Recovery & Resilience in Berkshire County

Berkshire Economic Recovery Project

September 22, 2021

Economic Recovery and Resilience Resources

for Berkshire County Municipalities

Preparing for the Future of Work in Massachusetts

Preparing for the Future of Work in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a July 2021 study commissioned by the Baker-Polito administration, seeks to help municipal and business leaders understand how workplace shifts begun during COVID-19 could impact their communities in years to come.

Conducted by McKinsey & Company, the report explores near- (2025) and longer- (2030) term trends and suggests how towns can prepare for them to support residents’ and economies’ success.

The report is particularly noteworthy in predicting the potential effects on Berkshire County’s identified priority industries, among them Health Care & Social Assistance; Hospitality & Management; Advanced Manufacturing; Creative Economy; Food & Agriculture; Education; Information Technology; and Business and Finance.

Click here for excerpt and links to full report.

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...

Berkshire Economic Recovery Project - Technical Assistance Program

Last Call: 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:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Zr6t5zElTfm202TFsoQ7rQ

Please share ideas for future workshop topics: lbrennan@berkshireplanning.org

Community Compact Cabinet FY22 Programs

As a reminder, FY22 CCC programs 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 IT program focuses on transformation at the local level, with grants up to $200,000 supporting the implementation of innovative IT projects and funding one-time capital needs such as technology infrastructure or software. Applications opened September 15 and close October 15.

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.

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)

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...

Online Communication Best Practices

What's in a name? Trust, and an added level of security...

The purpose of a domain name is to provide an easily remembered address for an internet resource, such as a website or email account. The US General Services Administration (GSA) has allowed local governments to use the .gov domain since 2002.

The GSA has also provided suggested naming conventions for local government units, with the preferred convention for Massachusetts municipalities being: www.townname-ma.gov. Adhering to these guidelines provide assurance that your website is the official government site for your town, and that associated email addresses will reach your municipal employees.

As of April 2021, .gov domains are available at no cost to qualifying US-based government organizations. To obtain a .gov domain, go to the GSA's website and follow instructions. You may need to ask your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for some required technical information to complete the process. Learn more...