Recovery & Resilience in Berkshire County

Berkshire Economic Recovery Project

October 27, 2021

Economic Recovery and Resilience Resources

for Berkshire County Municipalities

Citizen Planner Training Collaborative - 2021 Webinar Series

Registration is now open for the 2021 Citizen Planner Training Collaborative (CPTC) Webinar Series. The workshops are designed for citizen and professional planners in Massachusetts, and cover subjects such as zoning, housing, design review, special permits, and more. Each workshop is led by a Massachusetts subject matter expert. The fee is $20.00 per workshop.

This is a great way for board members and staff to bring themselves up to date on any one of a number of planning areas. In response to feedback from Berkshire County municipalities, BRPC is sponsoring the following session within the fall series:

Fair, Defensible Land Use Decisions

Monday, November 15th at 6pm Register HERE

For a full list and more info visit: http://masscptc.org/training/webinar-2021/webinar-series-21.html

ARPA / CSLFRF Guidance

From ANF Secretary Heffernan:

ARPA allocated $350 billion in direct aid to state and local governments through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF). Local governments in Massachusetts, including counties, cities, and towns, will receive approximately $3.4 billion from this fund. The Executive Office for Administration and Finance compiled the following eligibility reference sheet and resources memorandum to help local governments deploy these funds.

The above links were issued in October 2021, and represent the most recent guidance for municipalities in MA. Please contact BRPC if your community is interested in partnering with other Berkshire County municipalities to maximize the impact of your ARPA investments.

Berkshire Economic Recovery Project - Technical Assistance Program

A free online workshop will address cybersecurity concerns and solutions for municipalities on November 9th at 10am. Space is limited and participation includes up to two hours of free 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:

https://forms.gle/1LfVk4Y9z3yLc7ye9

Community One Stop for Growth

The Baker-Polito Administration has announced over $66 million in MassWorks funding as part of a total of $88 million being awarded through the Community One Stop program this year. MassWorks awards in Berkshire County include:

Town of Becket - McNerney Road Repair - $1,000,000

Town of Great Barrington - Housatonic Homeownership Project - $69,000

Town of Hancock - Paving of Dee, Goodrich Hollow, Tower Mountain Roads - $169,000

Town of New Marlborough - Route 57 Rehabilitation, Phase 2 - $1,000,000

Town of Peru - East Windsor Road Resurfacing Project - $927,000

Additional announcements are expected soon regarding awards from other One Stop programs. STRAP awards are being announced 10/27, MassWorks Infrastructure announcements on 10/28.

Expressions of Interest for FY23 programs are scheduled to open in December. Through January 31st, 2022, municipalities may submit expressions of interest for up to 5 projects. Please contact BRPC with assistance requests as you prepare to submit Expressions of Interest in the next round.

Community Compact Cabinet FY22 Programs

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. Projects 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.

Local Rapid Recovery - Funding Leads for Municipalities

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...