Northfield community members are encouraged to participate in the second phase of Northfield: Our Common Future Community Forums to set actionable priorities together for the future of their town. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 18 from 6:30pm to 9pm at the Northfield Middle High School.
This event is the second phase of a three-part Community Visit process that provides an opportunity for members of the Northfield community to review potential action items, discuss and advocate for what is most important for their community, and vote on and sign up to begin moving priorities forward.
The first phase of the process was held in March and involved a series of public forums, attended by over 220 community members, and written surveys from members of the Northfield community who shared their ideas for action on critical topics including Youth & Families, Housing, Public & Community Safety, Building Norwich & Northfield Connection, Recreation, and Infrastructure: Broadband, Walkability, Transportation & Sewer. A Visiting Team of representatives from state, federal, private, non-profits, and philanthropic agencies joined the forums to hear ideas and remain an active resource as priorities emerge.
“What a fabulous turnout for the first Northfield: Our Common Future event! Let’s keep the momentum rolling and join us again for another important conversation on Tuesday, April 18,” says Northfield Selectboard Vice Chair, Lydia Petty. “This time we get to focus on which items are most important to all of you to move forward with. This is a powerful opportunity to help choose what happens next in our community. Please come if you are able!”
All members of the Northfield community are welcome and encouraged to attend on April 18 to be an active participant and play a key role in helping decide on actionable priorities for the future of Northfield. Free pizza, drinks, and dessert will be served.
“It was inspiring to see the incredible turn out at the first event in the process. Northfield is clearly a community with energy and momentum as they identify key priorities for the future. We look forward to facilitating a discussion to help the community identify what is most actionable and important today and helping them steps towards accomplishing their goals,” says Jenna Koloski, VCRD’s Community Engagement and Policy Director.
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the advancement of Vermont communities was invited to the community by the Northfield Selectboard. Over the past 20 years, VCRD has worked with 87 communities in Vermont to bring residents together through their facilitated and structured process to share ideas and move towards common solutions.
The final phase of community meetings will take place on May 16 and will include the startup of new volunteer task force teams working with a Visiting Resource Team to create action plans and build a list of technical and financial resources to move community-determined priorities forward.
Northfield: Our Common Future is funded with support from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Northern Borders Regional Commission, National Life Foundation, the Vermont Community Foundation, and VCRD supporters and donors.
For more information, visit bit.ly/FutureNorthfield contact VCRD at 802-223-6091, or email Jenna Koloski at [email protected].