Goals: The goal of the envisionMontpelier planning project is to create a long-term community vision and an action plan to implement integrated policies and projects that build real wealth in the local economy, strengthen the deliberative democratic practices in local governance, support neighborhoods and community cohesion, and enhance the built and natural environment through efficiency improvements, ecosystem enhancements, and reduction of harmful practices. We plan to engage the whole community in the effort through stakeholder involvement and broad-based public participation to create the most sustainable state capital in the country.
Mazer Grant Program Summary The Grant that the City has received from the Mazer Foundation provides funding to implement the recommendations that result from the stakeholder group’s work in the five key areas of sustainable community development: social well-beingProjects must include consideration of at least one these issues, and priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate strategic leverage toward changing the underlying systems at work in our city. Changing systems involves more than direct service or problem-centered projects. One way to determine if your project meets this important goal is to ask whether what you are proposing creates a new way of doing things, rather than just patching up the old way so that it works better. Are you building on one of the city’s assets, or spending a lot of time and energy fixing a “problem.” Grant Application Process Individuals and organizations interested in applying for funding from the Mazer grant program are encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Community Development for guidelines on the application process, or to download a copy of the application materials by clicking on the link below. Montpelier Mazer Grant Application Materials - 7 pages, 65 KB,There will be at least three grant rounds. The first deadline for grant proposals will be November 9, 2007. Proposals submitted to the first round should not exceed $25,000 per project. Proposals can be a range of sizes up to that limit; we expect a range from $1,000 up. The second deadline for grant proposals will be March 1, 2008. Proposals submitted to the second round should not exceed $10,000 per project. The third deadline for grant proposals will be June 1, 2007. Proposals submitted during the third round should not exceed $25,000 per project. enVision Montpelier Timeline
June 1, 2007 Times Argus Article Montpelier gets $100,000 for EnVision project By Patrick Joy Times Argus Staff MONTPELIER — The city's 100-year planning effort got a $100,000 boost this week after the Helen and William Mazer Foundation of Berkeley Heights, N.J., announced a two-year grant for the EnVision Montpelier project. The project will bring together residents and stakeholders to create a plan for Montpelier's economic, social and physical development over the next 30 to 100 years. Planning Director Gwen Hallsmith said Wednesday that about 85 stakeholders have already signed up for the process. Hallsmith's goal is to develop a sustainable master plan with long-term ideals. The process will be used in part to update the standard master plan as well. "This will allow us to do a lot of things that we would not have been able to do otherwise," she said. "But what those things are remains to be seen. The stakeholders will decide on the objectives." The Mazer Foundation was referred to Hallsmith by a former colleague. The group, headed by Steven Bercu and David Berkowitz, visited Montpelier in April and toured the school system and downtown. The group was impressed with Montpelier's efforts to move closer to sustainability, and announced their grant this week. They said they hoped their contribution would be complemented by local dollars and donations. "The foundation expects the projects will also receive local support in the form of direct funds, in-kind contribution and volunteer labor," Bercu said. The grant will be administered by the Department of Planning and Community Development and will fund projects identified by the stakeholder group. "The projects will need to demonstrate a strategic and integrated impact on the future of the city," Hallsmith said, explaining that she wanted to fund the most realistic and pivotal projects with the money. "We can't entertain hundreds of applications, so we're going to need to target specific leverage points that will achieve a synergistic effect over the long run." Hallsmith said that training sessions on planning strategies might be held for members of the stakeholders group. "We're very excited about the possibilities the grant offers us," Montpelier Mayor Mary Hooper said in a prepared release. "Rather than bringing people together to just talk about what we need to do, we'll have the ability to start doing things right away." City Manager Bill Fraser agreed. "This is a great opportunity for the city," he said. "It will put Montpelier on the map as a city that's taking an innovative approach to planning for the future." Documents 2007 enVision Montpelier Participation Report - 3 pages, 169 KB,Contacts
Department of Planning and Community Development 39 Main Street, City Hall Montpelier, VT 05602-2950 Tel: (802) 223-9506 FAX: (802) 223-9524 E-mail: planning@montpelier-vt.org Planning & Community Development Staff:
Updated July 8, 2008 |
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