impacts of climate change.  


Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund awards first round of grants
The Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund Management Board voted April 14, 2021 to award the first set of subsidies, totaling $71,307,259, to qualified and eligible water quality projects in several Cape Cod towns.
Notice of opportunity for public comment on transportation planning documents
The Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization has released four documents for a 21-day public review and comment period.  Comments are due by May 17, 2021.