Municipal Engagement for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Guide
To help municipalities and local leaders expand the vibrancy of their communities and ensure that recovery benefits all Vermonters, the Local Solutions and Community Action Team of the governor's Economic Mitigation and Recovery Task Force created the Municipal Engagement for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Guide.
The guide is designed to assist V ermont cities and towns to go further in their efforts to promote a welcoming and inclusive spirit in their communities. It is not intended to be prescriptive, but rather to provide ideas that can be adapted as necessary. Read the guide here.
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Municipal Energy Planning Opportunities
Interested in energy planning in your community? NRPC staff are available to provide support to energy-related planning and implementation projects in the Northwest region through the end of 2020. Contact Linda Blasch ([email protected]) or Emily Klofft ([email protected]) for assistance.
Additionally, NRPC staff are available to assist communities with holding a virtual Button Up event. Button Up is the state's fall energy efficiency campaign. Participating communities receive access to free energy home walk-throughs that highlight projects to make residents' homes more energy efficient. This year, Button Up events will be held virtually which makes it easier than ever to plan an event. If you are interested in holding a Button Up event, contact NRPC to learn more or sign up here by August 15th.
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Northwest Communications Union District
The municipalities of Enosburgh, Fairfax, Montgomery, and Georgia have formed the Northwest Communications Union District (NW CUD). Communications Union Districts were established in Vermont Statute to address the need for bringing broadband services to communities that are currently unserved or underserved. The formation of a CUD will enable communities to have representation and effect decisions of the District including planning, contracting, building and managing infrastructure that will provide high-speed internet service. The benefits are many including accessing online educations opportunities for all ages, telehealth which connects patients with medical providers, connecting rural businesses with clients and employers with employees.
The Northwest CUD is accepting any municipality in Franklin & Grand Isle Counties that wishes to join. Municipalities interested in joining the CUD can contact Shaun Coleman or
at NRPC for assistance.
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NRPC and Partners Coordinate Working Communities Challenge Team
NRPC partnered with many regional organizations and municipalities a few months ago to participate in a grant competition called the Working Communities Challenge (WCC) supported by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (FRBB) and funded by the State of Vermont and others. The WCC was created to support efforts that build healthy and strong economies and communities in rural VT-especially efforts that benefit low income residents. It encourages regional partnerships and focuses on the following core elements as a foundation for the work of participating communities: collaborative leadership, community engagement, learning orientation, systems change, and diversity. The Northwest team represents Franklin and Grand Isle counties and NRPC is the lead organization.
The competition is divided into a planning phase and an implementation phase. The Northwest team was one of eight teams to receive a $20,000 planning grant to work toward the $300,000 implementation funds which would be used over the span of three years. The Northwest team is focusing on the Formidable Four workforce barriers: child care, substance use, housing, and transportation. The goal during the planning phase is to determine what part(s) of the Formidable Four the team can make systemic change in and where the team needs to focus to have the best impact. The Northwest team has found that access to technology and connectivity issues are also a formidable challenge and are looking at how to incorporate that into its efforts.
The team recently completed a Formidable Four survey to gather perspectives and ideas regarding these workforce challenges from other organizations and service providers in our region. The team also released an Employment Challenges survey for everyone about problems and possible solutions to finding, getting, and keeping good jobs that will close on August 15th. Both of the surveys will collect contact information from respondents interested in participating in a series of "focus group" Zoom calls to have a deeper discussion about employment challenges and the Formidable Four.
Reponses to these surveys will inform our efforts going forward; please take a moment to complete and share the survey through the flyer above or by following this direct link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/employmentchallenges2020.
If you have questions, ideas, or would like more information, please email Adelle Brunstad at [email protected].
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Road Safety Audit Review in Fairfax Municipal officials, Fairfax residents, VTrans and NRPC staff met on 7/21/2020 to conduct a Road Safety Audit Review (RSAR) for the intersections of VT Route 104/VT Route 128/McNall Road in Fairfax. Key concerns that were raised about this cluster of intersections included poor sight distances and aggressive/distracted drivers. This fall VTrans will prepare a draft summary of the visit including potential short and long solutions.
Above: RSAR participants meet near the intersections to discuss local concerns. |
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Healthy Roots Collaborative Gleaning Opportunities
As part of Vermont Open Farm week, the Healthy Roots Collaborative is organizing two gleaning opportunities to celebrate local farms and provide fresh vegetables for folks in need. Gleaning is the practice of volunteers harvesting leftover or extra produce from farms to provide to local charitable food sites.
Tuesday August 11th, at 9 AM: Join in the fun at Pomykala Farm in Grand Isle! First, Farmer Ben will greet attendees with an introduction to Pomykala. Then you'll be a part of the glean. Gleans typically last about two hours. There may be an opportunity to deliver produce to charitable food sites following the gleanif interested.
Thursday, August 13th, at 10 AM: Come to Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh to glean onions. The researchers have finished with their trial plot and are ready for volunteers to come glean them. Onions are always in demand at food shelves. They also add up quickly and harvesting with a crew of folks makes the work much easier.
To join either of these gleans, please contact Peter Jenkins, Healthy Roots Collaborative Gleaning Coordinator at [email protected]. Healthy Roots is also looking for volunteers to deliver food to charitable food sites each week. Healthy Roots Collaborative has a COVID-19 gleaning safety protocol in place which we require staff and volunteers to follow for everyone's safety. To see all Open Farm Week events, click here.
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St. Albans City Receives State Grant Funds to Install MVRT Signage
MVRT Marketing and Wayfinding Project Almost a Wrap!
 St. Albans City, in partnership with the MVRT Council and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, was awarded a $64,417 grant from the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (VOREC) to implement the MVRT Wayfinding Plan. The wayfinding plan is part of a larger Marketing and Wayfinding project funded in part by a 2018 Northern Border Regional Commission grant to the MVRT Council.
The Marketing and Wayfinding project is wrapping up this fall with an updated trail brand, promotional materials and templates, a trail friendly business program and wayfinding signage, leveraged by St. Albans City's VOREC grant. Keep your eye on the trail's Facebook page for the new website launch that incorporates an interactive trail map advertising trail friendly businesses. A new brochure will also be released.
The VOREC Communities Grant Program was established by the Vermont Legislature with the passage of Act 194 in 2018, and was created with the purpose of making grants from $10,000 to $100,000 available to help Vermont communities fully leverage their local outdoor recreation assets to become a true "outdoor recreation friendly community"-a concept envisioned by the VOREC steering committee and recommended to the Governor in late 2017.
The project will implement the newly developed MVRT Wayfinding Plan by integrating the trail's new brand and installing wayfinding signage along the 26.4-mile trail, an important piece of Northwest Vermont's regional outdoor recreation infrastructure. The project includes directional signage, new kiosks and bike repair stations.
These grants are intended to help Vermont communities grow their local economies by focusing on outdoor recreation. The winning communities will join last year's recipients, Randolph and Newport, to serve as prototypes for other recreation-oriented communities to follow. Six other Vermont communities were also awarded 2020 VOREC Grants. The seven VOREC communities around the state as well as all of the communities who applied continue to demonstrate the power of an outdoor recreation economy in our state.
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Municipal Public Service Program
The Department of Housing and Community Development is now accepting applications for the CDBG-CV Municipal Public Service Program. The Municipal Public Service Program is designed to assist communities and non-profits with grants for public service projects that are in need due to COVID19 (such as addressing physical health needs of the residents in the community for social distancing and food shelves or meals on wheels for supplies, and materials necessary to continue to carry-out their public service, etc.). Funding will be on a first come first serve basis and will be through a competitive application process. Click here for more information or contact Patrick Scheld at VCDP for more information.
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2020 Municipal Planning Grants
Do you have the information, tools and resources you need to make the place you call home better? Do you want to make your city or town more attractive, vibrant, and prosperous? Did you know that Municipal Planning Grants have helped communities just like yours implement town plan recommendations and jump start initiatives to find wastewater solutions, update zoning regulations to increase local housing options, and develop strategic plans to diversify the local economy?
Towns may apply for up to $22,000 and joint applications from several municipalities (a consortium) may apply for up to $35,000. A wide range of municipal planning and implementation activities are eligible for funding. This year ACCD has added a new category for projects that plan for economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.
Please review the Program Description for eligibility requirements.
Application Deadline: October 1, 2020 @ 6:00 p.m.
If you would like assistance preparing a grant application or advice about a project idea, please contact Emily Klofft at [email protected] or Greta Brunswick at [email protected]. Questions about the Municipal Planning Grants can also be directed to Jennifer Lavoie at [email protected] or at 828-1948.
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Energy Code Trainings
Efficiency Vermont is administering Building Energy Code trainings on behalf of the Public Service Department. Efficiency Vermont serves as the Energy Code Assistance Center (ECAC) for the Department. The most recent versions of the Commercial Building Energy Standards (CBES) and Residential Building Energy Standards (RBES) become effective on September 1, 2020.
Dates for upcoming online training can be viewed here. The next CBES trainings are on August 11th from 1-3:30pm, and August 27th from 9:30am-12pm.
There are recordings of previous RBES and CBES trainings from this summer posted here.
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