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Committee pushes to hire or contract a grant writer to pursue coastal resiliency funding
Summary
After a project update from town engineer Tom, the Climate and Coastal Resiliency Committee agreed to assemble budget and grant-spend data and draft a job description/RFP for a dedicated grant-writer or coordinator to pursue and manage major resilience grants.
The Climate and Coastal Resiliency Committee voted to gather budget figures and draft a job description to support a dedicated grant writer or coordinator after hearing a status report from the town engineer, Tom.
Committee chair (Speaker 2) said the town faces an ongoing pipeline of resilience projects and that a staffed coordinator could help secure matching funds: "So, really, a hired person like this is not is is really an insurance policy," the chair said. Tom said many towns now hire specialists and that a consultant retainer or an RFP for a grant writer are common approaches: "I know a lot of towns are hiring somebody that specializes in grants," he said, adding that a specialist can relieve engineering staff of labor-intensive grant writing and reporting.
Why it matters: The committee is managing a prioritized list of roughly 35 resilience projects — including culvert replacements, salt-marsh restorations and boat-ramp improvements — and members said the workload of applying for and administering grants has stretched current staff. The committee flagged two practical questions to resolve before recommending a hire: the five-year cost of consultants the town has used, and a cost-benefit analysis comparing consultant fees with the total cost of a part-time or full-time employee.
What the committee asked for: Members tasked Tom and others to collect raw figures on grant-writing expenditures and returns over recent years, including how many grants were written, the dollars brought in, and prior consultant costs. Committee member (Speaker 4) offered to help compile a cost/benefit presentation for the Select Board once the data are available.
Scope and responsibilities discussed: Committee members and Tom described the role as a mix of grant research and pursuit, reporting and fiscal tracking for awarded projects, plus coordination between departments (DPW, natural resources, harbor master and others). The committee discussed three options: retain a consultant, hire a town employee (part- or full-time), or a hybrid model where a consultant supports internal staff.
Environmental-justice (EJ) outreach: Members emphasized that many resilience grants—especially MVP 2 grants—now include EJ outreach components and that the MVP program can fund community outreach positions. The committee identified securing outreach funding as part of the grant strategy.
Next steps: The committee will receive the compiled grant-spend and staffing cost figures as background material at the next meeting and intends to draft a job description or RFP based on those figures; the committee set its next meeting for April 17.
