A chamber economic development specialist is making the rounds through all of Carbon County’s 23 municipalities, making connections for future growth and offering small business assistance.

Jared Soto, who works for the Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, spoke to Weatherly Borough Council on Monday night.

“My main goal going forward is to be engaged with our municipalities, develop relationships and encourage communication related to what you are working on, learn more about what is important to you and the community that you serve,” he said.

“Our goal is not to tell any community what to do. It’s really to take guidance from you,” Soto said, adding that the chamber wants to see how it can best help municipalities with projects they want to move forward.

Soto explained that the chamber supports small business owners with ribbon cuttings and marketing promotions.

On the economic development side, the organization can offer small business loans 2% below the prime lending rate, helping new or existing businesses with expansion or buying new equipment.

The chamber also works with the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center, helping people who want to start a business and develop a business plan to apply for funding, Soto said.

Center personnel offer services in the chamber office once a month, and assistance is also available virtually, he said.

Soto also wants to know more about what each community wants to see in terms of economic development and growth.

“Some boroughs and municipalities, they’re fine. They don’t want development, and that’s OK, too,” Soto said, adding they want to help communities design and build their futures and pass along development opportunities when they arise.

The chamber also works with Penn’s Northeast, a regional marketer, which helps developers find sites for businesses that want to move into the area and what resources are available, he said.

Soto also noted the chamber’s collaboration with the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau to help promote Carbon County, pointing to a recent project that brought historical trolley tours to Lansford, where he lives.

He provided the borough with information on what the chamber does and also encouraged people to reach out to him directly. Additional information can be found on the organization’s website, www.carboncountychamber.org.