NARRATIVE

Annual Report: January 1, 2008 – December 31, 2008

NortheastKingdom of VermontREAP Zone

Contact Information:

David Snedeker

Northeastern Vermont Development Association

36 Eastern Ave., Suite 1, P.O. Box 630

St.JohnsburyVT05819-0630

Tel: (802) 748-5181 x 20

Fax: (802) 748-1223

Email:

Executive Summary:

2008 was certainly a year for changein the Northeast Kingdom REAP Zone. Notably, the year saw changes to REAP Zone leadership, REAP responsibilities, and a unified commitment by partners to move in a new direction. The Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, under new leadership and formerly responsible for most REAP Zone activities,will continue updating and implementingthe required strategic work plan – a process currently under way. The Collaborative partners, with many new members, have committed to focus their efforts on economic development within the region. The Northeastern Vermont Development Association, the regional planning commission, is now responsible for the required REAP Zone benchmarking and reporting activities. Last, but certainly not least, Lyndon State Collegeis leading the effort to update and improve the Collaborative website to make it a better information and communications tool. Combined, all of these changes will hopefully lead to greater REAP Zone successes over the coming years.

The Collaborative

The Northeast Kingdom Collaborative was formed over a decade ago to encourage the exchange of information, ideas, and opportunities to improve the quality of life in the local region. The Collaborative has done this through conversations about strategic planning and community action at public informational forums in the three rural counties in northeast corner of Vermont. Partners working together to implement Collaborative strategieshave been able to stimulate millions of dollars in federal, state, private, and non-profit investment in the region. Collaborative leaders are:

  • Improving the economic viability, diversity, and competitiveness of the local economy to enhance its participation in state, national, and global markets
  • Enhancing collaboration and the creation of partnerships among economic and community development organizations and programs
  • Increasing dialogue among regional stakeholders to improve the sharing and enhancing of access to information
  • Supporting communities by identifying their strengths, goals, problems, and opportunities, and building coalitions and networks to address the same

Collaborative strategies will continue to address regional and local priorities, but what the Collaborative does best is provide a neutral ground for the exploration, expansion, and leveraging of ideas and resources. Importantly, the Collaborative is moving forward under new leadership with a reinvigorated focus on coordinated economic development planning and implementation.

NVDA

The Northeastern Vermont Development Association, the combined regional planning commission and development authority for Vermont’sNortheastKingdom region, applied for and received USDA funding to assume the benchmarking and reporting activities formerly handled by the Collaborative. NVDA, with its intimate knowledge of planning and development activities occurring within the REAP Zone area, was a good fit to assume these tasks and will do so until the REAP designation expires Sept. 30, 2012. NVDA intends to incorporate REAP Zone responsibilities into its normal functions.

LSC

Lyndon State College, the region’s pre-eminent four-yearinstitution for higher learning, is actively working to strengthen its regional presence to improve local communities, businesses, and the region’s workforce. Through the college’s department of Digital Media, the Collaborative website will be updated to provide the tools needed to meet the goals and objectives of the Collaborative.

Most Significant Accomplishments:

With manythanks from the beneficiaries and everyone concerned and great appreciation for the efforts of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the expiration date REAP Zonedesignation has been extended to September 30, 2013.

Carol Moore, President of Lyndon State College, is the new Chair of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative Board of Directors. Leaders from a number of important local and regional institutions have also agreed to serve on the Collaborative Board, including regional organizations such as the Northern Communities Investment Corporation, Northeast Kingdom Community Action, Northeast Kingdom Travel & Tourism Administration, and Gilman Housing Trust. The new board and leadership have a new energy and are focusedon coordinated economic development planning and implementation.

NVDA received a Rural Business Opportunity Grant in the amount of $91,875 to fund a regional Economic Development Coordinator to assist with the coordination of economic development efforts in the region.

2008 Northeast Kingdom REAP Zone USDA funding highlights include:

$19,598,000 for Municipal Infrastructure (water and wastewater)

$363,502 for local Community Facilities

$3,995,565 for Rural Housing initiatives

$1,957,984 for Business grants and loans

Community Participation:

The Northeast Kingdom Collaborative Board has individual and organizational representatives from each of the three counties within the REAP Zone – Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties. Collaborative membership is also representative of the region. The Collaborative Board has begun the process of updating the Strategic Work Plan, and will be hosting a number of regional forums to gather input and ideas for this effort. Thus far, interest in the Collaborative with its renewed focus, has been good. Collaborative Board meetings have occurred bi-weekly since this past summer following the change of leadership. The Collaborative and its member organizations worked with nearly every community in the region in some form over the past year.

Partnerships and Alliances:

There are many partnerships and alliances existing within the Northeast Kingdom REAP Zone. The Collaborative itself is an alliance of local and regional organizations, institutions, businesses, and individuals. The following list includes new Collaborative Board members, each of which partners with other businesses, organizations, state agencies, and local communities within the NortheastKingdomregion:

LyndonState College

Northeastern Vermont Development Association

Northern Communities Investment Corporation

NortheastKingdom Travel & Tourism Association

NortheastKingdom Community Action

Gilman Housing Trust – NeighborworksHomeOwnershipCenter

Newport City Renaissance Corporation

Chittenden Bank

Other Collaborative Members with partnerships similar to those above include:

NEK Human Services

NEK Workforce Investment Board

NEK Learning Services, Inc.

Local Chambers of Commerce

Rural Community Transit

NorthwoodsStewardshipCenter

University of VT Extension Service

Nulhegan Gateway Association

Community National Bank

Local Businesses

Local Communities

SmallBusinessDevelopmentCenter

There are far more community agencies, civic organizations, businesses, interest groups, and individuals than can be named here, so the list of partners is far from complete. Most importantly, communication and cooperation between all partners needs to be strengthened moving forward.

Problems/Obstacles:

The major problem over the past year revolved around the leadership and coordination of REAP Zone activities. Due to a lack of funding, the Collaborative began 2008 operating with a volunteer coordinator and this ultimately proved to be unsustainable. Leadership of the Collaborative organization also faltered somewhat in the first half of the year due to excessive time commitments/demands of the Collaborative leaders with their respective organizations. Both situations left the stability of the Collaborative in question, and no entity working to fulfill REAP Zone responsibilities.

Beyond the Collaborative, there was and continues to be a lack of communication and coordination among organizations working to region and its communities. This results in duplications of effort and groups/organizations operating in isolation, leading to ineffective solutions and inefficient resources.

The significant downturn in national, state, and local economies over 2008 has made it increasingly difficult to leverage private funding as credit markets tighten and state funding as budgets are cut.

Solutions:

After conversations with USDA Rural Development, LSC and other regional partners assumed leadership of the Collaborative. NVDA took on the benchmarking and reporting activities for the REAP Zone. These changes have created an expectation that REAP Zone efforts and outcomes will improve, and be more sustainable.

The Collaborative Board and its membership believe that moving forward with a focus on coordinated economic development planning and implementationthrough strengthened partnerships will improve the quality of life for NortheastKingdom communities, residents, and businesses. Strengthening the partnerships will primarily be through improved communications, increased collaboration, and resource sharing.

Best Practices:

The Collaborative’s plan to host another series of public forums/workshops around the region on topics such as telecommunications, tourism, municipal infrastructure, education, economic development, housing and others will be extremely valuable for updating its strategic work plan and setting goals, objectives, and strategies for the region over the next few years.

Improved communications, planning, and collaboration will remain goals for Collaborative partners moving forward, but strong commitments have already been made in this area. Good examples of partnershipsinclude NVDA partnerships with state agencies such as VT Emergency Management and the VT Department of Labor. NVDA has also worked with municipalities to strengthen their collaborative efforts in the area transportation infrastructure. LSC is partnering with NVDA, NCIC, and the regional Workforce Investment Board in the area of workforce development. Many organizations are working together to capitalize on a new Geotourism designation given the National Geographic Society’s Center for Sustainable Destinations.

Other successful best practices (see Partnerships for acronyms):

NVDA’s Business Plan Competition

NEKTTA’s local Marketing Plans

UVM’s local Market area studies

NCIC’s technical assistance grants for businesses

NewportCity’s sustained downtown planning and revitalization efforts

Gilman Housing’s continued efforts to promote home ownership and develop affordable housing

Plans/Prospects for the Future (2009 and beyond):

An updated strategic work plan for the Collaborativethat will link (and hopefully, unify)the work plans of the Collaborative’s member organizations.

There is currently significant interest and planning to develop the regional workforce to take advantage of new opportunities in the region.

It is expected that some of the renewable energy projects being planned for the region will be up and running. These include wind, hydro-electric, and biomass facilities.

With the expectation of federal stimulus funds coming to states, there is an expectation that local infrastructure will be upgraded or created.

Audited Financial Report:

There are no finances to be audited.

DUE JANUARY 30, 2009

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