E-Newsletter Volume 11, Issue 11 / November 2021 |
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Welcome to our Newest Commissioner! |
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We are pleased to introduce our newest Commissioner, Greg Grotegut!
Greg grew up in southern Manitowoc County where he still resides with his spouse and two daughters. Greg worked on his family farm which is still operated by a brother and other family members today. After attending schooling in Dairy Herd Management, diesel mechanic and supervisory management he worked as a mechanic – equipment operator for an excavating company for 9 years. He obtained a job with Manitowoc County Highway in 2008 and worked his way from equipment operator, foreman, supervisor, operations manager to most recently highway commissioner on November 3, 2020. Greg is pleased to be appointed as the newest Commissioner of the Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission.
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Bay-Lake RPC and EDA Information Webinar |
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Bay-Lake RPC will be co-hosting an informational webinar with the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for those interested in learning more about EDA funding availability and the services that Bay-Lake RPC is able to provide member communities. The webinar will be held on Thursday, November 18 at 1:30 PM. Those interested may be government officials, Economic Development Organizations, or non-profit organizations in the Bay-Lake region. Anyone interested in attending the webinar should submit this online form with their contact information. A meeting invite with a link to join the webinar will be provided by email prior to the webinar.
To learn more about this webinar or if you have any questions, please contact Sydney Swan at sswan@baylakerpc.org.
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2021 CEDS Priority Project Survey - Due 11/12/21 |
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The Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission is responsible for developing and updating the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) document. As part of this process, the Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission recently sent the 2021 Annual CEDS Survey to each unit of local government within the region. The survey asks each community to identify priority community and economic development projects to be incorporated into the document. Projects that are listed in the CEDS may help to secure EDA funding and/or other federal and state funding.
Communities may complete and submit the survey by mail, email, or by using an online form found here. To ensure your community’s projects are included in this year’s update, please complete and submit surveys no later than Friday, November 12, 2021.
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DOA Funding Opportunities |
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The WI Department of Administration (DOA) is currently offering grant programs available to local/Tribal governments and/or non- profit organizations through Federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Click the program links below to learn more about each program. Applications for each program are due in early November.
The Neighborhood Investment Fund will award up to $200 million in grant funding to local and Tribal governments for making significant investments with long-term benefits in order to help neighborhoods recover from negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is particularly focused on addressing the needs of residents living in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Capital investments, such as construction of buildings, are among the projects eligible for funding. The grant application will close November 11, 2021 at 2:00 PM.
The Tourism Capital Grant Program will provide up to $10 million for local and Tribal governments and tourism-related nonprofits to invest in shovel-ready tourism-related capital projects. The grant application will close November 12, 2021 at 2:00 PM.
The Equitable Recovery Program will provide up to $50M community-based organizations providing services or programming aimed at increasing equity and eliminating disparities in health, early childhood development, education, economic support, housing, and environmental justice in qualified census tracts or communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant application will close November 12, 2021 at 2:00 PM.
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Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Grant Application Assistance |
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Applications for the 2022-2026 TAP Program Cycle are now open and due on Friday, January 28, 2022. Types of eligible projects would include Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans, Safe Routes to School Plans, some wayfinding efforts, among others. The projects should address needs for more expanded travel choice, strengthened local economies, and improved quality of life, primarily through modes of transportation other than driving personal vehicles. The commission recently completed a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for the City of Manitowoc and is currently working on a Safe Routes to School Plan for the Luxemburg-Casco School District, with more communities seeing the value in alternate modes of transportation for everyday life and seeking assistance in developing these types of plans.
If your community is interested in learning more or applying for a TAP grant, please contact Chris Garcia.
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Florence County Citizen Advisory Committee Meeting |
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In October, representatives of Florence County citizens were asked to participate in a Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) to advise on soil and water health issues present in Florence County. The CAC is intended to provide feedback on the goals and objectives of the Florence County Land and Water Resource Management Plan (LWRMP), which is currently being updated to address soil and water health issues. A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will also meet and discuss the plan's goals and objectives as well as issues raised by the CAC members.
Any questions related to the Florence County Land and Water Resource Management Plan can be sent to Adam Christensen.
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In October, Commission staff were out and about in the community. Some of the events attended included:
- Site visits with Governor Evers at two businesses awarded through the Main Street Bounceback grant program in the City of Oconto.
- A site visit by Governor Evers in Algoma to discuss coastal resiliency.
- Make a Difference Day where staff volunteered time to assist homeowners in their fall cleanup activities.
- Friday night football game, where staff promoted the Luxemburg-Casco School District Safe Routes to School project.
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Send us your Applications - Main Street Bounceback Grant Program |
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Bay-Lake RPC is continuing to accept grant applications for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Main Street Bounceback Grant program. We have already received over 350 Intents to Apply and funded over 110 applications! Grant eligibility includes:
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New purchaser with qualified purchase documentation or tenant with a 12 month or greater lease of a previously vacant commercial building or storefront. Existing businesses that expand into a larger vacant commercial space are also eligible. Eligible lease and sales documentation includes those fully executed on or after 1/1/2021. Some restrictions apply. Please see our website for more information about eligibility.
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The 2022 Sheboygan Metropolitan Planning Area Transportation Planning Work Program and the Sheboygan Metropolitan Planning Area Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): Calendar Years 2022 – 2025 were approved by the Commission at a meeting of its Executive Committee on October 29. Commission staff is working on final edits to both documents and will transmit them to WisDOT in November. The final 2022 – 2025 TIP will be posted to the Commission’s website after it has been transmitted to WisDOT, while the final 2022 MPO Work Program will be posted to the Commission’s website once it has been approved by USDOT and WisDOT.
The Sheboygan MPO Technical and Policy Advisory Committees reviewed and recommended approval of Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) 2022 performance targets for the Sheboygan Metropolitan Planning Area to the Commission at its joint meeting on October 28. The Commission approved these targets at a meeting of its Executive Committee on October 29. As in previous years, the Commission agreed “to plan and program projects so that they contribute toward the accomplishment of WisDOT’s calendar year 2022 targets for all five performance measures,” since the metropolitan planning area continues to be below statewide averages for four of the five measures, with additional education being recommended for motorists and pedestrians in the one measure that was above the state average (non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries).
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Want to help make an impact in our region? Below are links to the public input activities and surveys that are currently open. |
Luxemburg-Casco Safe Routes to School Online Community Engagement |
The Luxemburg-Casco School District is partnering with Bay-Lake RPC to develop a Safe Routes to School plan. This plan aims to improve the health and well-being of students by identifying and addressing barriers to safely walking or biking to school.
Bay-Lake staff have created two online opportunities for community engagement, including an online survey that asks how students get to and from school and an online crowdsourcing tool that allows community members to report concerns and/or issues related to this topic. These input opportunities can be found on the project website.
Any questions related to the online input opportunities or about the Luxemburg-Casco Safe Routes to School project can be directed to Chris Garcia.
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Upcoming Events & Meetings |
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Bay-Lake RPC and EDA Webinar
Thursday, November 18, 1:30pm
Virtual Webinar
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Happy Thanksgiving!
The Bay-Lake RPC office will be closed Thursday, November 25 in observance of Thanksgiving.
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Check with the Bay-Lake RPC COVID-19 Response and Recovery Portal for new and upcoming events/workshops.
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- December 9, 2021 -
Sheboygan MPO Technical and Policy Advisory Committees Joint Meeting
1:00pm
Location TBD
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- December 10, 2021 -
Bay-Lake RPC Full
Commission Meeting
10:00am
Bay-Lake RPC Office
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Funding and Grant Opportunities |
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November and December Grant Deadlines
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- DOA Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (November 5)
- AARP Wisconsin Small Dollar, Big Impact Grant (November 10)
- WDOA Tourism Capital Grant Program (November 12)
- WDNR Urban Wildlife Damage Abatement and Control Grant (December 1)
- WDT Meetings Mean Business (MMB) Grant Program (December 1)
- T-Mobile Hometown Grants Program (December 31)
- WisNRF Go Outside Fund (December 31)
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Do you want to know more about planning services or grants available? |
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The staff of the Bay-Lake RPC are happy to speak to your boards/councils, committees, organization, or community groups about what is happening in our region. We are also available to assist communities and counties with meeting facilitation.
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