Grass Valley Councilmember Bob Branstrom paused last week in the whirl of the election season to share what he sees as the critical elements of a thriving town in the twenty-first century. Here in the California Gold Country, there is plenty of evidence that towns, especially smaller towns, come and go. When a boom cycle goes bust, the players move on; the once-thriving community withers and perhaps disappears.

Branstrom suggested that there are several factors that keep a small town healthy.

A stable business community providing enough jobs is essential. In western Nevada County (WNevCo), government at all levels is currently the largest employer. Health care/social assistance is next. Construction is another significant player. The successful tourist/hospitality industry is helpful, although, in the longer term, it’s sensitive to overall economic cycles. WNevCo’s large cohort of retirees also utilizes many services, although, like hospitality, it supports mostly minimum wage jobs.

Happily, noted Branstrom, more and more small-area entrepreneurs are succeeding in creating businesses that offer higher wages; some of their products sell far beyond the local area.

Taken as a whole, these are kinds of employment that offer a community a solid, long-term base.

Branstrom pointed out that housing for the folks who hold those jobs is important to supporting a healthy business environment.

A vibrant arts community also contributes to a viable town. Locally, In Concert Sierra’s Crown Point Venues (now under construction) is expected to be a major enhancement, building on the recognition of Grass Valley/Nevada City as a California Cultural District.

Branstrom also named the value of a local newspaper and a local hospital, both industries dwindling rapidly nationwide, in keeping a community viable. He asserted that modest, well-planned, steady growth makes the survival of the newspaper and the hospital more likely.

In recent years, the importance of planning for sufficient water to meet the city’s needs has been a concern for many small towns. Branstrom credits NID with thoughtful attention to this complex challenge.

Looking at the overall process from a slightly different angle, Branstrom reflected on the importance of public spaces. He observed that he rarely goes anywhere in WNevCo without running into “someone I know and somebody I don’t.” Public spaces include not just obvious locations like the Grass Valley Mill Street Plaza or high school football games but also churches, childcare centers, parks, senior community centers, fairgrounds, and the like. Frequent face-to-face interaction in these public spaces encourages social connection and a vibrant, sustainable community, Branstrom said.

Maintaining the viability of small towns is a complex, ongoing process. Branstrom concluded that although there is more to be done, Grass Valley has a solid base on which to build.