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Aldermen authorize acceptance of $3M Northern Border grant and circulate VTrans bike-and-ped applications
Summary
The Board authorized the mayor to accept a $3 million Northern Border Regional Commission grant for downtown infrastructure and circulated applications for two VTrans bike-and-ped grants to support Center Street streetscape work.
The Rutland City Board of Aldermen on July 7 authorized the mayor to accept and expend a $3 million Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) catalyst grant intended to support downtown infrastructure connected with a planned hotel and Center Street improvements.
The board also voted to circulate for signatures resolutions to apply for two Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) bicycle-and-pedestrian grants — a large-scale application covering a $3,258,279 streetscape project (including the required 20% local share) and a small-scale application for targeted collision-reduction improvements estimated at $115,500 (including a 50% local share). Officials said they will use a mix of funding sources, including anticipated TIF and construction-phase budgets, to satisfy local-match requirements.
Why it matters: city leaders said the NBRC award and the VTrans grant applications are pieces of a larger funding plan to rebuild Center Street, support downtown access during the construction, and enable private investment in a downtown hotel. Mayor Dunjes said the $3 million is one component of a broader package of federal and state funding and anticipated local bonding options.
At the meeting, Planning Director explained the grants’ place in a larger TIF-funded strategy: the NBRC $3 million appears in the city’s sources-and-uses breakdown, and VTrans funding is expected to supplement underground utility work already planned as part of a larger rebuild. Officials said they will pursue a bond vote in the fall to fill remaining gaps and aim to avoid increased tax burdens by combining grant, TIF and bond financing.
Aldermen also approved a municipal planning grant-backed RFP to hire consultant(s) to assist with a municipal-plan update and authorized the mayor to sign NBRC award documents. The board discussed sending thank-you letters to the governor and congressional delegation recognizing their roles in securing federal support.
Parking and other downtown items were referred to the Community and Economic Development committee for additional conversation, including a separately noted lease and operations discussion for the city parking garage.
Ending: City staff said they will continue stakeholder outreach — including a downtown stakeholders meeting the next morning — and will bring back finance details and bond planning language for future board action as grant awards and project designs advance.
