By Polly Mikula
Towns seeking funding to improve stormwater infrastructure and municipal water systems topped the list of Catalyst Grant grant recipients in Vermont this year with Killington receiving the largest award at $2.25 million, followed by Wilmington and North Hero, each with $1 million.
Killington’s grant will be used toward planned infrastructure improvements including a municipal water system and a redesigned roadway system which is required for the development of the Six Peaks Killington Village project (a village at the base of the ski resort).
A grant of $2,250,000 was awarded to these Killington projects, which totals $23,602,436 according to the grant application.
“$1 million is for a water portion and $1.25 million is for a portion of Killington Road,” said Lisa Davis, planning consultant for the town of Killington, who wrote the grant.
“The total project cost does not represent the actual total project cost but rather it represents Phase 1-A of the road project — which is from the Lookout to East Mountain Road including the roundabout, Road H and Mill Road — and contract 4 for the water.”
Contracts 1-3 have already been awarded which makes them ineligible for Catalyst grant money, Davis explained. And future phases of the water and road project will not be completed within the three year time-frame required.
Additionally, the state of Vermont has put the Killington project up for consideration for an additional $750,000 in EDA partnership funding.
“We will continue to seek grants and low interest loans wherever we can to decrease the total project cost as recommended by the TIF board when we received that designation,” Davis said. “But this is very exciting, it’s great news.”
Killington was among 13 communities in Vermont selected to receive a combined $10,833,903.42 from Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Catalyst Program.
“These funds will make a significant difference in Vermont committees across the state, including supporting clean water initiatives, investing in our agricultural economy, infrastructure, environment and more,” said Vermont Governor Phil Scott.
This year’s funding to Vermont is nearly double that of prior year investments, due to increases in the overall funding for the next 10 years that was championed in the last U.S. Congress by Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Bernie Sanders, and then-Congressman Welch.
In total $43.6 million was delegated to 66 Catalyst Awards in the Commission’s member states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. NBRC announced its awardees on Wednesday, Aug. 23.
These projects are matched by public and private investments, resulting in $208.5 million in total investment across the four-state NBRC region, according to a news release from NBRC.
“The Catalyst Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality … With the addition of funds provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Commission increased the scale of investments in infrastructure projects and funded the largest awards in its history,” NBRC stated. “These projects will unfold over the next three years.”
In additional to programs that modernize and expand water and wastewater systems, awardees also received funding for projects aimed to revitalize transportation infrastructure; establish workforce development programs and facilities; grow outdoor recreation infrastructure and economies; and construct new childcare and healthcare facilities.
“Support from the Northern Border Regional Commission has long helped build vibrant economies and healthy communities across our region — and this year’s awards are no exception,” said U.S. Sen. Peter Welch in a statement.
The 2023 Catalyst Program grant round was highly competitive, with 187 applications received and more than $151 million in funding requests, according to NBRC.
The slate of selected projects advance NBRC investment priorities to reach underserved communities and build a resilient region: 35 of the commission’s awards are going to communities with less than 5,000 people, and 30 to communities and organizations who are receiving their first NBRC funding award.
The NBRC was created by Congress in 2008 with the goal of alleviating hardship in the most economically distressed communities.
“A hallmark of the NBRC is its ability to flexibly support a broad range of needs in rural communities in our region,” said NBRC Federal Co-Chair Chris Saunders. “These awards include central components of infrastructure upon which successful economies are built, and range from pipes, roads and fiber lines, to childcare programs, outdoor recreation infrastructure, working waterfronts, and everything in between.”
For more information and a list of all grantees, visit: nbrc.gov.
