Vermont Business Magazine Members of the Highgate community came together Tuesday, April 26, for the second step of the Highgate: Reaching New Heights community visit process and set four concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town. Community members then signed up for task forces to work on each priority area. All area residents are encouraged to sign up for these task forces online at bit.ly/HighgateVT.
As part of the Community Visit process, community members discussed and voted on over 18 action items that were identified in the first phase of the process on March 29, developing ideas around infrastructure, economic development, education and career training, recreation, health and safety, and more. Through the voting process to identify top priorities to move forward today, Highgate community members identified four tasks forces that will work to:
- Advance Career Training, Workforce Development, and Agricultural Career Pathways
- Expand Community Events and Boost Volunteerism and Engagement
- Recruit and Support Local Businesses
- Expand the Highgate Library and Community Center
After identifying these priorities, community members signed up for task forces to work together to move each item forward. Community members that were unable to attend are welcome and encouraged to sign up for a task force online at bit.ly/HighgateVT.
The third and final phase of the Community Visit process will take place on Tuesday, May 24, which will be the first opportunity for task forces to come together to build action plans and identify resources to move this work forward. All members of the Highgate community are encouraged to attend.
The process is facilitated by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), who was invited to the community by the Highgate Selectboard. VCRD is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the advancement of Vermont communities. In the past 20 years, VCRD has worked with over 80 communities throughout Vermont to bring residents together through their facilitated and structured process to share ideas and move toward common solutions.
For more information, visit bit.ly/HighgateVT