To The Editor:
The Mad River Valley Planning District, MRVPD, thanks you for your acknowledgment of its contribution in securing the solar array grants for Warren and Waitsfield in your editorial of June 19, 2014. While our role in these specific grants was quite limited, it is important to reinforce the significance of securing grants that provide assistance to our local towns for much needed maintenance and improvement projects.
Grants don't come without a cost; most often they require a contribution from the grantee. Fortunately, many times this "required match" can be satisfied with in-kind services. Grants often come with strings attached by the grantor in that the work or process has to be done in a manner that satisfies state or federal regulations.
The MRVPD has been instrumental in bringing funds to the MRV either from direct grant pursuit or through support to town officials or local entities. The MRVPD is the first to acknowledge the hard work of town administrators and zoning administrators in the grant process. It is often the MRVPD's awareness of opportunities that leads to securing of such grants.
Since 2009, the MRVPD has been directly involved at some level in bringing $2.2 million of grants to the MRV communities. The MRVPD does not receive any benefit from these grants; all of the monies awarded go directly to the towns or entities for which the money was intended.
Again, thanks for your acknowledgment of the MRVPD contribution and we will press on as need and opportunity for such funds become available.
Bob Ackland, chair
MRVPD
Warren
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