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ACCD: State budget, Town Meeting guidance, PPP webinars, farm-to-school grants

Submitted by tim on

Governor Scott’s Budget Priorities

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Commerce & Community Development is focused on more than $100 million in economic initiatives as part of Governor Scott's budget proposal. Last Wednesday, ACCD held a webinar to review the Agency’s legislative priorities with partners and the public.

A recording of that webinar and presentation is now available at the ACCDCOVID-19 Recovery Resource Center. You can also find a breakdown of the governor's $210 million recovery plan HERE.

Town Meeting Guidance Announced

In-person annual town meetings are strongly discouraged this year. Unlike some municipal meetings, annual town meetings cannot be conducted remotely because they require citizen participation and voting, a constitutional right. Municipalities choosing to conduct in-person meetings or elections must conduct those meetings in a manner that complies with physical distancing, building capacity limits, and cloth facial covering mandatory requirements issued during the State of Emergency. Read the full guidance for town meetings in the updated ACCD Work Safe Memo.

PPP Webinars Continue

This is a reminder that the Vermont District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) now has two Paycheck Protection Program weekly webinars. The PPP First and Second Draw webinar is held on Wednesdays at 9:00am and covers options, terms, eligibility, and the application process. The weekly PPP Forgiveness webinar is on Tuesdays at 11:30am and offers an in-depth look at the forgiveness process.

Farm to School Grants

COVID-19 delayed the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets farm to school grant programs last fall. Three grant programs are now available and will begin taking applications soon. The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Grant reimburses 80% of the cost of CSA shares. The Farm to School Vision Grant supports innovative ideas that address emergent issues within farm to school. The Farm to School Child Nutrition Implementation Grantprovides financial and technical assistance to education organizations looking to advance their farm to school programs.

Source: ACCD 1.29.2021