Activing Living Workshops
AARP Vermont is collaborating with Dan Burden of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute to implement Active Living Workshops in two Vermont communities in 2011. This project ties in well with Complete Streets as well as ongoing efforts to promote smart growth, livability and healthy communities for people of all ages. Deadline, July 22, 2011. Details are here and an application form is here.
Vermont Idle-Free Fleets
Free Program and Technical Support Offered to Community Organizations.
Last spring, the American Lung Association (ALA) in Vermont launched Vermont Idle-Free Fleets (VIFF) to encourage Chittenden and Rutland County businesses with fleets to adopt an idling reduction policy. Building on the success of the pilot, ALA will offer the program statewide. ALA invites town energy committees and other community groups working on local environmental and public health policy to apply for this free program to help reduce toxic emissions from unnecessary vehicle idling. The goal of VIFF is to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles, but communities can expand to reduce gasoline vehicle emissions in addition to diesel emissions. A program application in Word format is here. For more information, contact Amy Sayre at 876-6860 or idlefreefleetsvt2@lungne.org. Deadline to apply: April 30, 2011.
Clean Energy Development Fund
The Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) of the Vermont Department of Public Service lends federal stimulus money to municipalities for projects that include solar, geothermal, methane recovery, biomass, wind, hydro, connected to the grid and efficiency. The projects, at a minimum, must be more than 15 tons geothermal, exceed 15KW capacity, and be more than 1 million BTU (per day, solar thermal; per hour, combustion). To learn more, contact Andrew Perchlik at 802-828-4017, or click here for a link to an application form as well as annual reports for 2010 and previous years.
Municipal Technical Assistance Program
The Clean Energy Development Fund is seeking to have Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) funding restored. (Funding has not been available since early in 2010.) Did your town participate in this program? If so, how useful was it to you? Positive feedback may affect funding. Contact Diane Reynolds, Grants Assistant, at 802-828-4019 or diane.reynolds@state.vt.us.
Funds Available for Current VLCT PACIF Members
VLCT PACIF Equipment Grant Program: $200,000 for 2011. Deadlines: April 30 and August 31, 2011. This ongoing program of the VLCT Property and Casualty Intermunicipal Fund (PACIF) makes 50/50 matching grants up to $5,000 available to current PACIF members for the purchase of certain high-cost equipment that is likely to significantly reduce risk to people and property. Details are at www.vlct.org/insuranceriskservices/programs/equipmentgrants.
VLCT PACIF Scholarship Program: $50,000 for 2011. Apply at least 45 days before desired training. This new program of PACIF covers the cost of safety and risk management-related training for current PACIF members. Travel and materials costs may be included. Details are at www.vlct.org/insuranceriskservices/programs/scholarships.
