Community Innovation Challenge Grants Announced

Funding for regionalization, efficiency initiatives


 

(Boston) – Today, Senator Stephen M. Brewer (D-Barre) and Representative Anne M. Gobi (D-Spencer announced the release of $4 million in Community Innovation Challenge (CIC) grants.  The CIC grant program’s focus is to incentivize and support innovative regionalization and other cost saving initiatives that will help local governments increase cost-efficiency while maintaining service delivery.   The towns of Brimfield, Brookfield, Charlton, East Brookfield, Palmer, Royalston, Spencer, Sturbridge, Ware, Warren and West Brookfield were among the 28 total recipients.

 

“These grants were competitive and were released to the communities with the best proposals,” said Brewer.  “I applaud the dedication of the municipalities who worked diligently to secure this funding.  Ultimately, these projects will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our municipalities, which translates to a lower cost for taxpayers.”

 

“I congratulate all of the communities that have worked so hard in order to receive the necessary grants that will enhance and improve a number of important projects for the benefit of the citizens,” Gobi continued.

 

The CIC grant program was developed to encourage and incentivize regionalization and other innovative efficiency initiatives. The CIC grant program was an initiative of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, which included $4 million for regionalization and other initiatives that will improve the effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of local services in its original budget recommendation for Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12). Governor Patrick proposed an additional $7 million in funding for the CIC grant program in his FY13 budget proposal.

 

Regionalization allows for neighboring communities to build partnerships to engage in shared services, inter-municipal agreements, municipal collaborations, consolidations, mutual aid and regional planning to reduce the risk of duplicating efforts and spending limited taxpayer dollars unnecessarily.

2012 Community Innovation Challenge Grant RecipientsInclude:

 

Environment/Public Works Projects

Towns of Spencer, Auburn, Charlton, Dudley, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, Oxford, Paxton, Shrewsbury, Sturbridge, Webster and West Boylston

  • $310,000 for Regionalizing Municipal Stormwater Management in Central Massachusetts through Collaborative Education, Data Management, and Policy Development 

 

Towns of Brookfield, Brimfield, East Brookfield, Warren and West Brookfield

  • $58,000 for Regional Equipment Sharing Cooperative (RHE COOP) 

 

Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (Palmer)

  • $132,455 for Pioneer Valley Conservation Commissions Compact 

 

Online Municipal Services and Systems Projects

Town of Royalston and other municipalities in the Community Software Consortium

  • $290,710 for Cloud-based Open Source Integrated Municipal Financial Management 

 

Public Safety Projects

Northampton, Springfield, Greenfield, Chesterfield, Easthampton, Granby, Montague, Turners Falls and Ware.

  • $47,000 for NoFIRES - Northwestern Juvenile Fire Intervention Response, Education, and Safety Partnership 

 

A full list of grant recipients can be found online at: 

 

http://www.mass.gov/governor/pressoffice/pressreleases

 

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Posted: Fri, Mar 16, 2012
Updated Fri, Mar 16, 2012