ROCKINGHAM, Vt. – Rockingham residents, please join us for the first of two public meetings on Wednesday, March 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Lower Theater of the Bellows Falls Opera House for an engagement session on proposed and evolving projects for the region’s ARPA funds.
Food will be Provided at 5 p.m. Please RSVP for food and child care. The second meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m.
Camoin Associates, along with ARPA committee members, will facilitate discussion and further development of the ARPA submissions; local organizations and individuals have submitted project proposals for this meeting and more are welcome at the meeting. All projects are welcome.
The Saxtons River Village Trustees, The Bellows Falls Village Trustees, and Rockingham Select Board will determine where each municipality’s ARPA funds will be allocated, but the boards encourage community wide input and public engagement.
There are three aspects to determining ARPA spending that the Vermont League of Cities and Towns encourages:
1) Prioritize good governance: Convene Stakeholders and Build Consensus, Ensure Transparency, and Do Not Create Future Deficits.
2) Leverage ARPA Aid: Strategic Planning Process, Leverage Other Federal Funding, Coordinate with Other State and Local Programs, Collaborate with Community Partners and Organizations, Use Existing Delivery Systems, and Don’t Reinvent the Wheel (Learn from Others).
3) Invest In Best Uses For Long-Term Recovery: Urgent Health and Economic Needs, Short Term Investments with Long Term Benefits, ID and Address Pre-Covid Inhibitors to Growth, and Manage Progress.
ARPA funds must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024 and expended by Dec. 31, 2026.
To RSVP and submit projects please contact development@rockbf.org, or visit the ARPA information page at www.rockinghamvt.org/community-economic-development-projects.