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Berkshire Economic Recovery Project |
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Economic Recovery and Resilience Resources
for Berkshire County Municipalities
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Community Compact Cabinet FY22 Programs |
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Community Compact
IT Grant Program
MA Division of Local Services
Applications open tomorrow, Sept. 15th
The IT program focuses on innovation and transformation at the local level, seeking efficiency, savings, and improved access.
Grants up to $200,000 will support the implementation of innovative IT projects by funding one-time capital needs such as technology infrastructure or software. Incidental costs for planning, design, installation, implementation and initial training are also eligible. Answers to frequently asked questions are available here.
Applications open September 15th and close October 15th, 2021. To preview instructions and components of the application, click here.
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In addition to the IT program described above, FY22 CCC programs also include:
Under a Best Practices agreement, a municipality implements at least one best practice selected from a wide range of eligible projects. Applications opened August 15, and are open until funds are depleted. Every Berkshire County municipality is eligible. Passcodes were emailed on August 9.
The E&R program supports regionalization and other efficiency initiatives, directed toward one-time or transition costs in projects with a plan for long-term sustainability. Applications open on January 10 and close on February 10, 2022. Project must be complete by September 15, 2022.
The Municipal Fiber program was created to assist municipalities with the construction of municipal fiber broadband infrastructure and related projects. Applications open on March 15 and close on April 15, 2022.
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Local Rapid Recovery - Funding Leads for Municipalities |
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Over 100 municipalities took part in the Massachusetts RRP program, including 5 in Berkshire County. But even if your community did not develop a formal plan, you can still access resources including webinars to inspire project ideas, sample project descriptions, and lists of funding opportunities to cover your costs. Read more...
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Berkshire Economic Recovery Project - Technical Assistance Program |
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Reminder: SEPT. 28 - CYBERSECURITY WORKSHOP
A free online workshop will address cybersecurity concerns and solutions for municipalities on September 28th at 10am. Space is limited and participation includes up to two hours of one-on-one consultation specific to your community with the presenter, Renatus Solutions, following completion of workshop and feedback forms.
Space is limited, please use this link to register:
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Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) |
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Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) for commercial buildings is a new mechanism to finance energy improvements on commercial and industrial properties in Massachusetts. To finance improvements, a property owner agrees to a betterment assessment and lien on their property, which repays the financing. This approach enables owners to undertake more comprehensive energy upgrades with longer payback periods of up to 20 years. At property sale, the assessment stays with the property and is transferred to subsequent property owners.
Individual municipalities may opt into PACE by a majority vote of the city or town council or the board of selectmen, as appropriate. See who has already opted in HERE.
For municipalities, the benefits of PACE include job creation, business growth, and environmental benefits associated with reducing energy consumption. Read more...
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Online Communication Best Practices |
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Your Town's Online "Comment Box" |
How does your local government gather and manage feedback? Is there a formal comment or complaint process established? Citizen concerns can get lost if "filed" with the wrong staff member, and word-of-mouth feedback usually doesn't result in proper documentation or timely response.
Consider establishing an online form on your municipal website to gather input. These can be general in nature, or specific forms can be established for separate departments or programs. It can also be an efficient way to track and correct issues with your website's design and functionality. Here are a few quick examples we found from other regions:
If your website platform does not have a built-in form builder, free easy-to-use tools are available through Google Forms or JotForm.
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Berkshire Regional Planning Commission
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