All members of the Putney community are encouraged to attend the final phase of their Community Visit process, Our Future Putney, on Tuesday, January 17 at Next Stage Arts to help set action plans to move their three identified priorities forward. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for light snacks and refreshments with the meeting starting promptly at 6:30 p.m. All members of the Putney community are encouraged to attend.

On December 12, 2022, members of the community came together and identified three priorities to be developed into a volunteer task force. The three task forces will work to:

  • Revitalize Putney’s Downtown
  • Develop a Community Center
  • Develop Housing Solutions

After identifying these priorities in December, community members began signing up for task forces to work together to move each item forward. Community members are continuing to sign up for a task force online at bit.ly/FuturePutney. Those who haven’t signed up for a task force are encouraged to do so in advance or arrive on January 17 to learn more about the task forces and determine which priority is of most interest to them. You are still welcome to attend the meeting even if you have not signed up for a task force in advance.

At the final phase of the Community Visit process on January 17, the new task forces will meet to frame action plans and work with a resource team of federal, state, business, and nonprofit leaders to identify next steps towards success.

“This is a critical moment to translate the remarkable energy and commitment we’ve seen in Putney into task forces with clear action plans,” said VCRD Executive Director Brian Lowe. “The meetings are also an opportunity to connect with local, regional, state, and philanthropic partners who can provide advice or assistance to advance the priorities Putney residents have identified.”

The process is facilitated by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), who was invited to the community by the Putney 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/FuturePutney or contact VCRD at 802-223-6091 or [email protected].